Colorado University Athletics
2015 NCAA Cross Country Championship Quotes
2015 NCAA Cross Country Championship Quotes
Junior Erin Clark
On the second place finish
"I think it's an awesome step forward for us. We worked really hard and well as a group for this all season. There's more to come."
On Kaitlyn's finish
"I couldn't see Kaitlyn until the very end there but I heard her name so I figured she was doing what I was doing which was trying to stick with that lead pack and stay as mentally and physically relaxed as I could."
Sophomore Kaitlyn Benner
On her finish behind Erin
"It's an incredible experience. I wasn't expecting to be able to be this high at the beginning of the season. I just wanted to be All-American. But to be far up there, especially alongside my teammate was an awesome experience."
On their pre-race goals
"I guess just to run as best as we can and trust in our training and do what we did all season. We wanted to do the best that we could do today with the conditions and everyone else here. I think we did that definitely."
On team strategy
"We just wanted to get out fast to avoid the crowds and get out in the first pack. We weren't stuck behind any one and we just kept moving up and just trying to pass as many people as we could."
Senior Maddie Alm
On her final NCAA Championship
"It's amazing. These girls are awesome and so fun to run with. They push me every day and I'm so happy to be a part of this awesome program. I'm definitely going to miss it."
Redshirt sophomore Melanie Nun
On coming back after redshirting the 2014 season
"It's always hard taking a year off for whatever but the coaches know what to do. When you have girls like this every day it's really easy to come back and get really pumped about race season."
Senior Pierce Murphy
On Training For This Race
"Training went really well. We trained our last cross country season in this one. Great coaching helped."
On The Second Place Finish
"I'm disappointed but at the same time, I know we trained as well as we could have and ran as hard as we could have. There was nothing else we could have done. We left everything on the course."
On His Personal Performance
"Coming through about a mile, it felt pretty tough but it was pretty quick. I tried to stay relaxed and move up. Coming through 5k, I focused on staying really relaxed, focused on my breathing and slowly catching guys. I had about 2k to go and then I stayed right there in the third."
Head Coach Mark Wetmore
General
"I'm proud of the women. I'm proud of the men. I wish we had ten less points on the men's side but I know they ran their hearts out. I'm happy."
On Kaitlyn and Erin's Performance
"They ran great. Kaitlyn was 80th a year ago and she's doing well for us, moving up nicely and making progress. I'm very happy. The women were wonderful, they did perfectly."
On Pierce Murphy
"Pierce was 38th or 39th a year ago so that's a wonderful run for him. He's been a really patient, hardworking guy for us, better every year. He's a totally unheralded high school guy, so Kauai is out there celebrating right now."
On The Men's Finish
"A tinge of disappointment is a good way to describe it. Second place by nine points in this deep of a field with all of the All-American recruits, I feel proud of them."
On The Women's Finish
"They were seventh a year ago, but way, way back. New Mexico was a head taller than everyone else but our team did fine. They did everything we asked of them and they're all back but one so we'll be ready to do it again next year."