Chris Lists: Richardson, Blankenship, and Heath Top Final Boys' Distance Lists

The fifth-fastest boys' 800 meter runner in Minnesota history, Andy Richardson, Minnesota's fourth-fastest 1600 meter runner ever, Ben Blankenship, and the all-time fastest state prep over 3200 meters, Elliott Heath, top the final high school boys distance event preformance lists that Chris Marshall compiles for DtB.

Only two modifications to the "Chris Lists" occurred since its last iteration: Buffalo sophomore Zach Mellon improved his mark, if not his rank, in the 800m with a 1:51.87 clocking in the prelims of the USA Junior Championships in Indianapolis last week. The Class AA 800m champ ranks #2 this season to Richardson and his 1:51.60, and is the #8 half-miler in Minnesota all-time.

Blankenship, with his converted 3:51.11 1500 from USA Juniors, moved back to the top of the 1600m list. He topped the list after the MSHSL State Meet where he ran 4:09.10. Burnsville's Rob Finnerty, however, leap-frogged him with a 4:08.84 clocking at Nike Outdoor Nationals a week later, but Blankenship's junior nationals mark, which converts to 4:08.14 for 1600m, puts him back on top. He ranks #4 all-time in the event; Finnerty ranks #5.

The Lists ... (the two new marks in bold.)

800m:
Andy Richardson Irondale 1:51.60 AA State (Prelims) *5th All-time Minnesota*
Zach Mellon Buffalo 1:51.87 USATF Junior Nationals *8th All-time Minnesota*
Isaac Veldkamp Eden Prairie 1:53.62 AA State *24th All-time Minnesota*
Jordan Carlson Rosemount 1:53.88 AA State (Prelims)
David Pachuta Eastview 1:53.96 AA State (Prelims)
Obai Hussein Rosemount 1:54.04 AA State
Nick Hutton Apple Valley 1:54.09 Section 6AA
Mike Shelendich Mounds View 1:54.37 Section 4AA
Jon Stublaski Henry Sibley 1:54.51 AA State (Prelims)
Ben Blankenship Stillwater 1:54.58 Bob Stewart Invite
(10)
Mike Mueller Hopkins 1:54.99 Section 6AA
Nick Ranberg North Branch 1:55.08 North Suburban Conference
Alex Wrobel Mounds View 1:55.50 Section 4AA
Mustafa Yusuf Willmar 1:55.49 Section 2AA
Robel Kebede Minneapolis South 1:55.68 Section 5AA
Tyler King Lakeville North 1:55.73 AA State (Prelims)
Anthony Held Elk River 1:55.94 AA State (Prelims)
Abdi Mohamed Eden Prairie 1:56.10 Section 6AA
Ben Garbers North 1:56.23 Section 4AA
Tom Hoffman Mahtomedi 1:56.24 Section 4AA
(20)
Kevid Bradley Mounds View 1:56.70 SEC Conference
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 1:56.86 Central Lakes Conference
Rob Finnerty Burnsville 1:57.18 Carleton
John Vaith Hastings 1:57.25 AA State (Prelims)
Doug Debold Hopkins 1:57.42 State TT
Mitch Lorenz Brainerd 1:57.62 AA State (Prelims)
Luke Delaney Brainerd 1:57.64 AA State (Prelims)
Evan Kearney Mlps. South 1:57.87 6AAATT
Harun Abda Fridley 1:57.89 Section 5AA
Tom Burke Edina 1:57.95 EP Booster
(30)
Paul Hilsen Lakeville South 1:57.8* Rosemount Tri
Sam Shidla Mound-Westonka 1:57.9* Mound-Westonka
Dominick Rosario Edina 1:58.54 Section 6AA

1600m:
Ben Blankenship Stillwater 4:08.14c (3:51.11) USATF Junior Nationals *4th All-time Minnesota*
Rob Finnerty Burnsville 4:08.84c (4:10.49) NON *5th All-time Minnesota*
Paul Hilsen Lakeville South 4:09.28c (4:11.04) NON *8th All-time Minnesota*
Elliott Heath Winona 4:10.27 1AAATT *10th All-time Minnesota*
Andy Richardson Irondale 4:10.78 AA State *16th All-time Minnesota*
Jordan Carlson Rosemount 4:13.04 (4:14.72) NON
Ryan Little Eden Prairie 4:13.54 Section 6AA
TC Lumbar Edina 4:13.98 Section 6AA
Hassan Mead Mlps. South 4:14.17 AA State
Tom Burke Edina 4:15.44 7AAATT
(10)
Doug Debold Hopkins 4:16.70 Section 6AA
Matt Yak Northfield 4:16.85 1AAATT
Tyler King Lakeville North 4:17.25 Section 1AA
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 4:17.64 Section 6AA
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 4:17.9* STMA
Zach Mellon Buffalo 4:19.05 State TT
Mike Hutton Apple Valley 4:19.41 Lake Conference Relays
Jon Stublaski Henry Sibley 4:20.02 Hamline Elite
Travis Burkstrand Eastview 4:20.37 Lake Conference
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 4:21.58 Lake Conference
(20)
Pieter Gagnon Minneapolis Washburn 4:21.76 Section 5AA
Mike Howard North 4:22.00 AA State
Harry Backlund Highland Park 4:22.24
Nick Saucedo Henry Sibley 4:22.25 Section 3AA
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 4:22.34 Lake Conf. Relays
TC Lumbar Edina 4:22.52 7AAATT
Mahad Hassan Willmar 4:22.69 Eden Prairie Booster
Mike Schelendich Mounds View 4:22.88 6AAATT
Matt Volz Lakeville South 4:22.99 1AAATT

3200m:
Elliott Heath Winona 8:42.81c (8:46.12) NON *Minnesota All-time record*
Hassan Mead Mlps South 8:47.88c (8:51.23) NON *3rd All-time Minnesota*
Rob Finnerty Burnsville 8:55.75c (8:59.15) NON *5th All-time Minnesota*
TC Lumbar Edina 9:06.69 Hamline Elite *15th All-time Minnesota*
Ryan Little Eden Prairie 9:11.19 AA State
Tom Burke Edina 9:11.36 Section 6AA
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 9:13.00 Section 6AA
Ben Blankenship Stillwater 9:15.46 Lakeville Invite
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 9:16.92 AA State
Matt Yak Northfield 9:18.90 1AAATT
(10)
Mike Hutton Apple Valley 9:22.05 Section 6AA
Jon Stublaski Henry Sibley 9:23.71 2AAATT
Andrew Quinn BSM 9:26.79 Hamline Elite
Mahad Hassan Willmar 9:29.96 Central Lakes Conference
Pieter Gagnon Minneapolis Washburn 9:30.10 AA State
Travis Burkstrand Eastview 9:32.53 Lake Conference
Danny Docherty Cretin-Derham Hall 9:32.83 AA State
Mohammed Bedel Willmar 9:35.21 Section 2AA
Jon Lambert Wayzata 9:39.26 Hamline Elite
Danny Docherty Cretin-Derham Hall 9:39.41 SEC Conference
(20)
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 9:39.59 EP Booster
Mike Howard North 9:40.91 Section 4AA
Wade Hassel Mounds View 9:41.10 Hamline Elite
Tyler King Lakeville North 9:41.39 Lake Conference

*hand-timed

All-time ranking information comes courtesy of Tim and Bill Miles, authors of the Minnesota Boys Track and Field Annual.

To Run or Not to Run: Dorniden and USAs

Allow me to take you back to early June ...

I'm sitting in the stands of Carleton College's Laird Stadium with a friend. (Hi Brian!) We're watching the 1AA Section meet on a Saturday afternoon, the day after Elliott Heath ran his solo 8:57, which seems sorta slow for him now, come to think of it.

Anyway, we notice that Heather Dorniden is one of the official timers for the meet (as is Elizabeth Yetzer) and our conversation turns to the Gopher 800m star. She'd be racing the NCAA Championships the next week. We did wonder if she should be spending so much time on her feet timing, but our main topic of concern was the USA meet.

"So, do you think she should run USAs," the friend asked?

"Boy, long season for her, lots of racing, I don't know," I say.

"Be nice to have that sort of experience before the Olympic Trails next year, though," he notes.

"True, true," I say, "I wonder what they'll do."

