(CU Independent graphic/Adam Milner)
CU track and field athletes will compete this weekend at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The meet will mark the fourth year that Iowa State plays host, as the Buffs look to challenge defending champions Texas in the men’s division and Texas A&M in the women’s.
Colorado’s young team placed 12th in both the men’s and women’s divisions one year ago. But with another year of training under their belts, they said they hope for a stronger finish.
“We have a lot of things to be excited about,” CU head coach Mark Wetmore said. “There’s a lot of young people who are advancing.”
One improving athlete is distance running junior Christian Thompson.
As a sophomore, Thompson ran the 3000-meter race in the Big 12s, finishing 15th with a time of 8:18.60.
He also took on the challenge of running the 5000 this season, and has been a pleasant surprise to his coaches. It is an event in which he said he is hoping to qualify for the national championships.
“I run about 100 miles a week, and mentally I feel a lot more confident,” Thompson said. “I’d like to be in the top three in the 5k [and] score in the 3k.”
With his comfort level rising, Thompson has shown that he could be one of the athletes to watch this weekend.
CU’s best chance of reaching the podium might be sophomore Brianne Beemer.
After an impressive freshman season, Beemer is poised to improve from her 12th place finish in the pentathlon at last year’s Big 12 championships.
“Last year was a learning stage,” Beemer said. “This year, I am definitely stronger than I was last year, physically and mentally.”
In that competition, Beemer won the 800-meter race, with a time of 2:15.39. However, she finished 11th in the 60-meter hurdles, 13th in the high jump, 14th in the long jump and 12th in the shot put. Despite this she said she remains confident about her chances in those events this time around.
“I’m not too concerned about any of them, I just want to perform and hopefully reach the marks that I’m capable of,” Beemer said. “We practice every day, take mental notes and keep track of where we are at and visualize what we want to do.”
Regardless of her own performance, Beemer stresses that her team is of the utmost importance, and she will continue to be a supporter.
“I just want to be able to compete the best I can and bring my ‘A’ game…and also be able to help my teammates,” Beemer said. “It’s been really neat to be able to grow and become a leader of the team.”
Competition begins Friday at 10 a.m. at Lied Recreation Center in Ames, Iowa and concludes with finals on Saturday at 11 a.m..
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Gino Figlio at Gino.figlio@colorado.edu.
