Pac-12

Getting to Know All American Eduardo Herrera

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:01:00 +0000

Getting to Know All American Eduardo Herrera Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/11/2022 - 10:01

Andrew Daigle

All-American and 2021 Pac-12 Cross Country Athlete of the Year Eduardo (Lalo) Herrera (Soc’21; MA&S’23) has hit his stride in his fifth and sixth year at CU. The 2020 Pac-12 cross-country champion reflects on running 90-mile weeks, seeking out local trails and stepping up with an eye to his future.

When did you start running competitively?

Freshman year of high school. I was a soccer player growing up. Back home in Madera, California, the coaches get single-sport athletes to go out for cross-country to get in shape for soccer. I started with my brother telling me to try out for the team just to stay in shape.

What was it about CU that made you want to run here?

When I came out here for my visit, it was snowing. I fell in love with Boulder. The resources in Athletics, the past championships, knowing that the team was really good. And running on soft surfaces was a priority. I was running 85 to 90 miles a week — and in the summers 100 — on asphalt and concrete. It’s hard on the body. Coming here, I knew trails could save me from injury. Altitude was an-other factor. It gives me a benefit going down to sea level when racing. I knew I would have everything I need to be successful in this program.

You’re in your sixth year running at CU. How has your role on the cross-country and track teams changed over time?

The first three years I was here, I wasn’t really that guy people look up to. I would follow everyone else. Workouts were crazy. Everybody was constantly going hard. After my junior year, I started to become a leader. We switched up the whole team dynamic, the team culture. We wanted to set this foundation that everyone here is important. The younger guys are the future of CU.

Which teammates have helped mentor you?

When I came here on my recruiting visit, I met Morgan Pearson (Econ, Math’16) and Pierce Murphy (FilmSt’16). And those guys kept in touch with me even after they graduated. It’s nice to have that type of friendship with those older guys.

Can you describe a typical week of training?

I’ve always been a high-mileage person. If I can be running 90 to 95 miles a week, it makes me feel strong when I approach a race. It also depends on where I'm at with the season. After a break, it’s normal to progress slowly. But I get impatient. I want to be out there and on top of my game.

Why do you think you've had so much success in the last year?

I want a professional running career. I started training differently when I wrote down the things that I wanted to accomplish post-college. Being determined and wanting to be the better version of myself. That's what changed.

What is something you've learned from head coach Mark Wetmore?

He’s not going to tell you that you need to get your nine hours of sleep every day. He's Not going to tell you that you need to eat healthier. You need to know that. It Comes down to the individual whether or not they want to be successful.

Do you have a favorite trail in Boulder?

LoBo Trail, heading out towards Coot Lake. Aquarius Trailhead is really nice. I go to Davidson Mesa a lot for the views. It’s beautiful.

During cross-country, you run 8K all seasons and then move up to 10K for regionals and nationals. How is it running longer distances on these big stages?

As a newcomer, like freshmen or sophomores, it’s a big change. In high school, all you’re doing is 5K. For me, it’s not much of a difference because I put in a lot of miles, so to move up two kilometers in a race isn't terrible.

How do you prioritize not burning out too early while also making sure you don’t leave anything in the tank by race’s end?

Sometimes it comes down to being willing to put your nose in it. You’re going to finish pretty much on empty. At the NCAAs, I was feeling confident with my fitness. I knew I could compete. For some reason, I got fatigued at six kilometers and started to tense up. I tried to maintain my position. If you’re racing against really good people, you’re pushing the limit.

What advice would you give your 2016 self for when you were starting to run for the Buffaloes?

Be patient and trust the process. People get caught up with what others are doing. You need to do your own journey. If you're patient and doing the right things, your time will come.

If you have time away from school and training, what are you doing?

Outdoor activities. When I’m not doing that, I love playing FIFA. I also love to go explore. Go out to parks and relax, throw frisbees — that good stuff.

Interview condensed and edited.

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Photos by Matt Tyrie

All-American and 2021 Pac-12 Cross Country Athlete of the Year Eduardo Herrera shares his experiences with CU and cross-country.

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Summer 2022

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Colorado Athletics Visibility Award

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Colorado Athletics Visibility Award Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/11/2022 - 00:00

Andrew Daigle

CU announced the creation of the Colorado Athletics Visibility Award (CAVA) Dec. 1, 2021. The $20,000 scholarship, the first of its kind in collegiate athletics, recognizes student-athletes who use their platform, power and visibility to support LGBTQ+ participants in sports. CAVA was founded by Buff Club development intern Nicholas Turco (PolSci’22). Turco conducted a study about sports climate and culture for LGBTQ+ members in CU Athletics, which identified challenges for transgender student-athletes and the difficulty of being one’s authentic self in male-identified revenue-generating sports.

In partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences, Turco coordinated raising over $80,000 towards a goal of covering attendance at CU for two recipients annually, while also funding other student-athletes’ projects. Volleyball’s Alexia Kuehl (SLHSci’24) and men’s basketball’s Evan Battey (Jour’21; MSOL’23) are the first CAVA recipients. Kuehl hopes to promote awareness and inclusion for LGBTQ+ identities in local schools and create an anti-bullying video to be shared in the schools. Battey wants to create change for LGBTQ+ individuals in CU Athletics specifically, while raising awareness and funds for future CAVA recipients.

“My hope is to bring both my communities together with sports and LGBTQ+, and help raise awareness for younger generations so they don't have to be afraid to be who they are,” Kuehl said. Battey added, “We need more proud allies in the community. It is incredibly important to me and the people around me that we must have a basic understanding of LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance of them.”

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Photo by Matt Tyrie

CU announced the creation of the Colorado Athletics Visibility Award (CAVA) Dec. 1, 2021. Alexia Kuehl and Evan Battey were the first recipients.

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Spring 2022

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Sports News Fall 2021

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Sports News Fall 2021 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 11/05/2021 - 00:00

Andrew Daigle

New Alliance
The Pac-12, ACC and Big Ten — three of the nation’s Power Five athletic conferences — announced a handshake partnership Aug. 24.

“There’s a lot going on in our industry,” CU Athletic Director Rick George said. “This alliance allows us to collaborate on these issues and bring stability to college athletics and the collegiate model.”

Such issues include evolving NCAA legislation on name, image and likeness (NIL); the expected expansion of the College Football Playoff; and conference instability, notably Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC (effective 2025). To start, the alliance will encourage more interconference scheduling, multi-team, single-site events featuring teams from all three conferences and increased national television exposure.

With its 41 institutions united, the alliance could determine the future of the College Football Playoff, while also combining the resources of its research universities to improve student-athlete health and wellness.

Buffs Bits
Ralphie VI debuted Sept. 3, leading the Buffs football team onto Folsom Field to face Northern Colorado. The Ralphie Live Mascot Program is funded entirely by private support from donors. … Anthony Pham, tennis associate head coach, was promoted to head coach on July 26. Pham is the seventh head coach in program history. … Men’s basketball went undefeated on its four-game exhibition tour of Costa Rica in August. The on-court highlight came against Selección de Baloncesto when Jabari Walker (ExSt’24) shattered the backboard on a dunk attempt in the third quarter. Without a replacement backboard, the game was called with CU ahead 68-54. … On Sept. 18 Buffs volleyball extended its school-record undefeated start to the season to nine matches, taking down rival Colorado State twice in a row. … Women’s golf’s Ellie Gower (A&S’23) finished runner-up at the English Women’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship Aug. 17-19 in Wallasey, United Kingdom.

Coach Talk
“The crowd was absolutely fantastic. This has been the best environment since I’ve been here in my 10 years. This needs to be the standard for CU soccer, not the exception.”

— Soccer head coach Danny Sanchez after 2,536 fans attended the Buffs’ home game against No. 1 Florida State Aug. 29.

Stats

$1
Bonus Spencer Dinwiddie (Comm ex'15) will receive, per his three-year, $62-million contract with the Washington Wizards, if the team wins the NBA championship

5th
Melissa Stockwell's (Comm’02) place in the triathlon (PTS2) at the Tokyo Paralympics

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Total CU women’s cross-country runners who placed in the top 10 at the season-opening Wyoming Invitational in Cheyenne

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CU club sports teams will resume competition in 2021-2022

281
Buffs rushing yards in football’s season-opening 35-7 victory over Northern Colorado on Sept. 3.

15th
Stage of the Tour de France won by Sepp Kuss (Advert’17) in July, the first American to win a stage of the race since 2011

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Photos by Glenn Asakawa (Ralphie); Courtesy CU Athletics (Ellie Gower)

New Pac-12 Alliance, Ralphie VI and more.

