The Buffaloes sign top recruit for upcoming cross country season

It is very rare that a recruit signing in a sport other than football or basketball gets much attention. Not all recruits are as good as Ben Saarel though. The high schooler who won Adidas High School Dream Mile last weekend has signed his letter of intent for the University of Colorado, and is in obviously good shape as he prepares to join the Buffaloes this August.

Though he didn’t become one of a small handful of high schoolers to run sub-4 minutes for the mile, this past weekend Saarel ran a 4:02:78, destroying the rest of the field. Saarel finished in 55 seconds for his final 400m, gapping the field by multiple seconds. On top of his mile PR, Saarel also has a 3200m PR of 8:45:74. This makes him the 3^nd fastest high schooler in history.

What makes Saarel such an interesting prospect for the Buffaloes is that, though he has speed, he is a true middle distance talent. Saarel has times that are on par with World Championship Bronze Medalist Matthew Centrowitz, as well as Olympic Silver Medalist Galen Rupp when they were in high school. While Saarel may not be that type of talent, the fact is, he is one of the best signees in the class, as well as one of the best signees in years. The Buffaloes will be happy to have him on the rooster while they continue their quest to become a powerhouse in the Pac-12 conference.

The Buffaloes will start their 2013/2014 campaign at their own home meet, the Rocky Mountain Shootout, before heading to the pre-national meet. While the cross country season isn’t too far away, the Buffs still have a plethora of runners competing in the NCAA and USA Championships on the track this spring. For more information on the Buffs, head over to the CU Athletics website.

Photo courtesy of Mile Split