Stampede Magazine

VOLUME:7 ISSUE:3

CU skiers win another national title, as a special season ends atop the mountain

RECRUITING ROUNDUP

JON EMBREE

MARK WETMORE

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Natalie A. Pigliacampo

M a N a G i N G

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Doug Ottewill, Haas Rock Publications

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Daniel Mohrmann Pat Rooney Jenny Siegle

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Debbie Clapper, gneural llc

P H oTo G ra P H ErS

Congratulations to our dedicated ski team for its dominant victory at the NCAA Championships! As most of you know, one of their beloved teammates died in a tragic climbing accident last August. Inside this issue of The Stampede, you will find a touching article about Spencer Nelson and the impact his life had on everyone around him. Coach Rokos and the team dedicated the season to Spencer and could not have honored his life more than they did by bringing back another NCAA championship to Boulder.

As of press time, our men’s and women’s basketball teams produced three terrific wins each in their respective National Invitation Tournaments. We are all extremely proud and appreciative of Coach Boyle for his leadership and effectiveness in refocusing our men’s team after a devastating decision by the NCAA Selection Committee to not include Colorado in the big dance. Coach Lappe’s professionalism, determination, competitive focus, indefatigable work ethic, integrity and exemplary recruiting acumen from day one is taking hold and her team responded with tremendous respect and bought in to a fundamentally strong program. This is what makes working in intercollegiate athletics with talented student-athletes at this level so special: The ability to endure setbacks, take them in stride and turn them into opportunities. And by the time you read this, it’s entirely possible both teams continued their winning ways, the men at Madison Square Garden and the women where the WNIT assigned them to play.

“TH iS iS W HaT M a kES W o rki N G i N i NTErco llEG iaTE aTH lETicS W iTH TalENTEd STu dENT- aTH lETES aT TH iS lEVEl So S PEcial: TH E aBi liTY To EN du rE S ETBac kS , Ta kE TH EM i N STri dE a N d Tu r N TH EM i N To o P P o rTu N iTi ES .”

– M i k E

Bo H N

We are only a few months away from our official start date in the Pac-12 Conference. The CU Pac-12 logo looks fantastic and the entire Colorado Athletic Department is highly energized to work with you to compete in our new league. Spring football practice is progressing well with Coach Embree and his high-caliber staff, quickly setting a new bar of excellence for our football enterprise. The men’s and women’s golf, tennis and track-and-field teams are also in full swing and looking forward to their final Big 12 Conference championships. Spring is here and there is a strong sense of optimism and collective pride emanating from Buffs across the country.

Thank you for being a loyal Buff Club member and playing an integral role in making so many special events and memories possible. Renewing your season tickets, making additional contributions and attending games/events is what connects you and the entire CU community together Shoulder to Shoulder that allows our entire institution to boast of a bright future.

Pete Anderson CU Sports Information Getty Images Jathan Campbell Aaron Salley

a dVi S o rY

a dVErTi S i N G

B o a r d

Josi Carlson Lindsay Lew Jo Marchi Curtis Snyder

S a lES

Chris Dolge Kevin Gollehon Casey Light Will McKinlay

The Stampede is published and produced in association with: HAAS ROCK PUBLICATIONS, LLC

P r ES i d ENT

James Merilatt

Pu B li S H Er

Doug Ottewill

P ro o fr Ea d Er

Laura Rothenfeld

The Stampede is published 7 times per year; a 48-page monthly in August, February and May; a 32-page monthly in October, November, December, April and June.

University of Colorado Foundation / Buff Club 4740 Walnut Street Boulder, CO 80301 BUFF CLUB 800.621.2833 Subscription rate for The Stampede is a gift for $100 or more per year to the Buff Club.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Buff Club, 4740 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO 80301 Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without written permission is prohibited.

Copyright 2011 / All Rights Reserved Printed in the U.S.A THE STaMPEdE IS PROUDLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER We want to hear from you! Comments regarding The Stampede can be directed to buffclub@cufund.org or 303.650.1795.

Go Buffs!

Mike Bohn

1

Compliance Corner

departments

Greetings fellow Buffs. My name is Jill Gainey and I’d like to introduce myself as the new Associate Director of Compliance for Rules Education. I come to CU from Michigan State University, where I served as the Assistant Compliance Coordinator for almost four years. I look forward to working with the Buff Nation.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself or the compliance office with any questions.

CU is responsible for its boosters and their actions. Our athletics compliance office is responsible for educating boosters in order to ensure compliance with NCAA, conference and institutional regulations.

For this month’s issue of The Stampede, I’ve selected some key compliance terms and defined them to help you better understand NCAA Rules: Representative of Athletics Interest – Also known as a booster. CU fans, friends, alumni and employees are categorized as boosters. Specifically, the NCAA has determined that a booster is an individual or business that: • Is or ever has been a contributor to the CU Athletic Department • Has ever made a donation of any kind to a specific sport program • Is or has been a member of an organization promoting CU’s athletics program (e.g., booster club) • Has ever made a donation to the Buff Club • Is a former student-athlete at CU Boulder • Is an employee, or the spouse of an employee, of the University of Colorado • Has ever purchased season tickets for any of CU’s athletic programs • Have otherwise promoted CU’s athletics programs in any manner

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i N fo cuS The glory of cu athletics captured in photos

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Prospective Student-Athletes – Also known as a PSA/recruit.

PSAs are ANY students who have started classes for the ninth grade, regardless of athletics participation. Student-athletes enrolled in preparatory school and junior colleges are also considered PSAs.

d o N o r S T o r Y Presented by adam and Elizabeth Paulsen

Recruiting – Any solicitation of a PSA or their relatives by an institutional staff member for the purpose of securing the PSA’s enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution’s athletics program. Only CU coaches are permitted to recruit PSAs. Boosters may not have any recruiting contact with PSAs.

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Q & a Jon Embree

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Po i NT a fTEr inside this issue of Stampede

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TEN TH i N G S Yo u di d N ’T k N o W a Bo uT M E Brittany Spears, cu women’s basketball

Extra Benefit – Any gift or special arrangement by a CU employee or booster provided to a PSA or current student-athlete or their relatives or friends that is not expressly permitted by the NCAA. Some examples of extra benefits include: • A special discount, payment arrangement or credit on any purchase or service • Gifts of cash, clothing or any other tangible item • Loan of money or co-signing of a loan • An automobile, use of an automobile, or any transportation expenses • Free or reduced-cost services, purchases or rentals • Employment or loan arrangements for a PSA’s or current student-athlete’s friends or relatives • Free or reduced rent or housing • Payment to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement Again, I look forward to meeting, and working with, each of you.

Go Buffs!

Jill Gainey associate director of compliance, rules Education jillian.gainey@colorado.edu 303.492.6155

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features

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Bo rN To ru N adam Salzmann went from apathy to scholarship in a sprint By Daniel Mohrmann

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lEa di N G TH E H Erd katie Hartman won’t let a season-ending injury stop her from helping her team

By Daniel Mohrmann

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a lo N G a N d S u ccES S fu l ru N Mark Wetmore takes his recipe for success to the Pac-10 By Pat Rooney

38

fo r S PEN cE The Buffs championship ski season is dedicated to a fallen comrade By Pat Rooney

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Bu i ldi N G TH E fo u N daTi o N Year one of cu basketball under Tad Boyle set the stage for great things to come By Pat Rooney

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faST claS S Without time on their side, Jon Embree and his staff land a remarkable first recruiting class By Daniel Mohrmann

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a da M S a lzM a N N W ENT fro M S cH o la rS H i P i N a S Pri NT

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By Daniel Mohrmann

When Adam Salzmann was in middle school, he was apathetic about the idea of organized competition. He had never participated in team sports and quite simply didn’t see the appeal of them. He spent most of his time riding a skateboard and simply hanging out with his friends rather than suiting up alongside teammates and competing with them. Being part of an athletic team was nothing more than an afterthought for one of CU’s all-time best track runners. Entering high school, he never imagined he would find his path in life through athletic competition.

Salzmann was a self-described “skater punk” who had never tried sports growing up.

During his freshman year at Wheat Ridge High School (Colo.), he took notice of the track team when the season began. He was not yet dreaming of competing at the Division I level; it seemed only like something he thought he should try.

“I never really cared too much about sports,” Salzmann said. “I decided my freshman year that I would give this sport a shot. You would never guess looking at me that I was a skater punk kind of kid.”

The draw to track and field for Salzmann was plain and simple – it looked like fun. Some of the events left him in awe and he leaped at the chance to perform them. Little did he know that the desire to participate in something he only viewed as a fun afterschool activity would catapult him into the CU record books in almost every event in which he would compete.

“One of my first attractions to it was actually the pole vault; I saw it on a commercial and thought that it looked fun,” Salzmann said. “Once I started doing the sport, my high school coaches were really motivating and believed in me. I love the feel of competition and going head-to-head with someone else.”

Like most athletes who begin a sport in high school, Salzmann didn’t take track all too seriously. But he did seem to enjoy running. Competing his freshman year was less about winning or losing, and more about fun and belonging. Salzmann’s friends also joined the team, allowing track to become more of a social hangout than a competitive calling. The stereotypical Division I athlete tends to work hard during his prep tenure, but that wasn’t necessarily the case for Salzmann. He wasn’t lazy, but his early track days could best be described as a a common ground for both exercise and discussing the topics of the day for him and his friends. That is, until he realized he was getting pretty darn good.

11

loVE TH E fEEl o f o M PETiTio N a N d Go i N G Ead -To - H Ead W iTH o M Eo N E ElS E .”

S a lzM a N N

Over time, Salzmann began to take notice of how well his teammates were performing. He also noted that those same teammates had a tendency to get to practice early, stretch well and use practice time to get better every day. Salzmann began to mimic his teammates and the results showed almost immediately. When he started applying himself more seriously to the sport, he realized he was running faster and jumping higher.

As he was getting better, he realized winning was also fun. Salzmann started competing at a higher level and as high school continued, he thought he had a chance to use track as a means for him to receive a good education.

“My junior and senior year (of high school) I thought I could really use track to go somewhere, get a scholarship and go to a good college,” Salzmann said. “I saw my results getting better once I started going to practice every day and staying dedicated.”

College had become the ultimate goal and Salzmann got plenty of attention from numerous in-state programs. In addition to CU, Salzmann was recruited by Colorado State, Colorado School of Mines and Western State College, among others. He briefly flirted with the idea of heading to Hawaii to play golf, but ultimately decided on staying close to home and running track.

Growing up in Colorado had made Salzmann an active person. Taking advantage of all that his home state had to offer was always second nature. When he wasn’t running track, he was hiking, fishing, hunting or simply exploring and enjoying the vast Colorado wilderness. The benefits of living in a high-altitude state not only gave Salzmann hobbies he enjoyed, but an 12

optimal training setting that would pay off on the track.

“When we’re not in season, I like to go out mountain biking and things like that,” Salzmann said. “I’m a Colorado native. I like the outdoor leisure activities.”

Although Salzmann loves the thrill of competition in general, his preference is to run outdoors. Indoor events, such as the pole vault, can lend themselves to better results. There are no added elements that can adversely affect one’s performance.

But rather than seeking impressive statistics, Salzmann relishes the increased number of events provided by the outdoor season.

Salzmann can run the 400 meter hurdles, as well as compete in the discus and javelin throws. Ultimately, he can’t wait for warm weather in order to escape the limitations of the Balch Fieldhouse, fully engrossing himself as a combined events performer.

“I love competing any chance I get, but I definitely like outdoors more,” Salzmann said. “(I love) the sunshine and not being cooped up in a little fieldhouse and I really like the events outdoors.”

