CU Spring Sports Recap
Fifteen Lacrosse Seniors Graduate
Eleven seniors and four super-seniors played their last game for Colorado lacrosse on May 4. While the Buffs (11-6, 5-5 Pac-12) were upset 14-10 by Oregon in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Tempe, Arizona, the 2022 season was a historic one. The Buffs entered the national rankings twice, reaching No. 19 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine poll. They beat three Top-25 teams, including a 12-10 victory at No. 10 Denver on April 27.
“This group is really important to me and our program,” said head coach Ann Elliot Whidden. “Our fifth-year players came in and dealt with the death of Julia Sarcona (StComm’18). Then they went through Aine Williams (PolSci’22) getting really sick. Then COVID-19 and the challenges of the last couple of years. … This team is a close team that cares about each other and plays for each other.”
The Buffs earned three 2022 Pac-12 All-Conference selections. Kate Burnside (StComm’22) was First Team, and Sadie Grozier (Mktg’21) and Charlie Rudy (StComm’22) made Second Team. Rudy was named USA Lacrosse Magazine Division I Women’s Player of the Week in early March.
Buffs Bits
Micaela DeGenero (MTechCyb’22) won the mile run at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships in March. DeGenero moved from last to first in the final quarter-mile of the race to win the women’s national title. … Magdalena Luczak (Bus’26) won the women’s individual national championship in giant slalom at the 2022 NCAA Ski Championships on March 10 in Utah. Filip Forejtek (CompSci’22) followed to win the men’s individual giant slalom national championship. Forejtek was subsequently named National Men’s Alpine Skier of the Year by the U.S. Collegiate Ski Coaches Association in April. … Golf’s Justin Biwer (Bus’25) was named to both the Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team and All-Freshman Team. … Ben Bettin (Phys’23) won two national titles at the 2022 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships April 1–2 in Lake Lanier, Georgia: the Draft-Legal sprint-distance race and the Olympic-distance Collegiate Championship. … “Buffalo” Bill Harris (A&S’64) died April 5 at the age of 79. Harris, a star running back at Colorado in the early 60s, became director of CU’s Alumni C Club in 2001 and went on to serve nine years as its leader.
Coach Talk
“It’s about as much fun as I’ve had coaching football in quite some time.”
— Mike Sanford, CU football’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach told BuffZone in April. He was hired in December.
Stats
3
Buffs named women’s tennis All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention: Megan Forster (±Ę˛ő˛âł¦łó’22), Antoni Balzert (Psych, RealEst’23) and Caroline Pozo (˛Ńł§łŮ°ä´Çłľłľâ€™22)
15:15.95
Eighth-best time in NCAA history in the women’s 5,000 meters by Abby Nichols (MSOL’22) at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California, on April 15
5/6
Date men’s basketball head coach Tad Boyle was named Head Coach of USA Basketball’s Men’s U18 National Team
27
Jaylyn Sherrod’s (Soc’22) career-high points in women’s basketball’s season-ending loss to Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
21
ESPN’s national ranking of CU football’s 2023 recruiting class, as of May 9
Photos courtesy CU Athletics