Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Day 2
Coburn Wins Big 12 3k Title
February 26, 2011 | Track and Field
LINCOLN, Neb. - University of Colorado junior Emma Coburn won her second individual Big 12 title as she captured the 3,000-meter run at the 2011 Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday.
Coburn won the race with a time of 9 minutes, 17.46 seconds, becoming the sixth fastest performer in CU history in the process. The mark is also the ninth best ever by a Buff and is the fastest since 2009. Coburn's first conference title was in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2010 outdoor meet.
Coburn took to the lead in the unseeded and first section from the beginning of the race and would never look back. Iowa State's Lucy Kennedy was hot on Coburn's trail for the first half of the race, but as time went on she fell back and wasn't able to hang with the Crested Butte, Colo. native. Coburn had a 20 meter lead on Kennedy at the 1,800-meter mark and would only add to it, bettering her by almost six seconds (9:23.21).
Coburn's teammates, Shalaya Kipp (9:32.76), Laura Thweatt (9:33.56), Camille Logan (9:33.85) and Katie Cumming (9:34.32) all finished in a close pack of the unseeded section, finishing 3-4-5-6, but due to the times coming out of the seeded section, those women went 12-13-14-15 overall.
"None of our women had run a 3k this year, so we knew that they would all be in the unseeded section of the 3k and would have to run against the clock to do well in the 3k," coach Mark Wetmore said. "So if you want to score against the first heat you have to go out and run the clock and hope that the seeded section can't catch you. Coach [Heather] Burroughs and I were confident that Emma could run under 9:20, but doing it on paper and doing it on the track are two different things. We are thrilled with her. She is really maturing into a confident and excellent middle distance runner."
Liz Tremblay also had another great performance for the women as she took second-place in the 800-meter run. Tremblay raced to a time of 2:10.23, picking off Texas Tech's Caroline Jepleting in final 100 meters. Tremblay ran the first part of the race in the middle of the pack and held her ground to earn eight points for the Buffs.
"This is only Liz's 13th month of being an 800-meter runner, so to finish second in a very prestigious conference, in a tactical and 'trafficy' race for a novice is impressive," Wetmore said. "She moved through the crowd and dealt with some stumbling and banging and closed well."
Joe Bosshard led the men in the 3k with a fourth place finish just one day after placing third in the 5k. He won the unseeded heat with a time of 8:09.22. Bosshard took the lead in his heat from Matt Tebo after the first 800 meters. Andy Wacker overtook him after 1,400 meters, but when Bosshard took back the lead at 1,800 meters, he never let it go and this time stretched out the distance between him and the front pack, finishing over five seconds in front of Oklahoma State's Kirubel Erassa (8:14.51). Tebo crossed the finish in 8:15.48, followed by Wacker, (8:17.02) and Richard Medina (8:23.74).
"Only Christian Thompson was in the seeded section, so once again our men were running against the clock because they didn't have an entry time. Matt Tebo went out hard and Andy Wacker put in some good work. Joe did a long hard run out front by himself and ended up fourth overall in what is quite possibly the most competitive distance conference in America."
Tebo ended up 10th overall once the seeded section was complete. Wacker was 11th and Christian Thompson, who ran in the seeded section, placed 13th overall with a time of 8:21.24. Medina was 15th overall.
Staci Foster recorded a pair of points for the Buffs after taking seventh in the women's mile. She finished with a time of 4:55.70, just 1.50 seconds behind Kansas State's Meghan Heuer (4:54.20).
"She has trained very soundly this year," Wetmore said. "We brought her here to gain some experience and it was a pleasant surprise that she made the final and then another pleasant surprise to get seventh and score some points for us."
Adam Salzmann showed great determination in the men's heptathlon, going from 14th on Friday to eighth on Saturday; earning his first indoor all-conference award. Salzmann recorded 5,282 points, a personal record and the third best total in CU history.
"It meant a lot to score," Salzmann said. "That was definitely a big goal of mine to get on the podium and get points for my team. I was really happy with my PR. Overall I am pleased with my performance. There are always a few events where you think, 'I could have done more here or there,' but I'm satisfied with it. I battled my way up from 14th to eighth."
Salzmann had a great second day, starting off with running a PR of 8.43 in the 60-meter hurdles. He recorded a mark of 15 feet, 1 inch in the pole vault, his best jump in a heptathlon, to tie for third in CU's combined events record book. Salzmann finished the day off by clocking a time of 2:40.18 in the 1,000. That time was the third fastest on the day.
"Adam had an excellent second day," Wetmore said. "His strength is the 1,000 and he really battled back to get us a point and we are very happy with that."
Alex Von Hagen finished the competition with 5,022 points to take 11th overall. Eddie Taylor placed 15th (4,764) and Brock Emory was 16th (4,736).
