Buffs Shine in Season Opener: Bianco and Ward Lead with Wins, Multiple Personal Bests Set

GOLDEN, Colo., and BOSTON, Mass. — University of Colorado's Nick Bianco opened the indoor track and field season in stellar fashion, capturing a first-place finish and setting a personal best in the 60-meter hurdles at the Mines Alumni Classic. Across the board, Colorado athletes shattered personal records in Golden and Boston during a strong opening weekend.

Mines Alumni Classic Results

Men

Nick Bianco marked an impressive return, last competing at the 2024 Ken Shannon Last Chance meet, where he recorded a personal best and placed fourth. Over the weekend, he competed in four events, winning the 60-meter hurdles with a personal best of 7.94 seconds and recording another personal best in the long jump with a leap of 7.23 meters to finish fourth.

John Swabik had a productive meet, competing in four events. He placed third in the 60-meter hurdles with a personal best of 8.12 seconds and sixth in the long jump with a mark of 7.14 meters, narrowly missing his personal best by 0.02 meters.

Marco Martinez debuted for the Buffs in three events, finishing fifth in the high jump with a leap of 1.80 meters. He also competed in the 60-meter hurdles (9.43) and the long jump (6.16 meters), laying the groundwork for the rest of the season.

Cade Vanhout, a transfer from Wisconsin-Platteville, made his debut for Colorado, taking third in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.89 seconds, just 0.07 seconds shy of his personal best.

John Homsey rounded out the sprints with a fifth-place finish in the 60-meter dash, clocking 6.94 seconds. He advanced to the finals after winning his heat.

In the high jump, Noah Bouchard took first with a leap of 2.05 meters. Bass and Marco Martinez rounded out the top five, placing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Women

Freshman Ava Goetz made a strong debut, advancing to the finals of the 60-meter hurdles with the sixth-best preliminary time (9.50). She also placed second in the high jump (1.65 meters) and 11th in the long jump (5.23 meters), showcasing versatility.

Cyndee Taylor, another debutant, impressed in the 60-meter dash. She placed fifth in the preliminaries and secured third overall with a time of 7.57 seconds.

The Buffs swept the high jump podium, led by Riley Ward, who cleared a personal-best height of 1.75 meters to take first place. Goetz followed in second, and Riley Burkey took third with a jump of 1.60 meters.

Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener Results

Women

Jessica Secore opened her collegiate indoor career with a strong showing in the 3,000 meters, placing 39th in a field of 128 runners with a time of 9:18.71. Former Buff Bailey Hertenstein claimed victory, competing for Nike and finishing in 8:45.05.

Men

Christopher Cherry recorded a personal best in the 3,000 meters, finishing 25th in 7:54.63 during his first season with Colorado. Freshman Ethan Edgeworth placed 39th in the same event with a time of 8:00.92, competing against 113 runners.

Up Next

Colorado's multi-event athletes and throwers will head to Colorado Springs for the UCCS Pre-Holiday Invitational & Multi on Dec. 13–14. The Buffs will open the new year with consecutive home meets starting Jan. 10.