Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Take To The Track
May 14, 2003 | Track and Field
AUSTIN - The University of Colorado will send 39 athletes to the 2003 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships this Saturday, May 17-Monday, May 19. The University of Texas is hosting the seventh annual meet, which will take place at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field in Austin.
The Buffalo squad is relatively young with 17 freshmen, but coach Mark Wetmore feels this group is one of the best he's sent to a Big 12 meet.
"I think this is the best-qualified group to go to the Big 12 meet in my time here," said Wetmore. "Every athlete going on that plane has a legitimate chance to score at the meet. If everyone does compete at the level they are capable of, we'll have a chance for our best team finish in a quite a few years."
A year ago, the Buffalo men were eighth and the women sixth with a CU record six Buffaloes claiming individual titles. Historically, the Buffs have finished as high as fourth in the Big 12 meet. From an individual perspective, the Buffaloes have claimed 10 women's titles and eight men's in Big 12 competition. Last year's winners that return include Jorge Torres (1,500 Meter Run), and Sara Gorton (5,000 Meter Run).
"Obviously we have people we can hope for very high finishes from," said Wetmore. "Jorge Torres, Sara Gorton, Molly Austin, Ed Torres and Chase Mullen all can hope to score well."
CU's field events athletes have been doing some damage on the school all-time best lists this season. Mullen has been putting his mark on CU's hammer throw list as his throw of 196-6 ranks as the second-best in CU history. The only two throws better are owned by Jeff Singleton, who holds the school record at 196-9 and another toss of 190-11. Liza Negriff's triple jump season best of 38-7.75 is the fifth-best mark in school history and makes her the second-best triple jumper in school history behind record holder Udie Ekiko, who owns the top three jumps including the best mark of 40-2. Lastly, Hannah Warfield-Ruffato's mark of 150-5 in the javelin is the fourth-best in school history and best throw since 1987.
"Deneeka Torrey has been improving rapidly over the last month, Hannah Warfield-Ruffato could finish high in the javelin, and all AK Ikwuakor needs is a solid race to be high on the podium in the 400 hurdles," Wetmore said. "Then there are a number of other middle distance and long distance runners who have the potential to be high up on the podium if they just focus on what they are capable of."
Seventeen of CU's athletes this weekend are making return trips to the Big 12 Championships, and nine of those have scored points for Colorado on at least one occasion. This year the Buffs are bringing 39 student-athletes to Austin, meaning 22 of them are outdoor conference meet rookies.
Several Buff tracksters are pulling double duty for the CU athletic department. Long jumper Marcus Moore is on the football team, while former gridironer Daric Wilhite is now a full-time sprinter and is among the conference leaders in the 400 meters. Women's basketball player Amber Metoyer joined the team on April 7th, and will compete in shot put and discus in Austin. Metoyer is not the first Ceal Barry baller to come out for track, as Liz Lampros, a basketball letterwinner in 1986 and 1987, is CU's record holder in the javelin at 169-5.
Wetmore hopes the combination of the always solid distance group along with some contributions from the sprinters, throwers and jumpers will be just what CU needs for a high team finish.
"There's always that person I don't mention that has a great day and is the surprise of the weekend," Wetmore said. "It would be good to have the people we expect to perform well do that, as well as get focused races out of the younger athletes. A coach's fantasy is for all those things to happen in one weekend."
