Photo by: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Buffs at USA Championship: Day 1 Recap
July 25, 2019 | Track and Field
Simpson on to finals
DES MOINES – The first day of the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships concluded with former Colorado star Jenny Simpson qualifying for the finals in the women's 1,500-meter run.
Simpson, a favorite to make the US World Team in the 1,500, placed second in the second heat of three to automatically qualify for the final. Former Niwot High star and Stanford alum, Elise Cranny, came from behind for the heat win with the fastest final lap of the day at 59.63. Simpson stayed in command the entirety of the race, never falling out of the top-three as she finished in 4:20.12, just 13-hundredths of a second behind Crany.
In the first heat in the women's 1,500, the only current Colorado athlete found herself among some of the fastest qualifying times. Dani Jones finished fifth in the first heat in a time of 4:12.00, remaining in the back of the lead pack the entire race. Lauren Johnson finished fourth for the final time-qualifying spot as the top-three finishers in each heat moved on as well as the next three fastest times. Jones finished as the second-fastest collegian on the track today, as the 2019 NCAA 1,500 Champion Sinclaire Johnson of Oklahoma State finished second in the same heat at 4:10.43. Jones was just half a second away from qualifying after the third heat finished with the five-fastest times of the day.
In the night cap, two former Buffaloes took to the track in the finals of the 10,000-meters. Erin Clark, who is second all-time in CU history in the event, finished 10th overall with a 33:16.16. Clark held onto the pack through the first half of the race, but found herself six-seconds off the lead through 6400 meters. The American half-marathon record holder, Molly Huddle, won the race in 31:58.47.
Connor Winter ended the first day with a new personal best in the 10,000 at 28:21.81. Winter began the race in the back of the pack, three seconds off the lead and working his way up to 10th where he sat for most of the race. A blazing 61-second final lap pushed him past four runners. Lopez Lomong won the race in 27:30.06, taking the win after dropping a 56-second final lap to distance himself 17 seconds from the runner that was right behind him at the bell. His time set a new facility record.
Action continues tomorrow with the men's 1,500 prelims with another Niwot high star and CU athlete, Nick Harris. Emma Coburn enters the steeplechase prelims shortly after, followed by the conclusion of the men's decathlon with Andrew Ghizzone.
Â
Â
Â
Simpson, a favorite to make the US World Team in the 1,500, placed second in the second heat of three to automatically qualify for the final. Former Niwot High star and Stanford alum, Elise Cranny, came from behind for the heat win with the fastest final lap of the day at 59.63. Simpson stayed in command the entirety of the race, never falling out of the top-three as she finished in 4:20.12, just 13-hundredths of a second behind Crany.
In the first heat in the women's 1,500, the only current Colorado athlete found herself among some of the fastest qualifying times. Dani Jones finished fifth in the first heat in a time of 4:12.00, remaining in the back of the lead pack the entire race. Lauren Johnson finished fourth for the final time-qualifying spot as the top-three finishers in each heat moved on as well as the next three fastest times. Jones finished as the second-fastest collegian on the track today, as the 2019 NCAA 1,500 Champion Sinclaire Johnson of Oklahoma State finished second in the same heat at 4:10.43. Jones was just half a second away from qualifying after the third heat finished with the five-fastest times of the day.
In the night cap, two former Buffaloes took to the track in the finals of the 10,000-meters. Erin Clark, who is second all-time in CU history in the event, finished 10th overall with a 33:16.16. Clark held onto the pack through the first half of the race, but found herself six-seconds off the lead through 6400 meters. The American half-marathon record holder, Molly Huddle, won the race in 31:58.47.
Connor Winter ended the first day with a new personal best in the 10,000 at 28:21.81. Winter began the race in the back of the pack, three seconds off the lead and working his way up to 10th where he sat for most of the race. A blazing 61-second final lap pushed him past four runners. Lopez Lomong won the race in 27:30.06, taking the win after dropping a 56-second final lap to distance himself 17 seconds from the runner that was right behind him at the bell. His time set a new facility record.
Action continues tomorrow with the men's 1,500 prelims with another Niwot high star and CU athlete, Nick Harris. Emma Coburn enters the steeplechase prelims shortly after, followed by the conclusion of the men's decathlon with Andrew Ghizzone.
Â
| USATF Championships | ||||
| Day | Time (MT) | Race | Athlete | Result |
| Thursday | 4:30 p.m. | Women's 1,500 Prelim | Jenny Simpson | 4:20.12 - 19th Q |
| 4:30 p.m. | Women's 1,500 Prelim | Dani Jones | 4:12.00 - 10th | |
| 7:50 p.m. | Women's 10,000 Final | Erin Clark | 33:16.16 - 10th | |
| 8:29 p.m. | Men's 10,000 Final | Connor Winter | 6th - 28:21.81 | |
| Friday | 3:30 p.m. | Men's 1,500 Prelim | Nick Harris | |
| 3:57 p.m. | Women's Steeplechase Prelim | Emma Coburn | ||
| 5:46 p.m. | Men's Decathlon | Andrew Ghizzone | ||
| Saturday | 2:42 p.m. | Women's 1,500 Final | Jenny Simpson | |
| 2:42 p.m. | Women's 1,500 Final | Dani Jones | ||
| Sunday | 5:07 p.m. | Women's Steeplechase Finals | Emma Coburn | |
| 5:23 p.m. | Men's 5,000 Finals | Riley Masters | ||
| 5:23 p.m. | Men's 5,000 Finals | Connor Winter | ||
| 5:42 p.m. | Women's 5,000 Finals | Jenny Simpson | ||
| 6:33 p.m. | Men's 1,500 Finals | Nick Harris | ||
Â
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track and Field
Combined Events
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and FieldColorado T&F/XC: 2016 HOF Sara Gorton Slattery
Monday, August 12
Bailey Hertenstein @baileyh_ Wins the Pac-12 5k Championship @cubuffstrack #gobuffs
Monday, May 13
Pac-12 TRACK Championships - Wrap Up
Monday, May 13
@cubufffstrack First Crack at NEW Potts Field #gobuffs
Wednesday, April 10