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Letters – Spring 2017

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 07:00:00 +0000

Letters – Spring 2017 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/01/2017 - 00:00

Climate and the Grand Canyon

The winter issue of the Coloradan was one of the best ever, especially the tribute to ex-CU runners Jenny Simpson (Econ, PolSci’09) and Emma Coburn (Mktg’13). The article on stress relief therapy dogs gave me a new term, “love muffin.” I have two such critters myself.

The Grand Canyon cover article with the climate change theme gave me pause, however. Formed hundreds of millions of years ago through upheavals, volcanic activity, floods, droughts, tectonic shifts, vast inland oceans and other things almost beyond comprehension, to be concerned about the next 10 years and a flooded parking lot seems rather short sighted to this layman.

Viewing the Grand Canyon should leave you in awe, with an appreciation of geologic time and overall human insignificance in the grand scheme of things.

Richard Peterson (Anth’71)

Crook, Colo.

Ralphie Running in the '60s

Click on the image to enlarge.

This summer we had our old slides digitized and among them found this photo of Ralphie. The date on the slide says January 1967, so the photo was taken during the '66 football season. After reading about the Ralphie Museum Show in the Winter 2016 Coloradan we wanted to share our photo and let you know we all love Ralphie!

Joan (Edu’69) and Dennis Haberkorn (Art'70)
Grand Junction, Colo.

Reflections

I am a 1975 and 1978 graduate of the University of Colorado. The winter edition of the Coloradan was simply superb. Thank you for interesting, insightful and humorous inclusions. Both the inside and back cover photographs made me smile and reflect at the same time. Please continue the excellent work on behalf of all alumni. I, as one, do so appreciate it.

Katherine Shand Larkin (Engl’75; Law’78)
Salida, Colo.

Thoughts on Pac-12 Play

I’m a longtime CU Buff football fan and currently a season ticket holder. I was really happy when Colorado moved to the Pac-12 conference. Like most conferences that have split divisions, I thought there would be a standard formula for determining what conference opponents are played each season. For the Pac-12, intuitively, you would think Colorado would play every other team in its division plus four teams from the other division on a rotating basis. Therefore, we should have played each of the North division teams four times in our first six years in the conference. So why was it that we ended up playing Oregon six times in the first six years?

It took a friend of mine in California to explain that there was an agreement made when Colorado and Utah joined the conference and the divisions were formed. The agreement was that all the teams in California, regardless of what division they were in, play each other every year. As a result, the intuitive scheduling formula gets thrown out. Why not just realign the division so that all of the California teams are in the same division? Maybe put them in the same division as Arizona and Arizona State? Perhaps that just makes too much sense.

David Kennedy (Bus’78)
Boulder

CU Athletics responds: When CU entered the Pac- 12, we agreed to play in the Los Angeles area every year. If all the California schools were in one division, plus Arizona and ASU, CU would not be able to meet that commitment.

Is He Señor Wood?

In the Winter 2016 issue, Paul Danish’s Boulder Beat column [“The Album,” pg. 8] featured a quote from Dave Wood (MSpan’69). I had a fabulous Spanish teacher at Arvada High School in the ’90s named Mr. David Wood who, every Friday, would bring in his guitar and sing songs with us and for us. As soon as I read that paragraph in the article, I had a nagging suspicion that this was Señor Wood I was reading about! I would love to know if my Spanish teacher and the Dave Wood quoted in your article are one in the same.

Amy Lee Kline (Engl’03; MEdu’05)
Arvada, Colo.

Note: Yes, indeed — your Señor Wood and Dave Wood (MSpan’69) are the same man.

Photos courtesy Grand Canyon National P ark/NPS (top)/ Joan and Dennis Haberkorn

The Grand Canyon, Ralphie running and CU's move to the Pac-12

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Back-to-Back Pac-12 Champs

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Back-to-Back Pac-12 Champs Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 12/01/2012 - 00:00

Gary Baines

The CU men’s cross country team, which dominated the Big 12 for its first dozen years in the conference, is similarly making itself right at home in the Buffs’ initial seasons in the Pac-12.

In late October in Santa Clarita, Calif., the CU men won their second Pac-12 title in as many tries and have captured 14 conference championships in the last 17 years.

Despite not returning a single runner who scored at last year’s meet, the Buffs prevailed by 33 points over runner-up Stanford. All five of CU’s scoring runners this time placed in the top 13, with Blake Theroux (seventh), Jake Hurysz (eighth) and Hugh Dowdy (ninth) cracking the top 10.Aric Van Halen (12th) and Martin Medina (13th) rounded out the Buffs’ scorers.