In the end , Dorniden didn't race at the USA Championships in Indianapolis last week. California's Alysia Johnson, who beat Dorniden and Michigan's Katie Erdman to win the NCAA meet, won the 800 at USAs in 1:59.47. Two other NCAA finalists, Morgan Uceny of Cornell and Geena Gall of Michigan made the USA final. Uceny ran 2:01.75 for 4th; Gall ran 2:02.31 for 6th.

(You can watch the race, HERE.)

At NCAAs, Gall was 5th and Uceny was 6th.

Back to Dorniden ... I asked Gopher coach Matt Bingle after USAs what the decision-making process was for Dorniden and the meet, and found out it was a simpler decision than my buddy and I imagined.

"When it comes to things after the Big Ten meet," he said, "we leave it in the student-athletes' hands. She expressed that she was tired and a little achey so she decided that she did not want to run. I look for her to be ready for the trials next summer. Hope this makes sense!"

Does to me ...

In other 800m news ... Adam Steele never put together the sort of 800 he needed to qualify for the USA meet, or that he knows he's capable of.

He told DtB right before USAs:

" ... the nagging injuries really play a toll on you mentally and physically. Coach [Frank Gagliano] and I decided it was best to call it a season and begin training for next year. Now I have a better understanding of his training program and what I need to do be competitive at this level."

"Even though there were a lot of bumps on this journey," he added, "I still believe I made the best decision and the future is still bright."

"As an athlete, everything he touches turns to gold."

The Star-Tribune's Patrick Reusse, no stranger to track and field this year, just wrote a nice column on MSU-Mankato high jumper Jim Dilling the new USA Champion in the event.

In the piece, Dilling's coach Mark Schuck tells the story of Dilling's morph from a football-playing, mediocre high jumper to a four-time D2 champ and World Championships team member.

"As an athlete, everything he touches turns to gold," Schuck said.

Riter Returns from Indy with Mixed Feelings

Former Mounds View and U of M star Trent Riter returned from the USA Championships in Indianapolis having qualified for the 800m finals and sporting a sparkling new PR. But, since the final went poorly -- he finished 8th of eight in 1:48.00 -- the 25-year-old who put his graduate school career on hold to focus on racing isn't exactly high-fiving everyone in sight.

"I am very disappointed with the way the final went," Riter (pictured) told DtB. "I felt prepared mentally and physically but apparently that was not the case. I believe I ran really well tactically in the prelims and semi's but I have no clue what happened in the final."

In the semi (which is viewable HERE, thanks to Flocast), Riter ran a patient race from the latter half of the pack and cruised up into third place in the final 50 meters to make the final and notch a 1:46.62 PR for himself.

In the final, it appeared the second fastest Minnesota prep 800m runner all-time was planning a similar strategy, but the late surge never came. (That race, shown live on NBC, is viewable HERE.)

"I was definitely not just happy to be there," Riter asserted. "I felt ready to run faster, especially after how easy the semi's felt. I had sprained a ligament in my foot a week before the Championships and taped it for the first two rounds but opted not to for the finals. I am uncertain whether it played a factor in how things went."

Amidst the disappointment, Riter does see the progress he's made.

"Everyone I've talked to has been really happy for me about the "big" new PR," he said. "I kind of felt it coming and thought I was prepared to run faster. I guess I was really humbled in the final. I'd have to say it's going to gnaw at me a bit, at least for a while, but it will wear off."

"This year was about getting back on track to where I thought I could be," he continued. "I was in the pool all of March struggling with achilles tendinitis and on the verge of despair. Considering it is my first year out of college and doing this kind of my own way, I'm very happy with things. Nevertheless, I'm going to be even hungrier for next year and we will make the necessary adjustments to make a run at an Olympic team. I feel like I can be a contender with a full year of health and determination."

Riter's immediate future is less certain. His exploits at USAs didn't automatically extend his race calendar or change his sponsorship situation.

"I was not approached by any agents and I have no means to get to Europe and into races," Riter said. "We'll see if any doors open up. I may go knocking on some. I would like to keep racing this year. I am confident I can still improve. I only raced three times (four if you include the Meet of the Unsaintly) before US Championships and most athletes in the field competed many more times than I did."

"When you are racing on your own dollar it is hard to create many opportunities," he added. "There is an outside shot I could run on the Pan Am team or at the NACAC Championships. I would feel very fortunate to be a part of either one."

Photo courtesy of Sean Hartnett.

Hall of Fame Nominations Due: Van Norman, Russ, Gathje, or Oestreich Anyone?

The Minnesota Track & Field Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for its Class of 2007, to be honored at the semi-annual Hall of Fame Banquet typically held in conjunction with Twin Cities Marathon in October. The deadline for nominations is this Saturday, June 30th.

Here are my four suggestions for the hall ...

Dr. Larry Russ ... The long-time St. Thomas cross country coach led his program to numerous MIAC titles and two NCAA Division III national crowns.

Heather Van Norman ... The Windom sprint sensation won 12 MSHSL Class A titles and won the State Class A team title for Windom single-handedly one year -- and got help for from a 3rd place 4 x 800m squad for a second team title another year.

Jim Gathje ... A former St. John's teammate of mine, I'll admit, but he's held the NCAA Division III 3000 meter steeplechase record since 1985 -- he bettered his own 1985 record in 1986 to the current 8:43.93 -- and his PR 8:39.80 is the all-time Division III standard.

Harry Oestreich ... Gustavus Adolphus quarter-miler from the 1920s -- ranked 37th in the world in 1928 with a 48.9 400m, finished 3rd in the 1926 USA Championships.

You can use the nomination form HERE to suggest your own Minnesota greats to the Hall of Fame committee.

Let us know who you think should be in the Hall ...

Runner's World Daily Features McGregor; Lundstrom Selected for Pan Am Marathon

Yesterday's "A Brief Chat With" feature spotlighted Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor. McGregor finished third in the 10,000 at the the USA Championships last week to earn a place on the starting line in the 10,000 at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka in late August.

McGregor led the chase pack -- behind break-away Deena Kastor -- for lots and lots of laps before Kara Goucher (who's one of us too!) broke away in the late-going. McGregor had to battle the resurgent Alicia Craig until the final backstretch before she was confirmed for Japan.

The highlights of the Peter Gambaccini interview, for me anyway, are McGregor's thoughts on tactical racing, like that in Indy.

"You just hope that you’re making the right decisions while you’re out there. It’s just such a long race, so many little decisions," she said in the interview.

Also in Team USA Minnesota news ... Chris Lundstrom has been selected to the Pan American Games team in the marathon. The men's marathon, which closes competition of the Games, is set for Sunday, July 29.

You can catch up with all the Team USA Minnesota news via their latest media release HERE.

USA Outdoor Championships Photos: Sunday

Since the entire DtB staff was on the road back to Minnesota, we didn't have a photographer at Sunday's session. So, we invite you to review this selection of Minnesota athletes from other sources:

Trent Riter
Garrett Heath
Will Leer (blue singlet - in back)
Jim Dilling

"Who are you?"

According to this morning's Mankato Free Press story on Jim Dilling's upset win in the men's high jump at the USA Track and Field Championships Sunday, 'Who are you' was the question of the day.

MSU-Mankato coach Mark Schuck told the Free Press:

"The first thing the TV interviewer asked him when he won was ‘Who are you?’ He wore his MSU jersey and everybody wanted to know where Mankato, Minn. was."

Dilling (pictured) appears from the results to have been jumping solidly but not spectacularly through the earlier heights. He had misses at 7-1 3/4 ... 7-3 ... 7-4 1/4 ... while eventual runner-up and third place finishers Jamie Nieto and Adam Shunk, respectively, had clean sheets through those heights.

At 7-5 1/4, though, only Dilling kept the bar in bar place.

"I just tried to stay relaxed and confident and tried to clear my mind of everything. I’m glad I was able to come through in the end," he told Jim Rueda of the Free Press.

The win sends the four-time NCAA Division II champ to Osaka, Japan for the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in August.

Photo courtesy of MSU-Mankato.

USA Sunday Update: Dilling Wins High Jump

Minnesota State - Mankato high jumper Jim Dilling was the upset winner of the high jump at AT&T USA Outdoor Championships. Dilling cleared 7-5 1/4 for the victory which earned him the right to compete in the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan later this summer.

Also today ... Former Mounds View High School and U of M all-American Trent Riter finished 8th in 1:48.00 in the finals of the 800 meters. In the 1500 meters, Winona native Garrett Heath of Stanford finished 9th in 3:42.88 while Minnetonka High School grad Will Leer was 10th in 3:44.20. Mankato's Katelin Rains was unable -- like six other athletes -- to clear the 13-9 1/4 opening pole vault.

