Colorado University Athletics
Track Team's Ritzenhein Earns CU Athlete of the Week Honors
April 20, 2004 | General, Track and Field
BOULDER, Colo.-- Second is best...or at least it was for the CU track team and sophomore distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein this past weekend. On the second day of the Mt. SAC Relays, Ritzenhein's performance earned him a regional qualifying mark and this week's CU Athlete of the Week honors.
The 5'7" Michigan native raced to a fifth-place finish in the final section of the men's 1,55 meter run in a time of 3:43.15,
which is a NCAA Regional Qualifying mark and his second fastest time at Colorado in the race, just following his mark of 3:42.99.
A history major, Ritzenhein has eclipsed the 3.00 mark all four semesters while maintaining an outstanding campaign. High school helped build the stellar resume he came in with, which includes finishing second at the 2001 U.S. Cross-Country Championships his senior year of high school, earning him a trip to the IAAF World Championships (finishing third), and becoming the first American junior to medal (bronze) in the race since 1981.
Other nominees for this week's award are: Freshman Marek Dvorak (men's tennis) and junior Kendra Strandemo (women's tennis).
Men's tennis:
Marek Dvorak won his lone match of the week at No. 3 singles and teamed with
Peter Bjork at No. 3 doubles helping the Buffaloes break a 10-match losing
streak in its upset win over in-state rival Denver, 5-2. Dvorak, a freshman
from Prague, The Czech Republic, won his third match in his last five and holds
the team-high in victories with 18 for the season. In doubles against DU,
Dvorak and Bjork won the decisive doubles point, 9-8 at No. 3 helping CU clinch
the doubles point over the Pioneers.
Women's tennis:
Kendra Strandemo won her two singles matches of the week leading Colorado to a
1-1 record in Big 12 play. Strandemo, a junior from Encinitas, Calif., won both
her singles matches at No. 3 with a pair of straight-set victories over Iowa
State and Nebraska. She has now won six of her last seven matches and improves
her spring record to 10-3 at No. 3 singles.
