Saturday, March 9
Birmingham, Ala.
All Day
Colorado
at
NCAA Indoor Championships
Photo by: Ben Ennis
Klecker Closes Out Championships with a Pair of Top-Three Finishes
March 09, 2019 | Track and Field
Colorado earns five first team All-American honors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Colorado track and field program concluded the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday evening here with three additional first team All-American honors and a top-20 men's team finish.
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Junior Joe Klecker proved he is one of the top athletes in the nation as he posted his second top-three finish, doubling up with a third-place finish in the men's 3,000 after placing second the night before in the 5,000. The junior scored all 14 of Colorado's points after running 7:54.34 in the 3,000.
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"Joe beat Oregon, USC, he beat every Pac-12 team except Stanford," said head coach Mark Wetmore. "He had a great weekend. The guys that beat him this weekend are excellent runners beyond just this year. They are excellent career-long runners, two of the best guys that have been in the NCAA a long time. He ran with them right to the wire two nights in a row. Brilliant double and brilliant future maybe."
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It was a similar story with Klecker sitting fifth throughout the first 2,000 meters of the 3,000. The 5,000 champion Morgan McDonald of Wisconsin took over the lead with 600 meters left and the only two to cover the move was Grant Fisher of Stanford and Klecker. Klecker moved to the outside with 400 left trying to take the lead and battled with McDonald for the lead on the second-to-last backstretch. McDonald pushed the move and the trio of McDonald, Fisher and Klecker broke into an all-out sprint at the bell with McDonald and Fisher moving away from Klecker in the final backstretch.
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"He was being patient," said Wetmore. "Both of those guys are excellent kickers. I didn't notice that he tried to lead, I just noticed that it kept accelerating and people kept going out the back and it stretched out and stretched out. The Stanford guy ran a 3:54 mile last night and both of those guys have run low 7:40s in the 3,000 so Joe had his hands full kicking with them. Again, he had a brilliant two nights and another year to go."
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With his two performances this weekend, Klecker scored more points than any other Buff has at an indoor championship in school history. The last Colorado athlete to earn multiple First Team All-American honors at an indoor championship was Pierce Murphy in 2016.
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Things got started for the women with senior Gabby Scott, who finished seventh in the women's 400-meter dash to earn her first-ever First Team All-American honor. She ran out of the first heat in the fifth lane, working hard in the beginning but dropping to fourth in the cut after the first 200 meters. Scott worked from the back of the pack and was able to catch Florida's Sharrika Barnett and cross the line in 53.19 seconds.
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"Her 400 today was a little more like what I feared would happen yesterday; a little more traffic," said Wetmore. "I think in her race today the women went out a little slower and had a bigger response in the second lap. Gabby is, of the 16 runners that made it here, absolutely the least experienced on this kind of a track, a banked 200 against these 52-second women. She had a great weekend to make the final, I was pleasantly surprised that she did that. She beat some people in the final and ran another good time. She has made a big step this year and maybe she can do more outdoors. She should be very happy with how things went."
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With the finish, Scott is the first woman in CU history to earn an All-American honor in the 400-meter dash. She joined Leona Russell in 1996 as the only woman to compete in the event at the NCAA Championships for Colorado.
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Makena Morley doubled up in the women's 3,000-meters after finishing seventh the night before in the 5,000. The junior stayed in the back of the pack through the first 1,000 meters before moving up into the middle of the group. With 800 meters left the field began to separate, and Morley covered the move and slid into seventh as another break in the pack happened at 600 meters. The junior kept with the group, but the leaders began to move away as she closed the final lap overtaking Lauren Gregory of Arkansas to finish sixth overall in a time of 9:06.74.
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"Certainly the form charts would not have predicted her scoring in both events and being first team All-American in both events," said Wetmore. "She had an excellent weekend tactically. She is really learning how to race this level. I think if you were to take everyone who doubled in the 5,000 and 3,000 and combined their times you would find that only the woman from New Mexico had a better weekend. I think Makena had the best double of the entire weekend."
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Morley is the first CU woman to earn two individual All-American honors at the indoor championships in the past 14 years. The last to double up was Renee Metevier who finished sixth in the 5,000 and won the 3,000 in 2005.
