Colorado University Athletics
Stroem and Leonard Named Athletes of the Week
February 16, 2016 | Skiing
BOULDER -- Mads Stroem (men's skiing) and Kennedy Leonard (women's basketball) are this
week's Athletes of the Week after both became triumphant this weekend. Stroem
won both the 10k classic and 5k freestyle races at the New Mexico Invitational last
weekend, while Leonard's strong performance helped the Buffs to their second Pac-
12 win of the season against Cal on Sunday.
Stroem's victory was the second meet sweep of his career, also doing it at the RMISA
Championships last season. He now has four wins on the season and earned his 10th
career victory, moving into ninth place for most race wins since skiing became a
coed sport in 1983. Stroem's wins enabled the Buffs to win the meet, the first win of
the 2016 season.
The freshman basketball star averaged 18 points and 7.5 assists over the weekend.
Against Cal, she finished with a career-highs in points (23) and assists (13), field
goals (9) and field goal attempts (18). Leonard registered her second points-assists
double-double of her career and became just the third player in CU history to record
multiple points-assists double-doubles of her career and only the second player to
earn a points-assists double-double while scoring 20 or more points. Her 13 assists
was more than the entire Cal team total (11) and fourth-most all-time in a single
game.
Also nominated for this week's honors: Philip Juel-Berg (men's golf), Brady Rutt
(men's track and field), Maja Wichhart-Donzo (women's track and field), Darby
Kiernan (lacrosse), and Clare Wise (women's sking).
Juel-Berg recorded his fourth-career top five finish, as he tied for third to lead the
Buffaloes to a second place finish in the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate. He turned
in a 72-69-71—212 scorecard (4-under) on the 7,322-yard, par-72 Classic Club
course layout. He had a solid performance from start to finish, scoring 10 birdies
and 39 pars against just four bogeys and a double; he tied for the seventh-most
birdies and the 10th-most pars. He was consistent across the board, as he was fifth
in par-3 scoring (1-under), sixth on the par-4's (1-over) and 11th for the par-5's (4-
under).
With all three rounds for Juel-Berg of even par or better, it gives him 61 for his
career, adding to his school record that he established during the course of the fall
season. He also lowered his season stroke average to 71.13 in the process, trailing
only junior Jeremy Paul who owns a 70.96 mark.
Senior Rutt recorded a huge personal record on Friday to win the weight throw at
the Rocky Mountain Classic. Rutt's mark of 61-11, his third throw this season over
60 feet, was almost two feet further than his previous best of 60-2, which he set Feb.
12 at the Husky Classic in Seattle. The toss also pushed Rutt up one spot on CU's all-
time performers list, improving to third overall as he passed Jeff Singleton (60-5).
Freshman Wichhart-Donzo won the triple jump at the Joe Davies Open on Saturday.
Wichhart-Donzo recorded a personal best mark of 40-2.75, jumping almost two feet
farther then the second place finisher, Cyinna Booker (Azusa Pacific), who recorded
a 38-6 jump. The mark moves Wichhart-Donzo into second place on CU's all-time
performers list, replacing Udie Ekiko's jump of 40-0.5 (1994).
Kiernan scored four goals on four shot attempts in CU's 18-4 win at Fresno State on
Sunday. She was 2-for-2 on free position shots and also had one ground ball, one
draw control and one caused turnover.
Wise had two of her best career finishes at the New Mexico Invitational, earning a
19th and 20th place finish in two slalom races over the weekend. She picked up here
ninth and 10th career top 20 and aided the Buffs in winning the New Mexico
Invitational, the Buffs first meet victory of the season.
