Nichols And Dressel Lead Buffs To Early Start

LOS ANGELES – The Colorado track and field women racked up 15 team points during the first day of competition at the 2021 Pac-12 Track and Field Championships here Friday, led by Abby Nichol's second place finish in the 10,000-meter run.
 
The senior transfer stamped her name in the CU record book in the first final on the track for the women as she ran 32:49.87 for 25 laps around the track for a second place finish. Her mark is fourth in CU history and would've ranked sixth in the NCAA before this conference weekend around the nation.
 
She was not alone as the Colorado women racked up all 15 team points in the final, the second-most points scored by a team in one event thus far. Emily Covert entered her name in the record book at eight in school history after running 33:17.82 for fourth overall. Her time would've marked 16th in the nation, securing her a spot in the NCAA West Preliminaries in two weeks. She could be joined by two other Buffs in two weeks as Elizabeth Constien ran 34:10.85 and picked up a pair of team points with a seventh place finish. Her mark is around top-50 in the nation while Kaitlyn Barthell will be close to the cut as her mark of 34:37.02 is around top-70 in the nation.
 
On the men's side, John Dressel entered his name in the CU outdoor record books for the first time after he ran 28:42.17 in the 10,000 to finish second. The senior was in position to take the title as he and Charles Hicks of Stanford hit the bell lap neck and neck, but Hicks dropped a 56-second final quarter to take the title. Dressel's time is good for a top-30 mark in the nation and is fifth in CU history. Transfer Ryan Robinson picked up a point for the men as well as he finished eighth in 29:22.40.
 
The CU women also secured a quarter of the spots in the final for the women's 1,500-meter run on Sunday with Rachel McArthur picking up the seventh qualifier spot in 4:19.30 while Madie Boreman ran 4:19.48 for a spot and Micaela Degenero ran 4:21.59 for a qualifying position.
 
Colorado also picked up a pair of finalists in both 400 hurdle events, securing at least three points for both genders. Eriana Henderson qualified with the fifth-best time on the women's side while Abbey Glynn qualified seventh in just her second-ever quarter-mile over hurdles for CU. Her mark of 59.10 is good for fifth in school history and is a top-60 time in the NCAA before this weekend.
 
On the men's side, Aaron McCoy qualified through to finals with a mark of 52.51 for the sixth spot, while Garrett Nelson was the final qualifier for Sunday's final at 52.65 seconds.
 
The other opportunity for Colorado to pick up points tomorrow began today with the women's heptathlon and men's decathlon. Avery McMullen and Jada Green are in scoring positions through the first four events of the heptathlon as McMullen is sixth with 3,293 points and Green is eighth with 3,159 points. Both women have arguably their strongest events left tomorrow, the long jump for McMullen and the javelin for Green.
 
On the men's side, Wyatt Rhoads, Davis Butte and Nick Bianco are all sitting just outside scoring positions through the first five events of the decathlon. Rhoads is in ninth with 3,496 points while Butte and Bianco sit in 12th and 13th. The men will look to pick up points in the throws and vault, especially for Butte and Bianco both of which have the ability to eclipse the 15-foot mark in the vault.
 
Tomorrow's action will see the prelims of the short hurdles, 800, 400, 100 and the finals of the steeplechase. Colorado will not have anyone in field events tomorrow. The men are sixth with nine points through three events scored while the women are tied for fourth.  
                    
RESULTS
Day One
Men's 1,500 Prelims: 1. Paul Ryan (WSU) 3:41.94Q; 18. Noah Hibbard (COLO) 3:52.66; 19. Shaw Powell (COLO) 3:52.78
Men's 400 Hurdles Prelims: 1. Cameron Samuel (USC) 49.72Q; 6. Aaron McCoy (COLO) 52.51Q; 8. Garrett Nelson (COLO) 52.65q; 12. Kellen Monestime (COLO) 53.38
Men's 10,000 Finals: 1. Charles Hicks (STAN) 28:39.46; 2. John Dressel (COLO) 28:42.17; 8. Ryan Robinson (COLO) 29:22.40; 9. Alec Hornecker (COLO) 29:27.86; 10. Austin Vancil (COLO) 29:40.08; 11. Ethan Powell (COLO) 29:40.75; 12. Paxton Smith (COLO) 29:46.89; 18. Hunter Appleton (COLO) 30:50.77
 
Men's Hammer Throw: 1. Nathan Bultman (USC) 73.12m (239-10); 11. Dominique Williams (COLO) 59.72m (195-11); 13. Tyler Sconce (COLO) 58.50m (191-11)
Men's Javelin: 1. Carlan Naisant (ASU) 69.04m (226-6); 10. Henry Carlson (COLO) 53.21m (174-7)
Men's Decathlon First Day: 1. Hakim McMorris (CAL) 42268; 9. Wyatt Rhoads (COLO) 3496; 12. Davis Butte (COLO) 3194; 13. Nick Bianco (COLO) 3134
 
Women's 1,500 Prelims: 1. Ella Donaghu (STAN) 4:18.96Q; 7. Rachel McArthur (COLO) 4:19.30Q; 8. Micaela Degenero (COLO) 4:21.59Q; 9. Madie Boreman (COLO) 4:19.48Q; 17. Annie Hill (COLO) 4:29.95
Women's 400 Hurdles Prelims: 1. Shae Anderson (UCLA) 56.25Q; 5. Eriana Henderson (COLO) 58.66Q; 7. Abbey Glynn (COLO) 59.10q; 12. Tamia Badal (COLO) 61.28; 14. Valerie Welch (COLO) 61.32; 17. Reese Renz (COLO) 63.90
Women's 10,000 Finals: 1. Carmela Cardama Baez (UO) 32:38.73; 2. Abby Nichols (COLO) 32:49.87; 4. Emily Covert (COLO) 33:17.82; 7. Elizabeth Constien (COLO) 34:10.85; 11. Kaitlyn Barthell (COLO) 34:37.02
 
Women's Heptathlon First Day: 1. Ida Eikeng (UW) 3571; 6. Avery McMullen (COLO) 3293; 8. Jada Green (COLO) 3159
 
Team Standings:
Men: 1. Washington 39; T2. Arizona 14; T2. Stanford 14; T2. USC 14; 5. Arizona State 10; 6. Colorado 9; 8. Washington State 6; 9. Cal 3; 10. UCLA 1
 
Women: T1. Arizona State 18; T1. Oregon 18; 3. Cal 17; T4 Colorado 15; T4. Washington 15; 6. UCLA 14; 7. Oregon State 7; 8. Stanford 6; T9. Arizona 3; T9. USC 3; 11. Washington State 1