Colorado’s track and field athletes began competition at the Colorado Invitational on Jan. 23, with throwers leading the way at the Ford Practice Facility. Three University of Colorado competitors participated in Friday’s events: Amanda Opp and Alaina Fantaski for the women, and Lucas Williams for the men.
The meet is significant as it marks an early opportunity for athletes to set personal and season-best marks ahead of conference and regional competitions. These performances can impact rankings within both the Big 12 Conference and the Mountain Region.
Opp achieved a season-best mark in the weight throw for a second consecutive week, improving her previous distance from last week’s Potts Invitational by nearly a meter to reach 17.56 meters. This result currently places her 11th in the Big 12 Conference and 12th in the Mountain Region. Fantaski also reached a new personal best in shot put, recording a distance of 8.13 meters on her final attempt of the day.
On the men’s side, Williams surpassed 18 meters in the weight throw for his third time this season, finishing with a top mark of 18.04 meters during his last finals heat attempt. In addition to CU athletes, Max Manson—competing unattached but formerly from the University of Washington—matched the facility record in men’s pole vault by clearing 5.25 meters.
The Colorado Invitational will continue Saturday with additional events including sprints, middle-distance races, relays, and hurdles featuring both men’s and women’s teams from Colorado.
