Colorado track and field stars Dani Jones and Joe Klecker made history Saturday afternoon in New York at the 113th Millrose Games as both secured the second-fastest time in CU history in their events.
Klecker started things off with a second place finish behind former NCAA cross country champion Justyn Knight in the Dr. Sander Men’s 3,000 Invitational. The senior opened the first 1,600 in around 4:14 and eighth place. Klecker made a huge move with 400 left, especially in the final lap, to jump up to fourth until the final straight where he finished catching people and closed as the runner-up.
His mark of 7:47.57 is second in school history behind Adam Goucher’s 7:46.03, placing Klecker in 19th on the NCAA’s All-Time list. The time is the second-fastest in the nation as Notre Dame’s Yared Nuguse ran 7:46.71 at the Meyo Invite today. Klecker out-kicked the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Champion, Edwin Kurgat, in the race by two seconds.
In the elite New York Road Runners Wanamaker Women’s Mile, Dani Jones broke a 32-year-old record as she finished seventh in a time of 4:27.88, making her the fastest collegiate athlete in the event since 1988. The race broke into a sprint early, leaving Jones to lead a pack at 4:30 pace as the leaders finished with Elle Purrier breaking the American record at 4:16.85.
Jones’ time places her sixth on the NCAA All-Time list behind collegiate record holder Jenny (Barringer) Simpson, Purrier in second, Leah O’Conner of Michigan State, Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech, Karissa Schweizer of Missouri and Abbey D’Agostino of Dartmouth.
