Buffs Set for CU Open

BOULDER - The University of Colorado track and field team is prepped for the Colorado Open this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 2-4, in the Sklar Family Track at CU's Indoor Practice Facility.

The University of Colorado will compete against several Front Range schools. Colorado State, UC-Colorado Springs, Northern Colorado, Colorado Mines, Metro State and Wyoming will all send competitors with CU, but there will be several other athletes competing unattached or as a member of a club.

LIVE STATS
Fans unable to attend the CU Open can access live results at CUBuffs.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For live updates during the meet, follow @cubuffstrack.

THE SCHEDULE
The first event of the meet is the women's pentathlon 60 meter hurdles on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. (MT) The men's heptathlon will start with the 60 meters directly after the women's hurdles. The women will wrap up the pentathlon with the 800 meters.

Friday's events will begin at 10:30 a.m. (MT) with the men's heptathlon 60 meter hurdles and continue with the pole vault and the 1,000 meters to close out the men's heptathlon events. The women's finals long jump will also begin at 10:30 a.m., with the men to follow.

The first field event on Saturday men's shot put and on the track the 5,000 meters will start at 11:00 a.m. (MT).

NEW DIGS
In early February 2016, the track and field team got a new home, the Indoor Practice Facility. The IPF is a brand-new, state of the art facility that houses a 300-meter track so the team can practice year round.

LAST TIME OUT
The University of Colorado Track and Field team was paced by the women on the final day of competition at the Air Force Invitational here Saturday January 21st, by capturing multiple top-5 finishes.

The women's 200-meter finals were loaded with Buffs, as junior Rajon O'Quinn took home the event title with a PR time of 24.25. This time moves her into her third overall in the CU women's all-time indoor best performers coming in behind Ana Holland (23.95). Alexandria Peters came in right behind O'Quinn clocking a 24.92 time to finish second. Tashay Brown rounded out the Colorado athletes in the event racing to a 24.96 time to place fourth.

In the women's high jump, O'Quinn continued her spectacular day by tying for third with a mark of 5-7/1.70.

Maja Wichart-Donzo captured the triple jump event title landing a 39-3.25/11.97 mark. Close behind her, coming in third was freshman Sarah Hopkins with a PR mark of 38-11.75/11.88. In the women's 60-meter hurdles, Eriana Henderson captured a second-place finish after moving up one spot from the prelims with a time of 8.85.

In the women's 60-meters semifinal Rajon O'Quinn raced a solid 7.61 to finish in second, her time is only .03 seconds off her PR. Junior Tashay Brown finished in 14th with a time of 7.86. Neither athlete competed in the finals race.

David Merkel recorded a PR in the finals of the 400-meters running a 49.55 to finish in fifth overall. Also on the men's side, Giancarlo Narvarte earned a PR in the high jump hitting a 6-6.75/2.00 to finish in fourth overall. Behind Narvarte in the high jump was teammate Dionne Taylor finishing in fifth with a mark of 6-4.75/1.95.

The Colorado women's relays comprised of Henderson, Scott, Peters and O'Quinn came out on top today as they took first place in the mile relay with a time of 3:49.72. This is the fastest Colorado women's indoor mile relay since 2010 where J. Windham, Dreher, Beemer and E. Tremblay clocked a 3:49.49 at USAFA.

NEXT UP:
The Buffs will hit the road for two separate locations. The long distant runners and throwers will compete at the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., while the sprinters and jumpers will head to Fayetteville, Ark. for the Tyson Invitational.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tashay Brown

Eriana Henderson

Ana Holland

Sarah Hopkins

David Merkel

Giancarlo Narvarte

Rajon O'Quinn

Alexandria Peters