BOULDER — University of Colorado senior Jenny Barringer broke yet another record as she set a Buffalo Ranch Cross Country Course record at the 24th Annual Rocky Mountain Shootout with a time of 19 minutes, 25 seconds on Saturday.
Jennifer Barringer of University of Colorado smiles after her race at the USATF Champs PHOTO/ Randy Miyazaki
Not to be outdone on the men’s side, Colorado senior Kenyon Neuman won the men’s 8k race. He finished the course in 24:51 to tie the 11th best time in course history. CU took home top team honors in both genders as well to mark the 11th straight year both won the team title. The women won with 15 points while the men recorded 16 points.
Barringer’s time broke the previous record held by Kara Grgas-Wheeler who ran the course in 19:38 in 2000 at both the Rocky Mountain Shootout and the Big 12 Championship. Barringer also became only the second female to ever finish the race in less than 20 minutes.
As she did many times on the track, Barringer had to start out strong from the gun and take the race into her own hands. It didn’t take her long to get a lead on the pack and then it was a race against the clock.
“A couple of days ago I sat down with my coaches and we decided that I was going to go for the course record,” Barringer explained. “That was a tall order because it’s a really difficult course record, Kara is a real incredible athlete and she was incredible when she was here. I knew it was going to take a formidable effort.
I was really happy to get out here and do it. I started out hard from the gun because that was what I had to if I was going after the record. Then, I brought it in strong so I’m really happy with how it went.”
This was also Barringer’s final race in Boulder as a Buff. She returned to Colorado after an outstanding track and field season where she set six collegiate and seven CU records as well as the American record in the steeplechase at the IAAF World Championships where she placed fifth overall.
“There were definitely some sentimental parts to the race,” Barringer said. “Knowing that I’m running on our home course and wearing our school uniform, and this is the last time a lot of people in Boulder will be able to see me race. It was exciting to get the green light from my coaches to be able to go after the course record.
“Every time I headed west, I’d get this beautiful view of the Flatirons on a nice, sunny day. It was a picture-perfect capstone to my training and career here in Boulder.”
Source: cubuffs.com
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