FORT COLLINS — Spenser Lynass came in with a modest goal of taking second place Friday in the Mountain West Conference men’s steeplechase. Then the Colorado State junior saw the entry list.
Justin Tyner, the Air Force distance standout ranked third nationally, was a late scratch with a leg injury.
“It definitely changed our game plan quite a bit,” Lynass said. “Instead of running for second, my coach was ‘Let’s win it.’ “
A late burst past BYU senior Reagan Frey gave Lynass the title and CSU 10 points in the first men’s race final of the meet.
“It was pure guts,” Lynass said. “I knew I was going to be in it with a lap to go, and I wanted it real bad.”
It was a special farewell to BYU, which has won every MWC men’s team title (and the past four women’s crowns) coming into this weekend. Cougar football is going independent and other sports will scatter.
“It was huge for my coach (Brian Berryhill) and my teammates to know BYU wasn’t on the top of the awards stand after four years or so,” Lynass said.
BYU had been a conference nemesis since Berryhill won titles in the 1999 WAC meet held at CSU’s Jack Christiansen track. That was the Rams’ final appearance in the WAC, and this is the final meet for the MWC’s eight charter members.
“Anytime a school team is leaving the conference, you want to beat them the last chance you get a chance,” Berryhill said. “In our sport you have the individual side and the team side.”
With Tyner out, Lynass had the best time going in at 8 minutes. 51.10 seconds, set at Stanford two weeks ago. He wasn’t at all disappointed with his winning time of 9:06.03, given the altitude and emphasis on team points, not times.
Tyner might run the 5,000 meters today. Falcons coach Ralph Lindeman said Tyner isn’t going to jeopardize his career just before academy graduation.
Last year, Lynass went in with the MWC’s second-best steeplechase mark and finished seventh.
“I really had extra motivation this year,” he said. “I knew I was going to run well because I was on an upswing.”
In other highlights:
• Wyoming senior Afiya Walker had one of the most dominating preliminaries with a 20-meter lead in her 400-meter heat.
• TCU high hurdler Jordan Pitts took the first step to a fourth straight MWC title, leading the prelims at 14.21 seconds. CSU’s Kelby Dias and Trevor Brown also qualified for the finals.
• BYU’s Ada Robinson set the MWC meet record of 6-feet 1 1/4-inches in the women’s high jump.
Natalie Meisler: 303 954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