Quinton Dodson also picked up a point for Colorado in the men's 200. He raced to an eighth-place finish in the event with a time of 21.62.
"Quinton rose up and believed in himself and executed well two days in a row and I am very happy for him," Wetmore said.
The women's team finished 11th at the championship with 29 points, while the men were 12th with 17 points. Texas A&M won the men's team title (134 points) and Nebraska took home the women's team championship with 115.5 points.
"On one hand this is more points than a year ago, but on the other hand one team is 11th and one is 12th and that is not where we belong; we belong in the top half," Wetmore said. "So myself and the other coaches have to go back to work and bring in some good people; we've had a good recruiting class this year, keep developing our talent and doing the best we can in a town that has winter and not the best facilities."
The Buffs will have one more chance to qualify for the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship on March 11-12 in College Station, Texas, this coming Friday and Saturday at selected last chance qualifying meets.
2011 BIG 12 INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP
Lincoln, Neb. (Bob Devaney Sports Center)
Women's Team Scores
1. Nebraska, 115.50; 2. Texas A&M, 101; 3. Texas, 96.50; 4. Texas Tech, 90; 5. Oklahoma, 76.50; 6. Iowa State, 66.50; 7. Baylor, 42; 8. Kansas, 40; 9. Kansas State, 35; 10. Oklahoma State 30; 11. Colorado, 29; 12. Missouri, 19.
Men's Team Scores
1. Texas A&M, 134; 2. Oklahoma, 106; 3. Nebraska, 99.5; 4. Texas, 95; 5. Texas Tech, 57.5; 6. Baylor, 53; 7. Oklahoma State, 47; 8. Kansas State, 42.5; 9. Missouri, 40; 10. Iowa State, 24; 11. Kansas, 23.5; 12. Colorado, 17.
Men's Heptathlon:
Points: (1. Bjorn Barrefors, NU, 5,826) 8. Adam Salzmann, 5,282; 11. Alex Von Hagen, 5,022; 15. Eddie Taylor, 4,764; 16. Brock Emory, 4,736.
60-Meters Hurdles: (1. Mantas Silkauskas, KSU, 7.89) 5. Adam Salzmann, 8.43; 9. Brock Emory, 8.56; 14. Alex Von Hagen, 8.87; 15. Eddie Taylor, 8.93
Pole Vault: (1. Kenny Greaves, UT, 16-08.75) 6. Adam Salzmann, 15-1; t7. Eddie Taylor, 14-01.25; 14. Brock Emory, 12-09.50; t15. Alex Von Hagen, 12-01.50
1,000-Meters: (1. Moritz Cleve, KSU, 2:38.85) 3. Adam Salzmann, 2:40.18; 4. Alex Von Hagen, 2:40.57; 7. Eddie Taylor, 2:48.62; 16. Brock Emory, 2:57.02
Field Events (CU Athletes Only)
Men's Shot Put: (1. Luke Pinkelman, NU, 65-10.25) 13. Dane Chobanian, 52-10.25
Men's High Jump: (1. Erik Kynard, KSU, 7-04.25) t14. Jake Timmons, 6-07
Women's High Jump: (1. Shanay Briscoe, UT, 5-11.50) t13, Laurisa Canini, 5-04.50; t13. Holly Odneal, 5-04.50
Track Events (CU Athletes Only)
Women's Mile (finals): (1. Mihaela Susa, OSU, 4:44.17) 7. Staci Foster, 4:55.70
Women's 800-Meters (finals): (1. Natalja Piliusina, OSU, 2:08.47) 2. Liz Tremblay, 2:10.23
Men's 200-Meters (finals): (1. Rakieem Salaam, OU, 20.79) 8. Quinton Dodson, 21.62
Women's 3,000-Meters (finals): 1. Emma Coburn, 9:17.46; 12. Shalaya Kipp, 9:32.76; 13. Laura Thweatt, 9:33.56; 14. Camille Logan, 9:33.85; 15. Katie Cumming, 9:34.32.
Men's 3,000-Meters (finals): (1. Kevin Farrell, OSU, 8:00.20) 4. Joe Bosshard, 8:09.22; 10. Matt Tebo, 8:15.48; 11. Andy Wacker, 8:17.02; 13. Christian Thompson, 8:21.24; 15. Richard Medina, 8:23.74
Women's 4x400-Meter Relay: (1. Texas A&M, 3:32.85) 10. Katie Dreher/Lindsey Hubbard/Liz Tremblay/Brooke Regan, 3:53.11
Men's 4x400-Meter Relay: (1. Texas A&M, 3:07.14) 9. Kyle MacIntosh/Matthew McCathran/Joe Morris/Blake Reimer, 3:15.30
