Friday, October 26
Stanford, CA
12:00 PM
University of Colorado
vs
Pac-12 Cross Country Championships
Senior Dani Jones won her second straight Pac-12 cross country title on Friday
Photo by: John Lozano
Jones Wins Second Straight Individual Pac-12 XC Title
October 26, 2018 | Cross Country
STANFORD, Calif. — For the second straight season, University of Colorado senior Dani Jones is the women's individual Pac-12 Conference Cross Country Champion, as she won her title here today at Stanford Golf Course.
The CU women recorded a runner-up finish at the meet, while the men's team placed third overall.
PAC-12 CHAMPION: Jones, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., won her second title in as many years on Friday afternoon to become the first Buff since Molly Austin (2001 and '02) to win back-to-back individual conference titles. She won the 6-kilometer race in 19 minutes, 24.5 seconds, just over one second in front of the runner-up, Jessica Hull (Oregon), who crossed the finish in 19:25.1.
"It's extremely special [to win the championship]," Jones said. "I'm a senior and this is my last go-around, so it meant a lot, particularly with this group of women who have been amazing all season."
Just like the final stretch last season, Jones was racing shoulder to shoulder with her competition, but was able to pull away at the end for the win.
"It looked a lot like it did a year ago," head coach Mark Wetmore said. "It was a big pack wedeling down kilometer by kilometer. There were some real good kickers there with 200-300 to go. Elise Cranny is a wonderful 1,500/800-meter runner and Jessica Hull is the defending NCAA 1,500-meter champion. So it was a formidable trio, but Dani was both strong and fast and was in control the whole way. I think she might have even had a gear left."
During the final kick, Jones was aware that Hull was right on her tail, but she was able to maintain her composure and earn the impressive title.
"I knew she was there," Jones said. "She's a great 1,500 meter runner, really talented; so I kept telling myself to stay relaxed and focus on my arms and form."
THE WOMEN'S RACE: As a team, the top-ranked Buffs finished second overall to No. 4 Oregon, which defeated CU 32-48. The Buffs placed three in the top 10, but Oregon had four runners in the top 10, which gave the Ducks a solid edge. CU defeated No. 6 Stanford, 48-81.
"Congratulations to Oregon," Wetmore said. "They had a good race. They are making steps race by race and they are a better team today than they were two weeks ago; we were a worse team than we were four weeks ago. So we have to go back to the drawing board to see what is missing and try to regather the momentum in three weeks."
Senior Makena Morley earned her best Pac-12 career finish, crossing the line seventh (19:52.1). Prior to today's performance, her best finish was ninth (2016). Morley, like Jones, ran most of the race right with the lead pack and was never below seventh at the splits.
Another Buff who finished in the top 10 was junior Tabor Scholl, who clocked in at 19:56.5 to take ninth overall, which was her best finish to-date at the conference meet.
"Tabor had a wonderful day," Wetmore said. "She keeps making little steps season by season. One might look at the runners behind her and say 'there's a lot of big high school stars behind her.' It was a wonderful day for her today."
Also scoring for the Buffs at the meet were seniors Val Constien and Tayler Tuttle. Constien finished the race in 20:12.7 to place 15th, while Tuttle was 16th overall as she clocked in at 20:14.5.
CU junior Sage Hurta had an unusual off-day, finishing 28th overall. She started off strong, running with the lead pack and was in the top-10 midway through, but sometime between the 5k split and the end, she dropped from 11th to 28th.
"Sage had an off-day," said Wetmore. "I don't know what was wrong. She has been a very solid runner for us all year long. As some might say, it was a bad day to have a bad day. But, she will rise up and will be back again. We need her in three weeks [for the NCAA Championships]."
Colorado's other racers at the meet included Holly Bent (22nd), Brianna Schwartz (38th) and Baylee Jones (42nd).
THE MEN'S RACE: The eighth-ranked Buffaloes finished right where they were expected to on the form chart behind No. 4 Stanford and No. 7 Washington. Stanford ran an impressive race on their home course, placing three in the top five, and recorded a score of 44. UW was second with 62 points and the Buffs recorded a score of 82 for third. No. 11 Oregon was fourth with 93 points.
The Buffs also ran a solid race, though the pace was very slow through the first portion. Junior Joe Klecker, who was the runner-up in 2017, finished fifth overall in 23:11.8 to lead the Buffs. He saw steady improvement throughout the race, working his way up every 2k loop. He was 20th after the first 2k and was then 10th at the midway point. By the time he went through the third loop, he was up to sixth and worked his way up one more spot at the finish.
