Colorado University Athletics

Gelso and Esposito Are Named CU Athlete?s of the Week

Gelso and Esposito Are Named CU Athlete?s of the Week
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             BOULDER-Senior standouts Melisa Esposito (tennis) and skier Matt Gelso (skiing) earned CU Athlete of the Week honors for the week of February 15-21. This marks the first time being honored this year for both athletes and it is the fifth career honor for Gelso, while Esposito has earned this honor for the fourth time of her career.

             Gelso, a native of Truckee, Calif. (Truckee), swept the 10-kilometer classical and the 20k freestyle in the Nevada Invitational, in his hometown of Truckee, helping the Buffs to their second team victory in four meets, the third in cross country. They were his first victories of the season, the first sweep by a CU male in either alpine or Nordic in two years, and cemented his standing as the second ranked men's Nordic skier in the NCAA West, the first American-born skier that high this century.

             Esposito, a Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (William T. Dwyer) native, won her 74th career singles and 70th career doubles matches helping the University of Colorado women's tennis team to a 6-1 thumping of in-state rival Denver in their lone match of the week. Esposito, playing the No. 2 slot and as the No. 94th nationally ranked player, defeated Julia Bauregger in tough three-set match, 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-3 helping the Buffs take five of six singles wins. In doubles she teamed with Camila Belassi at the No. 1 doubles position, defeating Bauregger/Bergner, 8-4 for their team-best 12th win on the year. The CU tandem is ranked No. 51 nationally. For her career, Esposito moves into sole possession of third overall in school history in doubles tallies (70) and into 12th in singles (74).

Others nominated for this week's award were: Brittany Spears (women's basketball), Laurisa Canini (women's track), Eliska Hajkova (skiing), Alec Burks (men's basketball), Kevin Kring (men's golf), Trey Mullen (men's track).

Women's Basketball: Brittany Spears, Junior, Pasadena, Calif.
Spears recorded her 21st career double-double, sixth this season and second during Big 12 play with 17 points and 11 rebounds against Kansas. She also had two assists and two steals against KU. Spears scored a game-high 26 points and had seven rebounds against No. 3 Nebraska. She hit her first six 3-point field goals of the game and finished 6-of-7 from downtown and 10-of-17 overall. Her six 3-point field goals were a career high.

Women's Track: Laurisa Canini, Freshman, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Canini was the only Buffalo to record a first-place finish in her event after recording a jump of 5 feet, 5 inches in the high jump at the CSM Twilight meet. The mark surpassed her former PR of 5-03. It is 21st in the conference.

Women's Skiing: Eliska Hajkova, Sophomore, Jablonec, Czech Republic
Hajkova finished third in the 5-kilometer classical and second in the 15k freestyle in the Nevada Invitational, helping the Buffs to their second team victory in four meets, the third in cross country. They were her fifth and sixth finishes in the top three this winter, her first in collegiate skiing, and she is the second ranked women's Nordic skier in the NCAA West.

Men's Basketball: Alec Burks, Freshman, Grandview, Mo.
Burks averaged 17 points and five rebounds per game, and shot 54.5 percent from the field leading the Colorado men's basketball team to a 1-1 week. Burks scored 17 points in each game that helped CU's to a home win over Oklahoma (77-67) and a 94-74 road loss at top-ranked Kansas. He also led the Buffaloes in rebounding against the Jayhawks with seven, the 11th time this season the freshman guard has led the Buffs in scoring and rebounding. Burks was 12-of-22 from the field in the two games; 9-of-11 from the free throw line (.818); and collected three assists, two blocked shots and one steal over the two games. The 34 points during the week moved Burks into third place on the school's all-time freshman scoring list with 421 points.

Men's Golf: Kevin Kring, Sophomore, Springfield, Mo.
Kring turned in a three round scorecard of 74-71-71--216, 3-over par, tying him for 31st in the standings in the Battle By The Beach, leading CU to a 12th place finish in the 14-team field, one that included eight top 50 schools competing. For the week he scored birdies or pars on 43 of 54 holes on the 6,945-yard, par-71 Ocean North Course at Pelican Hill Golf Club.

Men's Track: Trey Mullen, Junior, Lyons, Colo.
Mullen recorded a second-place finish at the CSM Twilight meet on Friday night with a toss of 55-08.35, surpassing his previous PR by almost two feet. It is the farther toss of the season and is the best throw since 2008 for the Buffs. The mark ranks 15th overall in the conference.