Wayne, Neb. – The Minnesota State men's outdoor track & field throws team made their mark to open the outdoor season at the Wildcat Classic this weekend.
 
Friday, junior Carter Aguilera led the pack of MSU throwers with a hammer throw of 49.41-meter, placing him ninth in the event and 33rd nationally in NCAA Division II Outdoor.
 
Not far behind were senior Zachery Shaner (47.48-meters) and junior Thomas Spoeher (45.75-meters) placing 11th and 12th respectively, both making the top-50 cut for national rankings. Spoeher, with his throw of 45.75-meters, smashed his previous personal record in the hammer throw (21.44m). Junior Tommy Kucera also finished within the top-20 with a mark of 43.35-meters.
 
Leading the pack on Saturday were Kucera (third) and freshman Ben Wieser (fifth) in the shot put. Both athletes were podium bound after their throws of 15.62-meters and 15.33-meters respectively, also ranking them in the top 50 nationally.
 
Following in their footsteps was Aguilera, finding the podium in fourth-place with a throw of 47.82-meters and ranking in the top-25 nationally. Finding the top-20 for the meet were Wieser (40.46-meters) and Spoehr (39.88-meters).
 
The Mavericks head to Vermillion, S.D. on April 7th for the two-day USD Early Bird.