Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Bid Farewell To Balch Fieldhouse
January 16, 2016 | Track and Field
BOULDER—The University of Colorado track and field team hosted its final meet in Balch Fieldhouse on Saturday and came away with several great performances.
Sophomore Mariah Walker started the day off by winning the shot put with a toss of 46-11.25, which came on her third attempt of the morning. She defeated Colorado State's Aimee Larrabee by over four feet as Larrabee earned a mark of 42-3. Senior Abrianna Torres was third in the event with a throw of 41-4.
In the weight throw, senior Sophie Hallam-Eames took second overall with a toss of 57-4. Senior Brady Rutt led the Buffs on the men's side with a third place finish. His mark was 58-5.75.
“Brady Rutt was good again, he was out over 58 feet,” head coach Mark Wetmore sad. “Mariah Walker and Sophie Hallam-Eames were solid. Some of the young throwers are making progress, especially in the weight throw. The weight throw takes a lot of learning and some of the people who are brand new or only a year into it are making nice steps.”
The Buffs were also successful in the high jump. Senior Kelsey English won the women's side after clearing 5-7. Sophomore Rajon O'Quinn also cleared 5-7, but did so on her second attempt at that level, which put her second.
“Both Kelsey and Rajon have jumped that (5-7.00) in the past,” Wetmore said. “To do it last week at Air Force and back it up here this early in the season means bigger jumps coming later, so that's good.”
On the men's side, CU took the top five places in the high jump and were led by freshman Duane McClurkin Jr. won with a mark of 6-7. Behind him were sophomore Mason Chronowski (6-5), freshman Dionne Taylor Jr. (6-3.25), sophomore Andrew Ghizzone (6-1.25) and freshman Joseph Martinez (5-11.25).
Ghizzone also took top honors in the pole vault, reaching 14-5.25. Freshman Nate Gravelding was second with a height of 12-11.50.
CU also performed well in the long jump. McClurkin Jr. won the men's title with a leap of 21-6.75, while Torres was second in the women's event with a jump of 18-1.50. Freshman Rachel Sharpe earned a top three finish with a mark of 17-3.25.
In the triple jump, freshman Maja Wichhart-Donzo won in 37-6.50, while on the men's side, freshman DeJour Plunkett-Elliott was third (43-5).
On the track, freshman Alexander Billing starting the day off for the Buffs with a first place finish in the 60-meter hurdles, crossing the finish in 8.26. Billing out-dueled CSU's Jace Horak, who placed second in 8.35. The CU women took second and third in the event. Torres was the runner-up, finishing in 9.13, while Wichhart-Donzo was third (9.39).
In the 60-meter dash, sophomore Ana Holland took home top honors, finishing in 7.49, well in front of Wyoming's Jerayah David (7.58). On the men's side, junior Austin Mitsch was second, crossing the finish in 7.03, just a split second behind Zane Evans (7.02).
“The best performance of the day was probably Ana in the 60,” Wetmore said. “Once that is converted for elevation I think it might tie her PR. To run the first meet of the year and equal or best her PR is really good.”
The middle distance events also saw success for CU as the Buffs picked up a pair of runner-up finishes. Sophomore Chris Herrick was second in 4:31.80, finishing behind his teammate, sophomore Paul Miller, who was racing unattached (4:26.84). On the women's side, sophomore Eryn Blakely finished second in 5:08.00 behind sophomore Mackenzie Caldwell (5:05.00) who was also racing unattached.
“Some of our performances were hard to see in the results because they were running unattached and preserving their eligibility,” Wetmore said. “But, Alex Billing was good again in the 60-hurdles with a couple of ragged hurdles along the way. Elissa (800) was very good for, I don't know, might be the first indoor race of her life. A transfer guy from Washington, who is with us now, Nick Harris, ran the 800 in a time that's good for Balch Fieldhouse. Mackenzie Caldwell is a sophomore and hasn't put on a uniform but she ran the mile. There are a lot of good young people, sophomores and freshmen. That's basically what this meet is for, to hold out the veteran distance runners for a little later in the season.”
The Buffs will be back in action next weekend, January 21-23, at the Air Force Invitational.
2016 POTTS INDOOR INVITE
Balch Fieldhouse (Boulder, Colo.)
