Buffs Shine At Potts Indoor Invite

BOULDER - University of Colorado freshman Mark Jones tied the 12th best high jump mark in CU history after clearing a height of six feet, 11 inches on Saturday at the Potts Indoor Invitational.

Jones' debut was also good enough to make him the seventh best high jumper in Buffs' history.

"I'm extremely proud of Mark's performance today and I'm even more excited about what he will accomplish during his career at CU," assistant coach Lindsey Malone said. "This was a great start."

Jones was the only high jumper to attempt 6-11 and came very close to clearing the next height (7-1). CU head coach Mark Wetmore was very pleased with Jones' performance.

"I think what stands out today, and this weekend is new people," Wetmore said. "Among those new people, Mark's performance is probably the biggest standout of the meet. His jump is probably one of the best jumps this weekend in the nation."

The Buffs were very successful in the field events in the morning, winning three of the four throwing competitions. Sophomore Alex Kizirian won the men's weight throw and shot put. He recorded a throw of 57-06.25 in the weight throw and had a toss of 49-00.75 in the shot put; both were personal bests. Kizirian's weight throw mark ranks seventh on CU's all-time performers list.

"My marks were pretty good for my first meet of the season, but I'm not too happy with my weight performance compared to how I have done in practice," Kizirian said. "I threw further at the intra-squad meet earlier this year so I know I can do better."

Junior Emily Hunsucker led the CU women in the throws. She placed first in the weight throw, launching a toss of 55-01.00 and was second in the shot put (41-08.00).

"Both of my events were PR's, so that is really good," Hunsucker said. "I'm throwing a little better in practice, but that's pretty common. I'm hoping to put it together next weekend at Air Force."

Assistant coach Casey Malone was very happy with his group's showing at the meet.

"Alex did phenomenal today," Malone said. "He PR'd by quite a bit in both events and he's really amped up to do more in the upcoming meets this season. There is definitely more that he is capable of and I know he's excited about that.

"Emily has been working so hard and is so focused. To see her have the consistent performances she did today was great. She was very technically sound and is on the right track to doing great things this season."

On the track, freshman Eileen Gehring won the women's 60-meter dash, crossing the finish in 7.80 seconds. She advanced to the finals of the 60 after clocking the fastest time in the prelims at 7.90. Gehring's time of 7.80 is the fastest for a Buff since the 2009 season when Cassie Hirschfield clocked a time of 7.76 at the Air Force Invite on February 14. Her teammate, fellow freshman Bridget Sweeney, won the 200 in 25.97.

Sophomore Blake Reimer won the 400 for the Buffs, crossing the finish in 50.52 and Blake Berens took home the title in the 200, finishing in 23.07. In the men's 60, Shaw Gifford finished third overall with a time of 6.89, improving from his time of 6.95 that he ran during the prelims. The time of 6.89 made him the 13th fastest CU performer in the event.

There were other great performances by freshmen athletes at the meet, although they were competing unattached. Connor Winter won the mile run, finishing with a time of 4:18.35 and Catrina McAlister won the 3,000, crossing the finish in 10:18.56, almost 11 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

"There were a lot of interesting things this weekend," Wetmore said. "Several people had nice little steps this weekend. Newcomers and freshmen did very well which bodes well down the road."

The Buffs will be back in action next weekend with a pair of meets, the UW Invite in Seattle, Wash., Jan. 27-28, and the Air Force Don Barrett Duals on Jan. 28.

2012 POTTS INDOOR INVITE

Balch Fieldhouse (Boulder, Colo.)

(Complete results are available at CUBuffs.com)

Field Events - CU Athletes only

Women's Weight Throw: 1. Emily Hunsucker, 55-01.00; 4. Kirsten Wicks, 46-11.50; 5. Kellie Lind, 46-02.00; 6. Sophie Hallam-Eames, 44-11.50; 10. Kajsa Bank, 40-01.50

Men's Weight Throw: 1. Alex Kizirian, 57-06.25; 3. Cameron Hutchins, 52-10.75; 4. Brady Rutt, 52-00.00

Women's Shot Put: (1. Jenna Sliwinski, CSU, 45-09-.00) 2. Emily Hunsucker, 41-08.00; 3. Margaux Krahe, 39-03.00; 6. Kajsa Bank, 35-03.25; 8. Kirsten Wicks, 33-08.75

Men's Shot Put: 1. Alex Kizirian, 49-00.75; 3. Brady Rutt, 46-04.75

Women's Long Jump: (1. Toni Smith, Unnattached, 19-06.75)

Men's Long Jump: (1. TJ Frison, UCCS, 20-10.75); no CU athletes

Women's High Jump: (1. Sabrina Jones, 5-05.00); no CU athletes

Men's High Jump: 1. Mark Jones, 6-11.00; 4. Jake Timmons, 6-03.25

Women's Triple Jump: (1. Toni Smith, Unattached, 43-02.50) no CU athletes

Men's Triple Jump: (1. Kyle Baker, CSU, 43-08.50)

Track Events - CU Athletes only

Men's 60 Meter Dash (Prelims): (1. Thal Woods, unattached, 6.95); 4. Shaw Gifford, 6.95; 8. Blake Berens, 7.11; 9. Matt Butcher, 7.14

Men's 60 Meter Dash (Finals): (1. Michael Liggins, unattached, 6.86); 3. Shaw Gifford, 6.89; 8. Blake Berens, 7.10

Women's 60 Meter Dash (Prelims): 1. Eileen Gehring, 7.90; 4. Kara Hyde, 8.28

Women's 60-Meter Dash (Finals): 1. Eileen Gehring, 7.80; 6. Kara Hyde, 8.43

Men's Mile Run: (1.Connor Winter, Unnattached, 4:18.35); 4. Hugh Dowdy, 4:22.92; 7. Ryan Savercool, 4:28.63; 8. Garrett Ward, 4:32.52, 9. Killon Shije, 4:32.99; 10. Jerome Perkins, 4:35.841

Women's Mile Run: (1. Kaile Kat Robinson, CSU, 5:47.37)

Men's 60 Meter Hurdles: (1. Robert Wasinger, CSU, 8.36); 2. Kyle MacIntosh, 8.39

Women's 60 Meter Hurdles: (1. Janay DeLoach, Nike, 8.25); 3. Kara Hyde, 9.13

Men's 400 Meter Dash:  1. Blake Reimer, 50.52

Women's 400 Meter Dash: (1. Kristen Rinedollar, CSM, 59.42); 2. Lindsey Hubbard, 1:02.08

Men's 600 Yard Run: (1. Matt McCathran, unattached, 1:13.47); 2. Steve Kasica, 1:14.41; 4. Tyler Baker, 1:16.37

Women's 600 Yard Run: (1. Meghan Finney, CSU, 1:31.60); no CU athletes

Men's 800 Meter Run: (1. Peter Jenkins, CSM, 1:56.99); no CU athletes

Women's 800 Meter Run: (1. Briana Suppes, Mines, 2:23.96); no CU athletes

Men's 200 Meter Dash: 1. Blake Berens, 23.07; 3. Matt Butcher, 23.24

Women's 200 Meter Dash: 1. Bridget Sweeny, 25.97; 2. Lindsy Mattson, 26.50; 3. Emily Elliott, 27.23

Men's 3000 Meter Run: (1. Christian Thompson, unattached, 8:37.77); no CU athletes

Women's 3000 Meter Run: (1. Catrina McAlister, unattached, 10:18.56); 2. Courtney Bouchet, 10:29.54; 3. Diana George, 10:55.89; 5. Becky Popiel, 12:02.17

Men's 4x400 Relay: (1. CSM B, 3:36.14)