Colorado University Athletics
T&F Heads To MPSF Indoor Championships
February 21, 2013 | Track and Field
BOULDER - The University of Colorado track and field team is prepped for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday, February 22-23, in Seattle, Wash.
CU will send a competitive field of men and women to the championship. Senior Emma Coburn is the top miler in the MPSF, as well as the NCAA. She became the fifth fastest NCAA performer in the event after running the sixth fastest time ever last Saturday at the 106th Millrose Games (4:29.86). Another senior, Liz Tremblay, is also quite high on the women's 800 list at seventh (2:07.18).
Senior Matt Biegner could compete for CU in the 800 or the mile. He is the ninth fastest performer on the conference list in the 800 (1:51.92) and is 13th in the mile (4:04.32). Junior Blake Theroux is just behind Biegner in the mile (4:04.32) at 14th and Connor Winter is 19th (4:05.30).
The Buffs, as usual, look strong in the longer distance events as well. Senior Aric Van Halen is third in the conference after becoming the third fastest Buffalo in the event just two weeks ago at the Husky Classic (7:53.74). Junior Courtney Bouchet has the best time for the CU women in the 3k (9:30.03) and is eighth in the league, while freshman Carrie Verdon debuted on the track in the 5k and is 12th overall (16:47.59).
Senior Joe Morris is the top male sprinter in the conference in the 60 and 200-meter dashes. His mark of 6.57 in the 60 (converted to 6.61 for altitude) ranks third nationally and is the CU record. His personal best of 21.01 in the 200 (21.13 converted) is 23rd in the nation and ranks third in school history.
The women sprinters are led by sophomore Eileen Gehring. She also ranks fairly high in the MPSF in the 200 and 400. She is eighth in the 200 (24.31) and ninth in the 400 (54.67). Gehring is the second best CU performer in both events. She has teamed up with Lindsy Mattson, Bridget Sweeney and Brianne Beemer for the CU 4x400-meter relay record (3:43.52), which is the fifth best in the MPSF this year.Â
Colorado is sending six combined event athletes, five women and one man. Junior Brock Emory will compete in the heptathlon and is 12th on the conference list with 4,217 points. The women have three in the top-10 in the pentathlon and are led by Beemer who is third overall in the league with 3,823 points. Redshirt freshman Abrianna Torres is eighth (3,559) and Holly Odneal is ninth (3,476). Gwen Ricco and Genny Mayden will also be competing.
The Buffs are also high on the list in the MPSF in the high jump. Sophomores Mark Jones and Kelsey English are each ranked fifth overall. Jones has recorded a PR of 7-1.50 this season and English also jumped a lifetime indoor best at 5-9.25.
The throwers will be sending just two; senior Cameron Hutchins and Brady Rutt, and both will compete in the weight throw. Rutt has the 10th-best toss in the conference this year (53-6.25) and Hutchins is just behind him at 11th (53-5.75).Â
The first event of the meet is the women's weight throw on Friday at 12 p.m. (PT). The pentathlon will start at 12:30 p.m. and the heptathlon will begin at 2:30 p.m. The first prelims on the track, the 60-meter hurdles, will start at 4:30 p.m.
Saturday's events will start at 10:30 a.m. with the heptathlon 60-meter hurdles, women's shot put and women's high jump. The championship is set to conclude at 2:40 p.m. with the men's 4x400-meter relay. Live stats can be found at http://www.gohuskies.com/livestats/c-track/022213/index.htm. Flotrack will also be streaming the meet live at http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/250020-2013-MPSF-Indoor-Championships.
The Buffs are competing in the MPSF for indoor track and field as the Pac-12 Conference does not sponsor an indoor track and field championship. In total 10 of the 12 Pac-12 schools are members of the MPSF for the indoor championships (only USC and Oregon State are not members) and are joined by several other western schools. The University of Washington will host the championships at Dempsey Indoor, the site of many of the nation's top indoor meets.Â
Following the conference meet, the Buffs will have one more opportunity to qualify for the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships. Select athletes will travel to a last chance meet March 1-2. The national indoor championships are set for March 8-9 in Fayetteville, Ark.