(Complete results are available at CUBuffs.com)
Field Events – CU Athletes only
Women's Weight Throw: (1.Linnea Jonsson, Colorado State, 58-11.25); 2. Sophie Hallam-Eames, 57-4; 6. Mariah Walker, 52-4.5; 7. Elisa Grandemange, 44-5; 8. Delaney Hall, 38-1; 9. Makenzie Kline, 37-7.5
Men's Weight Throw: (1. Alex Kizirian, Buff Track Club, 67-0.25; 2. Tyler Schultz, Colorado State, 59-4.50); 3. Brady Rutt, 58-5.75; 7. Matthew Denton, 46-9; 8. Grayson Weber, 43-10.75; 9. Austin Swanson, 32-6
Women's Shot Put: 1. Mariah Walker, 46-11.25; 3. Abrianna Torres, 41-4; 4. Elisa Grandemange, 32-8; 5. Maja Wichhart-Donzol, 32-4.75; 6. Michaela Wenning, 32-2.50; 7. Rachel Sharpe, 27-9.75; 8. Lauren Sharpe, 27-3.75
Men's Shot Put: (1. JT Van Veen, Colorado State, 56-10.50; 2. Tyler Schultz, Colorado State, 55-2.75; 3. Daniel Weirich, Colorado State, 53-8.25); 7. Austin Swanson, 42-0.25; 8. Grayson Webber, 41-4.75; 9. Andrew Ghizzone, 35-9.00; 10. Joseph Martinez, 29-5.00; 11. Nate Gravelding, 26-7.25
Women's High Jump: 1. Kelsey English, 5-7; 2. Rajon O'Quinn, 5-7; 4. Abrianna Torres, 5-50; 6. Maja Wichhart-Donzol 5-3; t7. Lauren Sharpe, 5-1; t7. Michaela Wenning, 5-1
Men's High Jump: 1. Duane McClurkin Jr. 6-7.00; 2. Mason Chronowski, 6-5.00; 3. Dionne Taylor Jr., 6-3.25; 4. Andrew Ghizzone, 6-1.25; 5. Joseph Martinez, 5-11.25
Men's Pole Vault: 1. Andrew Ghizzone, 14-5.25; 2. Nate Gravelding, 12-11.50
Men's Long Jump: 1. Duane McClurkin Jr., 21-6.75
Women's Long Jump: (1. Ja'la Henderson, Wyoming, 18-11.75); 2. Abrianna Torres, 18-1.50; 3. Rachel Sharpe, 17-13.25; 6. Michaela Wenning, 16-3.75; 7. Lauren Sharpe, 15-11.50
Men's Triple Jump: (1. Scott Carter, Wyoming, 50-2.50) 3. DeJour Plunkett-Elliott, 43-5
Women's Triple Jump: 1. Maja Wichhart-Donzo, 37-6.50
Track Events – CU Athletes only
Men's 60 Meter Dash: (1. Zane Evans, Unattached, 7.02); 2. Austin Mitsch, 7.03; 4. Duane McClurkin Jr., 7:06; 5. Jaysean Skrine, 7:16; 6. Abdiel Agramonte, 7.22; t8. Andrew Ghizzone, 7.39; t8. Alexander Billing, 7:39; 13. Joseph Martinez, 7.62; 14. Nate Gravelding, 7.66
Women's 60-Meter Dash: 1. Ana Holland, 7.49; 6. Rajon O'Quinn, 7.88; 8. Mia Holland, 8.09; 9. Abrianna Torres, 8.10; 10. Maja Wicchart-Donzo, 8.24; 11. Rachel Sharpe, 8.34; 12. Lauren Sharpe, 8.50; 14. Michaela Wenning, 8.77
Men's 60 Meter Hurdles: 1. Alexander Billing, 8.26; 4. Andrew Ghizzone, 8.62; 6. Nate Gravelding, 9.42; 7. Joseph Martinez, 9.92
Women's 60 Meter Hurdles: (1. Mikalah Skates, Wyoming, 9.06); 2. Abrianna Torres, 9.13; 3. Maja Wicchart-Donzo, 9.39; 4. Rachel Sharpe, 9.88; 6. Lauren Sharpe, 10.41
Men's Mile Run: (1. Paul Miller, UNAT-Colorado, 4:26.84); 2. Chris Herrick, 4:31.80
Women's Mile Run: (1. Mackenzie Caldwell, UNAT-Colorado, 5:05.00); 2. Eryn Blakely, 5:08.00
Men's 400 Meter Dash: (1. Said Moreno, Metro State, 52.91); no CU athletes
Women's 400 Meter Dash: (1. Hayley Bowen, Metro State, 1:05.33); no CU athletes
Men's 800 Meter Run: (1. Nick Harris, unattached, 1:55.03); no CU athletes
Women's 800 Meter Run: (1. Elissa Mann, unattached, 2:14.52); no CU athletes
Men's 3000 Meter Run: (1. Mike Matuszak; unattached, 10:12.41) no CU athletes
Men's 4x400 Relay: (1. Metro State 'A', 3:47.13), no CU athletes
Women's 4x400 Relay: (1.Metro State 'A',4:28.29), no CU athletes
