Zak Wood / Colorado Daily

University of Colorado senior Stephen Pifer is seen here competing at the Big 12 Championships that were held in Boulder. Pifer and several members of the CU track and field team will compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional this weekend.

Although the celebratory end of the Big 12 Track & Field Championships that were held in Boulder May 18 was gratifying for most, there are a few University of Colorado track and field athletes who have at least one more important job left to do.

Beginning today CU will send out 19 members of the track & field squad to compete in the NCAA Midwest Region Championships at the Ed Weir Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. The No. 12 ranked (USTFCCCA) CU men's team, fresh off winning their Big 12 title, will send out 14 individuals and two relay teams. The Buffaloes will also send two women to the meet.

The 14 men that will be trying to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships will be seniors: James Begley (Shot Put, Discus, Hammer Throw), Ryan Campbell (200 Meters), Hugh Charles (100 Meters, Long Jump), Pete Janson (Steeplechase), Billy Nelson (Steeplechase), Stephen Pifer (5000 Meters), Rob Thayer (1500 Meters), and Brent Vaughn (5000 Meters); juniors: Jeremy Dodson (100 Meters, 200 Meters) and Kenyon Neuman (5000 Meters); sophomore Brandin Williams (Javelin); and freshmen: Richard Medina (5000 Meters), Matt Tebo (5000 Meters) and Christian Thompson (Steeplechase).

The two women representing the Buffaloes will be: junior Jenny Barringer (Steeplechase) and freshman Allison Sawyer (Steeplechase).

The Buffs' men will run in both the 4x100-meter and the 4x400-meter relays.

The 4x100 team will consist of the aforementioned Campbell, Charles and Dodson, as well as senior Nate Terry. Their alternates will be Adrian Gomez and Adam Salzmann.

Campbell, Dodson, and Terry will also comprise the 4x400 team along with (4x100 alternate) Gomez. The alternates for the 4x400 relay team will be Salzmann and Pifer.

In the field events, Brandin Williams begin the competition for the Buffs in the javelin today at 1 p.m. (CST). James Begley, the first Buff to compete in three throwing events since the inception of the regional championships, will throw the shot put today at 5 p.m. and the hammer throw and discus on Saturday.Obviously all of these athletes are very talented just to achieve regional qualifying marks in their respective events. There are a few, however, that have a very good chance of progressing onwards to the NCAA National Championships.

Brent Vaughn, who won the Big 12 title in the 5000-meters, has put up an Olympic "A" Standard time this outdoor season, and is ranked first out of 24 runners. Right behind him, ranked No.2, is Pifer. Both will be in the hunt for the win when the race begins this evening at 7:20 p.m.

The Buffs have another competitive tandem atop the men's steeplechase rankings Contact Eric Peterson about this story at (303) 443-6272 ext. 112 or sports@coloradodaily.com