CU Club Sports Wraps Up Another Successful Season

BOULDER - Club sports present an opportunity for students at universities nationwide to continue their athletic careers while pursuing a college degree.

At the University of Colorado, club sports present a rare opportunity to become a national Champion.

CU currently fields 33 club sports teams, with over 1,400 athletes participating during the 2016-17 season. Buffs club teams and individuals captured several national championships this year, and many others enjoyed successful seasons.

CU's triathlon team captured its eighth consecutive overall team title at the USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championship. Colorado won its first women's team title since 2012, while the men placed second. Colorado also boasted some of the country's best individual performers, as Erica Hawley and Dan Feeney each took home their respective individual draft-legal titles and combined national championships, while Nick Noone was the Olympic distance champion. CU's Timmy Winslow, who finished fourth in the draft-legal competition, was also honored as USA Triathlon's 2016 Rookie of the Year.

Once again, CU freeskiing was among the best at the USCSA National Championships, with both the men's and women's clubs finishing among the top three. The CU women finished second in both the slope-style and rail-jam competition, enough to make them the national runners-up in combined scoring. The men's team also finished second in the rail-jam event and fourth in slope-style for a third-place finish in combined scoring.

The CU men's lacrosse club had another successful season as well, coming in at No. 5 in the MCLA postseason rankings after finishing with a 13-3 record. CU had a 2-0 record against rival Colorado State, including an 11-7 victory in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference semifinals, before falling to BYU in the final. Colorado was again among the field of 16 clubs in the MCLA Division 1 National Championships, but fell to California in a 12-11 overtime contest in the quarterfinals. CU midfielders Jake Gonzalez and Colin MacIlvennie were named first-team All-Americans, and five other CU players earned All-American recognition. CU's women's club lacrosse team also enjoyed a 10-5 season.

Colorado's hockey clubs continued to build on recent success, as the men's team earned the right to play in the 20-team ACHA Division 1 National Championships for the second consecutive season. Alex Temby, Matt Anders, Jake Bauer, and Ben Hull all represented CU as All-WCHL selections. The women's team finished the season as the WWCHL runner-up after posting an 18-8-1 record.

Both the men's and women's ultimate Frisbee clubs represented CU at nationals. The CU men's team, "Colorado Mamabird," battled to a 25-7 record and made its 20th consecutive appearance at nationals. Mamabird finished the season ranked 11th after being eliminated by eventual national champion Carleton College. "Colorado Kali," CU's women's ultimate team, compiled a 17-10 record and finished the season ranked eighth. After a subpar start to the season, Kali found its groove, going 10-0 en route to winning both the Rocky Mountain Conference and CU's third straight South Central Regional Championship. Kali fell to Texas in a heartbreaking national semifinal loss, but the ultimate Frisbee world took notice of CU's success: coaches Lauren Boyle and Clare Chastain were named VC-Ultimate's Co-Coaches of the year. UltiWorld.com praised Boyle and Chastain, "Together, they molded years of Colorado's potential into an elite squad that was only three points short of a final appearance."

Both the men's and women's water polo clubs also represented CU well. The men's team avenged its lone regular season loss to Utah, beating the Utes 9-8 in the conference final to capture CU's third consecutive Rocky Mountain Conference Championship. At the club national championships, Colorado battled to a 3-1 record behind all-tournament selections Jordan Wensley and Landon Carr, with CU's only loss coming to eventual national champion Lindenwood University. The CU men finished the season ranked fifth, the school's second best postseason ranking since 1997. The women's club finished the season third in the Rocky Mountain Conference.

CU's swimming and diving club had another strong showing at nationals, as the women took home their seventh consecutive national championship and the men placed fourth; enough for CU to finish third in combined scoring. The trio of Rebecca Jacobs, Natalie Brummet, and Maddie Whelan dominated the women's diving events, owning three of the top four spots in the 3-meter dive, and three of the top six in the 1-meter. On the men's side, Matt Jagiello won the 3-meter dive, and placed third in the 1-meter. The swim team impressed as well, particularly in long-distance events, where Gina Blum and Alaina Gossett shined. Blum placed first in the 400-yard individual medley, and third in both the 1,000-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke, while Gossett won the 200-yard backstroke and placed third in the 500-yard freestyle.

The cycling team had an outstanding 2016-17 season, representing Colorado well at every national competition. Emily Schaldach and Clare Hamilton led the way as CU rode to a dominant first-place finish in club team scoring at the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championship in October. CU's success continued at the Cyclocross National Championships, where Maxx Chance claimed the individual national title. Chance also represented the USA at the U-23 World Championships, where he raced to a top-40 finish. CU capped the 2016-17 season with another national championship, winning the overall team title at the Collegiate Road Nationals. The cycling club recently kicked off its summer short-track season, as well.

For those interested in learning more, most club teams are active on social media. For more information on how you can get involved with CU club sports, visit http://www.colorado.edu/recreation/club-sports.

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