Coburn clocks 4:32.72 at 4,583 feet elevation to eclipse 2018 Colorado soil mark of 4:36.05 by Jones, who runs 4:34.50 for third behind McGee in 4:33.39; McDonald prevails in 4:02.07 in first event with new training group and first career race at altitude, but misses Klecker's mark of 4:01

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Emma Coburn added to her resume the fastest women’s mile in the history of her home state Saturday at the Team Boss Colorado Mile, contested at 4,583 feet elevation at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.

Coburn surged in front of teammates Cory McGee and Dani Jones in the final 150 meters and held on for the victory in 4 minutes, 32.72 seconds to eclipse the previous Colorado state record of 4:36.05 achieved by Jones during her collegiate career with the Buffaloes in 2018.

McGee was second in 4:33.39 and Jones ran faster than her previous standard, but placed third in 4:34.50. All three performances would convert to sub-4:30 efforts at sea level.

Former Wisconsin star Morgan McDonald made his debut for Team Boss, competing in his first event of the year and his first career race at altitude, pulling away in the final lap to prevail in the men’s race in 4:02.07.

The Colorado state men’s record of 4:01 was achieved indoors in February by Buffaloes All-American Joe Klecker.

McDonald won the HOKA ONE ONE Long Island Mile in September in New York, running 3:54.63 at only 400 feet above sea level. His converted sea-level time Saturday would have been under 3:57.

Tripp Hurt placed second in 4:05.36 and recent Niwot High graduate and Washington signee Cruz Culpepper took third in 4:08.80, acknowledged as the fastest official FAT mile effort run by a prep athlete on Colorado soil in state history.

Valor Christian graduate and Stanford signee Cole Sprout set the overall state record at 768 feet elevation May 23 by running 4:02.72 as part of the Quarantine Clasico mile at Oak Ridge High in California. Sprout also ran a 4:07 time trial April 18 at Niwot High, which is at 5,095 feet elevation.

Nick Harris finished fourth in the men’s race in 4:14.62 and Ryan Parker was fifth in 4:35.95.

Aisha Praught-Leer was fourth in the women’s race in 4:38.33, Dominique Scott took fifth in 4:47.29 and Maddie Alm placed sixth in 4:57.13.

Praught-Leer and Team Boss coach Joe Bosshard, Coburn’s husband, helped organize the event, with all donations and proceeds going to Sachs Foundation, a not-for-profit group based in Colorado for 100-plus years that helps provide college scholarships from Black and African-American students.

More than $30,000 had already been raised for Sachs Foundation as of Saturday, with the overall goal for Bosshard and the group entering the event being $20,000.