The track and field indoor season got off to a fast start at the University of Colorado during the team’s first meet at the Potts Indoor Invite. Sophomore Mark Jones, senior Matthew Biegner and senior Brianne Beemer all took first place in their respective competitions.
The Buffs performance picked up even more a week later at the Air Force Academy Invitational as sophomore Eileen Gehring took home two crowns along with victories from senior Aric Vanhalen, junior Jana Stolting and Jones.
Then freshman sprinter Eileen Gehring crosses the finish line in the women’s 100-meter dash in this file photo from Saturday, March 17, 2012 at Potts Field in Boulder, Colo. (Robert R. Denton/CU Independent File)
At the Tyson Invitational on February 8, senior Joe Morris tied the NCAA 60-meter dash record with a time of 6.57 seconds.
“The 6.57 was the highlight for me.” Morris said. “It just happened, and when it happened I thought that goal was a checkmark.”
Morris defined this achievement as the shining moment of his senior season at CU in an interview with the CU Independent.
The Buffs continued dominating the races as Gehring, sophomore Lindsy Mattson, Beemer and sophomore Bridget Sweeney powered past their competition at the Air Force Team Challenge to break the CU school record in the 4 x 400-meter relay with a time of 3:43.42.
The Buffs didn’t stop there; Morris won four races in the next two meets and redshirt freshman Abrianna Torres broke two school records in the women’s pentathlon at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships. She threw 41 feet 7 inches shot put and jumped 19 feet 08.25 inches. in the long jump to break the records.
The outdoor season started off with a bang at the Jerry Quiller Classic as Jones won the men’s high jump, Beemer won the women’s 400-meter hurdle, the women won their 4 x 100-meter relay, and senior Emily Hunsucker won the women’s hammer throw.
In addition to these victories, the women completed a 1-2-3 sweep in the 200-meter dash with Gehring in first, Mattson in second and Sweeney in third.
After the first week of the outdoor season, Hunsucker earned the Pac-12 Conference Female Field Athlete of the Week award after her 195 feet 10 inches hammer throw set a personal record and put her in second in CU school history.
Two weeks later, Hunsucker outdid herself by setting the new school hammer throw record with a 197 feet 8 inches throw at the Fum McGraw Quadrangular. By doing so, she earned her second Pac-12 Conference Female Field Athlete of the Week honor after winning the competition by nearly 17 feet.
Sophomore Kelsey English, Torres, Gehring and the women’s relay all won in their respective events to add to CU’s victories at the Quadrangular.
At the Jim Click meet, Torres became a part of CU history when she broke the shot put record with a 42 feet 7 inches throw.
The Buffs dominated the Colorado Invitational two weeks later thanks to standup performances by junior Shaw Gifford, junior Tyler Baker, sophomore Blake Theroux, junior Brian Owens, Hunsucker and the women’s 4 x 100-meter relay, who all won in their individual competitions. On top of the numerous first place finishes, Colorado athletes placed in the top three in 15 events.
After competing well in the Colorado Invitational on April 16, Morris received the Pac-12 Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honor. Although he finished second in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, both times were recorded in the top five finishes in Pac-12 conference history.
At the Mt. SAC relays just two days later, the Buffs continued to dominated the races and made school history in the process. Morris took first in the men’s 100-meter dash with a 10.33-second time and freshman Carrie Verndon joined him with a women’s 5000-meter run victory (16:14.58). Hunsucker added to these victories with another school record in the hammer with a 200 feet 3 inches throw.
Gehring made Colorado track and field history after breaking school records in the 200-meter (23.80 seconds) and the 400-meter dashes (53.23).
“That 200 record has seemed so close for a long time so I was really happy to get that one,” Gehring said. ”The 400 is exciting because that race is really coming around for me so I’m excited to see if I can get 52 (seconds) this year.”
Not only did Gehring break records in the 200 and 400, but she also won the 4 x 400 meter relay with teammates Mattson, Beemer and Sweeney. The women broke their previous record from earlier in the season with 3:38.17.
Gehring believes that her team’s performance in this race will be the highlight of the season.
“I think individually, if our 4 x 400 made it to nationals this year, that would be my biggest accomplishment,” said Gehring.
Colorado’s domination continued at the Jack Christiansen Invite near the end of the season as Hunsucker, Gifford and English each won their individual events. The hammer throw victory was Hunsucker’s fifth of the season.
English believes that setting a new personal record was more rewarding than her first-place finish in the women’s high jump.
“It was exciting to win, but I don’t mind coming in second place or so on as long as I am improving from my previous jumps throughout the year,” she said. ”I think I compete with myself more than I do with the other competitors, and that seems to work for me. My previous PR was 5-10.”
Morris set new records in the Pac-12 after finishing second in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes with 10:19 and 20:45 times respectively.
The Buffs will return to the track on Friday, May 3 for the Air Force Twilight at the Air Force Academy.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Alissa Noe at Alissa.noe@colorado.edu.