John Dressel, another junior, was racing in his first conference meet since 2016. He placed eighth and crossed the line in 23:12.4, edging out Washington State's Tanner Anderson, who came in just after him at ninth. Dressel also saw improvement during the race as he was 23rd at the 2k split and then ninth at the 4k mark. He hung on for his spot in the top-10, which gave him his third top-10 finish at Pac-12s. He was sixth at the championship in both 2015 and '16.
CU's other top-10 harrier was senior Ryan Forsyth, who placed 10th in 23:14.7. He led CU for much of the race and was third after the 4k and 6k splits. Unfortunately he fell back a little in the end, but was able to secure a decent finish for CU.
The Buffs' fourth finisher was sophomore Eduardo "Lalo" Herrera, who clocked in 18th (23:29.7). Rounding out CU's score was redshirt freshman Gus Newcomb, who placed 44th (24:22.2).
"We didn't want to be third; we didn't aspire to be third," Wetmore said. "While some of the men had good races, some of the important people did not. We lost a lot of points back after about 20th in the race. I'm happy with Gus Newcomb who was running in his first Pac-12. He rose up to be our fifth man. He is going to be a good future guy for us. John, Ryan and Joe did well. Lalo did pretty well, but I think he's a little higher than 18th on a good day, but we make no excuses.
"So, it was a good day for Gus and a pretty good day for the other guys. There were a couple of disappointing days for some of the other elders, but we will be good again next year."
Colorado's other racers at the meet included Ethan Gonzales (47th), Paxton Smith (59th) and Justine Ramos (71st). Stanford's Grant Fisher won his second consecutive title in 23:09.8, just beating out Washington's Talon Hull (23:10.2).
PAC-12 NOTES: Since joining the Pac-12 Conference, CU has won at least one team or one individual title in the last eight years, although this is the first year the Buffs have not won a team title. CU has won 10 of 16 team cross country team championships since 2011.
UP NEXT: The postseason will continue for the Buffs at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships, November 9, in Provo, Utah. The women will continue to race a 6k, while the men move up to a 10k run.
RESULTS:
2018 PAC-12 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif.)
Women's 6k Team Results:
1. Oregon 32; 2. Colorado 48; 3. Stanford 81; 4. Washington 123; 5. UCLA 158; 6. Oregon State 173; 7. Utah 191; 8. Washington State 249; 9. Arizona State 250; 10. Arizona 251; 11. California 277; 12. USC 376.
Women's 6k Individual Results (top 10):
1. Dani Jones, CU, 19:24.5; 2. Jessica Hull, Oregon, 19:25.1; 3. Elise Cranny, Stanford, 19:29.6; 4. Weronika Pyzik, Oregon, 19:35.70; 5. Fiona O'Keeffe, Stanford, 19:43.2; 6. Susan Ejore, Oregon, 19:48.32; 7. Makena Morley, CU, 19:52.1; 8. Carmela Cardama Baez, Oregon, 19:52.6; 9. Tabor Scholl, CU, 19:56.44; 10. Addi Zerrenner, Arizona, 19:59.0.
Other CU Finishers:
15. Val Constien, 20:12.7; 16. Tayler Tuttle, 20:14.5; 22. Holly Bent, 22:33.9; 24. Mackenzie Caldwell, 20:38.2; 28. Sage Hurta, 20:44.0; 38. Brianna Schwartz, 21:01.0; 42. Baylee Jones, 21:08.9.
Men's 8k Team Results:
1. Stanford 44; 2. Washington 62; 3. Colorado 82; 4. Oregon 93; 5. Washington State 123; 6. UCLA 145; 7. California 196; 8. Arizona 213; 9. Arizona State 241.
Men's 8k Individual Results (top 10)
1. Grant Fisher, SU, 23:09.8; 2. Talon Hull, Washington, 23:10.2; 3. Alex Ostberg, Stanford, 23:10.8; 4. Alex Parsons, Stanford, 23:10.8; 5. Joe Klecker, CU, 23:11.8; 6. Cooper Teare, Oregon, 23:12.0; 7. Teigen Chandler, Washington State, 23:12.1; 8. John Dressel, CU, 23:12.4; 9. Tanner Anderson, Washington, 23:12.4; 10. Ryan Forsyth, CU, 23:14.7.
