University of Colorado Athletics
Coburn Named Collegiate Athlete Of The Year
NEW ORLEANS - University of Colorado senior Emma Coburn has been named the 2011 Mile High Sports Magazine's Collegiate Athlete of the Year.
Coburn, a Crested Butte, Colo. native, had an outstanding 2011 season. She captured the USATF 3,000-meter steeplechase crown in June, earning a spot on the U.S. world championships roster. Coburn went on to place 13th at the world championships and was the only American that advanced to the finals. She also raced to a personal record of 9:37.16 in the steeplechase at the London Grand Prix in August while prepping for the world championships. It was the 13th fastest time by a Buff in CU history.
She won the NCAA steeplechase championship in 9:41.14 and held the top time in the event by an NCAA athlete during the season at 9:40.51, which was recorded on May 1 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. Coburn earned CU, Big 12 and USATF Athlete of the Week Honors for the performance. She won her second Big 12 Outdoor Conference title in the steeplechase in May, finishing in 9:57.39.
During the indoor season Coburn won the Big 12 3,000-meter run in 9:17.46, the ninth fastest time ever by a Buffalo. She did so in the unseeded heat as she did not have a seed time heading into the meet. Coburn was a part of the CU distance medley relay team that recorded a school record and a fourth-place finish the previous night at the Big 12 meet as the anchor leg. The time of 11:22.87 broke a 12-year old record (11:23.34).
Her top indoor event was the mile run. She ranks second on CU's all-time list and has three of the top four times. Her PR of 4:36.08 was set at the NCAA Championship where she placed eighth overall to earn her first indoor All-American honor.
Earlier this week she was named to the USTFCCCA The Bowerman Preseason Watch List.