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"We came here with a small group this year and I hoped to get a few points in both genders and we did," said Wetmore. "16th for the men is very good given it was one guy and the women got two and three points here and there between the two of them adding up to the top-35 score. Probably would not have been forecasted, so I'm happy."
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With two women scoring in three events, Colorado finished with seven team points and tied for 33rd with Iowa. The men finished with 14 points from Joe Klecker, good for 16th. Arkansas took the women's title with 62 points to overtake USC with 51. Florida walked away with the title with 55 points.
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RESULTS:
Women's 400m prelims: 1. Kaelin Roberts (USC), 52.01; 3. Gabby Scott (CU), 52.86
Women's mile: 1. Alexis Fuller (BSU), 4:36.27; 16. Tabor Scholl (CU), 4:55.25
Women's 5,000m final: 1. Alicia Monson (WISC), 15:31.26; 7. Makena Morley (CU), 15:41.67
Men's 5,000m final: 1. Morgan McDonald (WISC), 13:41.76; 2. Joe Klecker (CU), 13:42.79; 11. John Dressel (CU), 13:54.58
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Women's 400m finals: 1. Kaelin Roberts (USC), 51.50; 7. Gabby Scott (CU), 53.19
Women's 3,000m finals: 1. Jessica Hull (ORE), 9:01.14; 6. Makena Morley (CU), 9:06.74
Men's 5,000m finals: 1. Morgan McDonald (WISC), 7:52.85; 3. Joe Klecker (CU), 7:54.34
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Junior Joe Klecker proved he is one of the top athletes in the nation as he posted his second top-three finish, doubling up with a third-place finish in the men's 3,000 after placing second the night before in the 5,000. The junior scored all 14 of Colorado's points after running 7:54.34 in the 3,000.
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"Joe beat Oregon, USC, he beat every Pac-12 team except Stanford," said head coach Mark Wetmore. "He had a great weekend. The guys that beat him this weekend are excellent runners beyond just this year. They are excellent career-long runners, two of the best guys that have been in the NCAA a long time. He ran with them right to the wire two nights in a row. Brilliant double and brilliant future maybe."
Â
It was a similar story with Klecker sitting fifth throughout the first 2,000 meters of the 3,000. The 5,000 champion Morgan McDonald of Wisconsin took over the lead with 600 meters left and the only two to cover the move was Grant Fisher of Stanford and Klecker. Klecker moved to the outside with 400 left trying to take the lead and battled with McDonald for the lead on the second-to-last backstretch. McDonald pushed the move and the trio of McDonald, Fisher and Klecker broke into an all-out sprint at the bell with McDonald and Fisher moving away from Klecker in the final backstretch.
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"He was being patient," said Wetmore. "Both of those guys are excellent kickers. I didn't notice that he tried to lead, I just noticed that it kept accelerating and people kept going out the back and it stretched out and stretched out. The Stanford guy ran a 3:54 mile last night and both of those guys have run low 7:40s in the 3,000 so Joe had his hands full kicking with them. Again, he had a brilliant two nights and another year to go."
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With his two performances this weekend, Klecker scored more points than any other Buff has at an indoor championship in school history. The last Colorado athlete to earn multiple First Team All-American honors at an indoor championship was Pierce Murphy in 2016.
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Things got started for the women with senior Gabby Scott, who finished seventh in the women's 400-meter dash to earn her first-ever First Team All-American honor. She ran out of the first heat in the fifth lane, working hard in the beginning but dropping to fourth in the cut after the first 200 meters. Scott worked from the back of the pack and was able to catch Florida's Sharrika Barnett and cross the line in 53.19 seconds.
Â
"Her 400 today was a little more like what I feared would happen yesterday; a little more traffic," said Wetmore. "I think in her race today the women went out a little slower and had a bigger response in the second lap. Gabby is, of the 16 runners that made it here, absolutely the least experienced on this kind of a track, a banked 200 against these 52-second women. She had a great weekend to make the final, I was pleasantly surprised that she did that. She beat some people in the final and ran another good time. She has made a big step this year and maybe she can do more outdoors. She should be very happy with how things went."
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With the finish, Scott is the first woman in CU history to earn an All-American honor in the 400-meter dash. She joined Leona Russell in 1996 as the only woman to compete in the event at the NCAA Championships for Colorado.
