Buffs Set To Defend Pac-12 Titles

BOULDER —Colorado's top-five nationally ranked cross country programs are ready to compete at the 2017 Pac-12 Conference Championships this Friday, October 27, in Springfield, Ore., at Springfield Golf Course.

The women will run a 6-kilometer course first at 11:10 a.m. PT/12:10 p.m. MT, while the men (8k course) will follow at 12:10 p.m. PT/1:10 p.m. MT. A short awards ceremony will follow the championships.

The third-ranked CU women are the reigning Pac-12 Champions and have won the team title three times in the last six years (2011, 15 and 16). In 2011, the Buffs recorded 50 points to top Washington (73) and Stanford (75). In 2015, CU took down Oregon 45-51 for the title and last year, the Buffs recorded a 41-point margin a victory, the largest in Pac-12 history, defeating Washington 33-74.

The women are looking for their fourth Pac-12 title, but it won't be easy. There are six teams ranked in the top 30. Oregon is ranked first and is followed by Colorado at third. Washington and Stanford are 13^th and 14^th, respectively, and Utah comes in at No. 27. California is the sixth conference team ranked at No. 28.

CU's fifth-rated men have won all six Pac-12 team titles since joining the league in 2011. The Buffs won by seven points in 2011, defeating Stanford 46-53 and in 2012 they defeated the field with a score of 49-82, once again with Stanford coming in second. The Buffs won the 2013 title in front of the home crowd as CU hosted the championship in Louisville, Colo. The Buffs defeated Oregon 28-54 with all five scoring harriers in the top nine. CU defeated Oregon 30-57 in 2014 and in 2015, the Buffs again beat Stanford for the title (46-57). Colorado again edged out the field in 2016, taking the title by just six points (41-47) over Stanford.

The men will be looking for their seventh straight Pac-12 title at the meet, but like the women, other teams look to have a say in the matter. CU is the top-ranked Pac-12 men's team, but right below at sixth is Stanford. Oregon, another top-10 team, comes in a eighth. Following those three are UCLA (14), Washington State (20) and Washington (21).

The women have been led this season by junior All-American Dani Jones. She recorded third-place finishes at the Joe Piane and NCAA Pre-National Invitationals. She has also finished very high at Pac-12s as she was third last season.

The Buffs also have two other All-Americans on the roster that will help the team. Senior Kaitlyn Benner, a two-time All-American and sophomore Sage Hurta, have both performed well this season. Benner's best performance was a ninth-place finish at Joe Piane, while Hurta recorded a 10^th place finish at the same meet. Benner was fourth at last year's Pac-12 Championships and Hurta placed 15^th.

Depth is not an issue for the Buffs. Junior Makena Morley is looking to better her ninth-place finish from last season. Other runners who have done well at Pac-12s for the Buffs include senior Melanie Nun and Tabor Scholl. Nun was 17^th in 2016, while Scholl was 26^th.

The Buffs won the Joe Piane Invitational on Sept. 29, edging New Mexico 47-51 and placed second at NCAA Pre-Nationals (Oct. 14), finishing behind Oregon (63-91).

The men's team also has a pair of All-Americans on the roster in junior John Dressel and sophomore Joe Klecker. Dressel has only raced once this season, finishing 20^th at Joe Piane. Klecker has seen action in three meets. He was fifth at the Colorado State Invitational, fourth at Joe Piane and ninth at Pre-Nationals.

Eduardo Herrera, a redshirt freshman, has made an immediate impact this season. He has scored for the Buffs in all three meets he has raced. Herrera earned a 10^th place finish at Joe Piane and was 14^th at pre-nats. Other scorers this season for the men include seniors Zach Perrin and Adam Peterman and juniors Ryan Forsyth and Ethan Gonzales.

The Buffs placed second (118) at pre-nationals behind BYU (44), but finished ahead of Oregon (129). CU also placed second at the Joe Piane Invitational.

For the first time in championship history, the meet will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network. Jim Watson will serve as the play-by-play and Dwight Stone will provide the color. Lewis Johnson joins the duo as the on-course reporter. Results will be posted on Pac-12.com upon the conclusion of the event. Fans can follow @CUBuffsTrack on twitter for in race updates. The official hashtag of the meet is #Pac12XC. Both of CU's teams have the credentials to do well, which will make the championship another very exciting one.

Following the conference championships, both rosters will be cut to seven over the next couple of weeks before the NCAA Mountain Region Championships, November 10, in Logan, Utah, and the NCAA Championships, November 18, in Louisville, Ky.

2017 PAC-12 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Friday, October 27
Springfield Golf Course (Springfield, Ore.)
11:10 a.m. PST Women's 6k
12:10 p.m. PST Men's 8k
Awards Ceremony to follow

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kaitlyn Benner

John Dressel

Ryan Forsyth

Ethan Gonzales

Eduardo Herrera

Sage Hurta

Dani Jones

Joe Klecker

Makena Morley

Melanie Nun

Zach Perrin

Adam Peterman

Tabor Scholl