Five More Buffs Advance to NCAAs

Saturday, May 27

Austin, Texas

12:00 PM

Colorado

NCAA West Regionals

Both Dani Jones and Ben Saarel advanced to the 2017 NCAA Championships Saturday in the 1,500 Meters.

May 27, 2017 | Track and Field

Results

By: Maggie Still, Assistant SID

AUSTIN, Texas – On the final day of the NCAA West Preliminary Round, University of Colorado runners Dani Jones (1,500), Ben Saarel (1,500), Joe Klecker (5,000), John Dressel (5,000) and Zachary Perrin (5,000) punched their tickets to compete for the Buffs at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

WHAT HAPPENED
WHO IS HEADING TO EUGENE

Madie Boreman – Steeplechase
Erin Clark - 10,000 Meters, 5,000 Meters
Sage Hurta – Steeplechase
Dani Jones – 1,500 Meters
Makena Morley – 10,000 Meters
John Dressel – 5,000 Meters
Joe Klecker – 5,000 Meters
Zachary Perrin – 5,000 Meters
Ben Saarel – 1,500 Meters

Colorado now has a total of nine athletes who will compete at Nationals, June 7-10, in Eugene, Ore. Saturday's qualifiers join Erin Clark (10,000 meters), freshman Madison Boreman (3,000-meter steeplechase), Sage Hurta (3,000-meter steeplechase) and Makena Moreley (10,000 meters), who qualified for NCAA's earlier this week.

Dani Jones added her name to the list by placing second in the second heat of the 1,500 meter run. She clocked a time of 4:18.55 to also finish second overall behind Nikki Hiltz of Arkansas. Ben Saarel also advanced to nationals in the 1,500 meters. He finished second in the second heat with a time of 3:47.83. Saarel ran a smart and strong race pushing his way into first and held on to it until the last 50 meters where Thompson of Oklahoma State just barley crossed the finish line ahead of Saarel (3:47.38).

Erin Clark, who already qualified in the 10,000 meters added the 5,000 meters Saturday finishing fourth in her heat to automatically qualify with a time of 16:43.97. Clark finished 11th overall. Teammate Makena Morely crossed the finish line in 16:47.92 to finish ninth in the second section and will not advance in the event.

On the men's side, all Colorado athletes advanced to NCAAs in the event. Both sophomores in the first heat advanced as they finished in the top-five of a very strong section. Joe Klecker crossed third with a time of 14:14.75 to automatically advance. John Dressel finished right behind Klecker clocking a 14:15.23 to place fourth in the heat and advance. The duo ran very strong races in a very fast heat, holding steady in the middle until they moved into the top-six and that pack broke off from the rest of the group. They held strong making sure to finish in the top-five as they sprinted through to the finish line to earn personal best times. In the second heat, Zachary Perrin ran a smart race holding in the middle of the pack until the last 200 meters where he fired out a strong kick to finish second in his heat with a time of 14:33.84 to automatically advance.

In the 110 meter hurdles, Jaron Thomas recorded a time of 14.04 to place fifth in the second section. Overall his time was unfortunately 15^th and he did not advance.

UP NEXT
The nine Buffs who qualified will head to Eugene Oregon for the 2017 NCAA Championships on June, 7-10.

QUOTABLE (Head Coach Mark Wetmore)
"Long, hot three days, but for the most part we had very good results. Started the day with Dani and Ben in the 1,500. Both ran masterfully, very intelligent and actually aggressive. Good results, both getting through. Jaron missed just by a little bit, hot windy conditions. But he had a great year and a great career for us and we are sorry to have to go forward without him."

"Ending the day with the two 5,000 meters. Erin Clark, although she already had a spot with the 10,000 meters but wanted to come back for the 5k. She actually took someone else's spot when she declared to run, so she did the honorable thing and came back, ran hard and ended up earning another spot so she will run twice in Eugene, her home town. Makena Morely followed her, ninth in her heat. She did not make it but of course she is in the 10,000 from two nights ago. She already had a great weekend."

"Then we ended with the 5,000s with the men. John and Joe in the first and Zach in the second, all three advancing. In the end, just about everything we could have reasonably hoped for, maybe Nick and Jaron could have had a little better luck and gotten through. But this is certainly our best western preliminary round ever, definitely in these conditions. Today, it was 96. Proud of everybody!"

2017 NCAA WEST PRELIMINARY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Mike A. Myers Stadium (University of Texas)
Austin, Texas

Track Events
Women 1,500 Meters: (1. Nikki Hiltz, Arkansas, 4:18.39) 2. Dani Jones, 4:18.55
Men 1,500 Meters: (1. Joshua Thompson, Oklahoma State, 3:47.38) 2. Ben Saarel, 3:47.83
Men 110 Hurdles: (1. Aaron Mallett, Iowa, 13.36) 15. Jaron Thomas, 14.04
Women 5,000 Meters: (1. Karissa Schweizer, Missouri, 16:24.07) 11. Erin Clark, 16:43.97; 16. Makena Morley, 16:47.92
Men 5,000 Meters: (1. Grant Fisher, Stanford, 14:12.79) 3. Joe Klecker, 14:14.75; 4. John Dressel, 14:15.23; 11. Zach Perrin, 14:33.84