Buffs send 5 track and fielders to National Championships

BOULDER – CU Seniors Emma Coburn and Aric Van Halen will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Joe Morris will race in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes. The Buffs will also be sending a pair of athletes to compete in the field events; junior Emily Hunsucker in the hammer throw and sophomore Mark Jones in the high jump.

This will be Coburn’s fourth trip to the outdoor championships in the steeplechase and she has been quite successful. In 2009, she finished 11^th, but the following year she was the runner-up. Finally in 2011, Coburn won her first NCAA individual steeplechase title. She redshirted the 2012 season, but is back and looking to finish her collegiate career strong. The 2013 Pac-12 Champion has the top time in the country and ranks ninth in the world (9:28.26).

Emma Coburn

Emily Hunsucker

Aric Van Halen

Joe Morris

Mark Jones

Van Halen is also no stranger to nationals. He finished 10^th at the 2012 championships to earn his first All-America honor. Earlier this season, Van Halen won his first individual Pac-12 title and he ran a season-best time of 8:38.23 at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, which was seventh overall.

The final three athletes will all be making their first appearances at NCAAs. Joe Morris is just the second Buff to compete in the 100 and 200 at nationals. The only other CU athlete to do the double was Devlon Dunn in 1988. Morris finished eighth at prelims in the 100 and was ninth in the 200. His season and personal bests are 10.27 (100) and 20.45 (200).

Hunsucker had a standout season, breaking a 15-year-old school record in the hammer throw. Not only did she break it, but she has continued to reset it several times since, most recently at the NCAA West Prelims on May 23 when she recorded a mark of 207-10. That throw placed her seventh in the west to advance to NCAAs.

Jones has also had a good season. He was the runner-up at the Pac-12 Championships with a jump of 7-2 ½, which also put him third all-time in CU history, just behind Bill Jankunis (7-4) and Jason Dudley (7-3). Jones has had two meets with jumps over 7-0 this season. He tied for 11^th at the west prelims to advance to NCAAs.

The entire meet will either be streamed live or televised. Wednesday will be streamed on the Pac-12 Network (pac-12.com/live/goducks). Thursday’s events will be available via ESPN3.com, and Friday and Saturday’s events will be televised on ESPNU in a window beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Prior to those times on Friday and Saturday the meet will be on ESPN3.com. Live results can be accessed on NCAA.com and flashresults.com.

CU press release

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