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Makena Morley doubled up in the women's 3,000-meters after finishing seventh the night before in the 5,000. The junior stayed in the back of the pack through the first 1,000 meters before moving up into the middle of the group. With 800 meters left the field began to separate, and Morley covered the move and slid into seventh as another break in the pack happened at 600 meters. The junior kept with the group, but the leaders began to move away as she closed the final lap overtaking Lauren Gregory of Arkansas to finish sixth overall in a time of 9:06.74.
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"Certainly the form charts would not have predicted her scoring in both events and being first team All-American in both events," said Wetmore. "She had an excellent weekend tactically. She is really learning how to race this level. I think if you were to take everyone who doubled in the 5,000 and 3,000 and combined their times you would find that only the woman from New Mexico had a better weekend. I think Makena had the best double of the entire weekend."
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Morley is the first CU woman to earn two individual All-American honors at the indoor championships in the past 14 years. The last to double up was Renee Metevier who finished sixth in the 5,000 and won the 3,000 in 2005.
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"We came here with a small group this year and I hoped to get a few points in both genders and we did," said Wetmore. "16th for the men is very good given it was one guy and the women got two and three points here and there between the two of them adding up to the top-35 score. Probably would not have been forecasted, so I'm happy."
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With two women scoring in three events, Colorado finished with seven team points and tied for 33rd with Iowa. The men finished with 14 points from Joe Klecker, good for 16th. Arkansas took the women's title with 62 points to overtake USC with 51. Florida walked away with the title with 55 points.
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| TIME (MT) | INDIVIDUAL | EVENT | RANKING | ENTERED TIME | RESULT | PLACE |
| Friday | ||||||
| 4:35 PM | Tabor Scholl  | Mile Prelim | 9th | 4:34.98 | 4:55.25 | 16th |
| 5:27 PM | Gabby Scott | 400-meter dash Prelim | 6th | 52.32 | 52.86 | 3rd  Q |
| 7:07 PM | Makena Morley | 5,000-meter run Final | 14th | 15:37.23 | 15:41.67 | 7th |
| 7:27 PM | Joe Klecker | 5,000-meter run Final | 5th | 13:35.97 | 13:42.79 | 2nd |
| John Dressel | 5,000-meter run Final | 15th | 13:41.00 | 13:54.58 | 11th | |
| Saturday | ||||||
| 3:50 PM | Gabby Scott | 400-meter dash Final | 3rd | 52.86 | 53.19 | 7th |
| 5:10 PM | Makena Morley | 3,000-meter run Final | 14th | 9:02.47 | 9:06.74 | 6th |
| 5:25 PM | Joe Klecker | 3,000-meter run Final | 4th | 7:48.32 | 7:54.34 | 3rd |
RESULTS:
Women's 400m prelims: 1. Kaelin Roberts (USC), 52.01; 3. Gabby Scott (CU), 52.86
Women's mile: 1. Alexis Fuller (BSU), 4:36.27; 16. Tabor Scholl (CU), 4:55.25
Women's 5,000m final: 1. Alicia Monson (WISC), 15:31.26; 7. Makena Morley (CU), 15:41.67
Men's 5,000m final: 1. Morgan McDonald (WISC), 13:41.76; 2. Joe Klecker (CU), 13:42.79; 11. John Dressel (CU), 13:54.58
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Women's 400m finals: 1. Kaelin Roberts (USC), 51.50; 7. Gabby Scott (CU), 53.19