For a kid who used to ride around on a skateboard and show little interest in sports, Salzmann has come to accept the sports world as a major part of his life. Once he parlayed track into a scholarship to a major university, he knew he could continue to use it to finish his education and start building a career for himself. He decided to focus his major on integrative physiology and is also very interested in sports psychology. He

has put himself in the position of being involved with athletics in some capacity after graduation.

Through integrative physiology, he has an eye on putting his major to use in the sports world.

He also feels a lot of intrigue with the psychology of athletes. Salzmann did not show a great deal of competitive drive as a youth, but found it as he got older. Now, he wants to study exactly what happens that triggers that competitive drive and how the mind of an athlete processes the thrill, excitement and stress of competition.

“I want to try to work with athletes and get into the mental side of competing because, for whatever reason, sometimes athletes get down and don’t feel motivated,” Salzmann said. “I want to see what drives that and how to fix it.”

Salzmann himself has shown no lack of motivation. In his three-plus years at Boulder, he has dedicated himself to the track team and one look at the record book proves it.

He has quietly made himself one of the all-time best track runners in CU history. Not only does he occupy a “top-three” spot in CU’s record book in multiple events, but he’s also turned in the two fastest 1,000-meter times in school history.

With yet another season on the horizon, Salzmann appears to be far from finished, as one can assume his assault on the record books is far from over. The youngster who used to cruise around sidewalks on a skateboard and who paid little attention to the small voice in his head telling him to find his stride and run for his goals, has turned into one of CU’s most prolific athletes.

lTd.

– a da M

P H oTo S : P r o - M oTi o N ,

“i c H S

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“We’d relive those years in a heartbeat.” That’s what Elizabeth Paulsen says of her days as a CU student. She and her husband, Adam, relish that period like no other time in their lives.

“I get that same feeling every time I’m up here,” Adam chimes in. “There’s just an image that just ‘sticks.’”

Their story isn’t necessarily unique –plenty of adults look fondly upon their days as college students. But the Paulsens’ story is anything but ordinary. Being a Buff is simply who they are.

It’s what they knew before college. It serves as the foundation of a beautiful, now 19-year love affair. And it’s how they will raise their children, Jack (7) and Kathryn (4).

“My mother went to CU, and I can remember going to CU football games ever since I was a little kid,” recalls Elizabeth. “Sometimes if the game was a rout, my mom would take me out and walk around the campus.

“As I got older, I was allowed to sit with friends at games. In fact, sometimes sitting in the same seats Adam and I have today on the 50.

It was a way of getting away from the parents for a little while.”

different people or places, which is great, or they can put them toward helping one thing as much as they can. We put ours toward CU.” Tickets and souvenirs for Jack and Kathryn are one thing, but Adam says increasing their financial commitment when it’s possible is important.

“It used to just be all about football,” he says.

“But now, it’s about being there. It’s about attending events and cultivating relationships.

It’s about supporting the school that has made us who we are today.”

So when it was time for college, CU was a natural fit for Elizabeth. Adam, a year older and already enrolled as a Buff, was there waiting. In December of 1992, they met, thus beginning their Adds Adam: “We want CU to be on par future as Buffs together. with Cal and Stanford. We want this school On this particular day, Jack and Kathryn are In 1999, the couple was married. And at no time to drive the state’s economy like those reveling in a new experience – having Folsom schools do in California. In a ‘long-term’ before or after were any games missed.

Field entirely to themselves. Mom and dad are of kind of way, we feel like if we’re supporting course watching (“Jack, don’t go out on the grass “It’s a family thing,” says Adam. “It’s just a CU, we’re eventually and gradually or some football guy might come tackle you,” great way for a family to spend time. Jack is supporting the overall economic health instructs Adam), but today, the hallowed field of literally brainwashed. It’s our own doing, but of our state.” the Colorado Buffaloes is empty. It’s all theirs. he’s hooked on CU. He’s fanatical.”

Days of yesteryear may be the impetus for Kathryn appears particularly interested in the Elizabeth laughs. “I wish he would study spelling the Paulsens’ support of their university. But hill just beyond the south end zone. She’s seen it’s days like today – where Jack dreams of as much as he studies CU football,” she says. cheerleaders there, but it looks different when catching passes on the green grass of Folsom she’s standing on top of it. One day, Jack wants or Kathryn imagines looking up into the But the Paulsens’ involvement has evolved, to run out of the tunnel, trailing Ralphie, just like too. CU isn’t just a place for memories or student body from the blacktop beyond the the countless players he’s watched in his “brief” football or family. It’s a passion that they’ve goalposts – and the days ahead that fuel the tenure as a CU fan. Jack doesn’t miss a game. grown to support emotionally, philosophically Paulsens’ passion for CU. He brings Buffs stuff to show and tell. He knows and financially. the drill when it comes to CU football.

In a sense, there’s really no need for the “Everyone only has so many dollars they can Paulsens to relive their days in Boulder. With Jack and Kathryn come by this curiosity naturally. use to ‘help out’ others,” says Elizabeth. their ongoing support, those days will be It’s been in the family for years.

“And they can spread them out to many enjoyed by generations to come.

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“J a c k i S l i T E r a l l Y B r a i N W a S H E d . iT’S ou r o W N do i N G , BuT H E’S H o o k Ed o N c u . H E’ S fa N aTi c a l .”

– a da M

Pau lS EN

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Ten things you didn’t know about me…

Brittany Spears

Ten

If I’m ever able to go, I think my favorite vacation spot would be Jamaica.

Eight

As a child, we had a dog, but we really didn’t get along with each other.

Six

My most memorable moment in sports was when a teammate in high school hit two free throws to win a CIF playoff game.

Four

If I could meet any athlete, it would be Kobe Bryant, because I want to know his type of focus before games.

Senior, Basketball | Pasadena/Notre dame Prep [Mass.], (Pasadena, calif.)

“ TH E 18

Two My favorite book is The coldest Winter Ever because once I picked it up, I could not put it down. I read it over and over again.

Nine The furthest place I’ve been from Colorado is New Jersey.

Seven Strawberry cheesecake is my favorite ice cream flavor.

Five I got involved with basketball by living next to a park and just doing what the boys were doing.

Three One of my favorite movies is He Got Game. That was my favorite movie because I wanted that to be my life, but it did not turn out that way.

One When I was growing up, I wanted to be a fireman or policeman.

CU’s all time leading scorer

fu rTH EST PlacE i’ VE BEEN f r o M c o lo r a d o i S N EW J Er S EY.” – B riTTa NY

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kaTi E H a rTM a N W o N ’T lET a S EaS o N EN di N G i NJ u rY STo P H Er fro M H ElPi N G H Er TEa M

By Daniel Mohrmann

It is often said that a team can only go as far as its leader can carry it. If that saying holds true, the CU ski team is in for a long and successful season, despite the loss of one of its top performers.

Senior Katie Hartman has been a captain for the women skiers since her freshman year at Colorado. She has earned multiple All-American selections and has aspired to ski for the U.S. national team. Her outlook at this year’s NCAA Championships was strong. After four years of impressive performances, the stage was set for her senior swan song.

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Just two days after winning a gold medal in the super-G at the World University Games in eastern Turkey, Hartman tore the ACL and partially tore the MCL in her left knee. The injury was a devastating blow for both Hartman and the Buffs, but her competitive drive has allowed her to remain with the team to keep doing whatever she can to help them be successful.

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But those aspirations were abruptly put on hold on January 31st.

“ iT’ S P ro B a B lY o N E o f TH E HardEST TH i N GS You Go TH rou G H a S a N aT H lET E .”

– kaTi E

H a rTM a N

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“i’M N oT Goo d aT BEi N G i NJurEd o r B Ei N G P aTi E N T.” – kaTi E

H a rTM a N

“It’s one of the most brutal things you can go through: to be injured and be forced to watch your team,” Hartman said. “It’s probably one of the hardest things you go through as an athlete.”

Although she can’t compete, Hartman has continued to travel with the team whenever she can to give her teammates the boost and encouragement they need. She plans on attending the NCAA Championships in Stowe, Vermont, to cheer for her team.

Since her injury, she has adapted to a new role with the team; in a sense, Hartman has become a “coach” of sorts. Attending practices with her teammates day-in and day-out has allowed Hartman to observe each skier’s strengths and weaknesses. The door is now open for the active members of the ski team to get feedback from a teammate who’s arguably the most experienced and respected member of the squad.

“Sometimes, it’s hard to go to a coach right away,” Hartman said. “A couple of them come to me and I’m able to give them a different kind of feedback.”

That feedback extends beyond the direct competition and into preparation for upcoming tournaments. Just as if she were gearing up with them, Hartman continues to preach words of drive and focus. Her insistence on remaining with the team has given her counterparts something that every team needs – leadership.

“I’m out for six months from what they tell me, but I’m always a competitor and I’m hoping to beat that out and get on the slopes the first day in the fall,” Hartman said. “I would love to compete for the Buffs in the NCAAs and be able to help bring home a national title for CU.” 22

P H oTo S : P r o - M oTi o N ,

Hartman is trying not to let her injury put a premature end to her collegiate skiing career.

She has already begun the process of applying for a medical hardship, which would allow her to compete in the 2011-12 season. That potential fifth season would allow Hartman another shot to help the Buffs win another national championship.

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“I’m definitely trying to help more through coaching,” Hartman said. “I’m just trying to make sure everyone is in the top mental and physical state they can be in before they go into regionals and the NCAA championships.”

In the meantime, through the course of Hartman’s rehab, the snow will melt off the peaks and she’ll have to get her strength back by being active in places other than the slopes. Luckily for her, Hartman is an active person by nature and should have no problem getting back into skiing shape by the time next season rolls around.

“I like to lift and ride my bike and do yoga and anything else along those sort of things,” Hartman said. “This injury is definitely going to put all of those on the backburner. For me, I’m such an active person and always kind of trying to be outside. This is a new thing for me. I’m not good at being injured or being patient.”

Patience is something that will have to come to Hartman over time. Her injury has given her the chance to help her teammates in whatever way possible. Ideally, they can learn from one of the best, since she now has time to impart her knowledge of the sport. But she is starting to figure out that the learning process is a two-way street. Hartman has discovered that being sidelined with an injury can help an athlete hone their leadership abilities; it’s an important lesson she has learned from none other than the teammates she’s trying to help.

“I think I learn more from my teammates than they learn from me,” Hartman said. “I’ve learned a lot about how to be a team captain and how to be there for everybody.”

Perhaps the hardest lesson to learn has been relying on others to help. As a team captain, Hartman has always taken the initiative to accomplish everything she needs to for both herself and for the team. An injury such as a torn ACL requires not only help in the area of rehabilitation, but also help in everyday life. This has been one of the more difficult adjustments Hartman has had to make.

“I don’t really ask for help much and this injury has really made me take a step back and ask for help,” Hartman said. “They taught me that it’s okay to ask for help and being the team captain; they come to you and ask for help. I’ve learned that from them, that I can turn around and ask for help.”

After undergoing surgery to repair the damage to her knee, Hartman hopes to begin light physical activity quickly. The competitive fire that burns inside her is anxious to begin the process that will lead her back to the Buffs’ ski team, a family that has national championship aspirations each and every year. But before she walks, she needs to learn to crawl once again.

The road to rehab will be a long one, but Hartman is anxious to take the initial steps that will lead to her return to the slopes. Once she is cleared, it’s hard to imagine that she will take something as basic as jogging for granted. At this point, however, she yearns to throw on a pair of running shoes and start getting back into competing shape.

“I’m hoping to be able to start running shortly and progressively doing more things directly related to the sport,” Hartman said.

