Oregon will be getting a good taste of Colorado this week.
12 athletes from three Colorado Division I schools are up in the Pacific Northwest competing in the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Nationals that commence Wednesday on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene.
A state-high seven Colorado Buffaloes are making the trip to Eugene. They will be joined by three athletes from the Air Force Academy, including Zach Perkins who finished as the runner-up in the 1,500 meter event in 2013. Colorado State’s Mountain West Women’s Track and Field Coach of the Year Brian Bedard will be taking two of his throwers, Kiah Hicks and Aaliyah Pete, to Hayward Field in hope of adding another trophy to an already record year.
MEET NOTES: Hicks, Pete take national stage in throws; #CSURams begin competition Thursdayhttp://t.co/NIL0tsWCKn pic.twitter.com/tJwuhU6nKy
— Colorado State T&F/XC (@CSUTrackFieldXC) June 9, 2015
Hicks and Pete both flourished under Bedard this year. Pete will throw in the shot put on Thursday, hoping to improve on her 17th place finish last year. Hicks will be competing in the hammer throw on Thursday and in the discus on Saturday. The three-time All-American has a good chance to do well in the discus, where she set a record last month in the Mountain West championship with a throw of 196 feet, 7 inches.
Dylan Bell, Hannah Everson, and Perkins are the three Air Force Falcons looking to take home a top finish in the nationals. Bell, a junior, will participate in the pole-vault on Wednesday. Everson, the Academy women’s record holder for time in the 10,000 meter run, will be running in the same event on Thursday, hoping to replicate her success. Perkins will be running in the 1,500 meter Men’s Semifinals on Wednesday in attempt to go through to the finals on Friday.
Zach Perkins advanced to the national semifinals of the 1500-meter run for the second time in three years! pic.twitter.com/s8Qs86LXAz
— Air Force Track & Field/XC (@AF_TFXC) May 31, 2015
CU-Boulder’s heptathlon-runner Abrianna Torres will be joined by Erin Clark (Women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase), Pierce Murphy (Men’s 10,000 meters), Connor Winter (Men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase), Sara Sutherland (Women’s 1,500 meters), Ben Saarel (Men’s 1,500 meters), and Morgan Pearson (Men’s 5,000 meters).
The #NCAATF Championships start today and 7 Buffs will be competing during the next 4 days. Check it out! http://t.co/nEOZb6fwHj #gobuffs
— Colorado Buffaloes (@CUBuffs) June 10, 2015
CU has one of the strongest fields in the tournament and has a good chance to win multiple titles this week as steeplechaser Connor Winter and 5,000 meter runner Morgan Pearson both enjoyed stellar seasons and successful regional tournaments.
All four days of the NCAA Track and Field National Championships will be broadcasted across the ESPN series of networks. Event dates and start times, along with other information about the week of competitions, can be found online at ncca.com.
Jordan Gillmore, an intern at Mile High Sports and a student at CU-Boulder, contributed to this report