Colorado University Athletics
Barringer Named USTFCCCA Indoor Athlete of the Year
NEW ORLEANS ? The 2009 NCAA indoor track and field season may be over, but University of Colorado senior Jenny Barringer is still receiving honors as she has been named the USTFCCCA’s Indoor Female Track Athlete of the Year.
Barringer won her first NCAA Indoor Championship last Saturday, March 14, in the 3,000-meter run and did so in record setting fashion. The time of 8 minutes, 42.03 seconds was an NCAA Meet, collegiate, facility and CU record. It is the fourth fastest in the world this season and is the fastest run by an American woman this season, surpassing former Buff great Kara Goucher’s time of 8:46.65 (Feb. 7).
The previous collegiate best of 8:48.77 was run by Sally Kipyego on Feb. 7, 2009 when she took second to Goucher at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. Kipyego also held the facility record of 9:09.83 from the Big 12 Meet on Feb. 28. Kim Smith previously held the NCAA meet record at 8:49.18 (set in 2004).
Barringer ran the 3k in January to start her indoor season and recorded a mark of 8:53.88, which broke a six-year-old CU record of 9:07.16 by Sara (Gorton) Slattery. In doing so, she became the first Buff to run the race in under nine minutes and has now done it twice.
Despite only running in four indoor races in 2009, Barringer set a CU record every time. She owns records in the mile (4:25.91), 3k (8:42.03 and prior to that at 8:53.88) and the 5k (15:01.70). The previous 5k record had been 15:39.25, which Barringer demolished by 37.34 seconds. Barringer’s mile time broke the CU record of 4:40.02.
Her times in the mile, 3k and the 5k were the top marks in the NCAA this season and all doubled as collegiate records. Barringer’s mile time is the fastest recorded in the world so far this indoor season. It is also the fastest ever recorded by a collegiate athlete, American or foreign. She broke the previous record of 4:28.31 which was set by Vicki Huber in 1988. Her mark in the 5k is the second fastest ever run by an American woman and is the fifth fastest time in the world. The former collegiate record had been 15:14.18.
The NCAA title marked the end to a perfect season for Barringer as she won all four races she entered. All four marks were school records and three were collegiate records.
Barringer has earned several other accolades during the 2009 season which include the USTFCCCA Mountain Region Track Athlete of the Year, the Big 12 Indoor Performer of the Year, a pair of Big 12 Athlete of the Week honors and four CU Athlete of the Week awards.
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