Men’s Basketball
In the past week the men’s basketball team won a big game against the No. 19 University of Oregon Ducks 76-53. The win was one of the most lopsided victories against any ranked team this season. The Buffs followed it up with a disappointing loss against the Oregon State Beavers though 64-58. The Beavers are in last place in the Pac-12 making the loss one of the worst of the season for the Buffs. They will have a chance to avenge the loss as the two teams play again in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament. Andre Roberson was named Pac-12 defensive player of the year as well as to the all-conference team. Spencer Dinwiddie joins him on the all-conference team.
(Josh Shettler/CU Independent Graphic)
Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball Pac-12 tournament has already come and gone. The Buffs accomplished exactly what was expected of them. After getting the No. 4 seed in the first round, the Buffs beat Washington by 11 points in the second round. The Buffs were the higher seed and beat the Huskies just as they were favored. The semifinals proved difficult for the Buffs however as they had to play the top seed, Stanford. The Buffs led at halftime but proved to be no match for the No. 4 nationally ranked Cardinals, as they lost 61-47. The Buffs will have two weeks to rest as they get ready for the NCAA tournament. Arielle Roberson was named Pac-12 freshman of the year. Chucky Jeffrey was named to the all-conference team.
Tennis
The CU tennis team had a strong showing against No. 27 Arizona State this week but still lost 4-2. Junior Winde Janssens got her first win against a ranked opponent. This pointed towards good things for the Buffs, as just days later the secured their first Pac-12 victory against the University of Arizona 4-2. It was the first conference win for the Buffs in nearly two years. The Buffs record now stands at .500 at 6-6. The Buffs next five matches will all be on the road and four will be Pac-12 matches.
Skiing
It was a great week for the CU ski team as they clinched their 19th national championship and the schools 25th. It was also the second time the Buffs have won the skiing title in the last three years. The national championship was held in Vermont, making it the ninth title the Buffs have won in the east nearly equaling the 10 they have won in the west. The Buffs came back from a 54-point deficit to clinch the victory in the Nordic Freestyle events with a win and two runner ups. Utah took second with Vermont coming in third. This is head coach Richard Rokos’ seventh national title, tying him with legendary Bill Marolt who won seven straight in the 70’s.
Track and Field
The Buffs sent three members of the track team to the indoor national championships. Senior Emma Coburn, senior Aric Van Halen, and senior Joe Morris all traveled to Fayetteville, Ark. to compete in different events. Morris missed getting to the finals of the 60-meter race as he placed only fifth in his heat. He placed 11th overall. Van Halen placed 14th overall in the men’s 3,000 meter run. He earned second team All American honors for his race. Van Halen started well but fell off with about 1,000 meters left in the race. The real star of the event was Coburn who won the national championship for the mile. This was the first national championship in the indoor mile for CU. Her time was the seventh fastest ever for an NCAA runner. Coburn led for almost the entire race to claim her second championship. She was the 2011 3,000-meter steeplechase champion, but this is her first indoor championship.
Men’s Golf
The men’s golf team had one of their best showings of the year as they won the Bandon Dunes Championship in Bandon Oregon. The Buffs were two under par for the tournament and were the only school under par as Fresno State came in second at three over par. The Buffs were in first or second place throughout the entire tournament. Two weeks ago the Buffs placed last in a tournament and it is the first time the Buffs have gone from worst to first in back-to-back tournaments ever. Eight teams were ranked higher than the No. 79 Buffs this week including No. 3 Washington. The Buffs have now won two tournaments this year, their first two since 2008 and only the fourth time they have ever won multiple tournaments in a year.
Women’s Golf
In Mesa, Ariz. this week the women’s golf team didn’t have as much luck as the men, as they placed only 10th in the Notre Dame Clover Cup out of 16 teams. The Buffs finished 49 over par for the weekend after a 16 over par showing on the final day. The Buffs have finished in the top ten three times this season. No. 5 Oklahoma won the even by 18 strokes. Jennifer Coleman led the Buffs and finished in 15th place. The Buffs have a couple weeks off and before playing in Maui, Hawaii for the Anuenue Spring Break Challenge at The Bay Course at Kapalua starting on March 25.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Scott Annis at Robert.annis@colorado.edu