FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Black Hills State University men's and women's track & field teams saw a pair of NCAA Provisional marks this past weekend as Flynn Johnston (400m hurdles) and Lauryn Bennett (pole vault) hit qualifying times and marks at the Jack Christiansen Invitational. In total the Yellow jackets tallied 35 top-10 finishes and 13 top-5 finishes at the Jack Christiansen Track on the campus of Colorado State University. Johnston's provisional time in the 400m hurdles ranked third in program history and was one of three all-time times/marks in school history on the men's side, and Bennett's mark in the pole vault ranked fifth in program history and was one of five all-time times/marks in school history on the women's side.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MEN'S TRACK & FIELD

• The pair of Jude Guevara and Bridger Anderson recorded times of 11.35 and 11.47 respectively in the 100m dash, finishing 29^th and 31^st overall. Anderson's time set a new career-best in the event.
• The lone Yellow Jacket competing in the 200m dash, Ashley Williams clocked a career-best time of 22.92 for 23^rd place.
• Recording a top-10 finish in the 1,500m run, Jonah Rigg ran to a time of 4:09.72 for tenth place.
• In the 110m hurdles, Jayden Curtis crossed the line in a time of 15.72 for a 15^th place finish.
• Flynn Johnston secured the first NCAA Provisional time of the outdoor season on the men's side, recording a career-best time of 52.68 for fourth place in the event. He finished behind three NCAA Division I athletes while beating four other DI athletes in the race. His time ranks third all-time in Black Hills State program history.
• The Yellow Jackets saw a pair of top-10 finishes in the high jump, as both Trennan Pearson and Adam Stimes tied for sixth place in the event, clearing 1.87m (6' 1.5") on their first attempts.
• The Yellow Jackets tallied another three top-10 finishes in the pole vault, led by a fifth place finish by Dawson Lindeen who cleared 4.65m (15' 3") on his first attempt. His career-best mark ranks eighth in program history. Chase Maher also cleared 4.65m (15' 3") on his second attempt for sixth place, and McKalester Johns cleared 4.50m (14' 9") on his second attempt for eighth place.
• Black Hills State also secured five of the top-10 spots in the long jump, highlighted by a top-5 and fourth place finish by Bridger Anderson who jumped 6.86m (22' 6.25"). Anderson's mark ranks tenth in program history on the Yellow Jacket Performance List. Also in the top-10 was Seth Wilson who recorded a sixth place finish and mark of 6.46m (21' 2.5"), Curtis who recorded a seventh place finish and mark of 6.39m (20' 11.75"), Javin Walker who recorded an eighth place finish and mark of 6.37m (20' 10.75"), and Pearson who recorded a ninth place finish and mark of 6.34m (20' 9.75"). Also competing in the event was Guevara who jumped 5.62m (18' 5.25") for 15^th place.
• The pair of Walker and Casen Willson notched top-5 finishes in the triple jump, recording marks of 12.82m (42' 0.75") for third place and 12.69m (41' 7.75") for fifth place respectively. Adding a top-10 finish in the event was Guevara who jumped 12.29m (40' 4") for sixth place.
• The lone Yellow Jacket competing in the shot put, Matthew LoFaso, recorded a mark of 12.55m (41' 2.25") for 12^th place.
• Ryan Baker captured a top-10 mark in the discus, throwing 44.44m (145' 10") for eighth place.
• In the hammer throw, Barren Yellow Bird led the way for the Yellow Jackets, recording a mark of 43.99m (144' 4") for 12^th place, while LoFaso added a 16^th place finish with a career-best throw of 38.05m (124' 10").
• The javelin competition saw three Yellow Jackets finish within the top-10, including a fifth place finish from Casen Willson who threw a career-best 49.93m (163' 10"). Also, in the top-10 was Yellow Bird with a throw of 36.90m (121' 1") for seventh place and Seth Wilson with a throw of 35.57m (116' 8") for ninth place.

HOW IT HAPPENED – WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

• Leading a group of six Yellow Jackets in the 100m dash was Avery Marler, who ran to a tenth place finish and a career-best time of 12.55. Adding top-20 finishes in the event were Saraya Afrank who was 15^th with a career-best time of 12.87, Gracie Wilts who was 18^th with a career-best time of 13.18, and Alexa Colman who was 20^th with a career-best time of 13.37. Rounding out the group competing in the event was Alivia Weathers who was 22^nd with a career-best time of 13.56 and Sophia Kennedy who was 23^rd with a time of 13.58.
• The pair of Colman and Kennedy added times of 27.86 and 28.99 respectively for a 17^th and 23^rd place finish in the 200m dash. Colman notched a career-best time in the event.
• The duo of Jillian Brennan and Madison Zander added top-10 finishes in the 800m run, clocking times of 2:22.17 and 2:25.20 for fifth and sixth place respectively.
• In the 100m hurdles, Madyson Wolfe recorded an 11^th place finish with a career-best time of 15.78 to lead a trio of Yellow Jackets in the event. She was followed closely by Weathers who was 12^th with a career-best time of 15.93 and Lauryn Bennett who was 17^th with a time of 18.27.
• Running to the sixth-fastest 4x400 relay time in program history, the team of Afrank, Wilts, Wolfe, and Marler clocked a time of 3:57.24 for second place in the event.
• The lone Yellow Jacket in the high jump, Wilts, recorded a sixth place finish and cleared 1.51m (4' 11.5").
• Bennett recorded an NCAA Provisional mark in the pole vault and won the event by clearing 3.80m (12' 5.5") to lead five top-5 finishes in the event for BHSU. The career-best mark for Bennett also ranks fifth in school history. Gretchen Adamski and Erin Weibel each cleared 3.65m (11' 11.75") on their third attempt, finishing fourth and fifth respectively in the event. Adamski's mark is a new career-best and ranks ninth on the Yellow Jacket All-Time Performance List. Brekkan Lockhart also added a sixth place finish that ranks tenth in program history, clearing mark of 3.50m (11' 5.75"). Rounding out the five Yellow Jackets in the top-10 was Hope Bryant, who cleared 3.20m (10' 6") for ninth place.
• In the long jump, Marler recorded the fifth-best mark in program history and the best in since 2011 as she jumped 5.55m (18' 2.5") for third place. Marler's finish was the best by a non-D1 athlete at the meet. Also in the event, Afrank notched a mark 4.77m (15' 7.75") for 15^th place.
• Adlyn Eng notched a top-10 finish in the triple jump with a mark of 10.17m (33' 4.5") for sixth place.
• Securing a top-10 finish in the shot put, Hanah Sullivan, recorded a throw of 12.87m (42' 2.75") for ninth place.
• Sullivan added another top-10 finish in the discus, collecting a ninth place finish with a toss of 41.14m (135' 0"). Cassidy Goddard then added a 12^th place finish with a mark of 39.89m (130' 10").
• Weathers collected a top-5 finish in the javelin, recording a mark of 38.02m (124' 9") for fourth place. Weibel then added another top-10 finish with a career-best throw of 23.72m (77' 10") for eighth place in the event. 

UP NEXT
Black Hills State men's and women's track & field will continue action this upcoming weekend at the Grubby's Easter Classic at O'Harra Stadium in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Saturday, April 4.