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UCCS Athletics

2022-23 Men's Track and Field Roster

Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing

Afewerki Zeru

  • Position Distance
  • Height 5-5
  • Weight 119
  • Class Redshirt Senior
  • Hometown Colorado Springs, Colo.
  • High School Rampart
  • Major Sociology

Biography

Career Times

2023 OUTDOOR: National Qualifier in 5,000m … First Team All-America in 5,000m … First Team All-RMAC in 5,000m … RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll … USTFCCCA All-Academic ... Notched a season-best time of 13:51.47 in the 5,000m at the Stanford Invitational on March 31 … Posted a season-best time of 29:32.59 in the 10,000m at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 13 … Earned the individual title in the 5,000m at the RMAC Outdoor Championships with a first-place time of 14:18.72 … Finished fifth overall in the 5,000m at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 14:30.02.

2022-23 INDOOR: First-Team All-America in 5000m … Second-Team All-America in 3000m … All-RMAC First Team in the 3000m run … USTFCCCA All-South Central Region in the 5000m … RMAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week (Dec. 13 and Feb. 21) … RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll … Took first place in the 3000m (8:33.29) at the Air Force Collegiate Open on February 17 … Placed sixth in the 5000m (14:06.60) at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships.

2022 XC: USTFCCCA All-America First Team… USTFCCCA All-Region… RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll… All-RMAC First Team… USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week (Sept. 12)… RMAC Runner of the Week (Sept. 14 and Oct. 12)… Competed in five meets… Finished 5th in the 10k with a time of 29:54.2 at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships… Claimed individual titles at the 15th Annual UCCS Rust-Buster and Lucian Rosa Invitational… Became the first runner in program history to become a four-time All-American.

2022 OUTDOOR: NCAA Division II Individual 5,000m National Champion … USTFCCCA First Team All-America in 5,000m and 10,000m ... USTFCCCA Co-Men's High Point Athlete of the Meet with 16 points at NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships ... USTFCCCA All-Region in 5,000m and 10,000m … First Team All-RMAC in 5,000m … RMAC Male Track Athlete of the Year … USTFCCCA All-Academic ... RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll … School record and PR in 5,000m (13:44.58) at the 62nd Annual Mt. SAC Relays (Collegiate) on Apr. 13-16 (fifth place) … School record and PR in 10,000m (28:56.20) at the Stanford Invitational on Apr. 1 for a sixth place finish … Finished first in the 5000m at the RMAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships and broke conference meet record with time of 14:14.40 (Apr. 29-May 1) … Competed in 5000m and 10,000m.

2021-22 INDOOR: USTFCCCA First Team All-America in 5000m… USTFCCCA Second Team All-America in 3000m… All-RMAC First Team in 3000m and 5000m… RMAC All-Academic First Team… National qualifier in 3000m and 5000m… PR in 3000m (8:04.74) and 5000m (13:48.39) at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships… Placed 1st in 5000m and 2nd in 3000m at the RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championships… Competed in 3000m and 5000m.

2021 XC: All-American … USTFCCCA All-Academic ... All-South Central Region … All-RMAC First Team … USTFCCCA All-Academic ... Led the Mountain Lions in all five races this season … Won the 14th annual UCCS Rust Buster in 24:19.7 and the Lucian Rosa Invitational in 24:44.4 … Finished runner-up at the RMAC Championships on Oct. 23 to earn All-RMAC First Team honors (24:27.1) … Two weeks later he recorded a 10k PR time at the NCAA South Central Regional with a second-place finish in 29:42.2 … Closed out the season earning All-America honors at the NCAA DII National Championships, finishing 15th overall in 30:49.7.

2021 OUTDOOR: All-RMAC First Team in 5000m … PR in 10,000 with a time of 30:27.55 on May 14-15 at the Mines FRIDAY Last Chance taking gold … PR in 1500m on April 24 at the Mines Pre-Conference Invite with a time of 3:55.00 (4thplace) … Season best in 5000m on Mar. 26-27 at the CSU Pueblo Spank Blasing/Open with a time of 14:23.49 taking silver … Competed in 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m.

2020-21 INDOOR: USTFCCCA All-American First Team in 3000m … All-RMAC First Team in 5000m and 3000m … National qualifier in 5000m and 3000m … PR in 5000m and 3000m at the RMAC Indoor Track and Field Championship finishing in 14:20.52 and 8:05.34 respectively (14th place and 8th place respectively).

2020 XC: Won both meets he competed in … Started the season on Sept. 4 at the UCCS Rust Buster with an 8K time of 25:23.7 … Two weeks later he won the UCCS XC Open in 25:56.1 ... RMAC Runner of the Week on Sept. 20, 2020.

2019-20 INDOOR: USTFCCCA All-American (5K) ... All-RMAC Second Team (5K, 3K) ... Competed in 4 meets for UCCS … Ran the mile, 3000m and 5000m … Qualified for the NCAA DII Championships in the 5000m … All-American in the 5000m … Ran a career-best time of 8:45.93 in the 3000m at the Mountain Lion Open on Feb. 7, took 1st in the event and earned a provisional mark … Took 5th place in the 5000m at the RMAC Championships with a time of 14:57.68, earning him a provisional mark … Took 6th in the 3000m at the RMAC Championships with a time of 8:48.32 … Ran a season-best time of 4:27.75 in the mile at the Air Force Collegiate Open on Feb. 21, finished 5th in the event … Took 3rd in the 5000m with a time of 15:14.92 at the Mines Winter Classic Invitational on Feb. 1, earned a provisional mark.

2019 XC: USTFCCCA All-South Central Region Team ... All RMAC First-Team ... Ran in all five meets for the Mountain Lions, including all three post-season meets ... Started the post-season with a personal best 8K time of 23:47.6 at the RMAC XC Championship race, the fourth fastest time of the meet .... Finished seventh at the NCAA South Central Region in 31:11.0 on Nov. 9 ... Two weeks later he ran his fastest 10K time of his career, crossing the finished at the NCAA DII National Championship meet in 30:57.4 to finish 49th overall.

2018 XC: USTFCCCA All-South Central Region Team ... USTFCCCA All-Academic ... Competed in 6 events for the Mountain Lions… Placed 43rd at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships with an 8k time of 33:36.1 … Recorded a personal best 10k time at the NCAA Division II South Central Region Cross Country Championships on November 17th with a time of 32:01.8 … Also posted a personal best 8k time on October 6th at the 2018 Roadrunners Invitational with a time of 25:29.7.

HIGH SCHOOL: 2018 graduate of Rampart High School ... Previously attended Aurora High School from 2014-15 ... Earned letters both in academics and athletics ... Third in the state of Colorado and ninth in NXR (2017-2018) ... Participated in soccer, cross country, and track & field.

PARENTS: Parents are Donnie and Lisa Thomassen.

Historical Player Information

  • 2018-19Freshman

    Distance
    5'5" 119 lbs
  • 2019-20Sophomore

    Distance
    5'5" 119 lbs
  • 2020-21Redshirt Sophomore

    Distance
    5'5" 119 lbs
  • 2021-22Redshirt Junior

    Distance
    5'5" 119 lbs
  • 2022-23Redshirt Senior

    Distance
    5'5" 119 lbs