Gophers, Finnerty Named USATF Minnesota Athletes of the Month

The Golden Gopher women’s relay teams from the Drake Relays and Rob Finnerty have been named USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for May 2007.

The Golden Gopher women’s 4 x 800 meter, 4 x 1600 meter, and distance medley relay teams were recognized for their “triple crown” of victories at the Drake Relays on April 27 and 28. The 4 x 800 team of Jamie Cheever, Gabriele Anderson, Julie Schwengler, and Heather Dorniden broke the Drake Relays record in the event with their victorious 8:27.42 clocking.

The 4 x 1600 team of Cheever, Elizabeth Yetzer, Anderson, and Emily Brown ran the fastest time in the nation with their 19:07.75 performance in the event, which broke the meet record the 2006 Gopher team set. The DMR of Yetzer, Dorniden, Ayla Mitchell, and Brown ran 11:08.16 for their win.

Finnerty, a Burnsville High School junior, was recognized for winning the Boys 3200 meter run in 9:04.55 at the Hamline Elite meet on April 27. The 2005 MSHSL Class AA 3200 meter champ beat a star-studded field that included USA Junior Men’s Cross Country champion Elliott Heath of Winona and 4th place Footlocker National Cross Country finisher Hassan Mead of Minneapolis South.

USA Track & Field Minnesota selects Athletes of the Month to honor excellence in track and field and its related sports in Minnesota. USA Track & Field is the governing body of the sport in the United States and the Minnesota Association of USATF sanctions and sponsors track and field, cross country, road racing, and racewalking events for athletes of all ages in the state.

Also ... You can watch KARE-11's Prep Athlete of the Week peice on Finnerty HERE -- it includes footage of the Elite Meet finish.

(Disclosure: Pete Miller and I serve, along with Kevin Moorhead, on the USATF-Minnesota Athlete of the Month committee.)