COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — MSU Denver indoor track and field put together an impressive all-around showing Saturday in Colorado Springs at the UCCS Running Company Invite, turning in multiple event wins, podium finishes, and strong depth across the meet.
The Roadrunners were especially sharp in the sprints, hurdles, middle distance, and relays, highlighted by several first-place performances on both the men's and women's sides.
On the track, Anthony Martinez continued his strong indoor season in the men's 60-meter hurdles, winning the preliminary round and finishing second in the final with a time of 8.47. Martinez was joined in the final by Aden Guenther, who placed third, and Sean Pecenka, who finished fourth, giving MSU Denver three top-four finishers in the event.
The Roadrunners picked up victories in both 400-meter races. On the women's side, Arianna Toaipa claimed first place in 59.70, while Owen Clarke won the men's 400 meters with a time of 50.26. Toaipa also anchored the winning women's 4x400 relay, teaming with Tanis Chavez, Jessica Hobson, and Rachel Wheeler to take first in 4:19.46. The men's 4x400 relay followed suit, as Kenny Greene, David Klisarski, Wells Stucker, and Jacob Simpson secured the win in 3:31.42.
Distance events were another highlight for MSU Denver. Paige Tack captured first place in the women's 5,000 meters with a time of 18:27.92, while Abi Read followed close behind in second. On the men's side, Jordan Duran, Jonathan Duran, and Darren Hayden finished fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively, in a deep 5,000-meter field.
In the men's 60-meter dash, Kenny Greene advanced to the final and placed fourth, clocking a time of 6.91. Greene also played a key role in the relay victories later in the day. The jumps group saw a strong finish from Kai Luna, who placed fifth in the men's triple jump with a mark of 14.33 meters.
The Roadrunners also earned podium finishes in the women's hurdles, as Kathryn Rust placed second in the 60-meter hurdle final with a time of 8.85, continuing her consistent indoor campaign. Rust added another top performance earlier in the meet with a runner-up finish in prelims.
In middle distance, Tanis Chavez placed second in the women's 800 meters and added a fourth-place finish in the mile, while Eisen Dacus led the men's mile with a fourth-place finish and later added a top-five showing in the 800 meters.
Field events were led by Raziah Hyslop, who placed sixth in the women's weight throw and followed with a solid showing in the shot put. On the men's side, Andre Henry led the Roadrunners in the shot put with a seventh-place finish, while Brandon Simpson paced the group in the weight throw.
MSU Denver turned in one of its most productive performances of the indoor season on Saturday. The Roadrunners will look to carry that momentum forward as the indoor schedule continues in the coming weeks.
