Dani Jones – 2020

​Danielle Jones, affectionately known as Dani, is an American middle-distance runner.  Jones began breaking records in high school while attending Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, AZ. Jones won nine state titles: two cross country (2013-14), two 800m (2013, 2015), three 1600m (2013-15) and two 3200 (2014-15). She set state records for 1600 (4:41), Mile (4:39.88) and 3200 (10:09).  In her 2014-2015 season, Jones led her team to a second straight state title. Jones won the state cross country championship with a course record time of 17:26. She was named Runner of the Year from Arizona Gatorade.

Jones attended the University of Colorado as a distance runner, and continued her record-breaking style. Jones won four NCAA National Championships, earned twelve All-American Honors, and broke two school records. She excelled in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field, and cemented her position as one of the best indoor track and field milers in CU history by winning a pair of mile runs. She was the 2018 NCAA Women’s Cross-Country Champion and during her sophomore indoor season, Jones won 2 National titles in the 3,000-meter run and the distance medley relay. During the 2018 indoor campaign, at the NCAA Championships, Jones recorded a personal best in the mile clocked in at 4:31.82 taking second place.

During the 2020 indoor season, Jones was the only female athlete with NCAA top-10 marks in the mile and 5,000 on a 200-meter track. Jones was named the 2020 U.S. Track & Field, and Cross-Country Coaches Association (“USTFCCCA”) Indoor Female Athlete of the Year. She is a three-time Sportswomen of Colorado (“SWOC”) awards recipient, placing her in the SWOC Hall of Fame.  In 2020, she was honored with SWOC’s Sportswomen of Colorado Sportswoman of the Year Award.