STANFORD, Calif. – Redshirt seniors
Afewerki Zeru and
Evan Graff of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's track & field team put together strong performances on Friday at the Stanford Invitational as they each notched NCAA qualifying marks in the 5,000m race with times that rank among the best in program history and in all of Division II this outdoor season.
INSIDE THE STANFORD INVITATIONAL
Location: Cobb Track & Angell Field | Stanford, Calif.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Redshirt senior Evan Graff was the first of two Mountain Lion distance runners in action on Friday in Stanford, Calif., as he went on to notch an eighth-place finish in section four of the 5,000m race with a personal best and national qualifying time of 14:06.51. Racing among a group consisting of 16 Division I student-athletes, Graff's time moves him up to second all-time in UCCS outdoor program history for the event.
- In section two of the men's 5,000m which consisted of 19 Division I competitors, redshirt senior Afewerki Zeru put forth an equally impressive performance, coming up just less than seven seconds shy of his own personal and school record with an 11th place time of 13:51.47. Zeru's time also registers as a national qualifying mark for the event and currently ranks as the fastest time in NCAA Division II in the early stages of the outdoor season.
BEYOND THE RESULTS
- Zeru and Graff now rank first and second all-time in outdoor program history for the 5,000m race, with Zeru holding the school record with a time of 13:44.58 that he established at the Mt. SAC Relays last season.
UP NEXT
- The rest of the UCCS track & field team will be in action tomorrow at the CSU Pueblo Open in Pueblo, Colo. The first events are set to get underway at 9 a.m. from the CSUP ThunderBowl.
SOCIAL
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
