Colorado University Athletics
2014-15 Track and Field Season Is Set To Get Underway
January 08, 2015 | Track and Field
The 2014-15 University of Colorado track and field season will really kick into high gear this month. A small part of the team started competing in December, but rest of the team will start competing in January.
Similar to the past, CU will host three home meets. The Potts Indoor Invitational (January 16-17) is the only indoor home meet the Buffs will host at Balch Fieldhouse, but they will host a pair of outdoor meets as well at Potts Field, the Jerry Quiller Classic, March 20-21, and the Colorado Invitational, April 10-11.
DISTANCE
Colorado continues to be known for its distance program and once again head coach Mark Wetmore and assistant coach Heather Burroughs have the distance squad ready for another exciting season. The men's team is fresh off its fifth NCAA Cross Country Championship, its second in two years, as well as its fourth straight Pac-12 Cross Country Championship. The women also had a great showing in the fall, finishing seventh at NCAAs and third at Pac-12s. Â
The men's side is loaded with talent and has four cross country All-Americans ready to compete on the track. Seniors Morgan Pearson and Blake Theroux, as well as juniors Ammar Moussa and Pierce Murphy look to have great seasons this spring. Theroux was the Pac-12 runner-up in the steeplechase in 2014, while Pearson was seventh at the conference meet in the 10k. Murphy didn't score at the conference meet last year, but he was third in the 10k in 2013.
The depth goes beyond those four competitors. Hugh Dowdy is returning for his senior season and has done well in the steeplechase. Two other Buffs, Zach Perrin and Adam Peterman, redshirted the 2014 season and look to make an impact this season.
The CU women are a young team, but that isn't an issue since they have already shown they can do well with their cross country finish in 2014. Redshirt freshman Erin Clark didn't compete during the 2014 track and field season, but led the Buffs in every race on the cross country course this past fall.
Junior Carrie Verdon has scored for the Buffs on the track, placing eighth at the 2013 Pac-12 Championships in the 5k as a freshman. Transfer Sara Sutherland and redshirt freshman Melanie Nun add more experience to this young team as both have done well at conference meets in the past.
MIDDLE DISTANCE
Wetmore and Burroughs also have a talented group of middle distance runners as well. Cross country All-Americans senior Jake Hurysz, junior Connor Winter and sophomore Ben Saarel will guide the small group. All three have the ability to run well at the shorter distances, as well as the longer distances. Saarel earned a pair of All-America honors in 2014 on the track, he was third in the indoor 3,000 and was 16th in the 1,500 (outdoors). Hurysz was also second team All-American in the indoor 3k in 2014.
The women will be led by senior Jenny DeSouchet, who is coming off a great cross country season. She will be joined by several talented ladies in sophomores Eryn Blakely, Lucy May and Olivia Rintala.
JUMPS/COMBINED EVENTS
Assistant coach Lindsey Malone is in her eighth year at the helm of the combined events and jumps program and has another great group of athletes this year. The men's side is young, with just one senior on the team, Mark Jones. Jones is one of the best high jumpers in CU history, ranking third on both the indoor and outdoor charts. He has scored for the Buffs at both the indoor and outdoor conference meets and should do the same this year. There are several newcomers to the program, which include Mason Chronowski, Matt Denton, Michael Egotanda, Andrew Ghizzone and Matthew Walker who will compete in the combined events and jumps. Â
The women's team has more experience with junior Abrianna Torres leading the team in the combined events. Torres has recorded points for the Buffs indoors and outdoors in the combined events, but also in the long jump. She is the fourth best CU performer in the pentathlon and ranks sixth in the heptathlon. Senior Kelsey English is one of the best high jumpers CU has had, ranking fourth on the outdoor list and sixth indoors. Joining those two this season are Bekah Daniel, Taila Howe, Rebekah Kazen, Rajon O'Quinn, Ewelina Pena, Mariah Slack and Michaela Wenning.
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Assistant coach Drew Morano is in his sixth season at the helm of the Buffalo sprinters. Shaw Gifford is back for his final season with the Buffs. He has been a part of the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays which have performed well at the indoor and outdoor league championships. Sophomore Jaron Thomas had a breakout freshman campaign for CU and looks to build on that performance. He placed third in the 400-meter hurdles and was sixth in the 110-hurdles at Pac-12s. Erik Gaytan, Jaylyn Mars and Austin Mitsch will also help to lead the Buffs this season.
Senior Eileen Gehring, CU's outdoor 200 and 400-meter record holder, is back to lead the team and will be joined by senior Lindsy Mattson. Mattson ranks third in CU history in the 400 and is seventh in the 200. Mattson and Gehring have been members of the women's 4x400 relay teams that have scored at both indoor and outdoor conference meets, as well as setting the CU record in the indoor 4x400 (3:43.52). Some of the other leaders on the team include Allie Haskell, Ana Holland, Mia Holland and Bridget Sweeney.
THROWS
Casey Malone, a two-time Olympian and two-time U.S. Discus Champion, is at the helm of the Buffs throwers for the 15th season. Over the course of the last few years, his team has made huge strides, qualifying for NCAAs and setting CU records.
Alex Kizirian and Brady Rutt look to lead the men's team again this year. Kizirian, a senior, set the CU weight throw record last year (68-4.50). He scored for the Buffs in the weight throw at the MPSF Championships, and during the outdoor season, he came close to scoring at the Pac-12 Championships, placing ninth in the hammer throw and 15th in the discus. Rutt, a junior, redshirted the 2014 season. In 2013, he was just shy of scoring for CU at the outdoor conference meet in the discus, placing ninth. He was fifth in the event in 2012. Â
The women are led by seniors Sophie Hallam-Eames and Kellie Lind. Both are on the verge of scoring for the Buffs and are looking to do great things in their final season of competition. Â
THE MEET SCHEDULE
A small group of athletes started the season in December before winter break, but the season will start for the entire team at the beginning of January. The Air Force Open is the first meet on the schedule (Jan. 9) before CU hosts the Potts Indoor Invitational Jan. 16-17. The Buffs will stay on the Front Range for most of the indoor season, but there will be a chance to head to Seattle for the Husky Classic (Feb. 13-14). A group of athletes will also compete at the Don Kirby Collegiate Open (Feb. 13-14) in Albuquerque, N.M.
The University of Washington will host the 2015 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships in Seattle, February 27-28, and the NCAA Indoor Championships will follow March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Ark. for those who qualify. Â
As soon as the indoor season is over, the Buffs will switch gears to the outdoor campaign, hosting the first of its two home meets at Potts Field. CU will host the Jerry Quiller Classic March 20-21, and the second home meet is the Colorado Invitational, slated for April 10-11.
As usual, CU will compete at several meets along the Front Range in Fort Collins, Colo. and at the Air Force Academy. The Buffs won't just compete regionally as several athletes will have the opportunity to compete across the country at Texas Relays, a pair of meets at Stanford and the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays.
UCLA will host the 2015 Pac-12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The combined events portion of the meet will be contested May 8-9, while all other event areas will compete May 16-17. Â Texas will host the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, May 28-30, at Mike Myers Stadium. The 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships are June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore. at Hayward Field.
