Sports

Women hoopsters score more

With a couple of freshmen from Colorado providing a lift, the women’s basketball team posted its second-best nonconference record in Kathy McConnell-Miller’s five seasons as CU coach (10-3). The Buffs had won 10 of their first 11 home games as of Jan. 9, but one of their road losses came against rival Colorado State.

Sports potpourri

A round-up of sports news.

Hawkins humbled by another tough year

Despite the Buffs finishing 3-9 — the fourth losing record in Dan Hawkins’ four seasons as CU football coach — university officials decided to retain Hawkins for a fifth season. He owns a 16-33 record since arriving at CU.

Barringer runs off with more accolades

Allie McLaughlin and Jenny Barringer (Econ, PolSci’09) both had great seasons – Barringer received the Bowerman award and McLaughlin placed fifth at the NCAA meet in November.

Simpson honored with men’s golf tourney

Men’s golf coach Roy Edwards announced that CU’s new fall invitational tournament has been named in honor of Mark Simpson (Rec’83), the longtime CU coach who passed away in 2005 after battling cancer.

Frosh provides sparks to men’s hoops

Freshman Alec Burks gave CU a spark in the first half of the season, starting every game and scoring in double digits in each nonconference contest. He averaged more than 16 points per game going into Big 12 action.

Club sports report

In club sports, the men’s hockey team owned a 17-5 record after the first two weeks of January. Both the men’s and women’s club soccer teams made it to the semifinal rounds of the collegiate national tournaments. And the mountain bike club squad placed second at the collegiate national championships. Go to www.cubuffs.com for more information.

Football team starts slowly

The football team struggled during the nonconference portion of its schedule, posting a 1-3 record before starting Big 12 action. It was only the third time in the last 23 seasons that the Buffs have recorded a losing mark after their first four games (along with 2000 and 2006).

Top seniors set up booters

A difficult early-season schedule for the soccer team resulted in five losses before the official end of summer, but it bolstered the Buffs for a fast start in Big 12 Conference play.

Spikers start new era with Kritza

The volleyball team defeated Valparaiso in its first match under new coach Liz Kritza and finished the nonconference schedule 5-4. While CU was swept 3-0 in five of the first six conference matches, four of those opponents were ranked in the top 20 in the nation.

Milewski shines in early season tennis

Senior Monica Milewski won the main singles draw at the season-opening CU Invitational, defeating senior teammate Melisa Esposito in the finals. Meanwhile, Esposito and a third CU senior, Camila Belassi, captured the doubles title.

Home hoops aplenty in early season

Both basketball teams will play in Colorado plenty of times in the early part of the season. Of the women’s first 14 games, 11 will take place at home and another at Colorado State. The men, meanwhile, will be at home for seven of their first dozen games, in addition to playing another contest
at CSU.

Barringer wins Shootout at the ranch

Olympian Jenny Barringer started her final season as a Buff athlete in style, setting a record in winning CU’s Rocky Mountain Shootout in early October. She established a record for the 5.8-kilometer at CU-Boulder’s south campus Buffalo Ranch course, posting a time of 19:25.

We salute you

Ralphie’s Green Stampede, which has made Folsom Field a zero-waste facility during football games since 2008, is being expanded to all athletic events. Last year the Green Stampede resulted in the collection of more than 40 tons of recyclables and compostables, and a 30 percent reduction in overall waste.

Golfers christen home course

For the first time, the women’s golf team hosted its Heather Farr Memorial tournament at CU’s new home course, the Colorado National Golf Club in Erie. The Buffs finished sixth in the 20-team field, with sophomore Emily Talley placing eighth individually for her first top-10 showing of the season.

Club sports highlights

Three CU club sports programs won national titles during the spring season: swimming and diving, freestyle skiing and the crew team (women’s novice eights). In addition, CU triathlete Jessica Broderick won the female overall individual title at the Collegiate Nationals, leading the CU women to a runner-up team finish. Meanwhile, two other club sports lost in national championship games — women’s lacrosse and men’s Ultimate Frisbee. All of the athletes involved will be recognized for their successes during a home football game this fall.

Sports potpourri

Soccer coach Bill Hempen helped train the U-18 women’s national team in Boulder in July. The U-18 and U-20 U.S. teams, along with the U-20 Canadian national squad, took part in a week of exhibition matches and altitude training at CU’s Prentup Field.

Hawk: Big 12 title run possible

The CU football team won just two of eight games against Big 12 opponents last season, but coach Dan Hawkins believes his Buffs have a chance to make a big jump in the conference standings in 2009.

The Hawk walks the talk

When the Buffs host Colorado State on Sept. 6, Dan Hawkins will begin his fourth season as CU’s head football coach. He talked with Coloradan contributor Mark Wolf (Jour’70) about football, music and kidney stones.

Undefeated legend runs on

Senior Jenny Barringer concluded her CU track and field career in style in June, winning her third NCAA outdoor 3,000-meter steeplechase title, this one in Fayetteville, Ark. Barringer posted a time of 9:25.54, a college record, in winning by more than 15 seconds.

Athletics scores generous donations

Louise Bennett Reed, whose father and brother-in-law operated the former Lafayette Black Diamond coal mine, made the athletic department the sole beneficiary of her $4.75 million estate before she passed away last year at age 103.

