Results

Fort Hays State's Max Alonso, a junior from Santiago, Chile, posted automatic qualifying marks in the shot put and discus at the Alex Francis Classic in Hays on Saturday (Mar. 26). He broke the FHSU record in the shot put and broke his own Chile national record in the discus.

Alonso threw 58 feet, 4.5 inches in the shot put, breaking the previous school record mark of 58 feet, 3 inches set by Casey Seyfert in 2001. His throw was also right on the automatic qualifying distance for nationals at the end of the outdoor season. He won the event by nearly four and a half feet.

His throw of 187 feet, 2 inches in the discus easily eclipsed the automatic qualifying standard. His mark broke his home nation's record, which he already set in his time at Barton (Kan.) Community College. The throw was just two inches shy of the FHSU record owned by Bob Kuhn, set in 1974. He won the event by three feet over Dane Tobey of Nebraska-Kearney.

The only other FHSU athlete to post a qualifying mark was Mitch Sahlfeld, who produced a provisional mark in the hammer throw. He won the event with a throw of 194 feet, 8 inches. He trounced the competition, winning by nearly 16 and a half feet.

Other event winners for FHSU at the home meet included Luke Lubbers in the pole vault (12 feet, 11.75 inches), Bryant Bombardier in the high jump (6 feet, 5 inches), and Jakob Groskurth in the 110-meter hurdles (16.32).

Fort Hays State won the team competition by a landslide with 195 points. Nebraska-Kearney was second with 86 points. Athletes from eight schools competed in the meet.