2019 RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championships – Feb. 22-23 – [Championship Central] [Live Results] [Live Video]
ASU High Altitude Training Center (The Bubble) – Alamosa, Colo.
 

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CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
The Colorado School of Mines Men's and Women's Track & Field teams open the 2019 RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday morning in Alamosa, Colo., at the ASU High Altitude Training Center on the campus of Adams State University. Mines' men are chasing back-to-back indoor crowns after winning last year's title by more than 60 points. The Oredigger women chase history as they seek their first-ever RMAC title. The field is loaded and the task won't be easy, but both teams appear poised to make a run at gold in the San Luis Valley.
 
HOW WE GOT HERE
Mines' men and women have competed in nine total events so far this season. Most recently, the Orediggers hosted the Mines Triangular inside Steinhauer Fieldhouse with CSU-Pueblo and MSU Denver joining the fun. Highlights from the one-day event featured low times in the mile, 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter runs. On the field side of things, Connor McLean dominated the pole vault while Jack Root and Courtney Clark put together record-breaking performances in the weight throw and shot put, respectively. In total, the event produced 10 entries into the Mines indoor record book and 15 additions to the national performance lists.
 
WEEKEND FORMAT
According to RMAC Championship Central, the weekend will kick off at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning with the pentathlon's 60-meter hurdles followed by the heptathlon 60-meter dash at 8:45 a.m. General field events will start at 9 a.m. with the women's pole vault and the track opens up at 3 p.m. with the men's 400-meter prelims. Saturday looks similar with the heptathlon continuing at 8:30 a.m. with the 1,000 meters set for 11:45 a.m. Field events will start earlier on the second day with women's high jump at 8:30 a.m. and first gun on the track at 12 p.m. with the men's mile. The final event of the weekend is the women's 4x400-meter relay at 3:20 p.m. with awards to follow.
 
ASU HIGH ALTITUDE TRAINING CENTER
Nestled over 7,500 feet of elevation, the ASU High Altitude Training Center is one of the highest facilities in the nation. It's commonly referred to as "The Bubble" because, well, it's literally a man-made bubble. With very little spectator seating, the facility features a turf infield used for multiple teams' practices with the track running around the outside. There is also an eight-lane straightaway for sprints. Fans can enter the facility through a tiny metal area that somewhat represents a phone booth.
 
OREDIGGER FAVORITES
Mines will look to score in numerous events. However, there a handful of fields in which Orediggers carry the #1 seed into the weekend. Late scratches in the men's mile put Josh Evans and Luke Julian at the top of that list in a field loaded with Orediggers. Courtney Clark is the clear favorite in the women's shot put with nearly a meter advantage on the next-closest competitor. Similarly, Jack Root looks to win the weight throw in dominant fashion as his top mark of the year is nearly three meters further than the #2 seed. Capping off the gold-medal favorites are Chase McLean and Hayden Sather in the heptathlon. The duo ranks #1 and #2 in the RMAC while also sitting #15 and #16 in the nation.
 
HARDWARE – IT'S A THING
Last season at the conference indoor championships, Mines' men and women combined to bring home 16 medals with four gold, seven silver and five bronze. Six of those medal-winning Orediggers return for this year's championships with many more added to the fold. Most notably, Courtney Clark returns as the defending shot put champion. Triston Sisneros took gold in the 60-meter hurdles and silver in the long jump while Austin Smith, Chase McLean and Hayden Sather swept gold, silver and bronze in the heptathlon. However, the hardware wasn't just limited to the competitors. Mines' coaching staff also boasts numerous awards from the 2019 season including RMAC Men's Coach of the Year, USTFCCCA Regional Men's Coach of the Year and USTFCCCA Men's Regional Assistant of the Year. All of those Orediggers and more are back for the 2019 edition and hungry for more hardware.
 
BEST CONFERENCE IN THE COUNTRY
Earlier, it was noted that the 2019 RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championship field was loaded and that's no exaggeration. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference currently features 13 total teams nationally-ranked in the top-50 according to the USTFCCCA DII Indoor Track & Field Rating Index. Six men's teams rank in the top-50 including three inside the top-10. Seven women's programs fall in the top-50 with two in the top-10. Adams State's men and women sit #1 on both sides. Mines' men rank #5 while Western Colorad's men are #10. UCCS's women account for the second RMAC team inside the top-10 at #8. Mines' women are also in the top-50 at #49. Like we said, it's loaded.
 
RMAC TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
The week leading up to the 2019 championships provided a good omen for the Orediggers – three of them in fact. On Tuesday, Mines claimed three of the four available RMAC weekly awards including Men's Track Athlete of the Week, Women's Track Athlete of the Week and Men's Field Athlete of the Week. Luke Julian, Chloe Cook and Jack Root made up the award-winning trio. Julian and Cook both claimed the first weekly awards of their careers while Root grabbed his second of the season. Julian was honored for an iron man-like performance as he ran the 3,000 meters and the mile within hours of each other. Cook earned her award after running the 3,000 meters at a blazing pace. Root grabbed his distinction thanks to another record-breaking performance in the weight throw.
 
RMAC SUMMIT AWARD
On Thursday, Megan Wenham was named the RMAC Summit Award winner for women's indoor track & field – her second Summit Award this season. Wenham also claimed the same prestigious honor for women's cross country. The award is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average (GPA) participating at the finals sites for each of the RMAC's championships Wenham boasts an unblemished 4.0 with more than 130 credit hours completed towards a degree in mechanical engineering. Additionally, the Highlands Ranch native earned 2018 RMAC Academic Runner of the Year and RMAC First-Team All-Academic honors during the cross country season. In competition, Wenham has earned USTFCCCA All-Region, Second-Team All-RMAC and USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week distinction. Last year, Wenham claimed all-America honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
PATH TO PITTSBURG
The 2018 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships were run in Pittsburgh, Pa. The 2019 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships will be contested in Pittsburg, Kan. The two-day event is slated to start March 8 with a champion being crowned March 9. It marks the second straight year the event has been hosted in the small Kansas town. Last season, at the same site, Mines' men took 11th in the nation while the women took 32nd. The Orediggers will look to improve on those finishes with a full two weeks between the RMAC Championships and the National Championships.
 
UP NEXT
Following the RMAC championships, Mines will await final selections and entries for the 2019 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. The national championship field is slated to be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Full information on selections and live coverage for the event will be available at www.minesathletics.com.