Von Hagen and Hartman are Named CU Athletes of the Week
BOULDER-Skier Katie Hartman (junior) and track athlete Alex Von Hagen (junior) earned CU Athlete of the Week honors for the week of February 1-7. This is the second time Von Hagen has been awarded this honor this year, and the third of his career, while Hartman garners this award for the first time in her career.
Hartman, a native of Breckenridge, Colo. (Summit), won her second career race at the New Mexico Invitational, taking medalist honors in the giant slalom, winning the race by over a second and had a rare top time in both runs down the mountain. She was 1.36 seconds ahead of a second place and to put that in perspective, that was a bigger time difference than the second through fifth place finishers combined (1.21 seconds between those four skiers). Hartman also took eighth in the slalom the next day in a time of 1:45.04.
Von Hagen, a Broomfield, Colo. (Legacy) native, led the Buffs at the New Mexico Classic with a fifth-place finish in the heptathlon. He recorded 5,042 points in the heptathlon and his score was the third best ever in CU's history. Von Hagen edged out teammate Adam Salzmann (4,877) for the best finish on the team as Salzmann finished in seventh-place.
Others nominated for this week's award were: Alec Burks (men's basketball), Matt Gelso (men's skiing), Kevin Kring (men's golf), Brianne Beemer (women's track) and Camila Belassi (tennis).
Men's Basketball: Alec Burks, Freshman, Grandview, Mo.
Burks scored 27 points and grabbed six rebounds in his lone of game of the week in Colorado's 86-66 home loss to Missouri last Saturday. Burks, who did not play in the Buffaloes home loss to top-ranked Kansas with a left knee sprain suffered earlier in the week, returned to the starting line-up against the Tigers. Burks made 9-of-19 shots from the field, including a season-best two three-pointers and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Burks also collected one assist and one steal in 32 minutes played and led CU in scoring for the 10th time this season.
Men's Skiing: Matt Gelso, Senior, Truckee, Calif.
Gelso had a pair of top six performances at the New Mexico Invitational as the Buffs placed second in both races and second as a team in the meet. Gelso took fifth place in the 10-k freestyle race in a time of 26:27.0, after taking sixth the day before in the 10-k classic race in a time of 29:20.2.
Men's Golf: Kevin Kring, Sophomore, Springfield, Mo.
Kring led the Buffaloes wire-to-wire in the first tournament of the spring at the Amer Ari Mauna Lani Invitational in Hawai'i. The Buffs finished 15th in the tournament that featured 13 teams ranked in the top 29 in the country. Kring fired a 1-under 71 in the first round, an 8-over 79 in the second and an even-par third round and his 222 score was good for 40th. Kring was in sixth after the first day when he was one of just six golfers to record a subpar round.
Women's Track: Brianne Beemer, Sophomore, Loveland, Colo.
Beemer led the Buffaloes' combined events program to a great night as she finished seventh overall in the pentathlon with a personal record of 3,625 points at the New Mexico Classic. She surpassed her previous PR of 3,444 by almost 200 points. Her mark ranks fifth overall in the conference and is the 10th best in CU history since 1985. It's the best score for a Buff since 1993 when Pam Owens recorded 4,046 points at the Big Eight Indoor Championship, which is also the school record. Beemer's score is just 100 points shy of the NCAA provisional mark (3,725).
Tennis: Camila Belassi, Senior, Paysand+¦ , Uruguay
Belassi won a pair of singles matches, including a doubles match that upset the No. 18 duo in the country, helping the Colorado tennis team to a 1-1 week. She teamed with Melisa Esposito at No. 1 doubles to upset BYU's Jones/Price, 8-4 on Saturday afternoon. Even though the Buffs did not win the doubles point, they rallied with four singles point victories, led by Belassi's 6-3, 6-1 win over Chie Hayasaka at the No. 3 slot. CU defeated BYU, 4-3 for the first time ever in 22 matches. Belassi would win another singles match at No. 3 the following day, her third straight, defeating Boise State's Bianca Jochimsen, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5. CU would fall in the overall team score, 5-2 to the Broncos. The pair of singles tallies and her doubles win give Belassi 64 career singles and 56 doubles triumphs.