Dani Jones

Photo by: Ricky Bassman

Photo by: DC

Photo by: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Photo by: USA Today Sports

Photo by: Dave Albo/Lane 1 Photography

Photo by: John Lozano

Dani Jones wins her second straight Pac-12 title

Photo by: John Lozano

Photo by: Ken Moreland

Photo by: Gary Breedlove

Photo by: Ken Moreland

Height:
5-5
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Phoenix, Ariz.
High School:
Desert Vista

2018: Jones definitely saved the best for last as she capped off her collegiate cross country career with an NCAA individual and team title. Jones raced four times, and all four times, she led the Buffs, finishing no lower than sixth. The Buffaloes won the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational to start the season with Jones finishing fourth. Jones had four weeks off before racing at the Pac-12 Championship, where she successfully defended her conference title and became the first Buff since Molly Austin to win back-to-back titles (2001-02). With the win, she was named the Pac-12 Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year for the second straight season and was selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team for the third consecutive year. But Jones was not done. At regionals, she finished sixth to become a four-time all-region honoree. At the NCAA Championship, Jones went out with the leaders and never looked back as she became the first female Buff since Kara Grgas-Wheeler (now Goucher) to win an NCAA individual title. She passed New Mexico’s Weini Kelati in the final stretch and defeated her by 2.5 seconds. Her point, in addition to the score from her first four teammates to cross the line, gave CU a point total of 65 as they easily defeated UNM (103). With the win, Jones became a three-time All-American and was also named the USTFCCCA Female Athlete of the Year. She was also tabbed the USATF Athlete of the Week for her winning performance. In addition, Jones was selected the Honda Sports Award winner for Cross Country, becoming just the third Buff in school history to earn the honor.

2017: Jones had an excellent cross country season as a junior. She led the Buffs in four of its five varsity races, and picked up several awards and honors in the process. Jones started the season running unattached at the Colorado State Invitational, finishing fifth. In the first varsity meet of the season, Jones place third at the Joe Piane Invitational. She was third again at the NCAA Pre-National Invitational before going on to take the individual crown at the Pac-12 Championships, earning herself Pac-12 Female Cross Country Athlete Of The Year honors. With the victory, Jones became the first Buff, male or female, to win an individual Pac-12 Cross Country title. She was the first female to win a conference cross country title since 2009 when Jenny Barringer Simpson took home the Big 12 title. The NCAA Mountain Region Championship was the only race Jones did not lead CU – there she tied for 12^th with her teammate Sage Hurta – as the second and third Buffs to finish the race. Jones went on to finish 10^th at the NCAA Championships, the best finish for a Buff since Shalaya Kipp’s ninth place finish in 2013. Jones recorded all-region and All-America honors for her final two races.

2016: Jones had an outstanding sophomore season, starting right out of the gate. She was fourth overall (and fourth on the team) for CU at the Rocky Mountain Shootout, finishing in 20:17, the 11th fastest time in course history. Two weeks later at pre-nationals, Jones was third for the Buffs, placing 17th overall. She improved again in her next race, placing third overall (CU’s No. 2) at the Pac-12 Championships, helping the Buffs to their second straight team title. Jones was 12th at regionals but had her best race of the season at NCAAs, where she led the team with her 22nd place finish to record her first All-America honor. She also earned All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Mountain Region recognition during the season.

2015: Jones earned a spot on the varsity roster quickly as a true freshman and scored for the Buffs in each of the five races she competed in. She started the season by placing fourth at the Rocky Mountain Shootout. Jones was 62nd overall at NCAA Pre-Nationals and improved to 24th at Pac-12s. Jones earned all-region honors by placing 16th at regionals and finished the season with a 49th place finish at nationals as the team earned a second place finish.

HIGH SCHOOL: The 2014-15 Arizona Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Jones won the state cross country championship with a course record time of 17:26, leading her team to its second straight state title. Jones placed third at the 2014 Nike Cross Nationals Final, pacing her team to a fifth-place national finish overall and earning All-American honors in the process. She was also runner-up at the Nike Pre-Nationals, the Woodbridge Classic and the Desert Twilight Festival. In 2013, she won her first state cross country title and was 15^th at Nike Cross Nationals, which also earned her All-American honors. Jones has been very successful on the track as well. She owns state records in the 1,600 (4:44), mile (4:39) and 3,200 (10:09)) and owns the school 800 record (2:08). Jones won state titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 as a senior, the 1,600 and 3,200 as a junior and during her sophomore year, she was the 800 and 1,600 champion.

HIGH SCHOOL BESTS: 800-meters: 2:08; mile: 4:39; 1,600-meters: 4:44; 3,200-meters: 10:09.

IN THE CLASSROOM: Jones is a psychology and speech, language and hearing sciences double major. She owns a GPA greater than 3.00 and was selected to the Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention team in 2016 and ‘17.

PERSONAL: Danielle ‘Dani’ Alex Jones was born on August 21, 1996 in Fort Wayne, Ind. to Darcy and Tana Jones, who both ran at Indiana State. She has one sister, Baylee, who is a member of the Colorado cross country and track and field team. She enjoys hiking and reading.