Until she is flying down the slopes with her teammates, Hartman will continue to be a leader and a source of inspiration to the Buffs as they make their run toward the NCAA championships.

Although the damage to her knee robbed her of an opportunity to compete next to her friends, she will maintain her role as captain for the remainder of the season. In essence, the Buffs didn’t lose a teammate; instead, they gained an extra coach and additional motivation.

More than anything, Hartman wants to achieve the level at which she was competing before her injury.

As she works her way back, she hopes – at the very least – she can provide the advice and leadership that is so commonly seen on championship teams.

“I think because I talk a lot, I do come off as the team leader, but on this team, the entire team is so strong and well put together,” Hartman said.

“Everybody has different qualities to make this team one of the best teams here at CU. I do try to be a leader and to push this team to greater heights and expectations. As a whole, everybody on this team is strong and has a piece that makes this team as great and as successful as it is.”

Hartman will not be knifing down the slopes at this year’s NCAA championships, but her presence will undoubtedly be of value to the Buffs.

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“Y c c Y

o a a o

u caN ’T G ET So fT. You N ’T PlaY Go lf. a N d You N ’T Ta kE Su N daYS o ff. u H a V E To STaY r ElE N TlES S .”

W ETM o rE

P H oTo : P r o - M oTi o N ,

lTd.

– M a r k

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M a r k

W ETM o rE

Ta k ES

H iS

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fo r

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Pac -10

Few coaches have been as synonymous with success at the University of Colorado as Mark Wetmore. Now in his 16th season as the leader of the Buffaloes’ cross country and track and field programs, Wetmore’s résumé in Boulder is bursting with highlights.

Wetmore has led the Buffaloes to five team national championships since 2000, while his athletes have won 47 individual conference championships and 16 NCAA titles overall. During his tenure, Colorado athletes have collected 220 All-American honors, and his teams have won 26 conference championships.

With the spring season in bloom and the Buffaloes bracing for the upcoming move into the Pac-10 Conference, Wetmore spoke with The Stampede to discuss the secrets to his programs’ sustained success, the triumphs of his internationally acclaimed alums, and the impact the conference shift will have on his programs.

IS THERE ANy dIFFERENCE IN THE TyPE OF STUdENT-ATHLETES IN THE PROgRAM NOW COMPAREd TO yOUR EARLy yEARS OF COACHINg? I don’t notice that big a difference. The athletes then were hungry to be good, and the ones who end up lasting here now are the same way.

HOW ABOUT IN RECRUITINg? HAS yOUR APPROACH CHANgEd AT ALL OvER THE yEARS? Again, I don’t think there is that much of a difference. Opponents come and go. People are hot for a while and then they go away. But there are always good schools with good coaches recruiting against us. It’s always a lot of work.

WHAT IS THE BIggEST KEy TO HOW yOUR PROgRAM HAS SUSTAINEd ITS LOFTy LEvEL OF SUCCESS? I think any coach will tell you that you have to stay on top of recruiting. If you get lazy there, you don’t get the talent. And then we have to recruit a certain disposition here – somebody who isn’t looking for multi-million dollar facilities and a lot of bells and whistles. Myself and my staff, we have to show up every day. You can’t get soft. You can’t play golf. And you can’t take Sundays off.

You have to stay relentless.

IS IT A SOURCE OF PRIdE TO yOU WHEN yOUR FORMER BUFFALOES ENjOy SUCCESS AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEvEL?

When people leave us and go on in their careers and continue to be successful, you like to think that is a testimony to them being treated correctly here. They weren’t used up or burned out. So that is rewarding. dOES IT BECOME A KEy RECRUITINg TOOL WHEN FORMER CU RUNNERS SUCCEEd INTERNATIONALLy? I think male recruits are more attracted to a school because of well-known or visible athletes from the school. Certainly it helps to have a Jen (Barringer) or a Jorge (Torres); it raises the visibility of the program. But sometimes there are athletes that are intimidated that say, “I’ll wait until that person is gone.”

WHO ARE THE ATHLETES TO WATCH IN THIS SPRINg’S OUTdOOR SEASON? It’s a little hard to predict exactly how strong a team we’ll field in May, because we still are making some decisions on redshirts and stuff like that. We move into the Pac-12 less than a year from now, and it may make sense to sit some people down and save a year of eligibility for when we move into that conference.

Those decisions haven’t been made yet. But we’re making progress across the board. Of course, the distance program is strong and will need to remain strong. We have some multi-event people that are making nice progress. Our relatively new sprint coach, Drew Morano, has done some excellent recruiting this year, and a year from now that talent will make a

difference. It’s always a building year, but this year it might be a little quiet due to those personnel decisions going into the Pac-12.

WHAT WILL THE CONFERENCE MOvE MEAN TO yOUR PROgRAM, WHICH dOES NOT FACE THE SAME SORT OF LEAgUE SCHEdULE SEEN IN SPORTS SUCH AS BASKETBALL ANd FOOTBALL? It will be different than sports like, say, volleyball and basketball – teams that play a conference schedule.

We really only have a Big 12 cross (country) meet, a Big 12 indoor track meet, and a Big 12 outdoor track meet. We almost never face any of those teams at any other time. So, it changes the location of the cross country meet. The Pac-12 does not sponsor indoor track at all. And then it changes the location of the outdoor track meet. Now, having said that, we have scored the bulk of our points at the Big 12-level at the middle and long distances. The Pac-12 will be an extremely competitive conference in those events. We may have to rearrange our recruiting down the road.

I’m not sure. The Pac-12 will be the strongest middle and long distance conference in the history of the NCAA next year. dO yOU BELIEvE THE INCREASEd ExPOSURE ALONg THE WEST COAST WILL IMPACT RECRUITINg? Maybe. We haven’t noticed that yet. People ask me that a lot. I guess I’m going to predict that things will stay about the same. I won’t be really surprised if we get inquiries from more West Coast folks.

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“W H EN PEo PlE lEaVE uS a N d Go o N i N TH Ei r carEErS a N d co NTi N uE To BE Su ccESS fu l, You li kE To TH i N k THaT iS a TESTi M o NY To TH EM BEi N G Tr EaTEd c o r r EcTlY H Er E. TH EY W ErEN ’T uS Ed u P o r Bu rN Ed o uT. S o T H aT i S r EW a r d i N G .”

– M a r k 26

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Q&A

daW N o f a N EW Era W iTH a N o ld Bu ff lEa di N G TH E H Erd, cu STo r M S a H Ea d i NTErVi EW BY do u G oTTEW i ll, W iTH S ElEcT Q u ESTi o N S BY B.G . B ro o kS

For better or worse, there are times when a change simply needs to be made.

The Colorado Buffaloes football program under Dan Hawkins had sputtered, and ultimately the university decided a coaching change was in order.

But this was not to be just any coaching change. This was to be an overhaul.

It was a call to get back to basics, a call to reinstate the pride that once filled the air on a crisp fall day in Boulder, Colo.

To accomplish this resurrection would require not only the skill and know-how of a great football coach, but also the memory of what a similar program looked and felt like. Such a transformation is never easy, but having been a part of something similar – in the very same place – could be of great assistance.

That’s what Jon Embree brought to the table. Embree, a former Buff who saw first hand the evolution of a program – from downtrodden to greatness – was the man for the job. That’s what athletic director Mike Bohn believed.

That’s what a committee made up of only those who loved the Buffs believed. And ultimately, that’s what Embree believed.

And while the process of turning around a football program can be difficult or even lengthy, it began – in full force – the very second Jon Embree accepted the challenge.

Yet there is work to do. And that’s exactly why Stampede caught up with the coach while it was still possible. As anyone will attest, Embree is a busy man, anxiously and diligently redirecting the fortunes of the Buffs.

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P H oTo : P r o - M oTi o N ,

And from the looks of it, he’s working toward that already. With time not exactly on his side (13 days to be exact), Embree, along with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, turned in an impressive recruiting class. While the Buffs have yet to take a snap under Embree, it could be argued that things are already looking up.

lTd.

“I want kids who want to build and add to the tradition, not take from it,” Embree said the day after taking over the reins at CU.

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Q&A J o N

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dumbbell in the weight room. In modern college football, much has been made about facilities, bells and whistles. Where do you weigh in on that?

What do I want from a facilities standpoint? If we need better computer rooms for our studentathletes, then let’s get it for them. If we need better food at the training table, then let’s get that for them. If we need a treadmill that you can run on underwater for rehab, then let’s get that. That’s the stuff you need – I believe.

(Those things) help your athletes directly. New buildings don’t affect your athletes directly. Nice Under you, what’s this team going to be all locker rooms? Yeah, they affect you. But does it about? One of the criticisms of dan Hawkins have to be a special kind of wood? Does it have was that his team didn’t necessarily have an to have certain engravings on everything? No. That’s where I am with the facilities. I consider identity. They weren’t really a defense-first team; they weren’t really a running team; myself a “need guy.” I just don’t go get stuff that they weren’t really a passing team. Who will I want; I get stuff that I need. I believe if you get your Buffs be? caught up in keeping up with the Joneses, and We’ll be physical. We’re going to run the football. trying to have the best this or the best that, you And we’re going to be good on special teams. We spoil those guys. There’s a certain badge you have to be. That’s what it’s going to be. I always ask guys to wear at the University of Colorado. believe that a team is a reflection of the head There’s a certain badge about having to walk up coach. When people see our team play, they’ll see that hill every day. There was a certain badge a team that’s physical, a team out there having about “Okay, well, we don’t have a bubble. We’re fun. I hope they see all of those things. At the practicing outside for the Big 12 (Championship) end of the day, if you’re not having fun – football and it’s 12 degrees and it’s dimly lit.” Our guys is a hard game – if you’re not having fun while were out there saying, “We’re going to kill Texas you do it, you’re really in trouble. You’ll know because we know they aren’t working like we what our team identity is. You won’t be sitting are.” There’s a fine line with facilities between in the stands wondering, “Are they this? Or are needing things and wanting things. they that?” We’ll play to our defense; there will be times when we have to rely on our defense to Maybe this is reading between the lines, but don’t you think if you’re talking to the kid win. There will be times when we’ll have to rely on a blocked kick or something on special teams. who’s enamored by posh digs, Tvs in the locker But our team is going to play a physical brand room, etc., you’ve got the wrong kind of kid? of football, with emotion and passion. And we’re Right. Exactly. I want kids who want to build and going to have fun doing it. add to the tradition, not take from it.

In the press conference following your hiring, you mentioned that one day you’d like Bill McCartney’s job. Talk about this as your dream job. What’s it like to get one’s dream job?

It hasn’t sunken in yet. I’ve been so busy doing things – obviously a lot of work to do. But it feels good. There’s a sense of responsibility, a sense of obligation to the people from the past who have helped build this. I’ve got to make sure this is done right. So, it’s a satisfying feeling, but there’s also a feeling of a lot of responsibility.

you’ve said that when you arrived on campus as a freshman football player, you had one 30

Many people cite the fact that a stiffer academic admissions process has hurt CU.

What conversations have you had with Mike Bohn and Phil diStefano on those fronts?

They’ll work with me. But at the same time, I don’t want to bring a kid in who can’t do the work because then he gets you twice because he gets you on your APR. As a coach, you have to get kids who can do the work first. Now if they can do the work, and they don’t match up on the admissions, that’s where the give and take has to take place. you’ve been around a lot of great coaches – Fred Tesone at Cherry Creek, Bill McCartney at CU, Mike Shanahan in the pros, and many others. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from each?

