Colorado graduate, 13-time All-American and four-time NCAA Division 1 champion, has already achieved personal bests in outdoor 1,500, mile and 5,000 since turning professional in May and training with coach Joe Bosshard

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Dani Jones, a first-year professional athlete who announced in early May she would be represented by HAWI Management and be coached by Joe Bosshard while training with his group in Colorado, confirmed Monday on her social media what had already been widely speculated this fall that she has received a sponsorship deal with New Balance.

Jones, a 13-time All-American at Colorado, joins training partners Emma Coburn and Cory McGee as New Balance athletes, along with another Buffaloes all-time great and American distance legend Jenny Simpson.

Jones, 24, won three NCAA Division 1 individual titles, one indoor distance medley relay crown and contributed to a 2018 team championship in cross country for Colorado.

The trio of McGee, Jones and Coburn made history July 25 at the Team Boss Mile at Indiana Wesleyan University by becoming the first three American female athletes to all run under 4 minutes, 24 seconds in the same race.

McGee clocked 4:21.81, Jones ran 4:23.33 and Coburn finished in 4:23.65 to also produce the three fastest outdoor times in the world this year. McGee ascended to the No. 8 all-time U.S. outdoor performer, with Jones elevating to No. 11 and Coburn 11th in American history.

Jones also lowered her 1,500-meter personal best to 4:05.03 en route to her overall mile performance.

She added an outdoor personal-best effort of 15:31.45 at the Under Armour Sunset Tour event Aug. 22 in Southern California.

Jones remains the only female athlete in Division 1 history to be ranked among the top 10 all-time in both the indoor mile (4:27.88) and 5,000 (15:17.11).

She also eclipsed the Colorado program record in the indoor 800 by producing a 2:04.38 effort Feb. 1 at the Colorado Invitational, and was scheduled to run the 800 and mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., before the March 13-14 event was canceled over concerns related to the Coronavirus pandemic.

With Jones finalizing her deal with New Balance, three Colorado All-Americans who decided to forgo their remaining eligibility this year to pursue professional careers have all secured sponsorships, joining Makena Morley with ASICS and Joe Klecker with On, a Swiss Running Company. Klecker is training with On Athletics Club in Colorado and Morley is training in Montana.