Other CU Finisher:
18. Eduardo Herrera, 23:29.7; 44. Gus Newcomb, 24:22.2; 47. Ethan Gonzales, 24:29.7; 59. Paxton Smith, 24:59.2; 71. Justice Ramos, 25:59.2
The CU women recorded a runner-up finish at the meet, while the men's team placed third overall.
PAC-12 CHAMPION: Jones, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., won her second title in as many years on Friday afternoon to become the first Buff since Molly Austin (2001 and '02) to win back-to-back individual conference titles. She won the 6-kilometer race in 19 minutes, 24.5 seconds, just over one second in front of the runner-up, Jessica Hull (Oregon), who crossed the finish in 19:25.1.
"It's extremely special [to win the championship]," Jones said. "I'm a senior and this is my last go-around, so it meant a lot, particularly with this group of women who have been amazing all season."
Just like the final stretch last season, Jones was racing shoulder to shoulder with her competition, but was able to pull away at the end for the win.
"It looked a lot like it did a year ago," head coach Mark Wetmore said. "It was a big pack wedeling down kilometer by kilometer. There were some real good kickers there with 200-300 to go. Elise Cranny is a wonderful 1,500/800-meter runner and Jessica Hull is the defending NCAA 1,500-meter champion. So it was a formidable trio, but Dani was both strong and fast and was in control the whole way. I think she might have even had a gear left."
During the final kick, Jones was aware that Hull was right on her tail, but she was able to maintain her composure and earn the impressive title.
"I knew she was there," Jones said. "She's a great 1,500 meter runner, really talented; so I kept telling myself to stay relaxed and focus on my arms and form."
THE WOMEN'S RACE: As a team, the top-ranked Buffs finished second overall to No. 4 Oregon, which defeated CU 32-48. The Buffs placed three in the top 10, but Oregon had four runners in the top 10, which gave the Ducks a solid edge. CU defeated No. 6 Stanford, 48-81.
"Congratulations to Oregon," Wetmore said. "They had a good race. They are making steps race by race and they are a better team today than they were two weeks ago; we were a worse team than we were four weeks ago. So we have to go back to the drawing board to see what is missing and try to regather the momentum in three weeks."
Senior Makena Morley earned her best Pac-12 career finish, crossing the line seventh (19:52.1). Prior to today's performance, her best finish was ninth (2016). Morley, like Jones, ran most of the race right with the lead pack and was never below seventh at the splits.
Another Buff who finished in the top 10 was junior Tabor Scholl, who clocked in at 19:56.5 to take ninth overall, which was her best finish to-date at the conference meet.
"Tabor had a wonderful day," Wetmore said. "She keeps making little steps season by season. One might look at the runners behind her and say 'there's a lot of big high school stars behind her.' It was a wonderful day for her today."
Also scoring for the Buffs at the meet were seniors Val Constien and Tayler Tuttle. Constien finished the race in 20:12.7 to place 15th, while Tuttle was 16th overall as she clocked in at 20:14.5.
CU junior Sage Hurta had an unusual off-day, finishing 28th overall. She started off strong, running with the lead pack and was in the top-10 midway through, but sometime between the 5k split and the end, she dropped from 11th to 28th.
"Sage had an off-day," said Wetmore. "I don't know what was wrong. She has been a very solid runner for us all year long. As some might say, it was a bad day to have a bad day. But, she will rise up and will be back again. We need her in three weeks [for the NCAA Championships]."
Colorado's other racers at the meet included Holly Bent (22nd), Brianna Schwartz (38th) and Baylee Jones (42nd).
THE MEN'S RACE: The eighth-ranked Buffaloes finished right where they were expected to on the form chart behind No. 4 Stanford and No. 7 Washington. Stanford ran an impressive race on their home course, placing three in the top five, and recorded a score of 44. UW was second with 62 points and the Buffs recorded a score of 82 for third. No. 11 Oregon was fourth with 93 points.
The Buffs also ran a solid race, though the pace was very slow through the first portion. Junior Joe Klecker, who was the runner-up in 2017, finished fifth overall in 23:11.8 to lead the Buffs. He saw steady improvement throughout the race, working his way up every 2k loop. He was 20th after the first 2k and was then 10th at the midway point. By the time he went through the third loop, he was up to sixth and worked his way up one more spot at the finish.