Fred Tesone, he’d let his coaches coach. Coach Mac was a leader and a motivator. From Rick Neuheisel, I learned to be yourself – good, bad or indifferent, be yourself. From Karl Dorrell, I learned that if you don’t have proper support, you’re going to struggle. Herm Edward is great at relationships. Herm was great in having relationships with players. He was able to get on guys the right way, where he wasn’t just dogcussing them, but he could still get on them. He had a great relationship where they’d respond to him. Coach Shanahan is details and focus; he’s on a whole different level.

Speaking of Tesone, you won a state title with Cherry Creek High School (over Regis in 1982). go back to those times. What’s your greatest memory from those high school teams? How do those experiences help you as a recruiter?

I think it’s imperative that we keep local athletes here. When I look back at this program turning, there was a commitment from some in-state kids. Eric McCarty, David Tate, Barry Helton, Sam Smith, Ed Reinhardt. We had some guys who

“You TEll TH EM You TEll TH EM arE diffErEN c co lo rado a N d – a N d THaT’ – J o N

decided, “Hey, we’re going to stay here.” I mean, we all could have gone to legitimate places, and all of them, at that time, were significantly better than Colorado. But we all chose to stay together to see what we could do. Basically, we wanted to show people what the state of Colorado was all about. I think you have to continue that. So, when I talk to an in-state kid, I’ve been where he’s at.

I was sitting on that couch when a coach from Ohio State, Earle Bruce, was trying to tell me to come to Ohio State or Terry Donahue was trying to tell me to come to UCLA. So I understand that.

I understand, especially nowadays, sometimes kids want to go to what’s automatically a winner; sometimes, kids don’t want to invest in building something. But part of building something means you have an opportunity. Sometimes, you go get on that bandwagon and all you do is sit in the backseat. You never get to drive the bus.

Obviously, with the state of our program, there’s going to be opportunities for younger kids to come in here and make an impact. That’s one of the things I’m going to show them. The best player is going to play. If you’re a true freshman, you play. If you’re a fifth-year senior, you’re going to play. There’s no such thing as seniority. My job, and I’ll tell this to my team, and I told this to my son at UCLA, my job, every year, is to find 25 guys who can beat out the 22 starters. That’s my job. If they can’t, that means those starters that I have are doing a good job. If they can beat them out, then that means I have some really good players. But either way, we’re going to have good players. But there has to be that sense of competitiveness, and you can’t let players get complacent. That’s one thing that will kill your program – if you get complacent.

Is that one of your big pitches? you weren’t playing when CU won its national title, but in many ways, it was your group, your era, that started heading in that

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direction. Is your pitch to say, “do this, because it’s rewarding”?

Yes it is. I know when I look back, it’s something I think of fondly. I want selfless players. When I look back and realize that sometimes you give up some things, I realize we went from a passing offense, in which I’m a key component, to a wishbone offense, where I’m the 11th man. Do you stay or do you go? I decided to stay because I came to Colorado to help turn Colorado around, not to highlight Jon Embree. And it worked out because we won. All of a sudden, seven wins was the norm. Then it was nine wins. Then, the program goes to 12. Then, we hit that stretch where an eight-win season was “bad.” In my last year at UCLA, we won 10 games. And they made a big deal out of it, because it was like their sixth 10-win season. But when I coached at Colorado, I won 10 games or more four times. It became the standard. It had been built. That’s what this place can be. It’s not going to happen next year.

It’s not going to happen the next year. Yeah, it can happen, but that doesn’t mean you’ve sustained it. I told the team that you know you’re a legitimate program when a kid comes in there, and he’s there at least four years, he’s going to get a ring. Then, you’ve arrived. Then, you have a program. That’s the goal here – to get us to that point. I don’t know how long that’s going to take, but that’s the goal. At the end of the day, if you’re here for four years, you’ll get a ring.

Folks who know Eric Bieniemy from his Colorado days know him as a fiery, emotional leader. Is that the whole story? What else does he bring to your sideline?

He’s a very good coach. I don’t think people understand that passion and emotion only take you so far. That doesn’t work when you’re consistently getting beat. You have to have some substance about you, and there’s a lot to Eric Bieniemy that people don’t know. He’s a very,

very good coach. People have this misnomer that, “Oh, well, he coached the running backs.

How hard is it to teach someone to run?” Well, it’s very hard. There’s reads. There’s footwork.

You have to be able to pass block and protect the quarterback. You have to know what route you have. It’s not just being able to take the ball and run. There are a lot of guys in the NFL, the successful ones, like the Broncos when they’ve had all those successful backs, who are that way because of guys like Bobby Turner, who is a hell of a coach, can teach and get that out of them.

Terrell Davis? Sixth-round draft pick, right? He’s this great player; well if he was such a good runner, and it was so easy, then why did he go to the sixth round? Running back coaches, I believe, get a bad rap. There are a lot of great backs who flamed out in the NFL. If it’s just that easy to run it, then how come some guys – Ki-Jana Carter, you could name a lot of them – didn’t make it?

All they had to do was run the ball. Why didn’t they make it?

Why was it important for you to bring him with you, to essentially come to CU as a team? How much of the interview process dealt with you guys working in tandem?

In the interview process, they ask you who is going to be on your staff. You have to present that. He was on my list, so that’s when they knew that if I got the job, he’d be coming with me. And I was on his list, too. This is something (Eric and I) talked about from day one. If we ever had that opportunity, and not just at Colorado, but if we ever had that opportunity to go somewhere and do something together, let’s do it. We really work well together, and we’ve had success together where we’ve been. It’s just this weird synergy between us. you’ve been very meticulous about hiring your staff. What’s your philosophy on that front?

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“You G ro W aS a PErSo N W H EN You’rE N oT i N You r co M fo rT zo N E. i f You STaY i N You r o W N liTTlE W o rld, You’rE N EVEr Go i N G To G r o W a S a P Er S o N .”

– J o N

I wanted guys around here who wanted to be here, first off. You look at my desk, all these résumés and stacks of notes. I’ve gotten 18 million text messages from guys wanting jobs.

I don’t want people who want jobs; I want people who want to be here. What you’ve got to understand is, when you don’t have (multi-year) contracts, guys who thought they wanted to work with you don’t want to work anymore. They’ll say, “What do you mean I don’t have a contract?”

You have to have people who aren’t afraid of that situation. But at the same time, they have to know that “I’m good as long as coach is there” just doesn’t work here. I have to do what is best for this program (when it comes to replacing assistants). So it takes some people who have a little bit of passion for this place.

EM B rEE

done. That’s first off. Second off, if it was such a bad place, then why do people like Deon Figures, Charles Johnson, Alfred Williams – you can go on and on – why are they coming back and living in Colorado. These are guys who have enough money, they don’t have to do anything they don’t want to; they can live anywhere they want in the country and they pick Colorado. That’s how you do it. You just have to tell them. Is it going to be easy? No, it’ll be difficult at times. Maybe you don’t see a lot of people who look like you, but that doesn’t make it right or wrong.

the best place to come play, and if that’s good enough for them, if they have a good enough experience here on their trip and feel like this is the place to be, then we’ll flip ‘em. But I’m not going to point out negatives with the other schools.

during your press conference announcing the new recruits, you mentioned a lesson that Coach Mac instilled in you regarding the recruiting process. What was that?

Coach Mac had a great saying: “It’s not the guy you don’t get; it’s the guy you get who can’t play Is that unique to CU, or does a kid who’s being for you.” That’s what hurts you. recruited to an SEC or Big 10 school have the Are kids the same? Are there adjustments same question? you’ll have to make?

No. It’s not unique to CU, but there are other At the (NFL) Combine, you have an 8 o’clock schools. I mean, I’m sure there isn’t a high meeting; the guy shows up at 7:55. You show during your opening press conference, some African-American population in Corvallis or in asked you about being CU’s first minority Eugene or in Pullman, Washington, or Manhattan, up at a high school to see a kid, he shows up at 8:02. I’ve got to get used to that; it bothers head football coach. To that, you replied: “At Kansas. Those programs seem to do fine. It’s me a little bit. That aspect of it has changed. the end of the day, I’m a football coach. There anywhere you go to college. That’s just how it There are some kids out there with a little more is no category for how many games a black is. But also, you grow as a person when you’re coach won or how many games a white coach not in your comfort zone. If you stay in your entitlement. But to me, that shows you a kid you won. It’s how many games did you win. It’s may not want in your program. I want kids who own little world, you’re never going to grow as a just a W and an L there, and I have to stack person. You’re going to miss out on a lot of great want to come and add, build on the tradition – up W’s.” While this is true, in the past, CU has opportunities. You’re going to miss out on great not what are we going to do for them. had a reputation, right or wrong, of not being relationships with other people. To sit there and “minority friendly.” do you get that question? say, “Well, I only want to be here because this is Right off the bat, what’s your biggest Is that something you and Eric Bieniemy aim where I’m most comfortable,” you lose. challenge here at CU? to define and/or clarify? If a kid sits down I don’t look at things like that, like this is going across from you and says, “Hey, Coach, this to be the “hardest” or this is going to be the With regard to recruiting, how do you is what I’m hearing,” what do you tell them? approach the competition with other schools? “easiest.” I look at this as “the complete job.”

You tell them the truth. You tell them that there When you start looking at things like that, to me, How do you differentiate CU from other are differences here at Colorado and in Boulder it just distorts things. This whole job is tough. If schools a prospect might be considering?

– and that’s okay. I can tell them, “I did it. Eric Coaches can say whatever they want – our staff, it wasn’t, Dan Hawkins would still be sitting here.

Bieniemy came out of L.A. and he did it. Kanavis we’re not going to operate like that. We’re going I’m here because of the situation of the program.

McGhee did it and he came out of Houston.

The goal is that when (a kid) comes in here, to sell the kid on what we have. Every school Vance Joseph and Kordell Stewart made it out they get a ring at least once every four years – a has something that’s wrong with them. Yeah, of Marrero, Louisiana. Michael Westbrook made I’m biased. This is the best place in the world as Pac-10 championship ring or whatever it may be. it out of Detroit, Michigan.” So it’s not like we’re far as I’m concerned, but it might not be a great And so, to do that, it’s a process. You want to build asking them to do something that’s never been fit for them. I’m going to tell them why this is it and do it right. We have a heck of a schedule 33

Q&A J o N

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On the flip side, what’s your biggest advantage?

My staff and our knowledge of this university.

Recruiting is selling three things – opportunity, the university and yourself. If you can do those three things, you can get guys. If you can’t sell those three things, you’re not getting them.

What’s a realistic expectation for CU fans on an annual basis?

Next year, fans can expect to come to the game and see a team that will fight you. Flat out, just want to fight you. We’ll compete. We’ll play fun.

We’ll play with energy and passion. The team

they can expect next year will play like that, but they’ll surprise some people. There are going to be a lot of doubts about them, about me, about other people. And that’s great. The thing about sports is, it doesn’t matter what they say; it’s like I tell the players, it’s what you do. They can say whatever: He’s a first-year coach. He’s a first-year coordinator. Why do they have this guy?

They didn’t get this recruit. That’s great. We get to play the game and see who’s right and who’s wrong. So, that’s what fans can see next year.

Then down the road, hopefully we’re seeing the goal – four years and somebody got a ring.

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next year and I’m excited about it. It’s a tough schedule and that’s great. As a college football player, those games are the games you remember.

That’s why you go to college. This graduating class, for example, if they’re not talking about the time they beat Georgia, or the time they beat Oklahoma, and they’re talking about how they beat Eastern Washington, then something’s wrong. I understand that there will be challenges. That’s fine. You don’t want it to be easy. It’s just like I tell the players, “It will be hard, but at the end of the day, it will be worth it.” Nothing worthwhile is easy. It’s just one big challenge.

