Buffs Sweep 5k, Earn Best Finish at Pac-12 Championships

Sunday, May 14

Eugene, Ore.

1:45 PM

Colorado

Pac-12 Championships

Buffs Sweep 5k, Earn Best Finish at Pac-12 Championships

May 14, 2017 | Track and Field

Results

By: Maggie Still, Assistant SID

EUGENE, Ore. – The University of Colorado track and field team swept both the men's and women's 5,000 meters en-route to its best Pac-12 conference finish in school history here Sunday at the Pac-12 Championships.

TEAM SCORES
The women finished in third place with 78 total points to earn their highest finish in Pac-12 history. Last season, the Buffs earned a sixth-place finish, which was their previous best finish. On the men's side, the Buffs took fourth with 73 total team points. The men's previous top finish came in 2013 when CU finished in sixth overall.

WHAT HAPPENED
Dani Jones took home two conference titles to help push the women to their best conference finish in over 10 years. The Colorado women also swept all distance events including the 1,500 meters (Dani Jones), the Steeplechase (Madison Boreman), the 5,000 meters (Dani Jones) and the 10,000 meters (Erin Clark).

Jones won her first conference title on Sunday as she took the 1,500 meters title with a time of 4:22.09. Jones, just like her two national title races held steady throughout her race but in the last 100 meters put her lethal kick into action as she went from fourth to first in the last straight away. On the men's side, Joe Klecker placed eighth with a time of 3:56.48 while Ben Saarel finished in 3:56.98 to place 11^th overall.

Jones added a second conference title in the women's 5,000 meters as she crossed the finish line in 16:12.76. The Buffs have now won back-to-back titles in the event as Kaitlyn Benner won the title last season.

The Buffs went on to sweep the men's 5,000 meters. Zach Perrin won his first conference title in the event after clocking a 13:58.48 time. Perrin joins an elite group of CU track athletes to win a 5,000-meter title as Joe Bosshard was the last Buff to win a conference title in 2011. Coming in right behind Perrin was Joe Klecker who finished second with a time 14:01.17 while John Dressel rounded out the top three with a time of 14:01.69.

Colorado junior Nick Harris also won his first Pac-12 Conference title in the 800 meters as he took first with a time of 1:48.77. Harris is the first Buff since Mike Macinko won the 800 meters in 1989.

Jaron Thomas earned many points for the Buffs as he finished fourth in the 110 meter hurdles with a 14.07 time. Thomas added six points in the 400 meter hurdles as he placed third with a time of 51.62. Joining Thomas in the finals heat were Trenton Stringari who crossed the finish line in 51.90 to place fifth while Kodie Artner placed sixth with a time of 52.30.

UP NEXT: The postseason will continue for the Buffs with the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, May 25-27, in Austin Texas.

QUOTABLE (Head Coach Mark Wetmore)
"Very good day actually. At the end of the first I thought it was going to be hard to equal that, but I think we did and then some."

"Earlier in the day I thought the men were on the path to having a really bad weekend. We were in 10^th place a few hours ago. Nick Harris broke the dam with a great victory in the 800 meters. I am very proud of him. He kicked off a great couple of hours. Right after him the 400 meter hurdle men were on the line. Big points from them. Congrats to Burke's group. Suddenly we were back into the team standings race."

"It is really hard to double up with the 10k and the 5k, but Erin [Clark] did it. She knew we were battling for team points and came back today in the 5,000 meters and got us a point."

"Zach Perrin got us a couple points yesterday in the steeplechase in his debut year. But he came back today with a brilliant 5k race. Champion. Great close in the 200 meters. He proved he is a 5k runner."

"Jaron Thomas was the top-scorer for the men's team. Scoring in both the 110 hurdles and the 400 hurdles. He has made every final since he has been at CU. So, he has had a great career. Great kid, I am sad to see him go."

"The men were 10^th earlier in the day, we had a disappointing 1,500 meters for the men. We expected a good chunk of points from there and that didn't happen. That was an extremely tactical race, we made some mistakes and got out kicked. But both of those guys double backed in the 5,000 meters where we went 1,2,3 and 5. It was a real display of Colorado distance running."

