Posts tagged Billy Nelson
How Fast Is CUs Saarel?
May 2nd
Saarel, of Park City, Utah, arrived in Boulder already in the passing lane.
An engineering physics major with an interest (bet on it not being mild) in chemistry, he earned a 4.0 GPA in his first semester. And that, said Wetmore, was because “you can’t get a 5.0 . . . he finishes practices, takes his shoes off and goes to the library.”
When the Buffs leave the state for meets, as some will do this weekend for competitions in Austin, Texas and Stanford, Calif., Wetmore says Saarel “studies on the bus to the airport, studies at the airport and studies on the airplane. He’s a willing worker when he gets to practice and will do anything we ask of him. If he’s ever tired he doesn’t show it. He’s intense in practice, intense about his school work. I’d like to find a way for him to get a 3.999 (GPA) and relax a little, gear it down a little more.”
Saarel didn’t start running until he was a high school freshman, and that came at the urging of his sister, Emma, now a runner at Swarthmore (Pa.) College. After starting in cross country, he branched out to track, and in a short time reached a comfort level in both.
After winning the Utah State Class 3A cross country championship in the second-fastest time (14:56.7) ever run on the course, he was named the 2012 Gatorade Utah Cross Country Runner of the Year. Other accomplishments that year included first place at the Foot Locker West Regional and a second-place finish at the Nike Cross Nationals Southwest Regional championship. In track as a senior, he also won Utah state titles, with record times in the 800 (1:51.13) and the 1,600 meters (4:07.95).
Like all else he attempts, Saarel is into it in a big, big way at CU. Last fall, in his first cross country season for the Buffs, his finishes earned All-Pac-12 First Team, All-Mountain Region and All-America honors. In his first race for the Buffs – the NCAA Pre-Nationals – he was CU’s No. 2 scorer with a ninth-place finish. In the NCAA Championships, he finished eighth as the Buffs won their fourth NCAA team title since 2001. He became CU’s first true freshman since Billy Nelson to earn All-America recognition. Nelson, who finished 42nd that year (2002), now is one of Wetmore’s assistants.
Saarel is among 14 CU student-athletes who will compete on Sunday in the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford, while a pair of CU sprinters will run at the Longhorn Invitational on Saturday in Austin. Saarel is scheduled to run in the 5,000 meters on Sunday night.
Source: CU Buffs
CU trackster headed to world championship
Jun 23rd
Kipp Earns Trip To Moscow
DES MOINES, Iowa – University of Colorado senior Shalaya Kipp recorded a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase finals at the USA Track & Field Championships to earn a spot on the U.S. roster of the IAAF World Championships in Moscow this August.
Kipp, who was third at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, finished the race with a season-best time of 9:46.83, coming in just under the IAAF World Championships ‘B’ Standard of 9:48.00 on Saturday. She will have until July 20 to record the ‘A’ standard (9:43.00) which is required to participate at the world championships.
The race was run under extremely hot and humid conditions with temperatures on the track over 100 degrees during the day. Kipp started the race fairly conservatively as she was in the back of the field, running about 10th for the first couple of laps, but slowly started to work her way up in the pack.
With two laps remaining, Kipp was in eighth-place and picked off three runners to move into fifth at the start of the bell lap. Kipp continued her strong surge and was in fourth-place with just over 200 meters left. As Kipp approached the final water jump, she was just about neck and neck with the then-third place runner Jamie Cheever. She propelled off of the barrier to gain the advantage and would never look back as Kipp continued to put distance between her and Cheever, who finished in 9:53.01.
Also on Saturday afternoon, former Buff Jeremy Dodson advanced to the semifinal round of the 200, clocking a 14th place overall finish in 20.40. Dodson finished third in his heat, so he advanced to the semis on time as the top two from each of the five heats automatically moved on.
The last day of the USATF Championships is Sunday. Billy Nelson and Aric Van Halen will be running in the steeplechase finals and Dodson will compete in the 200 semis. Jenny Simpson, who is the reigning IAAF 1,500-meter World Champion, has a bye in the 1,500 and will compete in the women’s 5,000. Laura Thweatt and Dathan Ritzenhein are also set to compete in the 5,000.
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CU tracksters Nelson & Van Halen Advance At USAs
Jun 22nd
DES MOINES, Iowa – Billy Nelson and Aric Van Halen each advanced to the 3,000-meter steeplechase finals at the USA Track & Field Championships on Friday afternoon.
Nelson finished second overall, crossing the finish in 8:37.87, and Van Halen placed 11th overall (8:46.63). The duo ran in separate heats and both were able to finish in the top five for an automatic bid to the finals.
Nelson, an assistant coach for the Buffs, ran a very good race. Halfway through it, he was in third, but the top seven were very close. With two laps remaining, Nelson moved up to second place and was about eight meters behind the leader at the moment (Cory Leslie). As the field came into the bell lap, Nelson had dropped back to third, but he was still positioned very well and moved back up to second. Craig Forys won the heat in 8:37.79.
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Van Halen, who graduated in May, also had a good race but took a different approach. He started in the back of the field and slowly worked his way up. After two complete laps, Van Halen was up to seventh and three laps later he had moved into fifth, but the pack was still very close. With one lap left, the top six had pulled away from the rest of the field and Van Halen was still in great position as he earned the fifth and final automatic spot in the heat. He was just .47 seconds from a second-place finish as Daniel Huling finished in 8:46.16. Donald Cowart crossed third in 8:46.18 and De’Sean Turner was fourth in 8:46.62. Evan Jager won the heat in 8:45.85.
The men’s steeplechase finals will be at 2:55 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
Assistant coach Casey Malone was close to making the U.S. team, but came up just short as he placed fourth in the discus. Malone recorded a toss of 199 feet, 11 inches on his third throw of the afternoon, which won the first flight. Heading into finals, Malone was third overall before James Plummer moved ahead of him with a throw of 200-3. Lance Brooks won with a mark of 204-4.
Action continues at the USATF Championships on Saturday for CU. Former Buff Jeremy Dodson will run in the first round of the 200-meter dash at 1:40 p.m. CU senior Shalaya Kipp will race in the finals of the steeplechase at 3:20 p.m. and it will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.
USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Drake Stadium (Des Moines, Iowa)
Track Events (Current and former CU Athletes)
Men’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase (first round): (1. Craig Forys, NY Athletic Club, 8:37.79) 2. Billy Nelson, 8:37.87; 11. Aric Van Halen, 8:46.63
Men’s Discus Throw (finals): (1. Lance Brooks, Nike, 204-4) 4. Casey Malone, 199-11
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