Colorado Track & Field Returns Home for Colorado Classic After Record-Breaking Weekend
BOULDER - After a standout showing on the East Coast, the Colorado Buffaloes track and field squad is back in Boulder this weekend, ready to host the Colorado Classic on Friday, Feb. 6, and Saturday, Feb. 7. The meet will take place at the Ford Practice Facility, with field events kicking things off Friday and track events taking center stage Saturday.
This home meet gives the Buffs a chance to keep building momentum after a trip to Boston that saw a flurry of personal bests and program top-10 performances. Now, with a mix of veteran leaders and rising stars, Colorado is looking to put on a show in front of the home crowd.
Who’s Competing This Weekend
Friday - Field Events
The action begins Friday with a trio of Buffs in the throws. Alaina Fantaski will represent Colorado in the women’s shot put, while Lucas Williams (men’s weight throw) and Amanda Opp (women’s weight throw) will look to make their mark in the circle.
Saturday - Track Events
Saturday’s schedule is packed from start to finish, with several Buffs doubling up in multiple events.
- Sprints: Johnny Homsy will take on both the men’s 60m and 200m, while the men’s 400m features a deep group in Joran Ball, Jameson Leigh, Teagan Malcom, and Danny Tragarz. Abby Miller will hold it down for the Buffs in the women’s 400m.
- Mid-Distance: The 800m races should be fun to watch. On the men’s side, Kimi Bulto and Ty Cook are set to compete, while Riley Burkey and Avery Pearson will run the women’s 800m. Both Burkey and Pearson are coming off standout performances in Boston.
- Distance: The men’s mile is stacked with Lukas Haug, Justine Kipkoech, Kole Mathison, Tanner Newkirk, and Conner Wingfield all toeing the line. Wingfield will also double back in the 3,000m. On the women’s side, Georgia Bell, Ana Peters, and Linda Weigang will represent Colorado in the 3,000m.
- Hurdles and Relays: Antonio Votour will take on the men’s 60m hurdles, and both the men’s and women’s squads will field multiple teams in the 4x400m relay to close out the meet.
Competition begins at 12:00 p.m. MT on Friday and resumes at **11:00 a.m.
MT on Saturday**. Live results and meet info are available at cubuffs.com.
Rankings Update: Givens at No. 1
Colorado’s distance group continues to shine on the national stage. Isaiah Givens now holds the fastest men’s mile time in the country at 3:51.73, a performance that puts him squarely in the NCAA title conversation. Dominic Serem ranks 13th nationally in the 3,000m with a time of 7:45.61, and Kole Mathison isn’t far behind Givens in the mile rankings, currently sitting at No. 16 with a 3:54.87.
Recap: Record-Setting Weekend in Boston
Last weekend at the John Thomas Terrier Classic, Colorado made serious noise. The women’s team opened things up on Friday with four athletes etching their names into the program’s all-time top-10 lists:
- Riley Burkey ran 2:14.80 in the 800m, good for 10th all-time.
- Avery Pearson clocked 2:02.54, moving up to second in program history.
- Abbie Nechanicky ran 15:42.12 in the 5,000m, now eighth all-time.
- Mia Larochelle posted a 9:03.66 in the open 3,000m, landing sixth all-time.
- In the 5,000m, Ella Hagen set a new Austrian U-20 indoor record with a personal best 16:20.29.
On Saturday, the men took over and kept the momentum rolling:
- Drew Costelow, in his season debut at 800m, ran a blistering 1:48.50, the fastest time in program history.
- Ty Cook joined him on the top-10 list, now seventh all-time in the 800m.
- In the men’s 5,000m, Jake Liebert dropped a personal best 13:32.99, which puts him second in Colorado history.
What’s Next
After the Colorado Classic, the Buffs will split up for Valentine’s Day weekend. Some athletes will head back to Boston for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational, while others will travel to Lubbock, Texas, for the Jarvis Scott Invitational. Both meets begin on Friday, Feb. 13, with competition continuing in Lubbock through Saturday.
For now, though, all eyes are on Boulder. After a historic weekend in Boston, the Buffs are back on their home track - and they’re not slowing down.