LUBBOCK, Texas - The Colorado Buffs kicked off the Big 12 Indoor Championships with a bang, securing three podium finishes and setting a meet record at the Sports Performance Center.
Avery Pearson was the star of the day, blazing through the women's 600-yard preliminaries with a meet-record time of 1:17.92. Leading from start to finish, Pearson's performance was nothing short of spectacular, earning her a spot in Saturday's final at 2:10 p.m. MT.
The women's distance medley relay team also delivered an impressive performance. Riley Burkey started strong on the 1200m leg, passing the baton to Abby Miller in ninth place.
Miller completed her 400m leg, handing off to Pearson in 11th. Pearson's powerful 800m leg surged the team up to eighth, setting the stage for Jessie Secor.
Secor's determined 1600m anchor leg pushed Colorado to a third-place finish with a time of 11:22.85.
Abbey Nechanicky added to the Buffs' success in the women's 5000 meters, finishing seventh with a time of 16:18.86. Nechanicky's steady pace kept her in the top eight, securing crucial points for Colorado.
On the men's side, the distance medley relay team of Isaiah Givens, Danny Tragarz, Drew Costelow, and Justine Kipkoech claimed second place with a time of 9:38.03. Givens kicked things off on the 1200m leg, and Tragarz advanced the team to seventh on the 400m leg.
Costelow's 800m run positioned the Buffs in sixth, setting up Kipkoech for a thrilling 1600m anchor leg. Kipkoech held strong, battling with BYU down the final stretch to clinch the runner-up spot.
In other highlights, the men's mile preliminaries saw TJ Hansen, Kole Mathison, and Isaiah Givens advance to the finals. Drew Costelow also moved forward in the men's 1000 meters.
Lucas Williams narrowly missed the podium in the men's weight throw, achieving a personal-best of 19.51 meters for ninth place. Meanwhile, James Overberg and Jake Liebert finished ninth and 10th in the men's 5000 meters, respectively.
As the competition continues Saturday at 1:50 p.m. MT, the Buffaloes aim to build on their strong start and make more waves in Lubbock.