University of Colorado athletes starred Sunday at the Big 12 Conference outdoor track and field championships hosted by Nebraska at Ed Weir Stadium in Lincoln.
The CU men’s team won a title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for a second consecutive year with Billy Nelson’s first-place finish in 8 minutes, 47.89 seconds. CU’s Brent Vaughn then won his third conference title, taking the 5,000-meter championship in 14:21.46.
In the women’s competition, Hannah Warfield-Ruffatto won CU’s first conference javelin title since 1987 with a throw of 161 feet, 1 inch. The Buffs’ Jenny Barringer won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:19.34.
Northern Colorado’s Andrew Kjellsen won the 400 meters with a time of 47.73 seconds at the Independent Track and Field Championships in Davis, Calif.
The Bears’ men finished fifth in the team standings and UNC’s women placed sixth. North Dakota won both team titles.
Knee injury puts Harrell’s status on hold
Colorado Crush coach Mike Dailey said the verdict still was out on the seriousness of the injury to star receiver Damian Harrell’s left knee.
Harrell was injured Friday night during Colorado’s 57-35 victory at Nashville that improved the Crush to 7-4 and kept the team solidly in the Arena Football League playoff picture.
“It looked very awkward when he went down,” Dailey said of Harrell being hit in the end zone. “I’m not making light of it, but according to the injury report today, it doesn’t appear to be as severe as we feared.”
Dailey said Harrell’s status for Friday’s 7 p.m. game against Columbus at the Pepsi Center remains indefinite.
Harrell, the AFL’s offensive player of the year the past two seasons, was injured on his second touchdown catch of the Nashville game and 31st of the season.CC’s lacrosse season stopped by Salisbury
The Colorado College women’s lacrosse team led early but No. 2-ranked Salisbury (Md.) eliminated the Tigers 20-11 in a Division III regional championship game.
Colorado College (11-6) has qualified for a regional final game in three of the past four seasons.
Area cyclists shine in college championships
Colorado State’s Phil Mann won the Division I men’s criterium and led the Rams to a fifth-place finish at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships in Lawrence, Kan.
Fort Lewis, powered by a second-place finish from Kristin McGrath in the D-I women’s criterium, finished third.
In Division II, Colorado College’s Jared Faciszewski won the men’s criterium and Mesa State’s Chris Stuart won the men’s omnium. Mesa State finished fourth in the D-II team standings.
Stanford won the D-I team title and Western Washington was the D-II champion.
