The University of Colorado track and field team kicked off its indoor season by hosting the Potts Indoor Invitational, a multi-day event on CU’s campus lasting from Thursday through Sunday.
At the Balch Fieldhouse, several Buffs had standout performances. Most of Thursday and Friday were spent on the men’s heptathlon, a 7-part competition that includes the 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000-meter run. Scores for each event are combined to determine overall placement.
On the CU men’s team, senior Eddie Taylor earned second place in the overall heptathlon. Several other Buffs performed well, as junior Jason DeWitt and junior Brock Emory placed fourth and seventh in the event. Adam Salzmann, a senior CU runner who is no longer eligible for the indoor season, ran unattached and took first overall.
Friday was the women’s pentathlon, which included 60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800-meter run. After taking the 2011 season off as a redshirt, junior Brianne Beemer returned with a vengeance to earn first place in the combined event. CU volunteer coach Emily Pearson earned second, while freshman Brittany Lewis and senior Katie Dreher earned third and fourth overall.
Saturday’s portion of the meet included all other running events as well as the men’s weight throw and women’s shot put.
In the men’s 400-meter run, sophomore Blake Reimer finished first with a time of 50.52 seconds. The Buffs also saw victory in the 200-meter run as sophomore Blake Berens finished in 23.07 seconds. In the 60-meter dash, sophomore Shaw Gifford crossed the line in 6.89 seconds to take third, and freshman Connor Winter, a CU runner who competed unattached, won the mile in 4:18.35.
On the women’s side, freshman Eileen Gehring won the 60-meter dash in 7.80 seconds, the fastest time run by a Buff since 2009. Freshman Bridget Sweeney took the 200-meter title with a time of 25.97 seconds, while unattached freshman Catrina McAlister won the 3,000-meter run decisively in 10:18.56.
Freshman Mark Jones in the men's high jump during the Potts Indoor Invitational Saturday. Jones finished first jumping six feet, 11 inches. (CU Independent/Robert R. Denton)
The Buffs’ performances off the track were equally impressive. Freshman Mark Jones won the high jump by clearing a height of six feet, 11 inches — the 12th best mark ever recorded by a Buff.
Sophomore Alex Kizirian won both the men’s weight throw and shot put, while junior Emily Hunsucker took first in the women’s weight throw and second in the shot put. All of Kizirian’s and Hunsucker’s marks were personal bests.
“Several people had nice little steps this weekend,” head coach Mark Wetmore said to the Sports Information Department. “Newcomers and freshmen did very well, which bodes well down the road.”
The Buffs compete next Friday and Saturday at the UW Invitational in Seattle, Wash.
Statistics and quotes courtesy of the University of Colorado Sports Information Department.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Caryn Maconi at Caryn.maconi@colorado.edu.
