It's on to the finals for Jenny Simpson.
The Olympic bronze medalist and former Colorado All-American enjoyed a stress-free opening day at the USA Track and Field outdoor championships on Thursday, turning in the top preliminary time in the women's 1,500-meter run to cruise into Saturday's championship heat.
Simpson, who also doubles as a volunteer assistant for the Buffaloes, is aiming for her sixth consecutive national title in the event. She turned in a semifinal-best time of 4 minutes, 7.67 seconds at Drake University Thursday. Current CU star Dani Jones, who redshirted during the spring collegiate season but turned in an impressive win last month at the Prefontaine Classic, nabbed the final slot in the championship heat, placing 12th in the semifinals at 4:08.