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S ElflESS EM B rEE

P H oTo : P r o - M oTi o N ,

lTd.

– J o N

P l aY Er S .”

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SkiTeam Building Renamed In Memory Of Bryan Sax

By Curtis Snyder Reprinted from Cubuffs.com

BOULDER - The University of Colorado ski team building on CU’s east campus has been renamed the Bryan Benjamin Sax Ski Team Building in memory of the former alpine skier who was killed December 6, 2008, a mid-air collision between two small planes in the Florida Everglades at the age of 37.

The building has been home to Colorado Skiing since 1990 and is currently undergoing renovation.

The first phase is complete and includes a new locker room, a trophy wall and a team lounge.

The next phase will focus on the other side of the building and will add additional office for coaches and staff, an area to review video and an update to the waxing and equipment room. A significant gift from the Sax family got the project moving forward.

“Bryan was always fun to be around,” CU head coach Richard Rokos said. “He was a dream studentathlete for any team sport. Bryan’s family hosted our whole team anytime we competed in Aspen and his family has always been a big supporter of our team. I am thrilled they made the decision to financially support our program. I can’t express enough how much this renovation was needed and will help our program for its extended future.”

The trophy wall eloquently displays CU’s rich ski tradition that includes 17 national championships, 25 RMISA championships, including this season, and countless individual awards including 396 All-America citations from 172 athletes and 81 individual NCAA Championships from 61 athletes.

Sax himself counts in both all of those numbers, winning the individual NCAA Championship in the giant slalom at the 1995 NCAA Championships, helping the Buffs to a team victory and earning first-team All-America honors. He was a team 36

02.04.71–12.06.08

“H E WaS a drEa M STudENTaTH lETE fo r a NY TEa M S P o rT.” – ri cH a rd captain, a four year letterwinner and recipient of the team’s Buddy Werner Award. He is the most recent national champion in the men’s giant slalom at CU. Sax’s collegiate career was a storybook one, starting on CU’s development team, a squad put together in hopes of one day making the varsity team, and ending five years later as an individual and national champion. He posted seven top 10 finishes and graduated with

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degrees in business administration, finance and small business management. He had the special opportunity of sharing his CU skiing experience with his sister Rachael, who was also on the team.

Bryan’s wife Christy, daughter Zaya and stepson Dante still live in Aspen where Bryan was born on February 4, 1971. His daughter Hannah attends the Whiteman Academy in Steamboat Springs where she is pursuing her own ski-racing career.

Colorado Skiing 2011 NCAA Champs!

On behalf of the Buff Club, congratulations to the CU ski team for clenching the 2011 Skiing NCAA title for the Buffs!

Thank you to all of the Buff Club members who support this impressive group of student-athletes.

If you would like to make a gift to the CU ski team, there are three main funds to consider: • Spencer Nelson Memorial Fund in support of scholarships and operational needs • Jimmie Heuga Endowment Fund in support of scholarships and operational needs • Bryan Sax Family Ski Enhancement Fund in support of capital improvement needs Please contact the Buff Club at 303.492.2200 to make your gift today.

gO BUFFS! 37

The Buffs Championship ski season is dedicated to a fallen comrade

By Pat Rooney

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“Every day is a hard day.”

– Katie Hartman

It is a rare thing when Richard Rokos gets a few days all to himself. As the ski coach at the University of Colorado, those moments invariably occur in the summer, when the native of the Czech Republic can review the season gone by while plotting the next moves for his championship-hoarding program.

Last August, Rokos was spending a few days indulging in one of his biggest non-skiing passions by traveling by motorcycle to Sturgis, N.D., for the annual Black Hills Motorcycle Rally. Such downtime scenarios often provide a much-needed psychological reboot for coaches who otherwise are completely consumed by recruiting, training schedules and all the other requisite headaches that come with running a championship NCAA program. Rokos was a million miles away from the stressors of running the Buffaloes’ program.

Then, the phone rang, and life intruded cruelly.

teammate. Colorado dedicated its season to Nelson, whose spirit has shined through at every meet.

“Every day is a hard day. When you’re with a full team and everyone is together for full days, it’s a tough day because you’re always hoping he’s there,” senior skier Katie Hartman said. “Especially at races, when everyone is there, you wish he was there with the team supporting everyone because he was such a huge factor and part of this team. He had such charisma and team spirit.

“The one thing about this team that is pretty amazing is the fact we have been able to rally around it and use it to an advantage for us. We’ve won pretty much every meet this year and we are going into the NCAAs just as strong, or even stronger, as we have in years past, because there is such a huge factor behind every single one of us to do it for Spencer and to be able to bring home a title dedicating our year for him. It definitely has been a huge emotional uplift for us.”

Rokos doesn’t remember the exact words, but he recalls the chilling message clearly enough. Spencer Nelson, a 20-year old who was one of the most promising young racers on the Buffaloes’ team, was dead.

Nelson’s time with the Buffaloes was short – too short – yet he made an indelible impact.

More than six months have passed since Nelson, an avid outdoorsman from Winter Park, died in a tragic climbing accident on the Maroon Bells outside of Aspen. As the Buffaloes have taken aim at the NCAA national championships in Stowe, Vermont, their thoughts rarely have strayed from their fallen

During his freshman season, Nelson notched nine top-20 finishes and turned in a solid performance during CU’s second-place finish at the 2010 NCAA finals, placing 21st in the giant slalom and 23rd in the slalom. Even more impressionable, however, was Nelson’s infectious enthusiasm. Rarely did

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Eye In The Sky The Buffs narrowly avoid tragedy Since August, the University of Colorado ski team has been dealing with the tragic death of 20-year-old Spencer Nelson, a beloved teammate who was killed in a hiking accident. In late February, the Buffaloes were counting their blessings over how they narrowly avoided another tragedy.

On Feb. 20, head ski coach Richard Rokos was driving the first of two vans transporting the club through Boulder Canyon to a training run at Eldora Mountain Resort. On a route Rokos and the Buffaloes have traveled more times than they could count, disaster nearly struck as the vans lost control over a patch of black ice.

“It was like a booby trap.

It just created a layer of ice, and you come in there with no expectation of it.”

– Richard Rokos Rokos’ lead van slid into an embankment and tipped over on its side.

CU’s second van slid across the center line and collided with an oncoming minivan. Yet when the icy dust settled, no one was injured.

“Miracles happen once in a while, and this one was one of them. Everybody survived without scratches,” Rokos said. “It was all ice. They had been pushing snow and ice to the side of the road for a couple days, and the evening before it was warm. It was running all over the road because of the tilt of the road, and it froze overnight. It was like a booby trap. It just created a layer of ice, and you come in there with no expectation of it. There was no anticipation.”

Skiing is a sport that requires nerve and a willingness to perform in the face of imminent danger. Most of the Buffaloes have suffered significant leg injuries during their careers, yet all of them managed to go unscathed in what easily could have been a terrible accident.

And it was not lost on the Buffaloes that their fallen teammate may have been looking out for them.

“I’ve been driving it (the route) for 23 years, and I don’t know any accident that has ever occurred,” Rokos said. “I feel bad this interrupted my record – for that long of a time nothing happened. I’m glad when it did happen, no one got injured.”

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he miss an opportunity to make a teammate laugh or smile, a trait that earned Nelson the Lucie Hanusova Memorial Award, which is awarded to the athlete that best “overcomes adversity and challenges with smiles and enthusiasm.”

That sounds like an awesome thing.’ So I was really into it, but then I found out we had to move in on the day he wanted to go, so I couldn’t go. There are not even words you can say to talk about it. It’s crazy.”

No matter where he finished in a given race, Nelson always finished first when it came to doling out smiles and enthusiasm.

For Rokos, the fallout once he received the painful news in North Dakota was both dizzying and overwhelming. Immediately, he hopped on his Harley and blazed a trail back to Boulder, his thoughts a mess with the memories of other CU skiers that had fallen prematurely over the years.

“When we do have our hard days, or when one of us starts getting down or something starts happening, all of us pull through and kind of say, ‘What would Spencer think?’” Hartman said. “That has been helping us all too, because we know Spencer would be up there shaking his fist if we weren’t plowing through and using who he was and what he was as a Buff to get us through those hard days.

Less than two years earlier, former Buffaloes skier Bryan Sax perished in a small plane crash over the Everglades. Most glaring were the sudden rush of memories about Laura Flood, the CU skier who died from injuries she sustained during a training run in 1989 as Rokos stood nearby.

“I was really close to Spence. I had known him for a while, but last year with him being a freshman and me being a little older, I kind of took him under my wing. It worked out like we were brother and sister,” recalls Hartman.

While Nelson’s death rocked the entire CU program, Hartman was one of the Buffaloes with whom the shock struck a little more rudely. Hartman was one of Nelson’s roommates during the summer of 2010. Moreover, Hartman originally was planning to join Nelson on the hike that fateful day. While the thought, “What if?” inevitably creeps its way through Hartman’s mind on occasion, she, like her teammates, has fought to keep their memories of Nelson positive.

Rokos had been through this before. Although experiencing such tragedies never fully steels anyone from succumbing to emotion, Rokos came to realize during his long journey back to Colorado that there had to be a way his team could make something positive out of Nelson’s untimely death.

They had to find a way. To do otherwise would go against the instinctive

“I lived with him all summer and I was supposed to go on that hike with him until I found out I had other things I had to do,” Hartman said. “It was kind of crazy, the whole ordeal. I was super close to him. He was telling me about (the hike) and I promised him I’d go with him. I was like, ‘I’m going to go.

“When we do have our hard days, or w starts happening, all of us pull throug 42

nature of his competitors. Moreover, it would go against everything Nelson believed in.

“I just jumped on my motorcycle and drove back to Boulder to be with our athletes,” Rokos said. “Not everyone was around because it was still before the beginning of school, but there was a very good group of kids still in Boulder, and I knew we needed each other immediately. I think that is what helped a lot, that we got together immediately and stayed that way through the most important or immediate time.

“You don’t care in that moment. All your thoughts are totally out of sorts. I don’t even know how fast I got back, but it was very fast. I don’t remember too much about it. I was thinking about what happened to Spencer. At that time I

when one of us starts getting down or something gh and kind of say, ‘What would Spencer think?’”

– Katie Hartman 43

Sidelined Senior Katie Hartman misses out on this year’s championships Katie Hartman could not have been in a better place, mentally and physically, as she set out on a fateful run at the World University Games in February.

Less than two days earlier, on the very same course in Erzurum, Turkey, Hartman brought international recognition to the University of Colorado program by winning the gold medal in the Super G. When Hartman returned to the course for the Super G portion of the Super Combined race, she set out on a fateful run that, unfortunately, may prove to be her last as a member of the Buffaloes’ program.

Hartman, a senior, lost control and suffered a crash that resulted in a torn ACL and a partially torn MCL in her left knee. The Breckenridge native – who, in her own estimation, has, “taken some hard crashes in my years; this one definitely tops off to be the most epic crash of my ski racing career” – underwent surgery on Feb. 22.

“It went from a very big high to a very big low,” Hartman said. “But it is kind of the territory in ski racing and it’s just something you have to look at and push through. It is a motivation factor too to get back on that slope. This is, knock on wood, my very first and last injury. I’ve never had any serious injuries. The only ones I’ve had have been concussions. But this is the first one where I have to go under the knife.”

A 2010 first-team All-American in the Giant Slalom and a second-team selection in the slalom, Hartman hopes to be ready to do some light hill training by the early fall. A return to the Buffaloes is not yet out of the question, though for the time being, Hartman is just hoping to learn from the experience.