"Dani Jones is high point for the women. Two titles. Winning the 5,000 a couple hours after winning the 1,500 meters. Another tactical race, brilliantly run by her. I think that was her 5k debut. Dani is really coming into her own and asserting herself as one of Colorado's distance runners."

"The women have done something I don't think has ever happened in the Pac-12. They won 1,500, 3,000 meter Steeplechase, 5,000 and the 10,000. The women swept the distance events. I have never seen it personally. A lot of really big points from the women distance events."
"Of course at the end of the day the most important thing is the team standings. We emphasize that and double people back like Erin, Jaron. The men finished in fourth. That is the highest they have ever finished in this conference. The women finished third which is also our highest ever team finish here. Both teams scoring higher than I had expected by almost 15-20 points. It was a team effort."

Pac-12 Championships May 14, 2017
Eugene, Oregon

Team Scores:
Women: (1. Oregon, 189) 2. USC, 135; 3. Colorado, 78; 4. Washington, 72; 5. UCLA, 63; 6. Arizona State, 58.5; 7. Stanford, 47; 8. Arizona, 46; 9. Washington State, 45; 9. Cal, 45; 11. Oregon State, 21.5; 12. Utah, 16
Men: (1. Oregon, 175) 2. USC, 115.5; 3. UCLA, 101; 4. Colorado, 73; 5. Cal, 72; 6. Washington State, 69.5; 7. Washington, 61; 8. Arizona State, 51; 9. Arizona, 50; 10. Stanford, 49

Track Events
Men 4x100 Relay: (1. Oregon, 39.17) 8. Colorado, 42.78
Men 1,500 Meters: (1. Grant Fisher, Stanford, 3:54.67) 8. Joe Klecker, 3:56.48; 8. Ben Saarel, 3:56.98
Women 1,500 Meters: (1. Dani Jones, 4:22.09)
Men 110 Hurdles: (1. Ashtyn Davis, Stanford, 13.50) 4. Jaron Thomas, 14.07
Men 800 Meters: (1. Nick Harris, 1:48.77)
Men 400 Hurdles: (1. Rai Benjamin, UCLA, 49.52) 3. Jaron Thomas, 51.62; 5. Trenton Stringari, 51.90; 6. Kodie Artner, 52.30
Women 400 Hurdles: (1. Sage Watson, Arizona, 55.01) 6. Eriana Henderson, 1:00.78
Men 5,000 Meters: (1. Zach Perrin, 13:58.48) 2. Joe Klecker, 14:01.17; 3. John Dressel, 14:01.69; 5. Ben Saarel, 14:04.27; 15. Christian Martin, 14:25.95; 17. Reilly Friedman, 14:38.39
Women 5,000 Meter: (1. Dani Jone, 16:12.76) 8. Erin Clark, 16:16.31; 15. Makena Morley, 16:32.70; 18. Annie Kelly, 16:41.83; 23. Melanie Nun, 17:00.42
Men 4x400 Relay: (1. USC, 3:07.65) 7. Colorado, 3:11.13
Women 4x400 Relay: (1. USC, 3:29.52) 5. Colorado, 3:41.38

Field Events
Men Discus: (1. Ryan Hunter-Simms, Oregon, 192-7/58.71) 9. Grayson Webber, 166-10/50.85
Women Hammer: (1. Maggie Ewen, Arizona State, 230-4/70.20) 8. Elisa Grandemange, 183-9/56.00
Women Triple: (1. Chaquinn Cook, Oregon, 44-1.5/13.45) 7. Maja Wichhart-Donzo, 39-7.25/12.07; 11. Sarah Hopkins, 37-9.5/11.52
Women High Jump: (1. Lisanne Hagens, Arizona, 5-10.5/1.79) 6. Rajon O'Quinn, 5-7.75/1.72; 13. Michaela Wenning, 5-5.75/1.6766/43.12
Women Discus: (1. Maggie Ewen, Arizona State, 196-2/59.81) 16. Elisa Grandemange, 141