Colorado State Sweeps Track Titles in Final MW Season

Sometimes the best endings come from giving everything you have left, and Colorado State's track and field teams proved that Saturday in Clovis, California.

The Rams men's team dominated their final Mountain West outdoor championship, racking up 200 points to claim their second consecutive indoor/outdoor sweep. The women's team fought hard too, finishing runner-up with 135.5 points in what marked CSU's farewell to the conference.

Coach Brian Bedard called this group "maybe not the most talented team we've ever had," but praised their brotherhood and competitive fire. The team exceeded all projections, with athletes finding points across every discipline from hammer throw to hurdles.

Senior Carsen Bruns made his final collegiate race count in the most dramatic way possible. After a slow start to his senior year that nearly kept him off the conference roster, Bruns got faster with each passing week, setting personal records meet after meet.

In the 400-meter hurdles final, he made up ground on the final turn and lunged at the finish line. The result? A photo finish victory by just 0.01 seconds, clocking 50.88 for the sixth-fastest time in program history.

"Nothing is more memorable than a photo finish," Bruns said with a gold medal around his neck. His performance likely earned him a spot at NCAA Regionals.

Fellow senior Neya Jamison had her own redemption story in the women's 400 hurdles. After barely qualifying for the final, she blazed to a personal best 57.02 to claim gold, passing everyone in the final 50 meters just as she'd envisioned.

The men's discus team showed what happens when competition elevates everyone. All five CSU throwers set personal records, averaging nearly eight feet of improvement, with four essentially punching their tickets to NCAA Regionals together.

The Ripple Effect

This championship reveals something bigger than athletic achievement. When sophomore Adam Hellbom took bronze with a personal best, he credited teammate Leo Ramos for pushing him by passing him in the standings.

"I wouldn't have hit that last throw if it wasn't for Leo passing me," Hellbom said. "Either way it would have gone, I would have been happy because we're working toward a greater good."

The women's discus throwers made their own statement about team culture. Klaire Kovatch, Kajsa Borrman, and Makayla Long swept the podium for the second straight year, joined by three other Rams in the top eight to score 31 team points.

These athletes transformed individual sports into collective triumphs, proving that supporting each other makes everyone better.

As Colorado State prepares to leave the Mountain West, they're doing it with their heads held high and their competitive spirit intact.