“I’m kind of not new to the whole across-the-sea, or miles and miles away, from your family,” said Hartman. “It does cause some stress, especially the different language barriers. But there were a lot of people, luckily, at these University Games who were there to support me and help me through all that kind of stuff. There were doctors there who lived in Turkey but they’re from the U.S., so they know the language, and that was a big help.

“They played it on the big screen over and over again, and all the boys were up there watching it too. I got tons of messages about how crazy it was. I always thought I was invincible, because I’ve taken such hard crashes and I’ve come out of them okay. But this one, I knew something was wrong.

I didn’t want to believe it was something that would put me out for the season. I’ve been doing it pretty much my whole life, and at age 22, it is the biggest injury I’ve had. It’s not easy, especially for me, because I’m not a very patient individual. This is definitely going to teach me some patience and bring out some motivation, too.” for more on katie Hartman and her road to recovery, turn to page 20.

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“Spencer was a way until they

a teammate, and he will remain that y all are done with their eligibility.”

– Richard Rokos

didn’t have a big scope of information. Then, I was thinking about the team, and what to do with the kids, what will happen with parents. I had to salvage the situation.”

The grieving process has been a long, though cathartic, race for the Buffaloes. In a sense, though, the skiing team is uniquely situated to deal with such a tragedy. The team does not boast a preposterously large roster, and long van rides and plane trips are common, building a sharpened sense of camaraderie. Additionally, skiers are somewhat out of the limelight and often lean heavily upon one another for reassurance and motivation.

All these qualities have been as prominent while dealing with Nelson’s passing as they have been during any competition.

“This whole thing is so fresh, even with knowing it has been at half a year or more,” Rokos said. “Spencer was a teammate, and he will remain that way until they all are done with their eligibility. The commitment we made the day after he perished to dedicate the season to his name and honor his dream to be an NCAA champion; it still is very fresh on everybody’s mind, and everybody is competing that way. It’s amazing how well in general how the whole team has moved forward through this difficult deal. I can feel the presence and the spirit in it.

“That’s the downside of a big family, all those things that hit close to home and everybody knows about it. Not too many people know the positive side of it. As a family we have an unbelievable record of marriages and kids. We have about 27 inter-team marriages over the years and about 60 kids. This is what balances the accidents and what happened to Spencer or any of the others.”

Heading into March, the Buffaloes were hoping to collect their sixth national championship under Rokos. Last year, CU finished second with Nelson’s contribution and, as with any meet this past season, Nelson’s absence would be glaring.

“Coming into the thing after 20 years or more, you have to come there with an open mind and just say, ‘Whatever will happen, will happen,’” Rokos said. “You can never count on victory. We came there with one of our strongest teams and we couldn’t win it, and we have come there with weaker teams sometimes, like a couple years ago in 2006 when we didn’t have a full team, and we won. Lots of things can happen in those four days. It is unpredictable and hard to budget what can happen there. It’s absolutely an unpredictable thing.”

However, there is one prediction the Buffaloes would make with unflinching certainty: No matter how they fared, they would pour every ounce of their energy into making Nelson proud. As it turns out, that effort - a dominating championship performance- did exactly that.

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Without time on their side, Jon Embree and his staff land a remarkable first recruiting class Player profiles and interviews by Daniel Mohrmann

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PAULAY ASIATA OL 6’5”

295 lbs.

Hometown : Honolulu, Hawaii School : St. Louis Did you Know? Asiata earned All-American honors from PrepStar and SuperPrep, which ranked him the No. 24 offensive lineman in the country. He was also named the top player from Hawaii by Scout. com, which ranked him the No. 21 offensive tackle in the country.

The Stampede Says: Look for the offensive lineman from Honolulu to anchor the Buffs in coming years. Asiata tips the scales at 295 pounds and has the potential to lessen the impact of Nate Solder’s departure.

Academics: Asiata is an undecided major at Colorado with an interest in communication.

They Said It:

“We were really excited to get Paulay. I had him as a junior rated as one of the top-five players in the west. When you look at his tape, you get a very physical young man that has the ability to play inside or outside, and we’ll see. But he will compete for a job early.”

- CU offensive line coach Steve Marshall

BRENT BURNETTE QB 6’3”

210 lbs.

Hometown : Maryville, Tenn.

School : Maryville/Middle Tennessee/Western Arizona They Said It:

“I think he’s a lot more polished than a kid you’d get out of high school because he played at the I-A and junior college levels. He appears to be very poised and understands the position and understands the game from the quarterback perspective; I’m excited to get him on the field this spring and really see what he’s all about.”

Did you Know? Burnette completed 79 of 140 passes for 1,219 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games with Western Arizona before being injured. Burnette is currently enrolled at CU and will be participating in spring workouts.

The Stampede Says: The one thing Burnette brings to the Buffs that no other recruit does is experience. Burnette is the lone junior college transfer, but he spent some time at the FBS level where he played at Middle Tennessee. With experience in two programs, Burnette may have a reasonable chance to crack the starting lineup in the fall.

Academics: Burnette is majoring in psychology at Colorado and is interested in attending medical school.

- CU quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer

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JERMANE CLARK ATH 6’2”

205 lbs.

Hometown : Winston-Salem, N.C. School : Oak Ridge Military Academy They Said It:

“He will strike you. That’s the thing that jumped out about him, and his ability to run. I think he runs very well for his size. As he gets stronger and as he gets bigger, I think he’ll get faster.”

Did you Know? Clark is the No. 93 player from North Carolina according to ESPN. He is the No. 10 outside linebacker in the state. He has seen action all-over the field as a running back, linebacker, defensive end, safety, wide receiver and kick returner.

The Stampede Says: The only classified “athlete” of Embree’s class will likely see action on the defensive side of the ball. When Embree gets him on campus, they will figure out if Clark will roam the secondary as a safety or play up front as a linebacker.

Academics: Clark is interested in majoring in business or early childhood education.

- CU head coach Jon Embree

MALCOLM CREER RB 5’11”

200 lbs.

Hometown : Los Angeles, Calif.

School : Palisades Did you Know? Scout.com ranks Creer as the No. 8 running back in the state of California. He was named first-team All-CIF his senior season and was named to the All-Western League team twice.

The Stampede Says: When offensive coordinator and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy began looking for help in the backfield, he looked no further than his old stomping grounds in Los Angeles.

Creer’s athletic ability speaks for itself considering he just finished only his third year of competitive football. His talent and learning ability earned himself a place in the Buffs’ 2011 class.

They Said It:

“He’s a kid that you look at and considering what he did in his junior year he didn’t stand out too much.

He had a great breakout senior season and a lot of schools got on him late.”

- CU offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy

Academics: Creer wants to major in education at Colorado. He was a member of his high school’s dean’s honor roll for two years.

What’s the first thing you look for in a recruit? You always want to look for a kid with good character. When you’re studying tape, you want to look for kids who show a lot of different qualities. You look for kids who are two-way players because you cannot have enough good football players on your team. On top of that, you look for kids who have a unique and special gift that they can bring to the program. Every kid that you watch is different, especially when you’re coaching a position like running backs. You want a kid with a little swagger.

New offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy talks recruiting 48

How do you start that process of building a relationship with a player that you’re recruiting? That starts early in the recruiting process when you’re writing kids and reaching out to coaches. Obviously, that shows a kid that you do have some type of interest.

And when the kid starts contacting you through that process, you go out in the spring and have the chance to just evaluate them.

BRADY DAIGH LB 6’2”

235 lbs.

Hometown : Littleton, Colo.

School : Mullen

They Said It:

Did you Know? Daigh was a PrepStar All-Region selection and SuperPrep AllMidlands selection. Scout.com has him ranked as the No. 32 middle linebacker in the country, while Rivals.com has him listed as the No. 35 inside linebacker.

Both publications rate him as the top linebacker in the state of Colorado.

The Stampede Says: Daigh comes from arguably the best football school in the state (Mullen). His days playing for former Buffs great Dave Logan give him a winning background that he will look to bring with him to Boulder.

“He showed a lot of interest early and committed early. I marvel at the fact neither he nor his family wavered at all from the whole transition and change (from former coach Dan Hawkins to Embree).”

- CU linebackers coach Brian Cabral

Academics: Daigh plans to enroll at the business school at Colorado.

He earned an academic honor from Mullen after his junior year.

STEVIE JOE DORMAN QB 6’4”

210 lbs.

Hometown : Somerset, Texas School : Somerset They Said It:

“Stevie, from a quarterback standpoint, does a lot of things you can’t teach or coach. We watched a lot of game film on him and every time we kept saying, ‘What is wrong with him; why aren’t more people on him?”

Did you Know? Dorman threw for over 9,000 yards in his high school career with 94 touchdowns to 39 interceptions. His solid play gave him a 158.0 career quarterback rating. Scout.com lists Dorman as the No. 15 quarterback from the state of Texas.

The Stampede Says: Dorman is one of two quarterbacks brought in by the Buffs. He comes from the football hotbed of Texas and looks to learn as much as he can from the signal callers already on the roster.

Academics: Dorman was a first-team Academic All-State scholar his senior year. He is undecided on his major at Colorado.

- CU head coach Jon Embree

What tactics do you employ that are unique to the recruiting process? Well, I can’t give away all my secrets (laughs). The one thing is it’s all about building the relationships. It’s all about showing these young kids that you truly care about them. Not just about what they can bring to the program, but also that they have a unique opportunity to get a degree from our university, which is very important because everybody has a dream of going to the NFL. But the thing I always tell kids is that we need to come up with a five-year plan and then from there, develop a 10-year plan. The bottom line is, what is your goal? and, what can you accomplish when you can no longer play football? And that’s what I want to preach to the kids I’m recruiting.

What has coaching in the NFL done for you as a recruiter?

It’s opened up my eyes. First of all, it makes you pay very close attention to the evaluation process. One thing I’ve noticed about recruiting is that everyone tries to evaluate a kid by what they’ve seen that kid do his junior year. The sad part about that is that there are probably some kids that are overlooked in their senior year because they didn’t have enough of a productive tape during their junior year. You need to make sure that you’re thoroughly evaluating each and every player. You want to make sure you’re dotting all your i’s and crossing all your t’s to make sure you’re finding the right kid.

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WOODSON GREER OLB 6’2”

225 lbs.

Hometown : Corona, Calif.

School : Junipero Serra They Said It:

Did you Know? Greer was selected as a PrepStar AllRegion and SuperPrep All-Far West team member. He was Scout.com’s No. 48 outside linebacker in the nation and the No. 7 outside linebacker from California.

“He’s another guy who’s a hybrid – we like that term – he’s a guy who did a lot of things in high school, played a lot of different positions. Where Juda (Parker) will be more on the line, Greer may be off the line a little bit. He’s a hitter. Not to say he can’t play on the line. He’s more of a power player; he takes on more contact. He’s a heavy hitter. He will make a play between the tackles and make the pile move. You can tell he loves contact.”

The Stampede Says: Greer had originally committed to future Pac-12 rival Arizona State before Embree and his staff got a hold of him. Greer is another physical player with excellent running ability and even reminds Embree of former Buffs linebacker Jashon Sykes.

Academics: Greer intends to major in integrated physiology at Colorado with aspirations to work in physical therapy.

- CU defensive line coach Kanavis McGhee

RASHAD HALL RB 6’

200 lbs.

Hometown : Lynchburg, Va. School : Oak Ridge Military Prep (N.C.)

They Said It:

Did you Know? Hall was ranked as the No. 67 running back in the country and the No. 5 running back from North Carolina.

