Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Ken Moreland
Benner, Saarel Named to Academic All-District Team
May 30, 2018 | Track and Field
BOULDER – University of Colorado's Kaitlyn Benner and Ben Saarel have both been named to the All-District 7 Track and Field/Cross Country teams by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). This award honors student-athletes for their top performances both in the classroom and on the field.
Benner, a Superior, Colo. native, is a chemical and biological engineering major and maintains an impressive 3.93 grade point average. This is the second time Benner has been named to the All-District 7 team, she also received the honor in 2016. In the fall of 2017, she was named the Pac-12 Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year.
During the 2017 cross country campaign, Benner helped the Buffs take home their third Pac-12 team title with an eighth place individual finish. She also finished 14th at regionals and earned her third All-America cross country honor at NCAAs with a 36th place finish.
Benner has been a vital asset to the CU distance runners; she ran a personal best at the Pac-12 Track and Field Championships earlier this month in the 10,000-meter run, clocking in at 33:11.50 for second place. She also finished 10th in the women's 5,000 at Pac-12s.
Benner qualified for the NCAA Championships, June 6-9 in Eugune, Ore., in the 10k after finishing 10th at the west preliminary championships last Thursday in Sacramento, Calif. In the race, Benner clocked the third fastest time in school history, finishing in 32:45.05.
Salt Lake City native, Saarel graduated this May with degrees in engineering physics and computer science and a GPA greater than 3.90. This is Saarel's third time being named to the All-District 7 team as he received the honor in 2015 and 2016. During the indoor season, he was selected to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) All-Academic team.
Saarel's completed his last indoor track season with a 10th place finish in the men's 3k at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, finishing with a time of 8:10.05.
He ended his outdoor track campaign by winning the Pac-12 title in the men's 5k run and on the same day was named the Pac-12 Men's Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. Saarel is the school record holder in the men's 1,500 with a time 3:38.40. He finished his career at CU at the NCAA West Preliminaries, finishing 22nd in the men's 1,500 with a time of 3:49.62.
Benner, a Superior, Colo. native, is a chemical and biological engineering major and maintains an impressive 3.93 grade point average. This is the second time Benner has been named to the All-District 7 team, she also received the honor in 2016. In the fall of 2017, she was named the Pac-12 Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year.
During the 2017 cross country campaign, Benner helped the Buffs take home their third Pac-12 team title with an eighth place individual finish. She also finished 14th at regionals and earned her third All-America cross country honor at NCAAs with a 36th place finish.
Benner has been a vital asset to the CU distance runners; she ran a personal best at the Pac-12 Track and Field Championships earlier this month in the 10,000-meter run, clocking in at 33:11.50 for second place. She also finished 10th in the women's 5,000 at Pac-12s.
Benner qualified for the NCAA Championships, June 6-9 in Eugune, Ore., in the 10k after finishing 10th at the west preliminary championships last Thursday in Sacramento, Calif. In the race, Benner clocked the third fastest time in school history, finishing in 32:45.05.
Salt Lake City native, Saarel graduated this May with degrees in engineering physics and computer science and a GPA greater than 3.90. This is Saarel's third time being named to the All-District 7 team as he received the honor in 2015 and 2016. During the indoor season, he was selected to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) All-Academic team.
Saarel's completed his last indoor track season with a 10th place finish in the men's 3k at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, finishing with a time of 8:10.05.
He ended his outdoor track campaign by winning the Pac-12 title in the men's 5k run and on the same day was named the Pac-12 Men's Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. Saarel is the school record holder in the men's 1,500 with a time 3:38.40. He finished his career at CU at the NCAA West Preliminaries, finishing 22nd in the men's 1,500 with a time of 3:49.62.
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