Colorado University Athletics

Torres Excels At UW Invite, Places Second Overall

Torres Excels At UW Invite, Places Second Overall
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SEATTLE GÇö Every week University of Colorado junior Abrianna Torres is getting better and better; this week recording a personal record of 4,002 points in the pentathlon at the UW Invite on Friday.

GÇ£Today went enormously well,GÇ¥ assistant coach Lindsey Malone said. GÇ£IGÇÖm incredibly impressed with AbriannaGÇÖs mental fortitude and self-discipline today. Coming out here just a week after competing in another pentathlon is a very challenging, heart wrenching and very inspirational thing to do.GÇ¥

GÇ£This feels really good,GÇ¥ Torres said. GÇ£ItGÇÖs been a long process, but it feels great to have everything falling into place finally. And still I feel like I can do better. I know I left points on the table.GÇ¥

The score was second overall, but was the top collegiate score at the meet. Former collegian Lindsay Lettow, won with 4,064 points.

Torres now ranks third in CU history as just the third Buff to record 4,000 or more points since 1985. Brianne Beemer recorded the school record of 4,059 points in 2013 and Pam Owen had a score of 4,046 points in 1993.    

GÇ£ItGÇÖs a huge and high honor in your training when you go over 4,000 points,GÇ¥ Malone said. GÇ£ItGÇÖs a benchmark from those who are trying to do a pentathlon and those who are excelling. Over 4,000 points means you are one of the best in the nation. Bri Beemer is amazing, but IGÇÖm hoping that Abrianna breaks that at the MPSF Championships in a month. I know Bri would be very honored to give it to another teammate that she has trained with in the past.GÇ¥

TorresGÇÖ total also ranks ninth in the NCAA Division I, improving on her 3,882 points performance from the Air Force Invite.

GÇ£I went into this meet just trying to better my score,GÇ¥ Torres said. GÇ£I didnGÇÖt have a particular score I wanted to achieve, I just wanted to do better and put myself in a better position to make NCAAs this year.GÇ¥

Torres started the day clocking a time of 9.00 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, which was fourth overall. The high jump hasnGÇÖt been TorresGÇÖ strongest event, but today she recorded a huge personal best, clearing 5 feet, 5.75 inches, which tied for third. Prior to this performance, her best clearance had been 5-4.50, which she did last weekend at the Air Force Invite.

She kept going with the personal best marks, tossing the shot put 44-0.50 on her first throw, which was the furthest in the pentathlon. Torres was second overall in the next event, the long jump, leaping 19-4.25, a season-best.

The final event of the pentathlon is the 800-meter run. Torres knew she needed a strong performance in the last event and that is exactly what she did, clocking in at 2:28.46, another personal best, for sixth overall.

GÇ£That was my second fastest 60-hurdles time, so IGÇÖm happy about that, but I really wanted to get below the nine second mark,GÇ¥ Torres explained. GÇ£The high jump really helped my confidence; I was very happy with my high jump today. The shot put was a little frustrating because I had really great throws in warm-ups and then I couldnGÇÖt quite get it together in competition. I know I left points on the table in long jump, so I had to turn it up a notch in the 800, which hurt then but feels good now.GÇ¥

GÇ£I think IGÇÖm most impressed with her willingness to finish the 800 as hard as she did,GÇ¥ Malone said. GÇ£She ran a very smart race and she gutted it out from the very beginning. She knew she had to run that time to break 4,000 points and she did it. It was great competition here this weekend. She got to run and competed with professionals and she finished as the top collegian.

GÇ£My aspiration for her today was to do the best she could and to have some fun and she had fun and was very consistent,GÇ¥ Malone went on to say. GÇ£This was obviously a rough weekend to be out here training. She misses her teammate Kyle [MacIntosh], but when it comes down to it, I think Kyle was here with us pushing her along. IGÇÖm incredibly proud of her.GÇ¥

2015 UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON INVITATIONAL

Dempsey Indoor (Seattle, Wash.)

Pentathlon

(1. Lindsay Lettow, SBTC, 4,064) 2. Abrianna Torres, 4,002

60-Meter Hurdles: (1. Kimberly Stueckle, UW, 8.53) 4. Torres, 9.00

High Jump: (1. Lindsay Lettow, SBTC, 5-7) t3. Torres, 5-5.75 (PR)

Shot Put: 1. Torres, 44-0.50(PR)

Long Jump: (1. Ashlee Moore, Oregon, 19-4.25) 2. Torres, 19-2.75

800-Meters: (1. CJ Smith, UW, 2:14.01) 6. Torres, 2:28.46 (PR)