Photo courtesy of MSU-Mankato.

USA Outdoor Championships Photos: Saturday

More 2007 USA Championships photos on our flickr stream.

Also: Extensive photo gallery at trackandfieldphoto.com

Gits Takes 2nd in USA Junior 5000; Blankenship 5th, Richardson 9th in 1500

The Minnesota story of the Saturday competition at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis was Alex Gits. She waited out a long stretch adrift between the early leaders and the main pack in the junior women’s 5000 meters, caught the lead pack in the late-going, and then raced to a second place finish in 16:50.47.

That’s about all we have of the story, however.

Due to commitments back in Minnesota, we had to load up the DtB mobile unit immediately after Gits finished. (I’m typing these words from the shotgun seat of the ol’ Toyota as it whizzes by mile marker #160 on I-90 in Wisconsin.) So, no splits, no post-race interview.

If we're reading the USATF Pan Am Juniors team selection criteria correctly, it appears the Stanford-bound Edina High School grad needed to win the race to earn a trip to Brazil.

Ben Blankenship of Stillwater High School made a quick-thinking and bold move at 1200 meter mark of the junior men's 1500 to stay in contention for a victory, but ran out of steam in the homestretch.

Blankenship finished 5th in 3:51.50.

With the pace having accelerated from 65.3 and 63.7 through 800 to 60-flat for the third 400, the Mississippi State-bound, two-time Class AA 1600 champ dashed from the danger of a fast-closing box and sped down the backstretch after the leaders. All the fast running -- and fast thinking -- though, left Blankenship unable match the speed of the eventual place-winners down the homestrech.

A.J. Acosta won the race in 3:49.53.

Andy Richardson, ran an uncharacteristically controlled race from deeper in the 1500 pack, but found that same accelerating third 400 of the contest – he ran a 61.3 – too fast. Richardson lost contact with the leads at 1200 but held together for 9th in 3:54.03.

Blankenship time equates to a 4:08.56 1600m, Richardson’s to 4:11.28.

"It was tough," Blankenship said. "Those guys kept pounding the pace. Going into two-left, they just went. I was sort of caught up on the rail and then I found my opening. I thought I could out-kick them."

The senior women raced the 1500 as well on Saturday. Team USA Minnesota’s Jenelle Deatherage finished 8th in 4:12.49. Deatherage, who has a 4:07.87 personal best, can’t seem to shake recurring problems with the final 400 of her races.

“It's still not what I would have like to run for the last lap," the University of Wisconsin grad said. "It's tough, when the season hasn't gone well, to really muster up the confidence to go out with the top three. I was a little conservative, but right there at the same time. If felt like I ran a smart race, I just didn't, maybe, have it at the end."

The final session of competition at the USA Championship takes place today. It’s another day for Minnesota’s top middle distance runners: Winona native Garrett Heath and Minnetonka High School grad Will Leer race in the 1500 final; Trent Riter. It’s also a day for Mavericks: MSU-Mankato’s Jim Dilling competes in the high jump and Mankato’s Katelin Rains competes in the high jump.

USA Outdoor Championships Photos: Friday

More 2007 USA Championships photos on our flickr stream.

Also: Extensive photo gallery at trackandfieldphoto.com

Ferrell 6th and Graham 8th in USA 5000s; Heath, Leer, and Riter Advance to Finals

Former St. Paul Academy & Summit School star Cack Ferrell and former Stillwater High School standout Sean Graham placed in their respective 5000 meter finals at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis last night.

Ferrell (pictured, left) finished sixth in 15:43.69; Graham placed 8th in 13:44.06. Both compete for the Eugene-based Oregon Track Club.

Ferrell found herself in no-woman's-land for much of the race after eventual winner Shalane Flanagan, the American record-holder in the event, broke up the field when she went to the lead. She won in 14:51.75.

"I'm thrilled," Ferrell said nonetheless afterward. "I kept saying beforehand, if I were 10th and ran 15:30 I'd be happy, if I were 3rd and ran 17 minutes I'd be happy. I don't care about that stuff, I just want to go out and compete."

Graham, on the other hand, found himself running in a packed men's race that only ran 4:32 for the first mile but which augured a fast finish.

"It was a lot more crowded than I thought it would be," Graham said. "I found myself in the back of the pack a couple times. I was able to take off and get back forward, but I think moving up took a little out of my legs for the last lap. I got passed by two people in the last 400, which you can never let happen."

"Been better," Graham concluded, "not great, not bad."

Bernard Lagat won the event with a 56.2 final 400 in his quest to duplicate his 5000/1500 double from a year ago. Lagat clocked 13:31.73.

Team USA Minnesota's Matt Gabrielson finished 13th in 13:53.17; teammate Andrew Carlson was 16th in 13:55.22.

In other late-Friday finals with a Minnesota motif ... Gopher javelin thrower Ruby Radocaj finished 9th with a mark of 153-9. The mark was well off her seed performance of 172-4. Former Gopher pole vaulter Tye Harvey finished 13th at 17-8 1/2. He entered the meet with 18-2 1/2 seed.

In preliminary competition ... Trent Riter qualified for the 800 meter final with a PR 1:46.62 which placed him third in his semi-final. Riter split 24.8, 52.5, and 1:18.6 en route. He moved into a top-4 qualifying position in his heat only in the final 50 meters.

His PR coming into the meet was 1:47.18; his PR before this season was 1:47.78.

"I was just trying to stay relaxed and hope things open up in the last 100 meters," Riter confided. "That's what usually happens in the 800: there are guys going forward and there's guys going backwards. I want to be a guy going forward."

Riter races in the 800 meter final on Sunday.

In the men's 1500 meters, California-based Minnesotans Will Leer of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and Garrett Heath of Stanford raced shoulder-to-shoulder down the homestretch, fighting for spots in Sunday's final. (Photo below: Leer on left, Heath on right.)

Leer pipped Heath 3:40.06 to 3:40.12, but both advanced. Both marks were personal bests.

"I was just chasing, chasing, chasing down to the wire," Leer said. "I had Garrett Heath on my left and I really wanted to get up to him."

While the USA meet competition was a big step up for Leer, an NCAA Division III guy, even Heath noticed a change.

"It's pretty exciting to racing with a lot of these really good guys that you always just see about in the news," Heath said. "Once you get out there the field isn't that different, there's still some guy up there leading -- someday it may be you, some days it may be someone else."

Not as fortunate this meet as Riter, Leer, and Heath was former Stillwater star Luke Watson. The Notre Dame assistant coach finished 11th in his heat of the 3000 meter steeplechase in 8:55.89 and did not qualify for Sunday's final.

Photos courtesy of Sean Hartnett.

Alicia Rue Makes Pan American Juniors Team

University of Minnesota freshman pole vaulter Alicia Rue earned a trip to the Pan American Games in Brazil next month with her runner-up finish in the pole vault this afternoon at the Finishline USA Junior Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis.

Rue, who finished 6th in the meet last year as a recent Armstrong High grad, cleared 13-1 1/2 to finish second to Tori Anthony who vaulted 13-3 1/2.

Rue had misses at every height except her opener, but still edged bronze medalist Natalie Willer, who also cleared 13-1 1/2, by having fewer misses at the last cleared height.

"It was a very good day for me," Rue said. "The height that I missed was an attempt at my PR, so I was happy with that. It's been a long season of college, so I wasn't sure how it would go. But, I was confident coming in."

Gopher coaches believe Rue is the first current Golden Gopher female to make a USA team while a member of the Minnesota track team.

Gopher head coach Matt Bingle saw only positives in Rue's finish.

"For her, coming off the [NCAA] national meet where she no-heighted, to rebound mentally and physically and come back to a meet like this to make the Pan Am team is awesome," Bingle said. "It's pretty awesome for her and it's a great experience because we think she can be a phenomenal athlete. We think this type of experience now, as a freshman, is just wonderful."

Bingle volunteered special praise for vault coach Caroline White.

"She's done a tremendous job," Bingle said. "At the Big Ten outdoor meet, we scored 17 points in the in the pole vault. It's a huge commitment for us with the vault -- we love the vault -- and she does a great job with it."

