Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Earn Sportswomen Of Colorado Honors
January 23, 2012 | Cross Country, General, Track and Field, Women's Basketball, Skiing
DENVER - The University of Colorado had three individuals and one team earn 2012 Sportswomen of Colorado awards. Emma Coburn (track & field), Eliska Hajkova (nordic skiing) and Brittany Spears (basketball) were each honored for their individual performances during the 2011 season and the CU cross country team was also acknowledged.
The 38th Annual Sportswomen of Colorado Awards Banquet will honor 45 female athletes, coaches and mentors on March 11 at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center. For more information, go to SportswomenofColorado.org.
Coburn had an outstanding 2011 season. She captured the USATF 3,000-meter steeplechase crown in June, earning a spot on the U.S. world championships roster. Coburn went on to place 13th at the world championships and was the only American that advanced to the finals. She also raced to a personal record of 9:37.16 in the steeplechase at the London Grand Prix in August while prepping for the world championships. It was the 13th fastest time by a Buff in CU history. She won the NCAA steeplechase championship in 9:41.14 and held the top time in the event by an NCAA athlete during the season at 9:40.51, which was recorded on May 1 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. Coburn earned CU, Big 12 and USATF Athlete of the Week Honors for the performance. She won her second Big 12 Outdoor Conference title in the steeplechase in May, finishing in 9:57.39. During the indoor season Coburn won the Big 12 3,000-meter run in 9:17.46, the ninth fastest time ever by a Buffalo. She was also a part of the CU distance medley relay team that recorded a school record and a fourth-place finish the previous night at the Big 12 meet as the anchor leg. The time of 11:22.87 broke a 12-year old record (11:23.34). Her top indoor event was the mile run. She ranks second on CU's all-time list and has three of the top four times. Her PR of 4:36.08 was set at the NCAA Championship where she placed eighth overall to earn her first indoor All-American honor.
Hajkova capped off one of the more dominant seasons in CU history in 2011 as a junior for the NCAA Champion ski team. She won the individual NCAA Championships in the classical race and won both the classical and freestyle races at the RMISA Championships. On the season, she had 12 races and finished on the podium (top three) 11 times with her worst performance being a fourth place finish. She won three races and was runner-up six times to go with a pair of third place finishes and one fourth. She earned two first-team All-America honors, was first-team All-RMISA and was an honorable mention selection for the Female Collegiate Skier of the Year by Faster Skier. As impressive in the classroom, she was named to the Division I All-Academic Ski Team and first-team Academic All-Big 12. She won CU Athlete of the Week twice and was the RMISA Skier of the Week the second meet of the season.
Spears led Colorado in 2011 at 19.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while also topping the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (81) and blocks (40) and was second in steals (61). A 2011 All-Big 12 first team pick, Spears also graduated as Colorado's all-time leading scorer with 2,185 points. Spears led the Big 12 in defensive rebounds (6.0 drpg) in 2011 while also ranking third in scoring and overall rebounding, fourth in 3-pointers (2.4 3mpg) and double-doubles (9), fifth in free-throw percentage (.830), 10th in steals (1.8 spg) and 11th in blocked shots (1.2 bpg). She saved her best for the season's final stretch averaging 24.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals over her final nine games, leading the Buffaloes to the quarterfinals of the Postseason WNIT. Her 652 points last season were the second most in team history and her 19.2 per game average was just a fraction behind Jamillah Lang's 1993-94 single-season record. (19.219 to 19.176). She set CU's single season record for 3-point attempts with 234 and also finished second in 3-point field goals made (81) and overall field goals attempted (590), fourth in field goals made (239), eighth in minutes (1,093) and 12th in rebounds (277). Spears, who was presented as the Female Career Athletic Achievement Award winner at the 2011 CUSPY's, was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the 19th overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft.
Cross Country Team
The Colorado Cross Country team had another great season in 2011. The Buffs won three of its five varsity races, including the inaugural Pac-12 Conference Championship on Oct. 29 in Litchfield Park, Ariz. Sophomore Shalaya Kipp led CU at the championships with a fourth-place finish and senior Emma Coburn took fifth overall. Senior Lara Darco placed ninth, freshman Rachel Baptista was 14th and senior Katie Cumming rounded out CU's score by taking 18th. CU handily defeated all other Pac-12 schools after totaling 50 points. Washington was the runner-up with 73 points and Stanford was third with 75. The Buffs also won the Rocky Mountain Shootout and tied for first at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships. They placed 11th at the NCAA Championships in November. Courtney Bouchet, Diana George, Camille Logan, Liz Tremblay and Rachel Viger were also members of the varsity squad.