The Stampede Says: Hall is the sizable, physical back the Buffs will need to regain the dominant running game they desire. His running style reminds both Embree and Bieniemy of running backs they recruited to CU when they were assistants under Gary Barnett.

Academics: Hall plans to major in integrated physiology at Colorado and wants to become a physical therapist.

What’s the first thing you do if you sense you’re losing a recruit? In this profession, we’re told “no” more than we’re told “yes.”

Certain kids are not going to be interested and that’s okay. All I ask is for a kid to be honest. I don’t want to spend all my time recruiting a kid when we don’t have a chance (of him signing). Those kids are up front and honest because I’m up front and honest with them. I want them to know I’m coming at them with all the facts. If they feel like they’re not interested, they should just let me know, and when that happens you just keep on moving and move on to the next one.

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“I’m probably stepping out of line when I say this, but the closest person I can equate him to is Bobby Purify. And Bobby might be upset when I say this, but (Hall) is faster than Bobby Purify. Bobby was a tough runner and so is Rashad.”

- CU offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy

How do you get a recruit over the hump of indecision? I don’t know if you necessarily get a kid over the hump of indecision. What you do is basically sell what you’re offering and if that’s not enough, then you know what, it’s up to that kid and his family to make the best possible decision for him. Are you upset when you lose? Of course you are, but you get over it real quick because you don’t worry about kids that you lose.

The only thing you worry about is the kid you do have and worry about coaching him and teaching him and getting him prepared to play.

WILL HARLOS DB 6’4”

200 lbs.

Hometown : Somerset, Texas School : Somerset They Said It:

Did you Know? ESPN has Harlos ranked as the No. 13 outside linebacker from Texas while Scout.com has him ranked 21.

“I think he’s a steal. He’ll be one of the fastest players on the team and he loves to hit. We’ll find the right position for him; he’ll immediately be a special teams help and eventually in the backfield or at linebacker.

You have to have one of these guys on your team; he’s a head hunter.”

The Stampede Says: A teammate of fellow signee Stevie Joe Dorman, Harlos had been committed to Wake Forest for over a year before Embree took the reigns at Boulder. The Demon Deacons made it a point to see Harlos every week during the evaluation process and CU was able to take him away after a single in-home visit.

Academics: Harlos will major in business at Colorado. He was named to the Academic All-State team in high school.

- CU special teams coordinator J.D. Brookhart

SHERRARD HARRINGTON DB 6’1”

175 lbs.

Hometown : Washington, D.C. School : Howard D. Woodson Did you Know? ESPN has Herrington ranked at the No. 40 cornerback in the nation and the No. 7 overall player from the nation’s capital.

He was also a member of the SuperPrep All-Mid-Atlantic team.

The Stampede Says: Embree did not hesitate to point out the passion that Harrington will bring to the Buffs. He attempted to graduate early from Howard D. Woodson High School in order to enroll at CU in time for spring football, but fell just short.

Academics: Harrington was a member of the National Honor Society. He plans to major in business management and will also seek a minor in film studies.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learned in recruiting and who did you learn it from? That’s a good question. The best lesson, I guess just remembering from past years, is building great relationships. Not just with players, but also with coaches. We’re always in constant communication with all these high school coaches around the country. And the thing that you never want to do is lose that contact because, the thing is, a school may not have a kid every year.

As long as you build and establish that relationship with those coaches it outgrows and outweighs anything. That coach will make sure you’re the first person he calls because you keep coming around. One of the most important things that I’ve learned is building those relationships and staying in contact with those people.

They Said It:

“He’s a mature kid; he’ll come in and have a chance to get ahead of the other freshmen just because of some of the circumstances he grew up with in his home life in D.C. Physically, on the field, he’s what you want; he’s tall and rangy; he’s got ball skills. We expect nothing but huge things out of him.”

- CU head coach Jon Embree

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GREG HENDERSON DB 5’11”

185 lbs.

Hometown : Corona, Calif.

School : Norco

They Said It:

Did you Know? Henderson earned first-team All CIF Southern Section and first-team All-Riverside Country honors as a senior. He also earned first-team All-Big VIII honors his junior and senior seasons.

ESPN has him ranked as the No. 10 cornerback in Calfifornia.

The Stampede Says: Size does not matter to Henderson – just ask him.

His blazing speed makes him a great weapon in the defensive secondary, but his best trait might be his fight to get the ball once it’s in the air.

“If you needed to make a play on the ball, he made a play. And when he got his hands on the ball, he could run. He was a track star, so you know he can run.”

- CU defensive coordinator Greg Brown

Academics: Henderson is undecided on a major at Colorado, but is interested either business or engineering. In high school, he made the principal’s honor roll every year.

ALEX KELLY C 6’3”

295 lbs.

Hometown : Oceanside, Calif.

School : Vista They Said It:

“He’s a legacy; his dad played here. He’s a heavyweight wrestler; he plays center. He’s a very physical player and plays fast; he will come in and compete early.”

- CU offensive line coach Steve Marshall

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Did you Know? Kelly was a SuperPrep All-Far West team member, ranked No. 98 in that region and is the No. 15 offensive lineman and the top center on that list. Scout.com ranks him as the No. 122 player from California and No. 22 center in the country and he is the top center in California and the No. 2 center in the west. ESPN ranks him the No. 122 player from California, the No. 16 center in the country and the No. 2 center from California.

The Stampede Says: Kelly is a second generation Buff, as his father went to school at CU and played for the Buffs. His wrestling background has helped his ability to shove people around.

Academics: Kelly has not decided on a major at Colorado, but is interested in going into either sports medicine or coaching. He was named to the San diego union Tribune’s 2010 All-Academic Team.

TYLER McCULLOCH WR 6’1”

200 lbs.

Hometown : Albuquerque, N.M. School : Albuquerque Eldorado They Said It:

“Tyler has got a great combination of athleticism and size, plus he’s an exceptional student.”

- CU head coach Jon Embree

Did you Know? McCulloch earned first-team All-State honors from the coaches as both a wide receiver and defensive back. He also received first-team All-District 2-5A accolades as a senior, when he was ranked as the No. 14 player overall in the state of New Mexico (the third wide receiver)

by NewMexicoPreps.com. As a junior, he was first-team All-District 5-5A at wide receiver.

The Stampede Says: McCulloch made first team All-State honors on both sides of the ball. He will help add depth to a position that will see the departure of the school’s all-time receiving leader, Scotty McKnight.

Academics: McCulloch is undecided on a major at Boulder but has interest in kinesiology and broadcast journalism. He was an Academic All-Albuquerque Metro team member as a senior.

MARC MUSTOE OL 6’7”

280 lbs.

Hometown : Broomfield, Colo.

School : Arvada West Did you Know? Mustoe earned SuperPrep All-American honors and was an All-Midlands team member. ESPN ranked him as the No. 45 offensive tackle and the No. 4 player in Colorado.

The Stampede Says: Mustoe had originally decided to play for the UCLA Bruins where Embree was a long-time assistant coach. At 6-foot-7, Mustoe will add bulk to the offensive line, which should help with the Buffs desire to run the ball.

Academics: A two-time All-Academic Colorado honoree, Mustoe is undecided on a major at Colorado, but has expressed interest in integrated physiology and a possible career in sports medicine.

They Said It:

“He’s a local guy, he’s got a big frame; 6-foot-7, 295 – very smart and intelligent, good athlete for his size. He has some strength development to do but he will play a lot of football for Colorado.”

- CU offensive line coach Steve Marshall

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STEPHAN NEMBOT DE 6’8”

280 lbs.

Hometown : Van Nuys, Calif.

School : Montclair Prep They Said It:

“I think his best football is ahead of him. He’s very young in the game, but a physical specimen. He’s 6-foot-8, 280; those guys don’t fall off of trees. He has a soccer background and that’s good; he can run and likes to run.

He’s only played the game for a couple of years in high school after coming over from Cameroon, but this kid has a bright future, has a great upside to him, is eager to learn and wants to learn and get better at football. We think he can be somebody really special.”

Did you Know? Nembot was an All-Region selection by PrepStar and All-Far West team member by SuperPrep, as the No. 74 player in the region, the No. 69 player from California and No. 11 defensive end in the region. ESPN ranks him as the No. 45 defensive tackle in the country, the No. 49 player from California and No. 6 defensive tackle from California.

The Stampede Says: In high school, Nembot lived in the trenches as he was a nationally ranked offensive and defensive lineman. He will bring size to a defensive front that looks to play more physical under Coach Embree.

Academics: Nembot wants to major in international business at Colorado. He made the Montclair Prep honor roll every semester.

- CU defensive line coach Mike Tuiasosopo

WILL OLIVER PK 5’11”

185 lbs.

Hometown : Los Angeles, Calif.

School : Harvard-Westlike Did you Know? Kicking guru Chris Sailer has Oliver ranked as the No. 12 kicking prospect in the country. ESPN ranks Oliver as the No. 31 kicker in the nation and the No. 5 kicker in California.

The Stampede Says: Coach Embree felt some heat for bringing a kicker on board, but points out that the Buffs will need to win close games. He liked what he saw in Oliver and wasted no time in getting him on board with the program.

Academics: Oliver plans on majoring in business at Colorado and is interested in sports management or sports marketing. He was a member of the honor roll in high school at Harvard-Westlake, which was ranked the No. 12 prep school in the country by forbes.

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They Said It:

“He’s a pressure guy – that’s what I like best about him.

I think he handles that well. He’s come through in the clutch a lot. He has really good distance on field goals; he needs a little work on kickoffs, but there’s no doubt the potential is there for sure.”

- CU special teams coordinator J.D. Brookhart

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JUDA PARKER DE 6’2”

245 lbs.

Hometown : Aiea, Hawaii School : St. Louis

They Said It:

Did you Know? Rivals.com ranked Parker as the No. 28 defensive end in the country and the best player coming out of Hawaii.

Parker also participated in the 2011 Army All-American game.

The Stampede Says: Parker made a name for himself in the Army AllAmerica game. He recorded six tackles in the game, recovered a fumble, blocked a field goal and sacked the kicker on a fake field goal attempt.

Academics: Parker wants to major in psychology and shows interest in sports psychology.

“Juda will bring a lot of versatility to our defense. We look at him as a hybrid player, a guy who can do just about anything along the line. He’s very talented and quick.

Coming from Hawaii and the league that he plays in, his leadership ability will be there. He’s a high school AllAmerican and won a lot in high school. I’m very impressed with his leadership so far; he brings a lot of intangibles.”

- CU defensive line coach Kanavis McGhee

NELSON SPRUCE WR 6’2”

190 lbs.

Hometown : Westlake Village, Calif.

School : Westlake They Said It:

“Nelson was a great guy to recruit; he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to be a Buffalo and come to Colorado. What impresses me on tape is his body control ability to get open and catch the ball in open areas, find those open areas and having a good feel for the passing game. He does a good job of separating against bump coverage and making touch catches, going to the highest point and getting it, but also being physical. He takes great pride in his route running and his blocking ability. He played in a passing offense and he wants to be a receiver; he’s going to be a guy who wants to be really good. He will fight for a spot. He will be a really solid receiver.”

- CU wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy

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Did you Know? Spruce was a PrepStar All-American and was the No. 60 player in the nation according to the publication’s top 150 Dream Team. Scout.com ranks him as the No. 95 wide receiver in the country and the No. 10 wide receiver in California.

The Stampede Says: Spruce has the potential to be the sequel to Scotty McKnight.

He’s precise in his route running and thought very highly of in recruiting circles. He is known to play bigger that his 6-foot-2 frame.

Academics: Spruce is undecided on a major at Colorado, but has expressed interest in integrated physiology. He made the All-Ventura League academic team as a senior in high school.

