Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs’ Afewerki Zeru and Colorado Mesa’s Gunner Rigsby are the week two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.
 
Zeru had a strong showing at the Colorado Running Company Pre-Holiday Invite and Multi in Colorado Springs, Colo., this past weekend where he notched a first-place finish in the men’s 5,000-meter race with a raw time of 14:28.86. The UCCS distance runner broke the previous Mountain Lion Field House facility record, which he also set.
 
The Mountain Lions will take a break from competition for the remainder of the month before returning to competition at the Potts Invitation, hosted by the University of Colorado, in Boulder, Colo., on Jan. 14.
 
Rigsby opened the indoor season on a high note at the Mountaineer Open and Multi as he broke his own Mountaineer Field House record in the triple jump with a mark of 16.7m (53-0.75 ft). The mark ranks 10th on the all-time NCAA Division II performers list. Rigsby’s performance also landed him this week’s United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Athlete of the Week honor.
 
Colorado Mesa will now take off the remainder of December before returning to competition at the Western Colorado Open in Gunnison, Colo., on Saturday, Jan. 21.
 
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: Afewerki Zeru, UCCS– R-Sr. – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Zeru is the latest RMAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after a dominating performance at the Colorado Running Company Pre-Holiday Invite and Multi. The redshirt senior placed first with a time of 14:28.86 in the 5,000m event, earning a NCAA DII provisional time while besting the second-place finisher by 13.83 seconds.
 
Honorable Mention: Tyler Bradley, Colorado Christian; Dawson Hiede, Colorado Mesa; Everett Delate, Colorado School of Mines; Reece Sharman-Newell, CSU Pueblo; Nick Nowlen, MSU Denver; Simon Kelati, Western Colorado.
 
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: Gunner Rigsby, Colorado Mesa– R-Sr. – Grand Junction, Colo.
Rigsby is the RMAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after a first-place finish in the triple jump over the weekend, where he set a RMAC record with a leap of 16.17m, toppling the previous record of 15.93m set by Adams State’s Carlton Lavong. Rigsby bested the second-place finisher by 1.08m, taking first in a field of five competitors.
 
Honorable Mention: Hunter Potrykus, Colorado School of Mines; Dakota Abbott, UCCS; Logan Butterfield, Western Colorado.