'National champion' has a nice ring to it.
That's a title that University of Colorado senior Dani Jones can wear proudly after capturing an individual national title on Saturday.
A strong finishing kick coming into the final stretch of the women's 5,000-meter run at the NCAA track and field championships in Austin, Texas, powered her to victory in 15 minutes, 50.65 seconds.
"It's so special," she said to ESPN after the race. "I'm so proud to be part of Colorado. The past six months have been really hard for me. I just have wonderful coaches and friends back at home — it's because of them, the staff at CU and the grace of God that I'm here right now."
The championship is her first outdoor track title, but Jones won both the individual and helped CU capture the NCAA team cross country championship in the fall.
"Cross (country) is really just all about confidence," she said. "It really boosted me, especially with the injury I had, keeping that race in mind. It was super helpful."
The University of Colorado women finished ninth overall in the team standings with 24 total points.
CU senior Gabby Scott finished runner-up in the women's 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.04 seconds.
CSU senior Shadae Lawrence placed third in the women's discus with a throw of 197 feet, 11 inches — a first-team All-American mark.
