Maverick Multi & Open – April 9-10
CMU Track & Field Complex – Grand Junction, Colo. [Schedule] [Live Results]
 
CU Invitational – April 10
Potts Field – Boulder, Colo. [Schedule] [Live Results]
 

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DIVIDE AND CONQUER
For the first time this season, the Colorado School of Mines Men's and Women's Track & Field teams will divide their forces and look to dominate at two different events this weekend. The decathlon competitors and field athletes will head to the Maverick Multi & Open hosted by Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction on Friday and Saturday. The track athletes make the short trip to Boulder for a one-day affair on Saturday at the CU Invitational. As always, the end goal is low times and high marks with both Mines' men and women looking to rise in the rankings.
 
SPECTATORS POLICY FOR THIS WEEKEND
Spectators will be allowed to attend the Maverick Multi & Open in Grand Junction at the brand new CMU Track & Field Complex. All fans will be required to stay in designated areas with masks and social distancing highly encouraged. The University of Colorado will not be allowing fans to attend the CU Invitational. Live results of both events will be offered at www.minesathletics.com. Additionally, Mines is not allowing spectators at home events until further notice. This policy will continue to be reevaluated throughout the rest of the semester.
 
HERE'S THE DEAL
As mentioned above, the Oredigger contingency in Grand Junction will feature competitors in the decathlon and field events. The discus starts the day at 1 p.m. with the decathlon getting under way at 2 p.m. Friday's slate, in the context of Mines, also includes the javelin and pole vault. Saturday's jam-packed schedule begins in Grand Junction at 9 a.m. with the hammer. Running action starts at 10 a.m. in Boulder with the women's 3K. Fans can check out the full rundowns on the track & field schedule page at www.minesathletics.com. The links to live results will eventually feature entries as well so you can find out who is competing in what event.
 
CMU TRACK & FIELD COMPLEX
This weekend's Maverick Multi & Open is just the second event to ever be competed at Colorado Mesa's new track & field facility. The first action was the Maverick Open on March 26 and 27. This means that facility records will be ripe for the picking. Based on the limited information available at this time, the fresh facility features an eight-lane, World Athletic Certified epiQ Tracks Z5000 surface. The location does not show up on Google Maps, but can be found west of Bergman Field at the corner of Orchard Avenue and Cannell Street. That's about all the information we have at this point.
 
POTTS FIELD
With credit to www.cubuffs.com, here is everything one could want to know about Potts Field. Originally constructed in 1967, Potts Field was officially dedicated on Sept. 29, 1984 and is named after former CU coach Frank Potts.  Recognized as one of the top facilities in the nation at the time of construction, the facility has twice undergone renovations, most recently in 2003. Potts sports an Olympic-style 400 meter track oval with state of the art Beynon surface, installed by the Italian company in the spring of 2003.  It is the same surface that was used at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. The track features eight 42-inch lanes with the capacity to run sprints and hurdles in both directions, an official steeplechase facility, long jump and pole vault runways that accommodate varying wind conditions, as well as fully electronic timing.  Shot put, discus and hammer throw areas, as well as the javelin approach are also brand new and are located on the newly-sodded grass infield. Potts Field has been the host of 1986 and 1993 Big Eight Conference Outdoor Championships and the 2008 Big 12 Outdoor Championships.
 
RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND
Mines' last action was the Doug Max Invitational hosted by Colorado State in Fort Collins. The Orediggers were the only non-NCAA Division II program in the field and they walked away with some impressive results. Connor McLean and Hannah Miller both automatically qualified for the 2021 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the pole vault. McLean cleared 5.30 meters (17-4.5) which tied him for first in the nation. Miller vaulted 4.10 meters (13-5.25) to tie for second in the nation. Both marks were program records as well. Arvid Veidmark also broke his own program record in the shot put. His heave of 17.19 meters (56-4.75) put the junior 14th in the country. Additionally, Grant Redmond leapt 2.08 meters (6-9.75) in the high jump to rank 12th in the nation. Aryelle Wright rounded it out with an impressive 400-meter dash of 56.21 which put her second all-time at Mines.
 
RMAC FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Connor McLean's performance in Fort Collins, Colo., garnered the graduate student RMAC Field Athlete of the Honors on Wednesday. It marks McLean's first weekly award this season and seventh of his career. As stated above, the Highlands Ranch, Colo., native posted an automatic qualifying mark in the pole vault and broke the program record along the way. The performance also put him alone at #1 in the RMAC in the pole vault this season. The next closest vaulter sits 24 centimeters behind McLean's top bar. He also threw the discus and javelin for Mines at the DI meet. Additionally he sits third in the RMAC in the long jump, 13th in the javelin and 13th in the high jump. McLean's long jump mark is also a NCAA provisional mark and puts him 15th in the nation.
 
LEARN SOMETHING NEW – THE DECATHLON
This week's educational piece highlights the decathlon in honor of Connor McLean's and Hayden Sather's return to the event after more than two years. As one might guess, decathlon refers to the number 10. In this case, Wikipedia defines the decathlon as, "a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track & field events. Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not by the position achieved. Traditionally, the title of "World's Greatest Athlete" is given to the person who wins the decathlon." The events included in the decathlon are the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump and the 400-meter dash on the first day. On day two, competitors round out the grueling event with the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run. The current World Record in the men's decathlon is 9,126 points set by Kevin Mayer of France in 2018. There's plenty more history, but these are the basics.
 
UP NEXT
Next weekend, Mines finally returns home and will compete at the Stermole Track & Field Complex and Crouch Field Events Complex for the first time since April 20, 2019 as the Orediggers host the Kit Mayer Classic. At this time, no specators are allowed to attend, but live results will be offered at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines track & field on Twitter and Instagram at @csmtrack. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.