BOULDER — On the Tuesday before the Mountain Region cross country meet in Albuquerque, longtime Colorado coach Mark Wetmore finally decided to slot in one of his most reliable championship runners.
The move to race junior Ben Saarel — who had been held out all season in the hopes of redshirting him and saving eligibility for 2017 — came just eight days before the Buffaloes would race in the NCAA championships. The No. 1-ranked Buffaloes include four seniors who will graduate next spring, but the message was clear: If they want to win their third consecutive national title Saturday in Louisville, Ky.