Three Buffs Prep For Indoor Nationals

BOULDER - The University of Colorado is sending three athletes to the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships hosted by the University of Arkansas this Friday and Saturday, March 14-15 in Fayetteville, Ark. Junior Sara Vaughn will represent the women's team in the mile while freshman Matt Tebo and junior Bradley Harkrader will race in the 5,000-meter run for the Buffs.

All three are making their first trip to the indoor NCAA track meet. Vaughn advanced to the outdoor championship last year for the first time in the 1,500-meter run.

Vaughn kicks off the competition for the Buffs on Friday with the preliminaries of the mile at 7:05 p.m. (CST). The finals are set for 6:25 p.m. on Saturday. Vaughn ranks 10th out of 16 competitors in the race. She set the school record of 4:40.02 last Saturday, March 8, at the Alex Wilson Invite. Vaughn broke a six-year old record of 4:40.35, which had been set by former Buff great Sara (Gorton) Slattery.

Vaughn's mark not only passed Slattery's, but was just the second mark to better Mary Decker's time of 4:41.21, which was set over 30 years ago on Feb. 19, 1978 in Lincoln, Neb.

Tebo and Harkrader will be competing at 7:50 p.m. on Friday night. Tebo ran a time of 13:53.60 in his debut of the 5,000-meter run on March 8. It was the fastest debut in CU history and his time ranks third on the all-time freshman 5k list; he is second only to Dathan Ritzenhein. Tebo is the first true freshman since Ritzenhein to compete at indoor nationals for the Buffs in 2002.

Harkrader was just behind Tebo last Saturday; finishing in a time of 13:54.53. Tebo ranks ninth and Harkrader is 10th on the entry list.

All three Buffs are in the middle of the pack in their respective events.

"I would definitely like to come away from the meet feeling that they competed well and I don't necessarily think the stop watch is the best determinate of that," head coach Mark Wetmore said. "This track that we are going to is a slightly different format than the track they ran on to get here and so I think a finish position, who they beat, is a better determinate of how they perform.

"I think they would all like to be All-American, score points for the team and get as high on the podium as they can. I have the same aspirations for everybody."

2008 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship

Randal Tyson Track Center, Fayetteville, Ark.

Schedule

Friday, March 14

7:05 p.m. (CST): Women's Mile run prelims

7:50 p.m. (CST): Men's 5,000-meter run finals

Saturday, March 15

6:25 p.m. (CST): Women's Mile run finals

- Colorado -