In other early afternoon action ... Milers Ben Blankenship of Stillwater High School and Andy Richardson of Irondale advanced to the finals of the junior men's 1500 meters. Running in the same heat, Blankenship placed 3rd in 3:51.11 to advance automatically while Richardson finished 8th in 3:55:87 to qualify on time.

Blankenship split 61.6 -- with Richardson leading through 300m -- and 2:07.6 going out, but charged home in 1:59.9 and 57.5. A. J. Acosta won the heat and leads all qualifiers with 3:50.52.

Hill-Murray's B.J. Otto finished a non-qualifying 10th in the 200 meters 22.51.

USA Outdoor Championships Photos: Thursday

Check out 2007 USA Championships photos on our flickr stream. We were hampered a bit by darkness, but tried to catch as many Minnesotans as possible. More photos to come on Saturday and Sunday.

Also: Extensive photo gallery at trackandfieldphoto.com

Marks and Heath Win USA Titles; Goucher and McGregor Make World Champs Team

It was a good day for Minnesota track and field stars yesterday!

Triple jumper Shani Marks and junior distance running star Elliott Heath won titles at the USA Outdoor meet last night. Additionally, Kara Goucher and Katie McGregor earned spots on the USA team for the World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan in August.

The top three finishers in each senior event earned the right to compete at Worlds. Heath earned the right to represent his country in the junior competition at the Pam American Games in Brazil next month.

Marks, the former Apple Valley and Gopher star (pictured, above) defended her outdoor triple jump title with a PR leap of 46-2 1/2 on her third jump of the competition. Five of Marks' six jumps out-distanced runner-up Yvette Lewis' 44-7.

"This is the meet you want to be prepared for, if you want to be prepared for anything," Marks explained. "I don't come into it thinking, 'Oh, I won last time.' I just come into thinking, 'You've got to go for it every time.' And it just happens to work out that way, but winning is never really the ultimate goal."

Marks was also this year's indoor USA champ.

"It's hard to get a meet with this sort of enthusiasm throughout the year, so this one is your best chance to do well in that aspect," Marks offered on her ability to succeed in championships. "But as far as peaking, that's all my coach's doing, I don't have anything to do with that. He does well."

Marks' coaching situation is unique. The Minnesota-based jumper is led by Boston-based Mike Eskind.

"He e-mails workouts and I send videos," Marks explained, "and it works, somehow."

Winona High School's Heath out-kicked Oregon's Kenny Klotz to win the junior men's 5000 meters in 14:36.32. Heath was also the USA junior champ in cross country this year.

Heath (pictured, below) was content to ride along in the lead pack through the early miles, led through a mile and a half by Edina's T.C. Lumbar. In the latter laps, when Illinois' Jacob Nachel worked the pace, the two-time Class AA 3200 meter champ was still happy to occupy a backseat. Heath marked Klotz's move in the last 400 and kicked furiously up the homestretch for the win.

Klotz was runner-up to Heath in the junior cross country race as well.

"I didn't have too much of a plan going in," Heath admitted. "I wanted to be sure to stay with the front pack as long as I could. This one was a little bit slower from the get go. I guess I like the slower paces, but you have to be prepared for whatever pace comes. If it's slower you have to be sure you are up in the group."

In the women's 10,000 meters, Duluth native Kara Goucher and Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, to earn spots on the USA team for Osaka. McGregor found herself leading the chase pack for the bulk of the race -- Deena Kastor was long-gone after taking the lead after the 1200 meter mark.

When Goucher made her move in the final 1200 meters, McGregor couldn't follow and had her hands full battling Alicia Craig for the remaining Osaka spot. The two switched positions in the run home, but McGregor caught and passed Craig in the final lap for a seat on the plane to Japan.

Goucher ran 32:33.80; McGregor ran 32:44.69.

"This was one of those races where you are running for place," McGregor said in a Team USA Minnesota press release. "Deena got after it and then the rest of us all waited for someone to go."

"It played out the way I thought," she added. "You can't worry about the time here, you just go with the flow. It's not always the greatest to get third place but I am really looking forward to being on the World outdoor team. It will be a better place at World's to run a faster time."

In preliminary competition, Trent Riter qualified to the second round of the 800 meters by winning his heat in 1:48.48. Team USA Minnesota's Jenelle Deatherage qualified 9th in the 1500m with 4:15.26. Former Gopher Mitch Potter ran 46.05 in his 400 meter prelim but missed advancing by one place and .03.

Photos courtesy of Sean Hartnett.

Studt Leads Minnesotans in USA Juniors

Gopher thrower Aaron Studt notched the top finish of the North Star State contingent at the Finishline USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships this afternoon. Studt finished third in the shot put competition with a 61-3 toss. The Gopher sophomore-to-be missed earning a spot on the Pan Am Games junior squad by a mere 1 1/2 inch.

Edina's Alex Gits finished 4th in the women's 3000m in 9:50.00.

B.J. Otto finished 8th in the long jump with 22-5 1/4.

Halfmilers Andy Richardson of Irondale and Zach Mellon of Buffalo did not advance to the finals of the 800m, running 1:51.74 and 1:51.87 in separate heats.

Studt led the competition through two rounds after his opening throw of 61-0 1/2. Nicholas Robinson of UCLA moved ahead of Studt with a 61-4 1/4 throw in the third round and the appropriatedly named Michael Putman moved ahead of both of them with his winning 61-7 1/2 heave on his last attempt. Studt improved to 61-3 on his final throw, but it wasn't enough to gain a spot for for Pan Ams.

"My second throw I had a really big foul; it was probably 66-feet-plus, but I couldn't keep it in, " Studt said. "It's been awhile since I've thrown, it's been since regionals. I've had to practice on my own because I've been at home working a little bit. I kind of have to decide whether I want to lift or throw everyday."

Gits was part of a large lead pack in the 3000 that turned 400s of 81, 77, 77, 77 leading to a 5:12 opening mile. Nicole Blood of Oregon broke the field apart with a kilometer to go, but Gits outfought the runners around her in the final laps to notch 4th. Her 9:50 3000 equates, roughly, to a 10:34 3200m.

Otto, who spent his senior track season stalking Von Shepard's 24-9 1/4 state high school all-time best in the long jump, cold only muster 22-5 1/4 today.

"My legs felt all right and I thought I was ready to go," Otto offered, "I think I might be, toward the end of the season, getting a little burned out. I tried to stay positive as much as I could but it was just not there today.

On the Shepard record that he knows as intimately as anyone but Shepard himself, Otto was respectful.

"It's really out there. It's hard for anyone to beat it, so I'm just pleased that I could get so close to it." Otto jumped 24-4 1/4 last year and had a best of 24-8 3/4 this year.

Richardson and Mellon missed advancing to finals in the 800m by .11 and .24, respectively. Richardson, well-known back home for his aggressive early pacing, found himself in last place at 200 -- albeit at 27.1 -- and only put himself into the thick of his prelim field in the final 200. He split 27.1, 27.7 (54.8) 29.0, 28.0 (57.0) to finish 4th in his heat. The time is just .14 slower that his 1:51.6o, #5 all-time state prep mark from the Class AA prelims at State.

Mellon split 27.0, 27.8 (54.8), 28.3, 28.8 (57.1) in his 6th place prelim finish here. Mellon's mark, a personal best, moved him to #8 on the Minnesota prep all-time list in the event.

Look for a recap of tonights' evening events tomorrow morning. You can find live results for the junior and senior meets HERE.

USA Championships on Tap Today

Down the Backstretch comes to you today from Hammond, Indiana -- a city that's a track trivia answer (Do you know the question?) The DtB mobile unit -- my maroon 190,000+ mile Toyota pick-up -- is parked outside a threadbare Super 8 Motel, just a morning's drive north of Indianapolis and the USA Championships.

Yes, the glories of covering track and field in Minnesota sometimes include a late-night drive through Chicagoland, a smoking room in a loud hotel (trains and guests), and posting a quick story over bad coffee before getting the rig back on the road.

The AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and the Finish Line USA Junior Track & Field Championships get underway in earnest today. (The USA Junior multi-events began yesterday.) Highlighting the junior competition this afternoon are Hill-Murray long jumper BJ Otto, Gopher shot putter Aaron Studt, Edina's Class AA 3200 m champ Alex Gits in the 3000, and high school half-miling stars Zach Mellon of Buffalo (Class AA champ) and Andy Richardson of Irondale (5th fastest Minnesota prep all-time) racing in the prelims of the 800 meters.