“Back-to-back champs feels pretty good,” says Theroux, a sophomore. “It means a lot to us especially since we didn’t return a lot of guys from last year’s team.”

The 2011 Pac-12 champion CU women placed fifth in their title defense. Olympic steeplechaser Shalaya Kipp finished 11th individually to lead the Buffs.

CU will host the Pac-12 men’s and women’s cross country championships next year.

The CU men’s cross country team, which dominated the Big 12 for its first dozen years in the conference, is similarly making itself right at home in the Buffs’ initial seasons in the Pac-12.

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Buffs Capture First Ever Pac-12 Titles

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:00:00 +0000

Buffs Capture First Ever Pac-12 Titles Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/01/2011 - 00:00

Gary Baines

Head coach Marc Wetmore was excited about the cross country men and women’s teams winning the first Pac-12 title in late October. “I would give each team an ‘A’ for today’s performance,” he said. “They came out and raced what they were capable of and some even exceeded expectations.”

The cross country teams won the first ever Pac-12 Conference titles in any sport, sweeping the men’s and women’s races in October.

The victories mark the 13th time in school history that the men and women have won both titles at a conference championship since the inception of a women’s program in 1976. This is the first time CU has won both titles since the Big 12 Championships in 2007.

The men entered the meet with a No. 6 national ranking and the women were ranked No. 16.

The men recorded 46 points to defeat No. 4 Stanford by seven points. The women scored 50 points, followed by No. 2 Washington and No. 8 Stanford.

“In a conference that has the history that this one does and that has such great competitors, it means an incredible amount to show them what we have and what we bring to the table,” says Andy Wacker, who finished sixth in the 8K.

In September Jenny Barringer Simpson (Econ, PolSci’09) became the first American woman to win the world championship title in the 1,500-meter race since former CU runner Mary Decker Slaney (A&S ex’79) pulled off the feat in 1983. “It’s very exciting to follow in her footsteps and bring the U.S. back to that level,” Simpson says.

For the first time since 2008, the men’s and women’s golf teams won invitational titles in the same season. The men also picked up an individual victory with Beau Schoolcraft, left, which was the first individual win by a CU men’s golfer in two-and-a-half years. Both the men’s and women’s teams cracked the top 25 in the national rankings.

The cross country teams won the first ever Pac-12 Conference titles in any sport, sweeping the men’s and women’s races in October.

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Buffs Join the Pac

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Buffs Join the Pac Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/01/2011 - 00:00

Gary Baines

CU and state and local officials celebrated the university’s entrance into the Pac-12 Conference on July 1. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper declared it Pac-12 Day, and the Spirit Bell at the Center for Community, which opened in August 2010 east of Regent Hall, and the Old Main bell rang a dozen times at noon to commemorate the occasion.

The move marked CU’s first wholesale change in conferences since it switched from the Mountain States to the Big Seven in 1948.

The challenge is to capitalize on the excitement and keep fueling that sense of optimism and pride, athletic director Mike Bohn says.

CU coaches are emphasizing the importance of making an immediate impact.

“We want to make a statement,” women’s basketball coach Linda Lappe (Mktg’02) says. “The first five years can be very pivotal to how other teams view you for the next 20 years.”

CU and state and local officials celebrated the university’s entrance into the Pac-12 Conference on July 1.

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Wading into Pac-12 Territory

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Wading into Pac-12 Territory Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/01/2011 - 00:00

Staff

To celebrate our entry into the Pac-12, we traveled to San Francisco and Los Angeles in March to connect with more than 400 alumni who attended our receptions. Speakers included CU President Bruce Benson (Geol’64, HonDocSci’04), Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano, art professor Claire Farago, MCDBio professor Leslie Leinwand, head football coach Jon Embree (Comm’88) and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (Soc’01). Stay tuned for our events in Chicago on Sept. 22 and in Seattle on Oct. 14.

Those who attended the events told us what made these events so spectacular:

Bonding with alums and parents
Speeches by Embree and Bieniemy made alums want to walk on to the team
Fascinating CU professors speaking on art and heart disease in women
Incredible food
A chance to connect with dear old CU

To celebrate our entry into the Pac-12, we traveled to San Francisco and Los Angeles in March to connect with more than 400 alumni who attended our receptions.

