Running
To advertise please call 303-447-8531
Emma Coburn Named A Semifinalist For USTFCCCA special honor
Jun 18th
NEW ORLEANS – Recent University of Colorado graduate Emma Coburn has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the prestigious USTFCCCA’s The Bowerman, which is given out annually to the top male and female collegiate track and field performers of the year.
Coburn won the 2013 NCAA 3,000-meter steeplechase title with the fifth-fastest time in NCAA history less than two weeks ago, crossing the finish in 9:35.38. Overall it was Coburn’s third individual championship. She won the steeplechase in 2011 before redshirting the 2012 season and during the indoor season she won CU’s first NCAA mile title. During her five years at CU, she has been an All-American on six different occasions.
The 2012 Olympian was also named the 2013 USTFCCCA Mountain Region Indoor and Outdoor Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, and for good reason as she ran the fastest mile, 1,500 and steeplechase times by an NCAA athlete in 2013.
The Bowerman takes into account an athlete’s complete season and Coburn got a great start to her final campaign. She was invited to compete in the indoor mile at the 106th Millrose Games (in a field full of professional athletes) and ran a PR of 4:29.86 to become the fifth fastest NCAA athlete ever in the mile. A few short weeks later, she ran another sub-4:30 mile to win CU’s first NCAA indoor mile title in 4:29.91 and also became the first American to run a pair of sub-4:30 miles in the same season.
During the outdoor season, Coburn continued to impress. She ran the then-fastest steeplechase time in the world at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invite (9:28.26) in Stanford, Calif. just two days after her 2013 1,500-meter debut (4:11.36) at the 104th Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. Coburn won her first Pac-12 title in the steeplechase in May (9:55.67).
Instead of taking a week off between outdoor conference and the NCAA West Preliminary Championship, she took to the track again in a field of professional athletes at the OXY High Performance meet in the 1,500 and cruised to a PR of 4:06.87 while becoming the fifth-best performer in NCAA history.
This past April, Coburn was named CU’s Co-Female Athlete of the Year for the third time, as well as winning CU’s Co-Female Career Athletic Achievement Award.
The 10 semifinalists will be cut down to three finalists, which will be announced July 10. Voting for the final winner, including an online fan vote, will take place from late July to mid-August. The ultimate winner will be revealed at the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Convention in December.
ABOUT THE BOWERMAN
The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation. Southern Utah’s Cam Levins and LSU’s Kimberlyn Duncan are the reigning winners of The Bowerman, which is named for legendary Oregon track & field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman. Past winners include Olympic gold medalist and decathlon world-record holder Ashton Eaton (2010), 10,000-meter Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp (2009), and 2011 IAAF World Champion at 1500 meters, Jenny Simpson (2009). Bowerman served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. His leadership in the USTFCCCA’s predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole are among his many lasting legacies. For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the trophy and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org.
ABOUT THE USTFCCCA
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents over 8,000 coaching members encompassing 94% of all NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches’ interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.
Linda Sprouse
Assistant Sports Information Director
Volleyball/Cross Country/Track & Field
University of Colorado
[includeme src=”http://c1n.tv/boulder/media/bouldersponsors.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”670″ height=”300″]
CU’s Van Halen is 1st team All American
Jun 7th
EUGENE, Ore. – Aric Van Halen finished his track and field career at the University of Colorado by earning All-America First Team honors with an eighth-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday night at the NCAA Championships at Historic Hayward Field.
Van Halen, the 2013 Pac-12 Champion, finished in 8:44.50 to earn his best placing at nationals; his previous best finish was 10th in 2012 when he was named to the All-America Second Team.
The top three finishers went to the start from the gun and immediately pulled away from the rest of the field. The other nine racers ran together for the majority of the race and Van Halen was right near the front of that pack and led the group for four laps until just before the field entered the bell lap. It was right before that lap that he dropped down to around eighth which is where he would finish.
COBURN COMPETES FOR THE STEEPLE CHASE CHAMPIONSHIP at 3:57 MT on ESPNU
The top three competitors in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase finished very closely. UTEP’s Anthony Rotich won in 8:21.19 and Texas A&M’s Henry Lelei, the overall favorite, ended up second after taking a spill in the final water jump (8:23.16). Arkansas’ Staney Kebenei was third in 8:24.45. Curtis Carr (BYU) was the next to cross the finish in 8:40.87. The following four finishers were separated by less than 1.5 seconds. Dakota Peachee (High Point) was fifth in 8:43.04, Louisville’s Mattias Wolter was sixth (8:43.59) and Eastern Kentucky’s Ole Hesselbjerg was seventh (8:43.80). Van Halen beat out Wichita State’s Tomas Cotter for the eighth position by .60 seconds (8:45.10).
In the high jump, Mark Jones made his first attempt over the bar at 6-8.75, but missed all three tries at 6-10.75. He tied with two others for 21st overall as all three made it over 6-8.75 on their first attempt. He’s the first Buff since Jason Dudley in 1990 to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the high jump.
Emma Coburn will wrap up the championships on Saturday afternoon for the Buffs in the women’s steeplechase. She will be going for her second title in the event as she won the championship in 2011 before redshirting the 2012 season. Coburn’s final is at 2:57 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on ESPNU. Live stats will also be available at www.flashresults.com.
NCAA Outdoor Championships Schedule (CU Events Only)
Historic Hayward Field (Eugene, Ore.)
Track Events
Men’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase Finals: (1. Anthony Rotich, UTEP, 8:21.19) 8. Aric Van Halen, 8:44.50
Field Events
Men’s High Jump Finals: (1. Derrick Drouin, Indiana, 7-8) t21. Mark Jones, 6-8.75
– release by Colorado track & field –
[includeme src=”http://c1n.tv/boulder/media/bouldersponsors.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”670″ height=”300″]