Buffs to Compete at USATF Nationals This Weekend

BOULDER – A small contingent of current and former University of Colorado track and field athletes are heading to Des Moines, Iowa, for the USA Track and Field (USATF) Outdoor Championships this week.

The competition begins on Thursday, June 21, and will continue through Sunday, June 24. Three women and one man will represent the current CU athletes, and four former female Buffs will also compete.

Current Pac-12 steeplechase champion Sage Hurta will be competing in that event this week. "Sage had a really great season until the NCAA preliminary round; it was a big disappointment for her, she didn't want to stop there," CU head coach Mark Wetmore said. "We figured she would get into one of three different events for Des Moines; she chose the steeplechase, and we will be trying to jump back on the horse that threw her."

Former Buffs Emma Coburn, the American record holder in the event, and Shalaya Kipp will also be racing in the steeplechase.

Dani Jones will race the women's 1,500. Although Jones redshirted this season, she competed in the prestigious Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., on May 25, winning the national section with a personal best time of 4:07.33.

"The importance of this meet is to once again go against women at the highest level in the United States, people who a year from now will be trying to get spots on the U.S. team for the world championship," Wetmore said. "The goal is to measure herself against them, find out what the race circumstances are when it's going along at a pace that she wouldn't experience at a college level, the physicality of it and the different level of confidence. She's putting her toe in the water of the big leagues."

Jones won't be the only runner in the event with CU ties as former Buffs Jenny Simpson, Sara Vaughn and Sara Sutherland will also be competing. Simpson is going for her sixth consecutive national championship in the event.

"Jenny has won a handful of these 1,500 national championships," Wetmore said. "She has won one at the steeplechase and the 5,000; I do not know if anybody else has ever done anything like that. This year there is a new excellent runner, or emerged excellent runner, Shelby Houlihan, from the Portland group, who beat Jenny in Eugene a month ago. So, can she defend her title? What do I expect from her? I expect she (Jenny) will be hard to beat, it will take a great race from anybody to beat her."

Erin Clark, who just exhausted her eligibility with the Buffs, will race in the 5k at the US Championships. "Erin ran the 10,000 and the 5,000 at the Pac-12s; then she did it again at the NCAA preliminary round and again at nationals," Wetmore said. "By the NCAA finals, she was as empty as you could be. Maybe we have filled her up a little since then, so we will see."
Joe Klecker is the lone male who will represent CU and will also compete in the 5k. Klecker did not race for the Buffs during the NCAA season, but ran once during the spring to prepare for the championships. "Joe is really well rested, his well is topped off, he has only run one race since cross country, he has no reason to go into this race feeling empty at all," Wetmore said.

For more information on this week's competition including event schedule and start lists, visit the USATF website.

Thursday, June 21 (times are Mountain)

12:50 p.m.	W 3k Steeplechase (semis)	Sage Hurta	9:57.28
		Emma Coburn	9:02.58
		Shalaya Kipp	9:44.34
2:35 p.m.	W 1,500 (semis)	Dani Jones	4:07.33
		Jenny Simpson	3:59.37
		Sarah Vaughn	4:04.56
		Sara Sutherland	4:08.39

Saturday, June 23 (times are Mountain)

2:20 p.m.	W 3k Steeplechase (finals)	Sage Hurta	9:57.28
		Emma Coburn	9:02.58
		Shalaya Kipp	9:44.34
2:46 p.m.	W 1,500 (finals)	Dani Jones	4:07.33
		Jenny Simpson	3:59.37
		Sarah Vaughn	4:04.56
		Sara Sutherland	4:08.39