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CU Packing Up for Pac-10 (+2) in 2011

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000

CU Packing Up for Pac-10 (+2) in 2011 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/01/2010 - 00:00

Gary Baines

After CU announced in June it would join the Pac-10 Conference, the move is on its way to becoming reality. Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano helped negotiate a $6.863 million reduction in distributions from the Big 12 this fiscal year, which paves the way for the university’s sports teams to officially become part of the Pac-10 on July 1, 2011.

The lost revenue was less than half of what the Big 12 originally said it would withhold for CU’s early exit, and the Pac-10 has agreed to advance CU the forfeited amount in the form of a loan against future conference payouts.

“Having a mediator really helped,” DiStefano says. “I look at mediation like going to the dentist’s office. You don’t want to go and you don’t like being there, but when it’s done you feel relieved.”

Nebraska, which is also leaving the Big 12 next year for the Big 10, is paying a $9.255 million exit fee.

“One thing first and foremost on our plate is how we are going to improve our competitiveness across the board,” CU athletic director Mike Bohn says. The Pac-10 “is a great conference, and not just in football . . . It’s a great challenge and opportunity for us. We need to go in there and be competitive right away.”

After CU announced in June it would join the Pac-10 Conference, the move is on its way to becoming reality.

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Pac-10 Ushers in New CU Era

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Pac-10 Ushers in New CU Era Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/01/2010 - 00:00

Bruce D. Benson

I know CU’s switch to the Pac-10 athletic conference is absolutely the right move for our university, but I still have mixed emotions about it. When I was a student in Boulder in the early 1960s, just after the Big 7 conference became the Big 8, rivalries with Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri (long before Coach Bill McCartney drew a bull’s eye around Nebraska) were intense.

So it is bittersweet to know we will soon leave behind decades of rivalries and tradition. I suspect many alumni share this feeling.

But you can’t help but be excited about our prospects. We will become a proud member of “The Conference of Champions,” as the Pac-10 is known. Its teams have won more NCAA championships than any conference in the country. We know the competition will be fierce and we will have to step up our competitiveness. We are ready for the challenge.

More importantly, we will be aligned with some of the finest academic institutions in the world. If you are known by the company you keep, CU alumni should be excited by their alma mater joining the likes of Cal, Stanford, Washington, UCLA and the other fine institutions in the Pac-10. We have much in common. There are dozens of academic partnerships in place with conference schools and more on the horizon. Additionally, conference schools have an international outlook, which is an increasing focus for us.

Shortly after we announced the move in June, I had dinner with the president of one of the conference universities. As CU considered the switch, there was a lot of speculation about what schools would end up in which conference. It was reminiscent of a junior high dance, with nervous teens lining the wall. The president told me CU was the unanimous, hands-down top choice of conference universities because we so closely match their academic and athletic values.

And the conference is a perfect fit for us in additional ways. Along with academics and athletics, we have considerably more alumni in Pac-10 states than in Big 12 states (36,000 compared with 11,000). Also, California is traditionally our largest source of nonresident students.

While difficult, our move is not unlike that of Colorado’s pioneers, many of whom left behind deep roots and traditions to seek opportunity out West. Some of those pioneers founded our great university in 1876. I think they would be proud of what it has become and excited for the new opportunities that await us under the Flatirons.

Photo courtesy Glenn Asakawa

A column from University of Colorado president Bruce D. Benson.

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Pac-12

Getting to Know All American Eduardo Herrera

When did you start running competitively?

What was it about CU that made you want to run here?

You’re in your sixth year running at CU. How has your role on the cross-country and track teams changed over time?

Which teammates have helped mentor you?

Can you describe a typical week of training?

Why do you think you've had so much success in the last year?

What is something you've learned from head coach Mark Wetmore?

Do you have a favorite trail in Boulder?

During cross-country, you run 8K all seasons and then move up to 10K for regionals and nationals. How is it running longer distances on these big stages?

How do you prioritize not burning out too early while also making sure you don’t leave anything in the tank by race’s end?

What advice would you give your 2016 self for when you were starting to run for the Buffaloes?

If you have time away from school and training, what are you doing?

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Colorado Athletics Visibility Award

Related Articles

Sports News Fall 2021

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Letters – Spring 2017

Climate and the Grand Canyon

Ralphie Running in the '60s

Reflections

Thoughts on Pac-12 Play

Is He Señor Wood?

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Back-to-Back Pac-12 Champs

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Buffs Capture First Ever Pac-12 Titles

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Buffs Join the Pac

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Wading into Pac-12 Territory

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CU Packing Up for Pac-10 (+2) in 2011

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Pac-10 Ushers in New CU Era

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