By: A.J. Vazquez, Strategic Communications & Marketing Intern
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs athletes Krissie Sanders and Payton Rodgers sweep the first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Awards of 2026.
Track Athlete of the Week
Krissie Sanders, UCCS (Junior, Littleton, Colorado)
At the Colorado Running Company Pre-Holiday Invite, held December 12–13 on the UCCS campus, Sanders posted an NCAA provisional qualifying mark and a personal-best raw time of 8.64 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles final. This performance puts her second all-time in UCCS program history, second in the RMAC, and tied for No. 17 nationally in Division II. Sanders also recorded a personal-best converted time of 57.60 seconds in the 400-meter dash to finish fourth overall out of 19 competitors at the Potts Invitational, hosted by the University of Colorado Boulder.
Others Nominated: Avery Marler, Black Hills State; Emily Jones, South Dakota Mines.
Field Athlete of the Week
Payton Rodgers, UCCS (Sophomore, Webster, Florida)
At the Colorado Running Company Pre-Holiday Invite & Multi, Rodgers delivered a strong performance in the triple jump, posting a personal-best NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 12.17 meters. That markcurrently ranks first in the RMAC, third in UCCS’ program history, and ninth nationally. Rodgers also competed in the 200-meter dash at the Potts Invitational on Jan. 17, where she placed sixth overall and finished ahead of six Division I competitors.
Others Nominated: Cassidy Goddard, Black Hills State; Shelby Ekwall, Chadron State; Adisyn Schenck, South Dakota Mines.
About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 69 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.
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