Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Take To The Track
February 26, 2003
Feb. 27, 2003
Lincoln, Neb. - The University of Colorado track and field team heads to Lincoln this weekend for the Big 12 Track & Field Indoor Championships this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28-March 1.
The Buffaloes will be paced by their stellar distance corps, led by seniors Molly Austin and Ed Torres and junior Sara Gorton. Gorton is the only returning CU Big 12 indoor title holder, as she is a two-time mile run champion, taking the win in both 2001 and 2002. She was also the runner up in the 3,000 meters both years and will look to make it a sweep this time around.
Austin and Torres haven't won an indoor conference championship, but this could be their chance. Austin is a two-time Big 12 cross country champion, and both are coming off the USATF Cross Country trials where both Buffs made the U.S. team that will compete at the world championships in April.
Those three aren't the only distance runners with Big 12 experience, as Kendall Grgas-Wheeler and Natalie Florence are both veterans of the Big 12 indoor meet. They'll be counted on along with freshmen phenoms Christine Bolf, Bill Nelson and Brett Schoolmeester to help the scoring on the track. Newcomer Brianna Torres is an NCAA qualifier and could score for the Buffs as well.
Meanwhile, CU boasts a big group of newcomers to the sprints and field events, some of whom have already made an impression on the Big 12 performance lists. Freshman Mary French set a new school record in the pole vault earlier this season at the Husker Invitational, leaping to 11-2.5 two weeks ago in Lincoln. High jumper Anna Magle was a scorer at Big 12 outdoors last season, while sophomore Andrew Miller was 12th in the high jump and could make some noise this weekend with effective leaps.
In men's action, a pair of CU football players will pull double duty as freshman Brian Calhoun and junior Marcus Moore trade their cleats for their spikes and compete at the meet. Chase Mullen will make his third Big 12 meet appearance in the throws along with teammate Matt Carr.
Friday's schedule gets underway with the heptatlon at 9 a.m. MST. Individual events begin at 1:45 p.m. Friday with the men's weight throw, followed by the women's pole vault at 3 p.m. Friday's action wraps up at 8 p.m. MST with the men's distance medley relay.
Women's Big 12 Roster
Molly Austin
Christine Bolf
Tiffany Colvin
Natalie Florence
Mary French
Sara Gorton
Kendall Grgas-Wheeler
Jessica Harbeck
Anna Magle
Amanda Manatt
Maxine Marlow
Brianna McDevitt
Liza Negriff
Brianna Torres
Deneeka Torrey
Jackie Zeigle
Men's Big 12 Roster
Chris Abuan
Payton Batliner
Casey Burchill
Brian Calhoun
Matthew Carr
Bryan Dillon
Brandon Johnson
Andrew Knutsen
Gus Lundin
Matt McCue
Andrew Miller
Marcus Moore
Chase Mullen
Samuel Napp
Bill Nelson
Brett Schoolmeester
Jon Severy
Ed Torres
Reggie Whisenton
Daric Wilhite
