Alumni in Action: Augustine Hancock sets Colorado Mesa University hammer throw record
The Battle Mountain alumna is ranked second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in the event
Colorado Mesa University/Courtesy photo
Augustine Hancock is back to rewriting record books. The 2022 Battle Mountain High School alumna, who set the program’s discus record by more than 13 feet as a senior, broke the Colorado Mesa University hammer throw record at the Maverick Invite on April 7-8.
“The season has been going very well,” the sophomore thrower stated in an email to the Vail Daily on Thursday.
Hancock is ranked second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and 18th in all of NCAA DII in the hammer throw. She’s also seventh and 13th in the RMAC for discus and shot put, respectively. Her throw of 53.61 meters (175 feet, 11 inches) at the Maverick Invite destroyed her freshmen-season personal best of 42.46 meters (139-04).
“Starting my sophomore year of track, I have already seen huge improvements and look forward to even better seasons to come,” Hancock said before shifting the attention to her team as a whole.
“As a team, we are killing it!” she continued. “Every track meet we are scoring points. Many of my teammates reach new personal records every meet. We have an amazing program with supportive and hardworking coaches.”
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Hancock — who placed fifth in the weight throw at the RMAC Indoor championships in February — said her goal is to win the conference outdoor meet at the end of the month and compete at the NCAA national championships in Emporia, Kansas in May.
Other alumni in action
- Former Eagle Valley lacrosse star Philip Petersen scored four goals to lead No. 16 Colorado Mesa to a 17-4 win over Concordia University Irvine earlier this month. Petersen has started two games for the Mavericks and has nine goals and 11 assists in 12 in-game appearances.
- Milaina Almonte ran a collegiate-best 18:23.82 in the 5,000-meters at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic on March 29-30. The former Husky is a freshman at UC-Santa Clara.
- Vanderbilt senior Joslin Blair competed at the Joe Walker Invitational on April 5-6. The Eagle Valley alumna ran 4:37.37 to place sixth in the 1500 and 11:18.57 to place seventh in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Val Constien competed in the 1500 meter run last Saturday at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, her first race in 11 months. The Battle Mountain alumna and 2021 Olympian tore her ACL in her Diamond League debut last May. Constien ran a time of 4:12.27 to win her heat while New Balance athlete Dani Jones won the overall in 4:07.19.
“I felt amazing with one lap to go, but I was a bit boxed in,” Constien wrote on social media. “Patience paid off in the end, and I made a big move with 100 to go to take the win! I’m so happy that my knee felt great for the race and that my fitness seems to be coming along.”
The 3,000-meter steeplechase specialist said her next race will “probably be longer and have some barriers involved.”