Women's 3,000m finals: 1. Jessica Hull (ORE), 9:01.14; 6. Makena Morley (CU), 9:06.74
Men's 5,000m finals: 1. Morgan McDonald (WISC), 7:52.85; 3. Joe Klecker (CU), 7:54.34
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| Women's Team Scores | Men's Team Scores | |||||
| 1 | Arkansas | 62 | 1 | Florida | 55 | |
| 2 | USC | 51 | 2 | Houston | 44 | |
| 3 | Oregon | 32 | 3 | LSU | 31 | |
| 4 | Ohio State | 28 | 4 | Stanford | 30 | |
| 5 | New Mexico | 23 | 4 | Wisconsin | 30 | |
| 6 | Florida | 21 | 6 | Florida State | 24 | |
| 7 | NC A&T | 18 | 6 | Texas Tech | 24 | |
| 7 | South Carolina | 18 | 8 | Alabama | 23 | |
| 7 | Alabama | 18 | 9 | Georgia | 20 | |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 17 | 9 | North Dakota St. | 20 | |
| 11 | Penn State | 15 | 11 | Texas A&M | 19 | |
| 12 | Stanford | 14 | 12 | Kansas | 17 | |
| 12 | Texas | 14 | 13 | Texas | 16 | |
| 14 | BYU | 13 | 13 | Arkansas | 16 | |
| 15 | Houston | 12 | 13 | BYU | 16 | |
| 15 | LSU | 12 | 16 | Colorado | 14 | |
| 15 | Miami | 12 | 17 | USC | 12 | |
| 15 | Texas Tech | 12 | 18 | Indiana | 11 | |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 12 | 18 | Oregon | 11 | |
| 20 | Georgia | 11 | 20 | NAU | 10 | |
| 21 | Kentucky | 10 | 20 | Notre Dame | 10 | |
| 21 | Northwestern St | 10 | 20 | South Carolina | 10 | |
| 21 | Tennessee | 10 | 20 | SC State | 10 | |
| 21 | Villanova | 10 | 20 | Virginia | 10 | |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 10 | 25 | Georgetown | 9 | |
| 21 | Arizona State | 10 | 25 | Iowa | 9 | |
| 27 | Kennesaw State | 8 | 25 | TCU | 9 | |
| 27 | Louisville | 8 | 25 | Arizona | 9 | |
| 27 | Penn | 8 | 29 | Kentucky | 8 | |
| 27 | Samford | 8 | 29 | Miss State | 8 | |
| 27 | San Diego State | 8 | 29 | Princeton | 8 | |
| 27 | Bethune-Cookman | 8 | 29 | South Dakota | 8 | |
| 33 | Iowa | 7 | 29 | Villanova | 8 | |
| 33 | Colorado | 7 | 29 | Baylor | 8 | |
| 35 | Florida State | 6 | 35 | Nebraska | 7 | |
| 35 | Indiana | 6 | 35 | Southern Miss | 7 | |
| 35 | Oklahoma State | 6 | 35 | Tennessee | 7 | |
| 35 | Providence | 6 | 35 | Akron | 7 | |
| 35 | Boise State | 6 | 39 | Michigan State | 6 | |
| 35 | Cincinnati | 6 | 39 | Wake Forest | 6 | |
| 41 | Indiana State | 5 | 41 | North Carolina | 5 | |
| 41 | Monmouth | 5 | 41 | Ohio State | 5 | |
| 41 | Portland | 5 | 41 | Oklahoma State | 5 | |
| 41 | TCU | 5 | 41 | Penn State | 5 | |
| 41 | UC Davis | 5 | 45 | Iowa State | 4 | |
| 41 | UCLA | 5 | 45 | Arizona State | 4 | |
| 41 | UNLV | 5 | 47 | Liberty | 3 | |
| 48 | Georgia Tech | 4 | 47 | Memphis | 3 | |
| 48 | Nebraska-Omaha | 4 | 47 | Michigan | 3 | |
| 48 | Norfolk State | 4 | 47 | MTSU | 3 | |
| 48 | Virginia | 4 | 47 | Ole Miss | 3 | |
| 48 | Washington | 4 | 47 | California | 3 | |
| 53 | Connecticut | 3 | 47 | Campbell | 3 | |
| 53 | Kansas State | 3 | 54 | Sam Houston St | 2 | |
| 53 | Michigan | 3 | 54 | UCLA | 2 | |
| 53 | UC Santa Barbara | 3 | 56 | Kansas State | 1 | |
| 53 | Air Force | 3 | 56 | Missouri | 1 | |
| 53 | Central Michigan | 3 | 56 | Air Force | 1 | |
| 59 | Incarnate Word | 2 | ||||
| 59 | Missouri | 2 | ||||
| 59 | Stephen F. Austin | 2 | ||||
| 59 | Arizona | 2 | ||||
| 59 | Bowling Green | 2 | ||||
| 64 | McNeese State | 1 | ||||
| 64 | North Dakota St. | 1 | ||||
| 64 | Utah | 1 | ||||
| 64 | Wofford | 1 | ||||
| 64 | Auburn | 1 | ||||
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