The spotlight event for the Minnesota juniors will be the 5000 meters. Reigning USA Junior Cross Country champ Elliott Heath, fresh off his 8:46 two mile at Nike Outdoor Nationals, will compete, along with Edina's TC Lumbar.

In senior competition, Trent Riter begins his 800 rounds today, Team USA Minnesota's Jenelle Deatherage opens up in the 1500m semis, former Gopher star Mitch Potter begins rounds in the 400m.

Two finals taking place today that could see a Minnesotan crowned champion are the women's triple jump and women's 10,000 meters. Former Gopher and Apple Valley star Shani Marks looks to defend her title in the triple jump where she's the #2 seed. 2005 USA 10,000 champ Katie McGregor of Team USA Minnesota and former Duluth East star Kara Goucher should be in the final pack when places get sorted out in 10,000m late tonight ... unless Deena Kastor is long gone by then!

Look to DtB for a recap of the USA action each morning and occasional quick updates during the competition itself ... if the DtB mobile unit makes it that final 161 miles, that is!

In the meantime, you can find results from the competition HERE.

That Hammond, Indiana trivia answer/question ... A: Rudy Chapa, Carey Pinkowski, and Tim Keogh. Q: Name the three Hammond High runners who were the only three teammates in prep history to break 9:00 in the two mile in the same season.

Riter an Intriguing Prospect in USA 800

Former Mounds View High School and Golden Gopher half-miler Trent Riter is an intriguing prospect in the 800 meter competition at the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships which get underway today and run through Sunday.

The #2 800 man in Minnesota prep history at 1:49.30 who was an all-American at the Univeristy of Minnesota is sporting a new PR -- the 1:47.18 he ran to win his section of the Road to Eugene '08 Meet in late May -- and a renewed excitement for his prospects in the event.

Down the Backstretch traded e-mails with Riter recently about his season so far ...

DtB: What you think the key to your recent quick times has been? I talked with Steve Plascenia recently and he thought not being in the rigorous academic program you had been in was part of it.

Riter: The big thing for me is that I have made the decision to not leave anything to question. This is what I want to be doing right now and I'm taking it very serious and having a blast.
Coach Plasencia might have mentioned I was in graduate school for the fall semester. I found academia rewarding in its own way, but balancing training, a research project, and school work was just too much for me.

It was hard for me make the decision to quit school, but I was not happy and was sure I was making a huge mistake. I informed my advisor at the semester's end that I would no longer be able to continue on with the program. Focusing on my training alone has allowed me to pay more attention to detail and work on a lot of little things which tend to add up.

DtB: I understand you're working with your father as coach now. What does he know about you and the 800 that makes for a successful coach/athlete team?

Riter: My father was my high school coach and that relationship worked quite well then so I thought why not give it a try after college. Going to college at the University of Minnesota made it a bit easier for my dad to follow my collegiate career. He knows all the struggles I had with injuries along the way and definitely believes in me the most. I think my dad would agree that we are very blessed to be able to have such a special father-son relationship.

DtB: I'm guessing you do a lot of your training alone ... is that difficult? Have you thought about joining a training group?

Riter: I do a lot of my training alone with the exception of a run with my roommates on my easy days. I am quite used to it and have not found it all that difficult. It would be nice to have a training partner for the base building portion of training and day-to-day conditioning work, but I feel like I'm pretty good at pushing myself. I tend to be subconsciously competitive in training group environments. Our track workouts are very specific to the individual as well, so it would be hard to have a partner on the exact same plan, but not out of the question.

There are very few training groups for middle distance runners out there. I've thought about joining a group but I would hate to lose what I've got going for me now and enjoy working with my dad. Traveling to Eugene a couple times this spring has made it evident that there are much greater opportunities when associated with a group, but right now I just couldn't imagine changing things up too much. I have an amazing support group here in Minneapolis as well.

DtB: What's the goal for USAs ... or what's a goal you don't mind talking about?

The goal for US Champs is to make the final. If you're in the final, who knows what can happen.


We'll be in Indy ... Join Down the Backstretch this weekend for coverage of the USA Outdoor Championships -- and the USA Junior Championships -- from Indianaplis. We'll have quotes and splits and descriptions for the Minnesotans competing for a chance to run on the USA team at the World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan in August.

RNF Leads Team Circuit Open Divisions

Run N Fun teams stand atop both the men's and women's open divisions of the USATF - Minnesota Team Circuit after Grandma's Marathon. Run N Fun also leads the men's masters and grand masters division with five events of the eight-race series in the books

Gear Running store leads the masters women; Prairie Striders lead women's grand masters.

The RNF men put daylight between themselves and rivals GEAR by winning the team competition at Grandma's over TC Running Company. GEAR was third. Eric Hartmark, Jeremy Polson, and Brady Anderson scored for RNF. They now lead the open men's division with 86 points, two points ahead of GEAR with 84. Lundgren Ford is third with 68; TC Running Company is fourth with 61.

The RNF's open women's extended their lead over GEAR Running Store with an 8:40:15 to 8:59:37 win over GEAR. Melissa Gacek, Angie Voight, and Erin Ward scored for the RNF. The St. Paul store team now leads the circuit with 50 points, GEAR is second with 43, Prairie Striders are third with 29.

The next stop on the Team Circuit is the Rice Street Mile in St. Paul on July 28.

Complete Team Circuit results from Grandma's Marathon can be found HERE.

Complete overall Team Circuit standing can be found HERE.

Junior Olympics on Deck This Weekend

The 2007 USATF - Minnesota Junior Olympic Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be contested this Saturday and Sunday at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The event is open to athletes born after July 30, 1988 and includes events in Young (born 1988 to 1990), Intermediate (1991-92), Midget (1993-94), Youth (1995-96), and Bantam (1997-98) divisions.

Detailed information can be found on THIS pdf of the meet flier.

Additional information is available on the JO page of the USATF-Minnesota web-site.

Results from previous JO events can be found HERE.

The USATF - Minnesota JO Championship is a qualifier for the USATF Region VIII Junior Olympic Championship to be contested from July 12-15 at St. Thomas and Macalester College.

Details for that event can be found HERE.

The National JO Meet is scheduled for July 24-29 in Walnut, California.

Nike Nationals: Inside the Numbers

We've decided the results and the videos were not enough ...

Last weekend's Nike Outdoor Nationals produced so many historic performances for Minnesota high school athletes -- is there any argument that it was the best meet ever for prep boys from the state? -- we felt prompted to dig deeper into the results.

Here, then, are the top performances of the meet for the Gopher Staters, in their historic context. (My thanks to Chris Marshall -- whose latest "Chris Lists" are appended -- and Minnesota Boys Track and Field Annual authors Tim Miles and Bill Miles.)

Note: We don't know of any comprehensive all-time lists for Minnesota girls similar to the Miles and Miles annual. We were impressed with Eden Prairie's 8th place 9:14.66 4 x 800 and 6th place 21:04.05 4 x Mile runs at NON, nonetheless.

Quinn Evans ... 9th @ 400m in 47.31 at NON ... the second fastest Minnesota 400 perfomance all-time, second only to Evans' own 47.18 from the 4AA Section.

Rob Finnerty ... 11th @ Mile in 4:10.49 ... #4 1600/Mile all-time trailing only Garry Bjorklund, Nick Schneider, and Steve Holman ... a 4:08.84 1600m equivalent.

Paul Hilsen ... 13th @ Mile in 4:11.04 ... #7 all-time in Minnesota behind Bjorklund, Schneider, Holman, Finnerty, Garrett Heath, and Ben Blankenship.

Elliott Heath ... 3rd @ 2 Miles in 8:46.12 ... #1 all-time 2 Mile/3200 in the state, dethroning Mike Torchia's 8:50.80 after but one year ... we're trying to verify this, but we think the mark puts Heath in the top-25 for US high schoolers all-time. An 8:42.81 3200m equivalent.

Hassan Mead ... 5th @ 2 Miles in 8:51.23 ... #3 all-time behind Heath and Torchia.

Finnarty ... 13th @ 2 Miles in 8:59.13 ... #5 all-time behind Heath, Torchia, Mead, and Schneider.

Mounds View 4 x 400 ... 4th in 3:14.47 ... a new Minnesota all-time best, eclipsing Stillwater's 1997 3:16:89. The splits, according to coach Ross Fleming, were: Andrew Balzer 49.9, Kevin Bradley 47.8, Mike Shelendich 49.9, and Quinn Evans 46.7.

