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A pair of former Eagle ¾Ã¾ÃÈȾ«Æ·ÊÓƵapp track stars guided Colorado Mesa University (CMU) to program-best team finishes at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) track and field meet last month. The Mavericks’ men and women both finished second out of 13 NCAA DII squads.

Augustine Hancock — a 2022 Battle Mountain graduate and the Huskies’ discus school-record holder — won the women’s hammer throw.

“All that was going through my head was ‘I want to compete,'” Hancock said. “During my throws, I was getting anxious that I was in the top five, then the top three and then the top two. When it came to my final throw, I just gave it my all.” 

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Her 54.9-meter winning toss was over a meter further than the previous program record — which she set at the Maverick Invite on April 7. Hancock also finished fifth in the discus and was 14th in the shot put.

“Everyone just had an unbelievable meet and it was fun to see,” said CMU head coach Brad Gamble, a former Eagle Valley track star who won five state titles for the Devils between 2002 and 2005.

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“It’s been building for seven years now and it was fun to see,” he continued. “I think a lot of great things are ahead.”

The three-day meet was hosted at the CMU track, a facility which did not exist when Gamble arrived in 2017 after six years coaching at Chadron State College. For the first three-and-half years of his tenure, the Mavericks shared Stocker Stadium with Grand Junction High School

“It was just really tough to train. If there was a middle school track meet we got kind of kicked off. It was hard to recruit because every high schooler in the country had a better track situation than we did here,” Gamble said. “And so, it took a lot of faith by the athletes and the coaches I hired to put the hard work in and kind of build a championship attitude.”

Gamble said a focus on recruiting local athletes has driven the program’s ¾Ã¾ÃÈȾ«Æ·ÊÓƵapp since he took over.

“That’s something that for me is kind of close to my heart,” he added. Gamble, the Colorado 110-meter hurdle state record holder and 2011 NCAA heptathlon champion, wound up at Hastings College in Nebraska because they were one of the few schools that called.

“Sometimes you’re not recruited well and it’s been fun to try and recruit all the great Western Slope athletes,” he continued. “It’s been a focal point of ours to reach out to those that are hard working; I just believe there is a special talent within them.”

Gamble said Hancock’s rise is emblematic of his long-range developmental approach. Two years after finishing fourth at state in the discus as a senior, the former Husky stood atop the podium at one of Division 2’s deepest track and field conferences. She’s also ranked 17th in the nation in the event.

“It’s really cool to see that growth,” Gamble said. “She fits the exact bill of someone that had the talent but people didn’t realize her drive. I really believe in college you have four years to turn your body and your emotions and your mind into anything you want — and she’s really taken that step.”

Hancock said ¾Ã¾ÃÈȾ«Æ·ÊÓƵapp in her technique and strength have paved the way. She broke the varsity weight room squat record last fall, lifting 385 pounds.

“I am continuously lifting, practicing, working out and doing whatever it is that I can to strive for greatness in my sport,” she said. “There are still so many more things that I’m hungry for and cannot wait to see what the future holds.”

“All the credit goes to her for sticking it out, for working hard in adversity and being able to still thrive,” Gamble said of the sophomore. “Her throws group has a great culture and she’s a big part of that.”

Hancock said she’s grateful for the chance to compete at the NCAA national meet in Emporia, Kansas at the end of the month.

“Winning RMACs does raise my expectations for nationals,” she said. “I plan to go and give it my all…as long as I give everything that I have — that day and in that moment — then I can’t be disappointed in myself.”