Buffs Head For MPSF Indoor Championships

Friday, February 24

Seattle, Wash.

All Day

Colorado

MPSF Indoor Championships

February 23, 2017 | Track and Field

MPSF Notes

By: Maggie Still, Assistant SID

SEATTLE, WASH. — The University of Colorado track and field team is gearing up for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Indoor Track & Field Championships this Friday and Saturday, February 24-25, in Seattle.

The championships will be hosted by the University of Washington at Dempsey Indoor, the site of many of the nation's top indoor meets.

LIVE STATS
Live stats can be found at gohuskies.com. Flotrack will also be streaming the meet live but a subscription is required (flotrack.org).

THE COMPETITORS
This year, Colorado is sending a strong batch of athletes to the championship. The Buffs have consistently been home to some of the nation's top distance runners and this year is no exception. In the mile, senior Ben Saarel ranks first in the MPSF conference and first in the nation after clocking a 3:55.60 time at the Colorado Open earlier this month. Sophomore Dani Jones is also ranked first in conference in the women's mile and is No. 4 in the nation after recording a time of 4:32.68.

Senior Joe Klecker owns the fifth fastest conference time and ninth fastest national time in the 3000m (7:51.43) while sophomore Saarel, is sixth in the conference (7:53.74). On the women's side, Dani Jones and Erin Clark hold the second and fifth fastest times in the 3,000m with times of 9:02.22 and 9:05.93. In the 5k, sophomore John Dressel ranks third in the conference and freshman Makena Morley ranks 6^th in the conference on the women's side (16:11.72).

Colorado's middle distance runners have also been on the rise this year. Zach Perrin and Sage Hurta both sit in the top 10 of the 800m in the conference.

In the 60H Senior Jaron Thomas ranks fourth in the conference after running a time of 7.95(55) at the University of Wyoming Power Meet in December. Junior Rajon O'Quinn earned a fourth place rank in conference in the women's high jump (5'10"). Freshman Eriana Henderson is currently seventh in the women's long jump after jumping a distance of 19-2 at the Mines Joe Davies Classic.

In the Indoor pentathlon, Maja Wichhart-Donzo ranks fifth in the conference and ninth in the triple jump with a mark of 39-3.25. In the Men's heptathlon, Andrew Ghizzone improved his ranking from ninth to 3^rd in the conference at 5,543 points. The Buffs 4x400-meter relay teams are both ranked in the top 10. The men are sixth (3:14.42 converted) and the women are seventh (3:45.93 converted).

QUOTES (Head Coach Mark Wetmore)
At this meet we are trying to accomplish multiple goals. First, we would like to advance a few more people to the NCAA Championships with marks from this weekend. At the same time, we would like to finish respectably in the team score, which, for this team this year, is probably in about the top half. Finally, we hope to see some emerging varsity people perform well under the pressure and expectation of a conference meet. Fast times or big marks achieved in non-scored, invitational meets are fine, but this is when a team member demonstrates his or her grace and courage under fire…"money time" as I tell them.

QUOTES (Assistant Coach Lindsey Malone, Combined events/jumps)
The team is feeling and looking fantastic this week. We have put together a very solid indoor season. We have dedicated nearly six months of focused training gearing up for the MPSF Indoor Conference Championships and we are ready to roll.

Overall I have been very impressed with the work ethic, focus, professionalism and heart of this team. I have a talented and committed group of team players who have encouraged, challenged and lifted each other up to achieve some pretty impressive marks this year. They have responded to everything that I have asked of them with a positive and powerful response.

NOTEABLE
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. All 12 Pac-12 schools are members of the MPSF for the indoor championships. The 2017 MPSF Championship features 20 universities comprised from members of the Pac-12, Big West, and West Coast Conferences. A total of 35 teams will compete for a conference title, 20 for the women and 15 for the men. Joining the MPSF for the first time will be the men and women from UC Riverside.

THE SCHEDULE
Friday begins at 12 noon (PT) with the women's weight throw and concludes at 7:25 p.m. with the men's Distance Medley Relay. The first event Saturday takes off at 10:30 a.m. with the men's heptathlon 60-meter hurdles. The men's 4 X 400 meter relay will end this year's championship meet at 2:40 p.m.
UP NEXT
After the conference meet, the NCAA will announce the field for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which are March 10-11, in College Station, TX.