Willmar 4 x 800 ... 5th in 7:42.24 ... #2 all-time behind Stillwater's 1998 7:41.94.

Mounds View 4 x 800 ... 7th in 7:45.95 ... #3 all-time behind Stillwater and Willmar.

Willmar DMR ... 8th in 10:10.68 ... new all-time best in the seldom-run event, eclipsing Winona's 2004 mark of 10:13.43.

Lakeville South DMR ... 9th in 10:12.67 ... #2 all-time to Willmar.

Willmar 4 x Mile ... 4th in 17:29.09 ... new all-time best in this rare event, smoking Stillwater's 17:44.3 from 2004.

The Chris Lists ... Post-NON Edition ...

800m
Andy Richardson Irondale 1:51.60 AA State (Prelims) *5th All-time Minnesota*
Zach Mellon Buffalo 1:52.66 AA State *14th All-time Minnesota*
Isaac Veldkamp Eden Prairie 1:53.62 AA State *24th All-time Minnesota*
Jordan Carlson Rosemount 1:53.88 AA State (Prelims)
David Pachuta Eastview 1:53.96 AA State (Prelims)
Obai Hussein Rosemount 1:54.04 AA State
Nick Hutton Apple Valley 1:54.09 Section 6AA
Mike Shelendich Mounds View 1:54.37 Section 4AA
Jon Stublaski Henry Sibley 1:54.51 AA State (Prelims)
Ben Blankenship Stillwater 1:54.58 Bob Stewart Invite
(10)
Mike Mueller Hopkins 1:54.99 Section 6AA
Nick Ranberg North Branch 1:55.08 North Suburban Conference
Alex Wrobel Mounds View 1:55.50 Section 4AA
Mustafa Yusuf Willmar 1:55.49 Section 2AA
Robel Kebede Minneapolis South 1:55.68 Section 5AA
Tyler King Lakeville North 1:55.73 AA State (Prelims)
Anthony Held Elk River 1:55.94 AA State (Prelims)
Abdi Mohamed Eden Prairie 1:56.10 Section 6AA
Ben Garbers North 1:56.23 Section 4AA
Tom Hoffman Mahtomedi 1:56.24 Section 4AA
(20)
Kevid Bradley Mounds View 1:56.70 SEC Conference
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 1:56.86 Central Lakes Conference
Rob Finnerty Burnsville 1:57.18 Carleton
John Vaith Hastings 1:57.25 AA State (Prelims)
Doug Debold Hopkins 1:57.42 State TT
Mitch Lorenz Brainerd 1:57.62 AA State (Prelims)
Luke Delaney Brainerd 1:57.64 AA State (Prelims)
Evan Kearney Mlps. South 1:57.87 6AAATT
Harun Abda Fridley 1:57.89 Section 5AA
Tom Burke Edina 1:57.95 EP Booster
(30)
Paul Hilsen Lakeville South 1:57.8* Rosemount Tri
Sam Shidla Mound-Westonka 1:57.9* Mound-Westonka
Dominick Rosario Edina 1:58.54 Section 6AA

1600m
Rob Finnerty Burnsville 4:08.84c (4:10.49) NON *4th All-time Minnesota*
Ben Blankenship Stillwater 4:09.10 AA State *6th All-time Minnesota*
Paul Hilsen Lakeville South 4:09.28c (4:11.04) NON *7th All-time Minnesota*
Elliott Heath Winona 4:10.27 1AAATT *10th All-time Minnesota*
Andy Richardson Irondale 4:10.78 AA State *15th All-time Minnesota*
Jordan Carlson Rosemount 4:13.04 (4:14.72) NON
Ryan Little Eden Prairie 4:13.54 Section 6AA
TC Lumbar Edina 4:13.98 Section 6AA
Hassan Mead Mlps. South 4:14.17 AA State
Tom Burke Edina 4:15.44 7AAATT
(10)
Doug Debold Hopkins 4:16.70 Section 6AA
Matt Yak Northfield 4:16.85 1AAATT
Tyler King Lakeville North 4:17.25 Section 1AA
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 4:17.64 Section 6AA
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 4:17.9* STMA
Zach Mellon Buffalo 4:19.05 State TT
Mike Hutton Apple Valley 4:19.41 Lake Conference Relays
Jon Stublaski Henry Sibley 4:20.02 Hamline Elite
Travis Burkstrand Eastview 4:20.37 Lake Conference
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 4:21.58 Lake Conference
(20)
Pieter Gagnon Minneapolis Washburn 4:21.76 Section 5AA
Mike Howard North 4:22.00 AA State
Harry Backlund Highland Park 4:22.24
Nick Saucedo Henry Sibley 4:22.25 Section 3AA
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 4:22.34 Lake Conf. Relays
TC Lumbar Edina 4:22.52 7AAATT
Mahad Hassan Willmar 4:22.69 Eden Prairie Booster
Mike Schelendich Mounds View 4:22.88 6AAATT
Matt Volz Lakeville South 4:22.99 1AAATT

3200m
Elliott Heath Winona 8:42.81c (8:46.12) NON *Minnesota All-time record*
Hassan Mead Mlps South 8:47.88c (8:51.23) NON *3rd All-time Minnesota*
Rob Finnerty Burnsville 8:55.75c (8:59.15) NON *5th All-time Minnesota*
TC Lumbar Edina 9:06.69 Hamline Elite *15th All-time Minnesota*
Ryan Little Eden Prairie 9:11.19 AA State
Tom Burke Edina 9:11.36 Section 6AA
Jackson Wiley Eden Prairie 9:13.00 Section 6AA
Ben Blankenship Stillwater 9:15.46 Lakeville Invite
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 9:16.92 AA State
Matt Yak Northfield 9:18.90 1AAATT
(10)
Mike Hutton Apple Valley 9:22.05 Section 6AA
Jon Stublaski Henry Sibley 9:23.71 2AAATT
Andrew Quinn BSM 9:26.79 Hamline Elite
Mahad Hassan Willmar 9:29.96 Central Lakes Conference
Pieter Gagnon Minneapolis Washburn 9:30.10 AA State
Travis Burkstrand Eastview 9:32.53 Lake Conference
Danny Docherty Cretin-Derham Hall 9:32.83 AA State
Mohammed Bedel Willmar 9:35.21 Section 2AA
Jon Lambert Wayzata 9:39.26 Hamline Elite
Danny Docherty Cretin-Derham Hall 9:39.41 SEC Conference
(20)
Kaafi Adeys Willmar 9:39.59 EP Booster
Mike Howard North 9:40.91 Section 4AA
Wade Hassel Mounds View 9:41.10 Hamline Elite
Tyler King Lakeville North 9:41.39 Lake Conference

*hand-timed

Graham Looks Forward to "Just Racing" at USA Outdoor Championships

After a spring spent training hard and racing on tired legs, Sean Graham is eagerly anticipating the pure competition of championship racing.

"I'm really looking forward to getting to race on fresh legs against a really strong field," the Stillwater High School grad told DtB recently. "I think I enjoy the championship races because you don't have to worry about hitting a certain pace or certain split, its all about racing the guy next to you and beating as many people as possible by the time you get to the finish line."

Graham, who trains with the Oregon Track Club Elite in Eugene, will get that opportunity on Friday in the 5000 meters at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis. Blessed with a 13:29.30 qualifying mark for the meet from last season, Graham burdened himself with heavy training this spring.

"... we focused a lot on quality workouts and trained through a few of the races, so I was running on tired legs a bit this year," he explained. "I think that was some of the trouble I had earlier this year, I was always trying to hit a time rather than just competing, so like I said I'm really looking forward to just racing."

The hard work Graham has done suggests he may be ready for big things in Indy, where he is seeded #5.

"I have done a lot of workouts this year that I have never been able to do in the past," he said, "and having Gags [OTC coach Frank Gagliano] out there pushing the envelope with workouts and getting me to realize and believe that I can do the things he has set up for training has been great this year."

It wouldn't be a bad time for a breakthrough for the William and Mary graduate. A top-3 finish -- along with a 13:21.50 or faster qualifying mark -- would put Graham on the USA team for the IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Osaka, Japan later this summer.

But Graham isn't putting any extra emphasis on the Osaka possibilities of his USA race.

"I think with a race like this, so long as you put yourself in a position to be successful and just compete well, everything will work itself out just fine."

Read the story we did on Graham before USA Indoors HERE.

Entrants for the USA Outdoor Championship can be found HERE.