K.T. TU’UMALO LB 6’2”

200 lbs.

Hometown : Honolulu, Hawaii

Did you Know? Tu’umalo is commonly viewed as a top player from the state of Hawaii. Rivals.com has him listed as the No. 5 player and second best linebacker in the state, while ESPN lists him as the No. 13 player and top linebacker in Hawaii.

The Stampede Says: A commitment to Boise State would not come between Coach Cabral and a kid he thought was a sure-fire playmaker.

When Cabral and Embree returned from their recruiting trip from Hawaii, the Buffs were up a linebacker and Boise was down one.

They Said It:

“Actually, we were the first ones to offer him and through the season and the (coaching) transition, we kind of fell back.

As soon as we made the change, he was the first guy I went after.”

- CU linebackers coach Brian Cabral

Academics: Tu’umalo has not decided on a major at Colorado. He is the first person in his extended family to attend college.

KYLE WASHINGTON DB 6’1”

200 lbs.

Hometown : Pasadena, Calif.

School : Florence (Ariz.)

They Said It:

“Every recruit came through and we sent them home with L’s. They couldn’t beat the head coach. We go out and I play Kyle seven times; he beat me six. I hate to admit that. He’s very competitive and very athletic.”

Did you Know? Washington made the SuperPrep All-Far West team. The publication listed him as the No. 21 player in Arizona and the No. 4 athlete from the state. He made the Arizona High School Coaches Football Association All-State team as a wide receiver, defensive back and returner.

The Stampede Says: Embree knew he had a competitor on his hands when, at the recruiting dinner at Dave and Busters; Washington took Embree on one-on-one in Pop-a-Shot basketball.

Academics: Washington will major in business finance at Colorado and wants to pursue a career in investments.

- CU head coach Jon Embree

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Year one of CU basketball under Tad Boyle set the stage for great things to come

By Pat Rooney

The manner in which Levi Knutson performed during his senior season with the University of Colorado’s men’s basketball team provided a constant reminder to first-year head coach Tad Boyle about how his Buffaloes program should progress.

On some nights, Boyle saw it when Knutson knocked down a timely three-pointer. In other games, it might have been when Knutson calmly stepped to the line for critical free throws. And throughout the campaign, Knutson often sent similar reminders without doing anything that showed up in the box score, whether it was how the senior guard directed the Buffaloes’ offense, or how he advised younger teammates on the finer nuances of coach Boyle’s directives.

Without a doubt, it was the play of senior Cory Higgins and sophomore Alec Burks that reignited excitement at the Coors Events Center this season. Yet it was the play of Knutson – a senior that coolly bided his time, worked hard and kept improving before putting together his best season during his final one in a Buffaloes uniform – that Boyle hopes will become a shining example to his current and future players about how the CU program can sustain success in years to come.

“Levi is a great example of the commitment our players need to make – that every one of them has to make – in the offseason,” Boyle said. “Hopefully, some of the younger guys are learning from that. Because that is what it is going to take, having our younger guys continuing to get better and developing so they are better as sophomores than they were as freshmen; they’re better as juniors than they were as sophomores.

“Player development is something that is overlooked in college basketball. It’s something that our staff is committed to. When we get done with practice, there are a lot of guys working on their games. It’s not like practice is over and they are hitting the showers, unless you have class. You have to work on your game to get better.”

As Boyle begins the challenge of building on a successful first season in Boulder, he can point out the play of Knutson to any younger, or even incoming, Buffaloes player that might feel overwhelmed at the outset of their Division I careers.

58

“Player development is something that is overlooked in college basketball.

It’s something that our staff is committed to.”

– Tad Boyle 59

Knutson, a native of Littleton, Colo., was a steady contributor but hardly a standout during his first three seasons at CU, playing regularly but never averaging more than 4.6 points in any season.

Part of the problem for Knutson was healthrelated. After each of his first two seasons, Knutson was forced to undergo hip surgery – he had one on each hip – which thwarted his development. The ailments never kept Knutson out of the lineup or limited his play.

But the surgeries following his freshman and sophomore seasons prevented Knutson from putting in the sort of time on the court and in

the weight room necessary to take his game to another level.

“In years past, I actually spent a lot of my time (in the offseason) doing rehab because I had two hip surgeries, one after my freshman year and one after my sophomore year,” Knutson said. “This past offseason, I spent time working on my ball-handling, my offensive moves, that kind of stuff, instead of being in the training room and being in rehab. That has been the big thing. I was healthy during the seasons; I just couldn’t work on my game during the offseasons as much as I wanted to. Staying

aggressive has been one thing. It’s definitely helped me. I also had a great offseason getting in the weight room and getting in the gym every day. But I think being a senior and trying to take a leadership role on this team and being aggressive has really helped me.”

Finally healthy enough to focus on his game and conditioning last summer following his junior season, Knutson was able to put in the kind of offseason typically expected of a Division I basketball player. And anyone who watched Knutson play this past season knows that work undoubtedly made a difference.

“But I think being a senior and trying to take a leadership role on this team and being aggressive has really helped me.”

– Levi Knutson

Prior to this year’s amazing N.I.T. run, here’s how the Buffs have fared in the postseason 2005-06: 2003-04: 2002-03: 60

National Invitational Tournament (0-1) National Invitational Tournament (0-1) NCAA Tournament (0-1)

1999-2000: National Invitational Tournament (1-1) 1998-99: National Invitational Tournament (1-1) 1996-97: NCAA Tournament (1-1)

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Working mostly off the bench during the 2010-11 season, Knutson provided a consistent offensive spark for the Buffaloes’ second unit, often remaining on the floor during crunch time late in games. Knutson averaged about 11 points a game – more than doubling his career average through his first three seasons – and emerged as one of the Buffaloes’ most consistent three-point threats and free throw shooters.

some experience – those things have kind of tied everything together for us. But it hasn’t been just one year. We’ve been trying to build this thing ever since we’ve been here. Me and Cory have seen it since the beginning. Javon (Coney), as well. The past four years there have been a lot of changes, obviously, with the facilities and stuff like that. On the court, the mentality and togetherness we have as a team has started to develop.”

Buffaloes player to eclipse the 1,000-point total in his career, reaching that mark in just 55 games.

“I was here, obviously, after (Knutson’s) health issues, but the thing that has made him have a breakout senior year was his commitment in the offseason – his ability to get in the weight room and get in the gym,” Boyle said. “He probably had as good an offseason as any player I’ve been a part of in college basketball. He really practiced hard and worked on his game and really prepared for his senior year. So it is great to see that payoff for him.”

While Knutson’s development and the infusion of energy brought by Boyle helped rekindle excitement for Buffaloes basketball, the play of Higgins and Burks not only showed that CU can clearly compete on a national level again, but also may have shown future recruits that big-time prospects can find a home in Boulder. “We have a lot of excitement going on and a lot of fans have been showing up,” Burks said. “It’s great to play in the arena. We knew we had the pieces for that. We just had to have hard work, and we’re doing that. It’s paying off, everything we did since the preseason.

Still, the combination of having Higgins and Burks in the backcourt, in addition to Boyle’s influence running the Buffaloes’ ship, will be a fleeting memory. Higgins, of course, is a senior, and Burks may ultimately decide to take his talents to the NBA. On paper, losing both players seemingly would create a mammoth hole in the Buffaloes’ lineup. Yet what Boyle has preached since day one of his arrival in Boulder has been to establish a consistency of effort – whether it is on game day, on the practice floor, in the weight room or in the classroom.

“A big thing has been the realness of (coach Boyle), how real he is. If you don’t like it, he’ll tell you to leave. And we all respect that. You have to be with this program. That’s what’s different about this year. I feel like it is meshing. It’s an up-and-down game, and everybody loves it. He brought the perfect system in for this program.”

Using Boyle’s first season and the dynamic efforts of Higgins and Burks as a springboard for better things to come may not be as difficult as it seems, even if Burks does not return.

After all, just look at the jump Knutson was able to make after enjoying just one healthy postseason under Boyle’s regime.

Higgins and Burks electrified crowds as readily as they decimated opponents throughout 2010-11.

“I don’t know if it is a system, per se, as much as it is a belief in a core philosophy,” Boyle said.

“Which is we’re going to defend every night, and we’re going to rebound the basketball. And if we do those two things, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win. That’s the commitment level that these guys have that maybe they didn’t have previously. That’s what is going to make us better.

That’s what is going to make us that consistent performance going forward.”

Improved offseason health clearly was the biggest factor in Knutson’s standout senior season. Yet it did not hurt that the system and philosophies implemented by Boyle upon his arrival meshed perfectly with the talent and attitude of the players he inherited.

“I think a lot of guys – Cory (Higgins), myself, Marcus (Relphorde), kind of the senior guys – he’s kind of put it on our shoulders to have the guys ready to play and to get the younger guys to buy into the system, defensively especially,” said Knutson, a business administration major who was named to the District 7 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic AllDistrict first team.

“I think the kind of camaraderie we have on this team and the leadership we have on this team – the upper classmen have been around and have

Named to the midseason top-30 list of finalists for the prestigious Naismith Award, the 6-foot-5 Burks led the Buffaloes in scoring for the second consecutive season. He ranked among the leaders nationally and within the Big 12 conference in scoring throughout much of the season, and on Feb. 9 against Texas A&M, Burks became the 27th

Higgins was equally impressive for the Buffaloes, averaging more than 16 points while teaming with Burks to form one of the most formidable backcourt tandems in the country. Higgins’ steady greatness throughout his tenure at CU left him among the program’s all-time leaders in numerous categories.

Prior to this year’s amazing N.I.T. run, here’s how the Buffs have fared in the postseason 1994-95: 1990-91: 1968-69: 62

National Invitational Tournament (0-1) National Invitational Tournament (4-1) NCAA Tournament (1-1)

1962-63: 1961-62: 1954-55:

NCAA Tournament (1-1) NCAA Tournament (1-1) NCAA Tournament (3-1)

“You have to be with this program. That’s what’s different about this year.

I feel like it is meshing.”

– Alec Burks 1953-54: 1945-46: 1941-42:

NCAA Tournament (0-2) NCAA Tournament (1-1) NCAA Tournament (1-1)

1939-40: 1939-40: 1937-38:

NCAA Tournament (0-2) National Invitational Tournament (2-0) National Invitational Tournament (1-1) 63

I thought it would be fun to share some photos I captured recently of the ski team reception and of The Stampede’s photo shoot with the Paulsens for this issues’ donor story.

I was thrilled when the Paulsens were up for coming to Boulder to shoot some photos for the article. They were such good sports, especially their son, Jack. I love the photo of him sitting on the bleachers in Folsom. His expression is one of pure joy. I think this is because he got to skip school and spend the afternoon hanging out in a football stadium. Jack also happens to be the biggest Buffs fan I know.

As you know by now, the CU ski team won the 2011 NCAA Skiing Championship. The athletic department had a reception for the team after they returned from Vermont on March 16. Team captain Katie Hartman stood up to talk about the season and what winning the NCAAs meant to the team. I am sure she had everyone in the room tearing up during her opening remarks as she mentioned that it happened to be Spencer Nelson’s 21st birthday; I know I was. I photographed the back of the trophy, where the team had added a nameplate for Spencer.

On the lighter side, I noticed the ski team designing their championship ring at the reception. They had drawings and mock ups on the table as they huddled together to decide all things bling. It was nice to see these student-athletes enjoy the rewards of their hard work after all they have endured this year.

Thank you to all of our members for being great Buffs and for your continued support!

Go Buffs!

Natalie P.S. The Buff Club is now on Facebook.

I encourage all Buff Club members on Facebook to “like” our page.

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