Colorado University Athletics
T&F Heads To Final Big 12 Championship
May 12, 2011 | Track and Field
BOULDER-The University of Colorado track and field team will compete at the 15th Annual Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships this Friday through Sunday, May 13-15 at the John Jacobs Track & Field Complex in Norman, Okla.
This is the final Big 12 Championship for the Buffaloes and they are looking to finish their tenure in the conference on a good note. The men placed sixth in 2010 and the women were 11th.
The Buffs return two conference champions to the meet in Emma Coburn and Brandin Williams. Coburn won the 2010 3,000-meter steeplechase title in Big 12 record time (9:56.53) and Williams was the 2009 javelin champion.
The CU women are currently ranked 15th in the USTFCCA rankings and should do quite well at the meet. Coburn has scored at the last two outdoor meets for CU in both the steeplechase and the 800. She has quite the range from the 800 to the 5,000 and could score in whatever events she is entered. Coburn has the top time in the Big 12 in the 1,500 (4:15.34) and the steeplechase (9:40.51), which is also the top time in the NCAA.
Jessica Pixler leads the Big 12 and the NCAA in the 5k with a personal best time of 15:25.58. The Buffs look to be very competitive in the 5k with five athletes ranking in the top eight. CU also has six runners ranked in the top 10 of the 1,500 and two in the top six of the 10k.
Liz Tremblay recently became the third fastest Buff in the 800 after finishing the race in 2:06.59 on May 6. That time is fifth in the Big 12 and she has a good chance of picking up points for the Buffs since she placed second at the indoor championship.
The Buffs are looking to pick up points in the field as well. Emily Hunsucker ranks sixth in the hammer throw after recording a toss of 176 feet, 8 inches, which made her the second best Buff ever.
The Colorado men should also fair well at the meet and a good bulk of points will come from the middle distance and distance events. The Buffs have typically had strong showings in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs at the Big 12 Championship. Joe Bosshard ranks second in both events and has a lot of help. Andy Wacker is third in the 10k and fifth in the 5k, while Richard Medina is fourth in the 10k and seventh in the 5k. Matt Tebo should also be a factor for CU as he is fifth in the 10k and sixth in the 5k.
Aric Van Halen has shown a lot of improvement for CU in the steeplechase this season and leads the Buffs in the league (third overall). Steve Kasica is ninth in the 800 but could capture some points for the team score.
The sprinters are led by Joe Morris who ranks ninth in the 100 and 11th in the 200.
Brian Owens leads CU in the field events. He ranks fifth in the league in the javelin (221-00). Williams and Kevin Fasing will also compete in the javelin for the Buffs. William ranks 14th, but has scored twice for CU. He was third in 2009 before winning the title in 2009. Fasing ranks 18th overall this season. He was fifth in 2007.
The meet will start on Friday at 11 a.m. (CST) with the women's javelin throw. The combined events start at 12 p.m. and the first track even, the women's 10,000, is set to begin at 8:30 p.m. A complete schedule and live stats for the championship can be found at www.big12sports.com.