CU’s home course will host invitational, NCAA regional

The men’s golf team will host two tournaments during the 2010-11 season at its newly designated home course, Colorado National Golf Club in Erie. The first will be an invitational tentatively scheduled for Sept. 27-28, 2010. The other will be an NCAA Regional May 19-21, 2011.

We salute you

Dave Plati hails those CU athletes that have distinguished themselves.

New skipper takes over CU spikers

Liz Kritza, whose brother Ted Kritza (A&S ex’96) played for the CU basketball team in the 1990s, was hired as the Buffs’ head volleyball coach in February, replacing Pi’i Aiu (DistSt ex’89).

The Colorado Springs native took over the CU program after four seasons as head coach at her alma mater, Tulane, which in 2008 qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Kritza signed a five-year contract.

Basketball teams drop the ball

The men’s basketball team finished with the most losses in a season (22) in program history, which dates back to 1901, and with its second-worst in-conference winning percentage ever. The Buffs went 1-15 against Big 12 opponents in the regular season, placing last in the league.
The Buffs notched a 9-22 record overall — an unprecedented [...]

Netters volley back and forth

The women’s tennis team started 5-0 in Big 12 competition for the first time ever but lost four of its last six regular season matches to finish fifth in conference play. After being ousted in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, the Buffs owned a 12-10 overall record.
CU has posted 24 conference victories over the [...]

Golf teams link up with new home

Steve Kerr (Rec’78) played golf at CU and so did his daughter, Erin Kerr (Jour’05), and thanks to his generosity the university’s golf programs now have an official course to call home.
Kerr purchased Vista Ridge Golf Club in Erie and renamed it Colorado National Golf Club in honor of it becoming home for the CU [...]

A quarterback cliffhanger

While the battle for CU’s starting quarterback job isn’t expected to be settled before August, one candidate broke his thumb in April and another bowed out of the competition.
Sophomore quarterback Matt Ballenger, who saw playing time as No. 2 QB in 2008, decided to transfer out of the CU program. Ballenger, unhappy with his status [...]

Skiers schuss to second

The skiers won two individual titles but for the second straight year finished second to the University of Denver in the team standings at the NCAA Championships.
Junior Gabriel Rivas earned the win in the men’s slalom and sophomore Vegard Kjoelhamar claimed the men’s 20-kilometer freestyle championship, marking his third victory of the season. Five Buffs [...]

Barringer races beyond expectations

Senior Jenny Barringer ran the fastest 5K in the world this year, finishing in 15:09.72 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in May.
She finished her CU indoor track career by winning her first NCAA indoor title, capturing the 3,000-meter championship in March. Barringer’s time of 8:42.03 was a college indoor record. The 2008 Olympian was [...]

Sports potpourri

CU athletes Jenny Barringer (running), Nikki Marshall (soccer) and Lucie Zikova (skiing) were inducted into the Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame in March. Former CU soccer player Michelle Wenino (Fin’09), the 2008 Big 12 co-defensive player of the year, earned a spot on the roster of the Chicago Red Stars Women’s Professional Soccer team. [...]

Hawk seeks 10 wins in 2009

The football team failed to earn a bowl berth for the second time in coach Dan Hawkins’ first three seasons as head coach, but he is aiming for a big improvement in 2009. During his closing remarks at the Buffs’ post-season senior awards banquet, Hawkins set a goal for this year: “Ten wins and no [...]

Tennis players backhand opponents in fall

Three tennis players finished with at least 10 singles victories during the fall portion of the season: senior Franziska Jendrian (14-5), junior Melisa Esposito (12-4) and junior Camila Belassi (10-4). In addition, senior Monica Milewski went 7-1. Belassi capped off the fall season by defeating Jendrian for the singles A consolation title at the San Diego State Fall Classic.

Booters marshall for world, NCAA title

The Buffs, who earned an NCAA berth for the sixth straight year, finished with a 14-5-4 record, winning 14 games for just the third time in program history.

Freshman drives to new record in golf

Freshman Emily Childs recorded the lowest fall stroke average in the history of CU’s women’s golf (73.27) and was named Big 12 female co-golfer of the month for November. Childs finished sixth in the Texas State Challenge, leading the Buffs to their fourth team title in the program’s history.

Harriers race to fall honors

CU men’s cross country team placed 12th at the NCAA Championships, the first time they haven’t cracked the top 10 since 1992. Junior Jordan Kyle finished 14th individually, earning All-America honors for the second time.

Aiu dismissed after 12 seasons as coach

Six weeks after ending a season in which the volleyball team lost seven of its final eight matches, athletic director Mike Bohn fired head coach Pi’i Aiu (DistSt ex’89) on Jan. 12.

Former ski champ dies in plane crash

Bryan Sax (Bus’95), the last CU skier to win a men’s NCAA giant slalom title, died when two small planes collided over the Florida Everglades on Dec. 6. He was 37.
Sax, who started his CU career on the development team, won the giant slalom at the 1995 NCAA meet, helping the Buffs claim a national [...]

Growing pains for Bzdelik’s Buffs

Bzdelik has tried to keep a long-term perspective when it comes to his young Buffs. The 12-man active roster at the start of 2009 included 10 players who were either freshmen or sophomores.

K-Mac’s Buffs finish strong in non-conference play

The women’s basketball team capped off its nonconference schedule with five straight wins and a championship in the Paradise Classic in Hawaii, where forward Brittany Spears was named most valuable player. The Buffs went into Big 12 play with an 8-4 record.