07.09.07
Where Are They Now Athletes
Where Are They Now athletes
Batch Data Processor | Monday, Jul 9 2007 6:40 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Jul 9 2007 6:43 PM
Billy Nelson, Taft High 2002
A senior member of the Colorado men’s cross country team, was one of five team members to be honored at the White House by President Bush on June 18. (click HERE for story)The CU cross country team was one of 28 national championship teams honored at the largest Champions Day gathering to date. The Buffaloes won their third national title Nov. 20 in Terre Haute, Ind. Nelson, as team captain, presented Bush with a CU runner’s jersey and a pair of black CU Crocs.
Nelson, also a member of CU’s men’s track and field team, finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento June 8 in 8 minutes, 33.33 seconds, the third best time in school history. The finish earned Nelson All-American status.
PERSONAL BESTS
Indoor:
3,000-Meter: 8:06.24 (2006)
5,000-Meter: 13:46.80 (2006)
Outdoor:
1,500-Meter: 4:00.04 (2003)
Steeplechase, 8:46.36 (2005)
5,000-Meter: 13.58.91 (2003)
BIG 12 SCORING
2003 (I) 5,000-Meter, 3rd (14:15.93)
2003 (I) 3,000-Meter, 8th (8.20.90)
2003 (O) 5,000-Meter, 3rd (14.19.55)
2005 (I) 5,000-Meter, 8th (14:22.13)
2005 (O) Steeplechase, 3rd (8:53.01
2006 (I) 3,000-Meter, 4th (8:06.24)
2006 (I) 5,000-Meter, 1st (13:54.70)
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SCORING
2003 (O) 5,000-Meter, 7th (13:58.91)
2005 (I) 5,000 Meters, 8th (14:22.13)
2005 (O) Steeplechase, 3rd (8:53.01)
HONORS
2003 Outdoor 5,000-Meter All-American
2006 Indoor 5,000-Meter All-American
2007 OUTLOOK: Billy is one of the most talented athletes ever to wear a CU uniform. He and Wetmore just need to establish some long-term consistency, and he will put his name very high in our record lists.
2006: Nelson ran the third-best 3,000-meter time at the Big 12 Indoor Championship at 8:06.24 to claim fourth place behind teammate Brent Vaughn. The time was also a pr for Nelson. In the 5k during the indoor season, he was one of three Buffs to finish under 13:49 for the first time in school history. Nelson recorded an automatic qualifying time or 13:46.80 at the Husky Invite and placed fifth. He earned his first Big 12 title in the 5k with a time of 13:54.70. Nelson took 10th at the NCAA’s (14:13.84). Nelson did not compete in the outdoor season.
2005: Nelson competed in the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs during the indoor season. He ran an 8:21.86 time in the Big 12 Indoor 3k race to place 16th and a 14:22.13 5k to finish eighth. Nelson had a solid run in the outdoor season, making both regional qualifying marks in the Steeplechase and the 5k race. His ninth-place finish at the Cardinal Invitational with a time of 8:46.36 was a personal record and a regional qualifying time. At the Mt. SAC Relays, Nelson once again met the regional qualifying mark for the 5k race with a 14:09.41 finish for eighth-place.
2004: During the indoor campaign he only ran one race due to his injury, as he placed fourth at the Adidas Classic in the 3k run with a time of 8:09.87. His lone outdoor 5k race came at the Mt. SAC Relays when he clocked a 14:07.53 to earn 22nd overall; that mark earned him a regional qualifying time.
2003: During the indoor season, Nelson ran the team’s second best 3,000-meter time – an eighth place finish at the Big 12 Championships (8:20.90) and the squad’s third best time in the 5,000-meter – a third place finish (14:15.93). Outdoors, Nelson won the 1,500-meter at the CU Twilight meet (4:00.04). Securing a seventh-place finish (13:58.91) in the 5k for All-American status at the NCAA Championship Finals he set a PERSONAL record for the event. Following that race, he captured his second USATF individual title when he won the 5k at the USA Championships.
CROSS COUNTRY: Nelson was a 2002, ’03, ’05 and ‘06 All-Big 12, ’03, ’05 and ‘06 All-Mountain Region and two-time All-American as a freshman and sophomore. He won the 2002 U.S. Junior National title and finished 26th a month later at the world championships in Lusianne, Switzerland. He redshirted the 2004 season with an iliotibial band injury. In 2005 Nelson was back on track, finishing in the top ten in four out of five of his races. He raced to first place overall at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships, eighth place at the Rocky Mountain Shootout, sixth place at the Pre-National Invitational and ninth place at the Big 12 Championship. At the NCAA Championships he finished fourth on the team and 76th overall. Nelson was named the Mountain Region Male Athlete of the Year with his first-place finish. Nelson wrapped up his senior year by helping CU to its second national championship in three year and his first since he was injured in 2004 when the Buffs won their last title. Nelson placed 56th overall, but passed 10-15 harriers in the last 1,000-meters to help CU past the defending champ Wisconsin. Nelson led the Buffs for the second straight season at the Mountain Regional, taking eighth overall. He also placed sixth at Big 12’s.
HIGH SCHOOL: Nelson graduated with school records in the 3,200-meter (8:54), the mile (4:15) and the 3,000-meter (9:35). Taft was the South Sequoia League cross country champions his sophomore through senior seasons. He was an All-South Sequoia League performer his freshman through senior seasons and an All-Area pick his sophomore through senior year. His prep career culminated in his winning the Division IV California State Championship as a senior. That same season, he finished third at the FootLocker Regional meet before a ninth-place finish at Nationals. Following his prep campaign he finished third, and earned a bid on the national team, at the U.S. Winter World Cross Country Championships decided in Vancouver, Wash. hat March he finished 33rd (the second American) in the 8k men’s junior race at the World Championships in Dublin, Ireland.
ACADEMICS: Nelson is a history major at Colorado.
PERSONAL: William Andrew Nelson was born Sept. 11, 1984 in Bakersfield, Calif. He is the son of William and Amy Nelson of Cortez, Colo., and Rhonda and Bill Blythe of Bakersfield, Calif. He has an older sister, Danielle, a younger brother, Colt, who competes in rodeo and a younger sister, Hailee.