John Dressel, another junior, was racing in his first conference meet since 2016. He placed eighth and crossed the line in 23:12.4, edging out Washington State's Tanner Anderson, who came in just after him at ninth. Dressel also saw improvement during the race as he was 23rd at the 2k split and then ninth at the 4k mark. He hung on for his spot in the top-10, which gave him his third top-10 finish at Pac-12s. He was sixth at the championship in both 2015 and '16.
CU's other top-10 harrier was senior Ryan Forsyth, who placed 10th in 23:14.7. He led CU for much of the race and was third after the 4k and 6k splits. Unfortunately he fell back a little in the end, but was able to secure a decent finish for CU.
The Buffs' fourth finisher was sophomore Eduardo "Lalo" Herrera, who clocked in 18th (23:29.7). Rounding out CU's score was redshirt freshman Gus Newcomb, who placed 44th (24:22.2).
"We didn't want to be third; we didn't aspire to be third," Wetmore said. "While some of the men had good races, some of the important people did not. We lost a lot of points back after about 20th in the race. I'm happy with Gus Newcomb who was running in his first Pac-12. He rose up to be our fifth man. He is going to be a good future guy for us. John, Ryan and Joe did well. Lalo did pretty well, but I think he's a little higher than 18th on a good day, but we make no excuses.
"So, it was a good day for Gus and a pretty good day for the other guys. There were a couple of disappointing days for some of the other elders, but we will be good again next year."
Colorado's other racers at the meet included Ethan Gonzales (47th), Paxton Smith (59th) and Justine Ramos (71st). Stanford's Grant Fisher won his second consecutive title in 23:09.8, just beating out Washington's Talon Hull (23:10.2).
PAC-12 NOTES: Since joining the Pac-12 Conference, CU has won at least one team or one individual title in the last eight years, although this is the first year the Buffs have not won a team title. CU has won 10 of 16 team cross country team championships since 2011.
UP NEXT: The postseason will continue for the Buffs at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships, November 9, in Provo, Utah. The women will continue to race a 6k, while the men move up to a 10k run.
RESULTS:
2018 PAC-12 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif.)
Women's 6k Team Results:
1. Oregon 32; 2. Colorado 48; 3. Stanford 81; 4. Washington 123; 5. UCLA 158; 6. Oregon State 173; 7. Utah 191; 8. Washington State 249; 9. Arizona State 250; 10. Arizona 251; 11. California 277; 12. USC 376.
Women's 6k Individual Results (top 10):
1. Dani Jones, CU, 19:24.5; 2. Jessica Hull, Oregon, 19:25.1; 3. Elise Cranny, Stanford, 19:29.6; 4. Weronika Pyzik, Oregon, 19:35.70; 5. Fiona O'Keeffe, Stanford, 19:43.2; 6. Susan Ejore, Oregon, 19:48.32; 7. Makena Morley, CU, 19:52.1; 8. Carmela Cardama Baez, Oregon, 19:52.6; 9. Tabor Scholl, CU, 19:56.44; 10. Addi Zerrenner, Arizona, 19:59.0.
Other CU Finishers:
15. Val Constien, 20:12.7; 16. Tayler Tuttle, 20:14.5; 22. Holly Bent, 22:33.9; 24. Mackenzie Caldwell, 20:38.2; 28. Sage Hurta, 20:44.0; 38. Brianna Schwartz, 21:01.0; 42. Baylee Jones, 21:08.9.
Men's 8k Team Results:
1. Stanford 44; 2. Washington 62; 3. Colorado 82; 4. Oregon 93; 5. Washington State 123; 6. UCLA 145; 7. California 196; 8. Arizona 213; 9. Arizona State 241.
Men's 8k Individual Results (top 10)
1. Grant Fisher, SU, 23:09.8; 2. Talon Hull, Washington, 23:10.2; 3. Alex Ostberg, Stanford, 23:10.8; 4. Alex Parsons, Stanford, 23:10.8; 5. Joe Klecker, CU, 23:11.8; 6. Cooper Teare, Oregon, 23:12.0; 7. Teigen Chandler, Washington State, 23:12.1; 8. John Dressel, CU, 23:12.4; 9. Tanner Anderson, Washington, 23:12.4; 10. Ryan Forsyth, CU, 23:14.7.
Other CU Finisher:
18. Eduardo Herrera, 23:29.7; 44. Gus Newcomb, 24:22.2; 47. Ethan Gonzales, 24:29.7; 59. Paxton Smith, 24:59.2; 71. Justice Ramos, 25:59.2