Entrants in the USA Junior Championships -- held in conjunction with senior meet -- can be found HERE.

Grandma's Marathon Photos

We tried to catch as many top Minnesotans as possible. Check out the photos on our Flickr stream. Above: Eric Hartmark.

Also:
Grandma's Marathon slide show from Wayne Kryduba.

Extensive photo galleries from the Duluth News Tribune.

Watch Minnesota's 8:46.12, 8:51.23, and 8:59.13 Two Milers in Action

You can watch Minnesota's latest sub-9 preps via the busy folks at Flotrack.

Elliott Heath and Hassan Mead's race at Nike Outdoor Nationals is HERE.

Rob Finnerty's race is HERE.

Complete Nike Outdoor Nationals results can be found HERE.

A Warm Day for Racing at Grandma's

That ends our finishline coverage of the 31st Grandma's Marathon.

Thanks for joining us ...


Assorted Minnesota Women's Finishers ...
8 Melissa Gacek 2:47:59
13 Nicole Cueno 2:52:42
15 Desiree Budd 2:54:26
17 Angie Voight 2:54:54
18 Kathleen Monaghan 2:54:55
22 Stephanie Herbst-Lucke 2:56:16
25 Erin Ward 2:57:22
26 Jennifer Hess 2:57:24
31 Shelly Larson 3:00:40
32 Katie Koski 3:01:01
41 Marie Sample 3:05:30
42 Laurie Hanscom 3:05:41
44 Sonya Anderson-Decker 3:05:47

Assorted Minnesota Men's Finishers ...
22 Josh Metcalf 2:27:08
36 Derek Dippon 2:30:32
48 Jeremy Polson 2:38:51
50 Michael Benchina 2:29:31
58 Jacob Hallen 2:39:58
61 Jeffrey Renlund 2:40:05
65 Andrew Peltier 2:41:16
80 Gregg Robertson 2:45:36

Wesly Ngetich said via an interpreter ... "Last year he didn't look back over his shoulder and he got caught. This year he decided he would be looking over his shoulder a little bit and hoping also to see his fellow Kenyans on the breakaway too. Last year he was really shocked when the Russian [Sergei Lukin] caught him.

Mary Akor said ... "I was like, 'I hope it's going to be a 100 degrees!' You know people are like, 'Hope it's going to be cold,' but I like running better in the hot. I hope it's going to be hot! So, when we started it was warm and I thought, 'Thank God!' That means it's going to be my race."

Women's Marathon Official Times ...
1 Mary Akor 2:35:40 ... top USA ... first USA winner since 1996
2 Ramilia Burangulova 2:38:55
3 Tatiana Titova 2:39:58
4 Heather Hanscom 2:42:02
5 Kristen Fryberg 2:42:27

7 Jenna Boren 2:47:44 ... top MN

Men's Marathon Official Times ...

1 Wesly Ngetich 2:15:55 ... 5th two-time men's winner of Grandma's
2 Joseph Kahugu 2:17:29
3 Andrew Letherby 2:18:00
4 James Karanja 2:18:56
5 Stephen Muturi 2:20:27
6 Nick Rogers 2:20:35 ... top USA

19 Eric Hartmark 2:26:24 ... top MN

Women's marathon ... Mary Akor wins!

Marathon men: Wesly Ngetich wins his second Grandma's title in 2:15:55, unofficially ... Joseph Kahugu 2nd ... Andrew Letherby 3rd

Marathon men ... Ngetich in control of race on London Road.

Marathon women ... Akor up by 1:30!

Marathon men ... Ngetich still strong through 22M and up Lemon Drop hill ... 22m in 1:53:30 ... 20M-22M in 10:07 ... Kahugu in 2nd.

Marathon men ... Ngetich, after 20M, "looking stonger now than at any time during the race" says Dick Beardsley from the lead vehicle.

Trivia ... Last Grandma's women's champ from USA .... Mary Alico in 1996.

Marathon women ... Akor -- the 3rd placer last year and the 2006 TCM runner-up -- still leads Hunter-Galvan ... on sub-2:33 pace.

Marathon men ... Ngetich still leads over Kahugu

Marathon men ... 2005 champ Ngetich has 30m on Kahugu. Basweti is a bit further back in 3rd ... then Karanja and Omwenga.

From the lead women's vehicle ... Mary Akor leads Liza Hunter-Galvan by 10M approaching 15M.

Top Female Masters in Half Marathon ... former Grandma's marathon employee Kelly Keeler Ramacier edged Kimberly Anderson ... both were timed in 1:25:58

From the men's lead vehicle ... 15M at 1:18:08 ... five Kenyans ... Letherby trailing.

Marathon leaders ... At 10m in 52:30: Kahugu, Basweti, Gideon Mutisya, master Fedor Ryzhov, Ngetich, Michael Cox, Steven Craine, Christopher Reis. Women: 10M @ 58:30: Hunter-Galvan, Mary Akor, Marie Portilla, Lyudila Biktasheva, and Rebecca Tallam ... then Naomi Wangui 59:15 ... Kristen Fryberg 59;23 ... Tatiana Titova, Herbst-Lucke, Ramile Burangulova 60:15

Top Masters Men in the Half ... Kyle Moss of Milwaukee 1:12:16 in 22nd place ... Digger Carlson finished 23rd in 1:12:24

Paige Higgins said ... "Right now I'm looking at Chicago. I was almost thinking about doing the marathon here, but I decided to wait a little bit, let my body develop a little more for the marathon in Chicago. Hopefully, I'll qualify there, for the Olympic Trails."

Chad Johnson said ... "My mom came out to watch today. I heard her with a half-mile to go. I don't know where she was but I heard her voice. She just kept saying, "Go Chad." That was a motivator to know she was out there. I had some friends who drove up to watch me too."

Marathon leaders ... At 26:20 for 5 miles the lead pack includes Andrew Letherby, Charles Kiplagat, 2005 champ Wesly Ngetich, Reuben Chebutich, Joseph Kahugu, Charles Kamindo, Abebe Yimer, Macharia Yuot, Sammy Malakwen. Women: At 28:31 for 5 miles ... Marie Portilla, Rebecca Tallam, and Liza Hunter-Galvan. Naomi Wangui tripped the mat at 28:59, Kristen Fryberg, Stephanie Herbst-Lucke, and Tatiana Titova made it to 5 miles in 29:22.

Marathon ... 7283 runners started the marathon, of the reported 9747 registered.

Marathon ... Chad Johnson's comment on the heat the marathoners are facing ... "I'm scared for those guys."

Women's Results ...
Paige Higgins 1:14:46
Brandy Erholz 1:19:30
Laurie Knowles 1:19:38
Valeria Gortmaker 1:20:45
Jennifer Houck 1:22:40

Women's Half recap ... Higgins, a Boulder resident who won the Drake Relays 10,000 as a collegian at Kansas, pulled away from her last women's challenger at the mile mark en route to her win. As with the top men, she had hoped to run a minute or so faster, but felt the heat.

Half Marathon ... Paige Higgins wins 1:14:46.

Official Men's Half Marathon Results ...
Men:
Chad Johnson 1:05:18
Luke Humphrey 1:05:51
Matt Thull 1:06:05
Chris Lundstrom 1:06:10
Mark Stallings 1:07:40

Half-Marathon recap ... Winner Chad Johnson and Hansons-Brooks teammate Luke Humphrey had designs on Ryan Meissen's course record of 1:04:19, but after a 4:45 opening mile the duo felt the warm temperatures. Humphrey pulled away from Johnson by as much as 10 seconds, but the U of M alum caught his teammate at the 11 mile mark. Humphrey finished second.

Half Marathon ... Chad Johnson wins the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in 1:05:17, unoffcially.

Grandma's Marathon ... is underway! Temperature at the start was 63 degrees, but it feels warmer in the sun in Canal Park.

Half Marathon ... Observers on the course spotted Laurie Knowles in the lead of the women's race, followed by former Duluth resident Brandy Erholtz.

Half Marathon ... listed in the lead pack at 6.9 miles: Humphrey, Thull, Lundstrom, Johnson, Mark Stalling, Steve Meindt, Ryan Meissen, Pat Russell, Greg Costello, and Pete Gilman.

Grandma's Marathon scratches ... Defending women's champion Svetlana Nekhorosh of Belerus is a late scratch from the race due to an unspecified injury. Also out of the men's race ... Andrei Gordeev of Belarus, Zepherinus Joseph of St. Lucia, James Kariuki of Kenya, Zintu Meaza of Ethiopia, and Wilson Komen of Kenya.

