Colorado University Athletics
Kizirian Has Record Setting Day At Potts Invite
BOULDER GÇö For the second time in two weeks, senior Alex Kizirian has broken the University of Colorado weight throw record, this time with a toss of 70 feet, eight inches on Saturday at the Potts Invitational.
GÇ£It felt really good,GÇ¥ Kizirian said. GÇ£I felt really consistent today and I was just really happy that I was able to do what I do in practice in a meet environment. IGÇÖm just looking to keep building up every meet.
GÇ£Sometimes itGÇÖs hard to know [how far I threw] because IGÇÖm still working on my technique and trying to improve upon things,GÇ¥ he said. GÇ£I felt pretty good today. My energy levels were good. I can tell after the release whether itGÇÖs going to be good and I had a really good release. I didnGÇÖt know it was going to be 70 [feet] but I knew it was going to be good.GÇ¥
The throw, which came on his fourth attempt of the day, also doubles as the Balch Fieldhouse record and is currently the third best throw amongst NCAA Division I athletes. PurdueGÇÖs Chukweubuka Enekwechi has the best throw at 76-6.25 and Nick Miller (Oklahoma State) ranks second with a mark of 74-0.25.
TodayGÇÖs mark surpassed his previous school record of 69-2, which he recorded last weekend at the Air Force Open. It also beat his former Balch Fieldhouse record of 65-11.50, which he set last year at the Potts Invitational. This is more than likely the last CU track meet in the fieldhouse, so it is quite possibly a record that will never be broken.
GÇ£Today Alex broke a huge barrier, an enormous barrier, the 70-foot barrier in the menGÇÖs weight throw,GÇ¥ assistant coach Casey Malone said. GÇ£That is very significant. It changes him from being very completive in the Pac-12 to being an All-American type athlete. Combine that change of status with a new school record and a fieldhouse record. To have him set a new fieldhouse record and to break that 70-foot mark is phenomenal. HeGÇÖs been working on that very diligently for a long time now. HeGÇÖs been throwing over 70 feet in practice for over a year so that mark has been a long time coming for him. ItGÇÖs taken a lot of patience for him to find that technique to allow that to happen in a competition setting.GÇ¥
GÇ£IGÇÖm very happy to see Alex break 70 feet,GÇ¥ head coach Mark Wetmore added. GÇ¥HeGÇÖs a fine young man whoGÇÖs always working and always in a good mood and he keeps pushing it out by a little piece of a meter every meet. He PRGÇÖd at Air Force his last meet and did it again today. The difference is that today it was over 70 feet. IGÇÖm really happy for him. HeGÇÖs definitely the highlight of the weekend.GÇ¥
On the womenGÇÖs side, freshman Mariah Walker led the team with a third place finish in the shot put, recording a toss of 44-10.25 on her final throw. Her mark was four inches further than Colorado StateGÇÖs Monet Jackson (44-6.24), who had been leading Walker heading into the final throw.
Sophie Hallam-Eames was fourth for Buffs in the womenGÇÖs weight throw with a performance of 55-4.75. Walker followed at fifth with a mark of 53-00.
GÇ£The womenGÇÖs hammer was a pleasant surprise,GÇ¥ Wetmore said. GÇ£Both Sophie and Mariah had big PRs and took steps towards being able to help us. We always want people to PR but if you start at a 7-minute mile and work towards a 6-minute mile, it doesn't ever help us. But, Sophie and Mariah are creeping up on scoring at the conference level in the weight throw. ItGÇÖs been a long time coming for Sophie. Mariah is new to it and everything is new and fun but SophieGÇÖs been here for a long time dealing with some back issue and waiting for her chance to get big marks. So, sheGÇÖs moving out there and I was really pleased with them.GÇ¥
The running events were held after the throwing events were finished and again the Buffs did well in the events they raced.
Sophomore Jaron Thomas won the menGÇÖs 60-meter hurdles, crossing the finish in 8.24 seconds. He finished .15 second faster than the runner-up, CUGÇÖs Mark Jones, who clocked in at 8.39.
GÇ£This was his first race of the winter and his first race since last spring,GÇ¥ Wetmore said. GÇ£HeGÇÖs a little beat up. If you saw him after the race, he looked like a mummy with ice all over him and a boot on. IGÇÖll have to see how beat up he is and see if it makes sense for us to be using him. IGÇÖm glad he won and he had a pretty decent time. We need him outdoors more than we need him indoors so weGÇÖll have to find out.GÇ¥
Redshirt freshman Eryn Blakely also had a nice race, winning the womenGÇÖs mile in 4:55.03. Maor Tiyouri led for a good portion of the race until Blakely passed her with about 350 meters left. Blakely held on and defeated her by over seven seconds as Tiyouri finished in 5:17.22.
