For the second time in three seasons, the Colorado Buffs upset favored Wisconsin on Monday to win their third men’s NCAA cross country title.
The CU men were ranked second behind the Badgers going into the meet, hosted by Indiana State at Terre Haute. The CU women finished second behind defending champion Stanford.
“I’m as happy with the women finishing second as I am with the men winning the title,” coach Mark Wetmore said. “The women came in ranked sixth. They are a very young team with four freshmen. For them to manage the madness of this event and stay calm and execute their race plan may be lucky, but is a testament to their hard work.”
Two years ago the CU men were ranked fourth going into the meet. That year the CU women also were upset winners, having been ranked third going into the meet.
CU sophomore Jenny Barringer of Oviedo, Fla., finished second Monday on a sloppy course behind Texas Tech sophomore Sally Kipyego, a native of Kenya. CU junior Liza Pasciuto of Murrieta, Calif., was 16th.
Redshirt junior Brent Vaughn, a Smoky Hill High School product, led the CU men in 12th place. CU junior Stephen Pifer of Edwardsville, Ill., was 20th. Josh Rohatinsky of BYU won the men’s race. Wisconsin standout Chris Solinsky struggled and finished 73rd.
“We don’t talk a lot about expectations, it’s aspirations for us,” Wetmore said. “We equaled our aspirations today.”
Six of the seven CU women in Monday’s meet will be back next season.
“I dug as deep today as I ever have in my life,” Barringer said. “I wasn’t really sure I was going to catch second.”
