Justice Mendoza, Thorben Hast Named RMAC Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –University of Colorado Colorado Springs’ Justice Mendoza and Thorben Hast are the Week Four Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, the league announced Wednesday. Both athletes competed at the Jo Meaker Classic and Multi, in Canyon, Texas, last weekend.
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: Justice Mendoza, UCCS – R-Sr. – Ramona, Calif.
Mendoza claims RMAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week after breaking three program records in the 100-meter sprint, 200-meter run and part of the Mountain Lions 4x100m relay team. The redshirt senior posted an altitude-adjusted time of 10.37 in the 100m race for a sixth-place finish and his first of three NCAA Division II provisional times of the weekend. He then secured another sixth-place finish in the 200m dash with a time of 20.93 in a field of 46 sprinters. Mendoza also competed as the first leg of the Mountain Lions 4x100m relay team which placed first in the meet while setting a UCCS record of 40.31.
The Ramona, Calif., native claimed three top-ten marks on the NCAA DII performance list with a trio of stellar performances at the Jo Meaker Classic and Multi last weekend. In the 100m run, Mendoza finished with a time of 10.37 that is eighth on the NCAA DII performance list and carried a pair of Mountain Lion athletes into the top-15 finishers last weekend. Mendoza is currently tied for 10th on the performance list with his performance in the 200m race last weekend, while the UCCS 4x100 relay team is also tied for 10th on the performance list.
Honorable Mention: Mario Guerrero, Black Hills State; Trent Cochran, Colorado Christian; Elijah Williams, Colorado Mesa; John O’Malley, Colorado School of Mines; Ethan Loper, MSU Denver.
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: Thorben Hast, UCCS - Jr. – Stelle, Niedersachsen
Hast claims Field Athlete of the Week after putting forth an impressive performance in the decathlon last weekend with a personal-best score of 7,090. The junior bested the second-place finisher by 186 points in a field of seven athletes.
The Stelle, Niedersachsen, native put together a personal best and UCCS record performance in the decathlon that notched a national qualifying score of 7,090 to finish. Hast's score currently ranks first in the RMAC by nearly 300 points and stands third overall on the NCAA Division II Performance List.
The Mountain Lions will now split up and attend the Cal State LA Twilight Open and the Bryan Clay Invitational. The Cal State LA Twilight Open will take place on Thursday, April 13, in Los Angeles, Calif., on the CSULA Jesse Owens Track. The Bryan Clay Invitational is a three-day event that will begin on Thursday, April 13, in Azusa, Calif., at APU Cougar Athletic Stadium.
Honorable Mention: Conor McGraw, Black Hills State; Justin Thompson, Colorado Mesa; Brandon Simpson, MSU Denver; Malcom Wesley, Western Colorado.
2023 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
| Date |
Track Athlete of the Week |
Field Athlete of the Week |
| Week 1 – March 22 |
Matthew Storer, Colorado Christian |
Sawyer Christopher, UCCS |
| Week 2 – March 29 |
Everett Delate, Colorado School of Mines |
Hunter Potrykus, Colorado School of Mines |
| Week 3 – April 5 |
Dillon Powell, Colorado School of Mines |
Dakota Abbott, UCCS |
| Week 4 – April 12 |
Justice Mendoza, UCCS |
Thorben Hast, UCCS |