GÇ£This was her first race for us in quite a bit and itGÇÖs nice that sheGÇÖs done a lot of work in the offseason,GÇ¥ Wetmore said. GÇ£We talked at the end of last year. SheGÇÖs basically a steeplechaser and quite confident technically, but she and myself and Coach Burroughs at the end of last season said itGÇÖs a matter of fitness now, more for her than others. So, she did a lot of work during the summer and sheGÇÖs been working hard all fall. It shows in her personal best.GÇ¥
Junior Abrianna Torres also had a nice weekend as she competed in events both days. On Saturday she picked up a fifth-place finish in the shot put (41-08), an eighth place finish in the 60-meters (8.09) and a runner-up finish in the 60-hurdles (9.06).
GÇ£Abrianna is having a good winter so far,GÇ¥ Wetmore said. GÇ£IGÇÖd say sheGÇÖs probably our second highlight of the weekend besides Alex Kizirian. She nearly got a PR in the hurdles and shot put. SheGÇÖs doing great and I think sheGÇÖs putting everything together for a great multi event score in a few weeks.GÇ¥
The Buffs will be back in action next weekend, Jan. 23-24, at the Air Force Invitational.
2015 POTTS INDOOR INVITE
Balch Fieldhouse (Boulder, Colo.)
(Complete results are available at CUBuffs.com)
Field Events GÇô CU Athletes only
Women's Weight Throw: (1.Kiah Hicks, Colorado State, 64-04); 4. Sophie Hallam-Eames, 55-04.75; 5. Mariah Walker, 53-00; 7. Kellie Lind, 48-07.25; 9. Makenzie Kline, 39-10.75
Men's Weight Throw: 1. Alex Kizirian, 70-08; 3. Brady Rutt, 59-01.25; 10. Paden Gatlin, 46-10.25; 13. Matt Denton, 42-10.25
Women's Shot Put: (1. Aaliyah Pete, Colorado State, 49-00.25); 3. Mariah Walker, 44-10.25; 5. Abrianna Torres, 41-08; 6. Claire Kazen, 33-00.25; 7. Michaela Wenning, 32-09.50; 8. Ewelina Pena, 30-03; 9. Mariah Slack, 29-02.50; 10. Talia Howe, 23-08
Men's Shot Put: (1. Tyler Schultz, Colorado State, 56-08.50); 5. Alex Kizirian, 52-07.50; 10. Matt Walker, 40-00.50; 12. Andrew Ghizzone, 31-01.75
Track Events GÇô CU Athletes only
Men's 60 Meter Dash (Prelims): (1. Josh DeLoach, Colorado St., 6.88); 3. Austin Mitsch, 6.97; 5. Erik Gaytan, 7.00; 8. Jay Skrine, 7.19; 13. Andrew Ghizzone, 7.49
Men's 60 Meter Dash (Finals): (1. Josh DeLoach, Colorado St., 6.90); 3. Austin Mitsch, 6.96
Women's 60 Meter Dash (Prelims): (1. Lorenda Holston, Colorado St., 7.62); 4. Rajon OGÇÖQuinn, 7.89; 8. Abrianna Torres, 8.09; 10. Mariah Slack, 8.45; 11. Taila Howe, 8.55; 12. Ewelina Pena, 8.57; 13. Michaela Wenning, 8.72; 14. Claire Kazen, 8.97
Women's 60-Meter Dash (Finals): (1. Lorenda Holston, Colorado St., 7.65); 4. Rajon OGÇÖQuinn, 7.84
Men's 60 Meter Hurdles: 1. Jaron Thomas, 8.24; 2. Mark Jones, 8.39; 6. Isiah Kaiser, 8.78; 7. Andrew Ghizzone, 8.82
Women's 60 Meter Hurdles: (1. Gabby Pajak, Colorado St., 8.95); 2. Abrianna Torres, 9.06; 4. Michaela Wenning, 9.57; 5. Ewelina Pena, 9.73
Men's Mile Run: (1. Robert Willett, Denver Track Club, 4:22.09); 4. Chris Herrick, 4:26.11; 6. Joe Holvey, 4:38.93
Women's Mile Run: 1. Eryn Blakely, 4:55.03; 3. Melanie Nun, 5:25.04; 5. Mandy Ortiz, 5:32.42
Men's 400 Meter Dash: (1. Ian Rozier, Colorado Mines, 50.59); no CU athletes
Women's 400 Meter Dash: (1. Lizzie Gabel, Colorado Mines, 1:01.99); no CU athletes
Men's 600 Yard Run: (1. Carson Aberle, UC-Colorado Springs, 1:13.73); no CU athletes
Women's 600 Yard Run: (1. Mariah Witt, Colorado St., 1:26.92); no CU athletes
Men's 800 Meter Run: (1. James LePage, Denver Track Club, 2:01.17); no CU athletes
Women's 800 Meter Run: (1. Maor Tiyouri, Boulder Track Club, 2:23.25); 3. Olivia Rintala, 2:26.27
Men's 200 Meter Dash: (1. De Carlo Garrett, Colorado Mines, 23.92); no CU athletes
Men's 4x400 Relay: (1. Colorado Mines GÇÿAGÇÖ, 3:22.20), no CU athletes
WomenGÇÖs 4x400 Relay: (1. Colorado Mines GÇÿAGÇÖ, 4:13.01), no CU athletes