The 2024-2025 Fort Lewis College men’s and women’s track teams continue to set school records as the indoor season comes to a close. Sophomore Zachary Gaumont and senior Aaron Busche continued to show their speed and set school records last weekend at the Northern Arizona University-hosted NAU Tune-Up.
Gaumont, also a wide receiver for the Skyhawks’ football team, ran a 6.82-second 60-meter race while Busche ran a 1:53.10 in the 800 on Friday. Gaumont’s time was second fastest in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and was good enough for an NCAA Provisional mark which is required to be considered for a national championship bid.
Junior Alliyah Molina had a quality weekend at NAU; she won the women’s 3,000 in 10:37.64. Women’s soccer player and track and field athlete junior Taylor Rittman finished eighth in the 800 in 2:25.53 Behind Rittman was junior Claire Peterson, who finished ninth in 2:25.95.
Another soccer player and track and field athlete in the top 10 was junior Josie Coulter. She finished 10th in the 400 in 58.84.
The Skyhawks men’s and women’s teams head to Colorado Springs this weekend for the RMAC Championships.
Softball goes 1-3 in series against Colorado School of Mines
FLC softball’s early season struggles continued over the weekend with its series against Colorado School of Mines. The Skyhawks lost both games on Saturday and went 1-1 on Sunday.
The Skyhawks fell to 2-10 overall and 1-6 in the RMAC. The Orediggers improved to 5-13 overall and 4-3 in the RMAC.
Colorado School of Mines started the series with a 5-2 win on Saturday. The Orediggers led 3-0 after three innings and 5-2 after a 2-2 fifth inning. Each team had seven hits.
FLC senior Briana Jorgensen went 2-4 at bat, while redshirt freshman Makenna Milliman went 2-2 at bat with a run scored.
Skyhawks freshman Alyssa Fockler, junior Cali Niccum and freshman McKenna Timmons each had a run.
Redshirt junior Hailie Mann pitched all six innings for FLC and allowed seven hits and five runs while pitching five strikeouts.
Colorado School of Mines followed up its first win on Saturday with a 6-2 win on Saturday. Colorado School of Mines led 2-0 after three innings and 6-2 after five innings. The Orediggers outhit the Skyhawks 10-4.
Fockler, Jorgensen, Timmons and junior Sienna Mullin each had hits.
Senior Amiee Shanks pitched all six innings for FLC and allowed 10 hits, six runs and had two strikeouts.
The Skyhawks snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win against the Orediggers on Sunday.
FLC got on the board first to lead 1-0 after the first inning and Colorado School of Mines responded in the fourth to tie the game 1-1. The Skyhawks finished strong with three runs in the seventh inning to win.
Both teams finished with five hits. Niccum went 2-4 at bat and Fockler went 1-3 at bat with two RBIs, all coming in the seventh inning. Freshman Rhiannon Lister and senior Faith Sgro each had hits.
Freshman Chloe Padilla got her first win on the mound for FLC. She pitched all seven innings, allowed five hits, one run and had seven strikeouts.
The Skyhawks were close to a perfect Sunday but the Orediggers came back to beat FLC in the final game of the series 7-6 on Sunday.
FLC led 4-0 after two innings but Colorado School of Mines had a monstrous fourth inning with six runs to take the lead 6-4. FLC responded with two runs in the fifth to tie the game but the Orediggers had the final say with a run in the sixth to take the win.
Each team had 11 hits. Milliman went 3-5 at bat, Padilla and Sgro went 2-3. Fockler, sophomore Natalie Rodman, Timmons and Lister each had one hit.
The Skyhawks went with freshman pitcher Addison Gavigan for three innings; she gave up five hits, three runs and had two strikeouts. Mann pitched less than an inning and allowed three hits and three runs. Shanks pitched two innings and allowed three hits, one run and had two strikeouts.
FLC returns home to play four games against Colorado Christian on Friday and Saturday.
Men’s golf opens spring season with 10th place in Battle In The Desert in California
The FLC men’s golf program took a trip to Borrego Springs, California, to start its spring season in the Battle In the Desert Rams Hills Golf Club. The Skyhawks finished 10 out of 12 teams after three rounds of competition that ended on Wednesday.
Georgia Southwestern finished first at -30-under-par. FLC’s 10th-place finish was at +17-over-par. The Skyhawks struggled on Monday at +15 but shot +3 on Tuesday and -1 on Wednesday.
Junior Traejan Andrews led FLC with a tied-26th finish at +3. He shot +1 on Monday, +2 on Tuesday and even par on Wednesday. Seniors Jake Chesler and Jordan Jennings weren’t far behind. Chesler was tied 29th at +5 and Jennings was tied 31st at +6.
The Skyhawks aren’t in action again until March 21-23 in Goodyear, Arizona, at the Hot Dirt Desert Shootout.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
