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Buffaloes Win Six Big 12 Outdoor Titles In 2002
 Jorge Torres won the Big 12 title in the 1,500 |
Colorado's distance runners had a weekend to remember at the 2002 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Columbia, Mo. By winning six titles and breaking records in the process, the Buffaloes continued to show why they have one of the elite distance programs in the country.
The following is a wrap up of that weekend in 2002, taken from reports by the Boulder Daily Camera and CU Sports Information Releases.
May 20, 2002
Camera Staff and CU Sports Information Reports
Compiled by CU Sports Information Student Assistant Grace Brown
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Led by record-setting performances from Jorge Torres, Leslie Higgins and Sara Gorton, the Colorado Buffaloes crowned six individual champions Sunday on the final day of competition at the Big 12 Track and Field Championships.
The CU women finished sixth overall and the men were eighth.
Torres, who was second on the 10,000 on Friday, broke former Buff Adam Goucher’s meet record in the 1,500 clocking a 3:42.91. Goucher ran 3:43.23 in 1998.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of pressure on me to break records,” Torres said. “Records come and records go, so I guess I just try to be the best runner I can be and that’s all I can do. I’m just out here to compete and compete well.”
Gorton almost joined Torres in winning the 1,500, but was overtaken in the final 100 meters and finished fourth in 4:21.77.
But, Gorton cam back two hours later and set a Big 12 meet record in the 5,000 finishing in 16:11.83, almost nine seconds ahead of runner-up Ann Marie Brooks of Missouri (16:20.40).
“I wanted to go out easy because I had already run the 1,500 earlier,” said Gorton. “I knew that some of the other girls were fresh, so I stayed slow. Then I took the lead and I knew I was going to have to run away from the competition, because I didn’t have the legs for a kick. So I took off, and figured whoever was going to stay with me could stay with me. It just turned out that no one did.”
It was a freshman sweep for Colorado in the 5,000 as Dathan Ritzenhein won the men’s event in 13:56.21. Ritzenhein and Jorge Torres went 1-2, as the elder Torres doubled in the 1,500 and 5,000. Torres ran 13:56.33 in second place, almost 25 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Mark Menefee of Kansas.
CU’s Steve Slattery repeated as the steeplechase champion, winning in a time of 8:51.25. He led from the gun, with only Texas’ Kevin Barra challenging him at any point during the race.
 Lesley Higgins set a meet record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at 10:26.16. |
Colorado then swept the steeplechase events when senior Lesley Higgins won the women’s event, storming to a Big 12 meet record 10:26.16 to win her first Big 12 outdoor title. CU freshman Natalie Florence was right behind, taking second in 10:30.26 in her first-ever steeplechase.
Colorado’s distance crew was not the only group to claim championships, as senior Hannah Cooper won the women’s 100 meter hurdles in 13.16, her best time ever at CU. The mark set a stadium record and ranks her first in the Big 12 and fifth in the NCAA ratings.
Reggie DePass came up excruciatingly short in his quest for a title in the men’s 400 hurdles, finishing .01 behind Michael Smith of Baylor, who ran 50.12. DePass led for 350 meters before Smith was able to pull even on the last straightaway and just barely edge DePass at the tape. Other CU placers included Lex Butler, fourth in the men’s 110 hurdles; Matt Queen, sixth in the 800; and Deneeka Torrey, fifth in the 400 hurdles.
Junior Ed Torres provided the highlight of day one for the Buffaloes, taking second place in the men’s 10,000 meters, finishing just over a second behind winner Mike Mwangong of Iowa State. Torres, Mwangong and Marcus Witter of Nebraska traded the lead throughout the first 24 laps of the race, but it was Mwangong’s kick down the last 100 meters that proved to be the difference.
Running in a pack of three for much of the race, Torres and Mwangong pilled away from Witter with 800 meters to go, running the 24th lap in just under 66 seconds. Torres pulled ahead of Mwangong at the 300-meter mark, however the ISU runner grabbed the lead from Torres with roughly 40 meters to go, out-kicking him on the homestretch. Torres’s time of 29:48.48 was just behind the 29:47.25 mark posted by Mwangong. Witter was just under 12 seconds behind with his time of 30:00.20. This marked the second-straight year a buff took second in the men’s 10K, as Sean Smith was the runner up a year ago in College Station.
In women’s 10,000-meter action, junior Tera Moody took third behind Debbie Thornhill and Kara Newton of Baylor. The two Bears led for the entire race with roughly a 100 meter lead on the pack led by Moody, who broke ahead of Trisha Culbertson of Kansas State down the stretch to earn third place. Senior Jen Fazioli ran a strong race as well, finishing sixth and fourth in the second pack of runners. Moody finished in 35:33.58, with Fazioli turning in a time of 35:38.82.
 Sara Gorton won the 2002 Big 12 championship in the 5,000 meters setting a new meet record of 16:11.83. |