Half Marathon ... Former Gold Gopher Chad Johnson and his Hansons-Brooks teammate Luke Humphrey are leading the pack in the half marathon at 2 miles. Also in the lead pack according to spotters: Chris Lundstrom of Team USA Minnesota, Matt Thull, and Ryan Meissen. No women's information yet ...

Nothing to do with Grandma's but ... three Minnesota high schoolers broke 9:00 in the Nike Outdoor National 2 Mile last night! Elliott Heath finished 3rd in the race (which Matt Centrowitz won in 8:41.55) in a new state all-time best of 8:46.12. Hassan Mead was 5th in 8:51.23; Rob Finnerty was 13th but ran 8:59.13.

Welcome to Down the Backstretch's finishline coverage of the 31st Grandma's Marathon. It looks like it could be a decent day for racing, although not the chilly-with-a-whoshing-tailwind conditions that folks dream about when they think of Grandma's.

Currently, at 6:30 a.m., the temperature is a not uncomfortable 61 degrees with a dew point of 56 degrees and light winds from the NNW. Hour-by-hour temperature predictions for the day suggest the temperatures will rise into the low 70s when the top marathon finishers are crossing the line in Duluth.

We'll update you on progress in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and the 31st Grandma's Marathon as the events progress. Just refresh your browser regularly for news on all the action. The latest info will be posted at the top of the page; older info will be collected below.

We can tell you now, that Greg Liebl of Montevideo and Laura Hughes of Mankato won the men's and women's division of the William Irvin 5K last night. Liebl, a junior at North Dakota State, ran 15:17 over the flat circuit around the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center to easily defeat Dane Moreland of Lake Nabagemon, Wisconsin who ran 15:42. Hughes, a Mankato West freshman beat former Mankato State all-American Michelle Oman 17:50 to 18:01. Full results are HERE.

31st Grandma's Sports Varied Field

A varied mix of international and American talents headline tomorrow’s 31st Grandma’s Marathon. Elite runners from Kenya and Ethiopia to Peru and Venezuela – not to mention Kyrgyzstan and Australia – compose the geographically assorted field.

Last years Grandma’s Marathon women’ champion (after the drug testing results came in, that is) Svetlana Nekhorosh headlines this year's women’s field. On the men’s side, 2005 winner Wesly Ngetich, who finished 6th here last year, will be the race’s top returning competitor.

In the wake of Belarus’ Halina Karnatsevich’s doping disqualification after last year’s race, fewer eastern European athletes are wearing low numbered bibs this year. Race director Scott Keenan, however, wasn’t sure if that demographic change was due to normal fluctuations in the make-up of the elite field or in response to Grandma’s new anti-doping policy which bars athletes from the event if they are affiliated with the coach or agent of an offending athlete.

Two athletes that seem natural to cheer for based on their media conference impressions are Liza Hunter-Galvan of New Zealand and Rik Ceulemans of Belgium ... though for very different reasons.

The San Antonia-based Hunter-Galvan, returns to racing after recovering from a recent automobile accident that injured her and her child. The tearful 37-year-old, who has a 2:33:51 PR, eschewed talking about the details of the accident with the media, but admitted to be running the race with, “a bone to pick with life.” Hunter-Galvan hopes to run the sub-2:33 Olympic qualifying standard of her native New Zealand.

“I want to run 2:32:59,” she deadpanned.

Ceulemans, on the other hand, should garner lots of cheers for his Mohawk haircut alone. (His shoe sponsor would want me to mention that there's a design on the back of his head to admire too.) The Belgian with a mischievous grin – and an un-European fondness for Coke and pizza, he admitted – is hoping for a sub-2:12 that would qualify him on the New Zealand team for the World Championships in Osaka, Japan later this summer. Ceulemans has a PR of 2:13:42.

The top Americans in the event are likely to be Heather Hanscom of Eugene, Oregon who was 6th in the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials and Mary Akor, who finished third here last year and followed that feat with a runner-up finish at Twin Cities. For men, only Kyle Baker sports the marathon credentials likely to mix with the top finishers -- he's run 2:14:13. However, Sydney 5000m U.S. Olympian Nick Rogers, who will make his marathon debut here, is an intriguing prospect.

Among Minnesotans, veterans Katie Koski and Jenna Boren both sport 2:42 PRs, but marathon debutante Desiree Budd, last year's Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon champ, is someone to watch. Monticello's Joe Mahoney owns the fastest PR for Minnesota men at 2:19:38, but Duluthians are eager to see what natives Eric Hartmark and Jeremy Polson can do.

Also of note in the field is former Chaska High School and University of Wisconsin star Stephanie Herbst-Lucke. Herbst-Lucke has returned to competitive running in her 40s, and clocked a 2:42:53 at the Chicago Marathon last fall.

Top Women with PRs:
F-1 Svetlana Nekhorosh (Ukraine) 2:36:20
F-2 Heather Hanscom (USA) 2:31:53
F-3 Maria Portilla (Peru) 2:35:24
F-4 Mary Akor (USA) 2:33:50
F-5 Liza Hunter-Galvan 2:33:51
F-6 Irina Bogacheva (Kyrgyzstan) 2:26:27
F-7 Tatiana Titova (Russia) 2:29:36
F-8 Ramilia Burangulova (Russia) 2:27:58
F-9 Jenny Spangler (USA) 2:29:54
F-10 Jeanne Hennessy (USA) 2:35:53
F-11 Lyudmila Biktasheva (Russia) Debut
F-12 Kristen Fryberg (USA) Debut
F-13 Tatiana Mironova (Russia) 2:36:38
F-14 Lisa Vaill (USA) 2:37:12
F-15 Naomi Wangui (Kenya) 2:36:00
F-16 Desiree Budd (USA/MN) Debut
F-17 Sharon Stubler (USA/MN) 2:41:26
F-18 Shelly Larson (USA/MN) 2:42:17
F-19 Katie Koski (USA/MN) 2:42:33
F-20 Jenna Boren (USA/MN) 2:42:39
F-21 Stephanie Herbst-Lucke (USA) 2:42:53
F-22 Melody Fairchild (USA) 2:44:42
F-26 Melissa Gacek (USA/MN) 2:45:55
F-38 Marie Sample (USA/MN) 2:48:10
F-39 Erin Ward (USA/MN) 2:48:18
F-54 Nicole Cueno (USA/MN) 2:55:54

Top Men:
1 Thomas Omwenga (Kenya) 2:10:44
2 Andrei Gordeev (Belarus) 2:11:44
3 Andrew Letherby (Australia) 2:11:42
4 Joseph Kahugu (Kenya) 2:07:59
5 Abebe Yimer (Ethiopia) 2:13:32
6 Wesly Ngetich (Kenya) 2:12:10
7 Rik Ceulemans (Belgium) 2:13:42
8 Patrick Kiptum (Kenya) 2:13:42
9 James Karanja (Kenya) 2:13:53
10 Jynocel Basweti (Kenya) 2:14:02
11 Kyle Baker (USA) 2:14:13
12 Bruce Deacon (Canada) 2:13:18
13 Charles Kamindo (Kenya) 2:15:03
14 Fedor Ryjov (Russia) 2:12:59
15 Isiah Sanga (Kenya) 2:15:42
16 Reuben Chebutich (Kenya) 2;10:34
17 Zepherinus Joseph (St. Lucia) 2:16:06
18 James Kariuki (Kenya) 2:16:00
19 Chokri Dhaouadi (Tunisia) 2:16:20
20 Bruce Raymer (Canada) 2:16:44
21 Zintu Meaza (Ethiopia) 2:15:56
22 Freddy Alvarado (Venezuela) 2:17:36
23 Charles Kiplagat (Kenya) 2:17:00
24 Wilson Komen (Kenya) 2:17:07
25 Fred Kieser (USA) 2:17:19
30 Joe Mahoney (USA/MN) 2:19:38
35 Nick Rogers (USA) Debut
45 Eric Hartmark (USA/MN) 2:21:56
63 Jason Minnick (USA/MN) 2:24:48
69 Jeremy Polson (USA/MN) 2:25:57
81 Josh Metcalf (USA/MN) 2:26:18

Gearman, Devine Named USATF-Minnesota Athletes of the Month

Gopher long, triple, and high jumper Derek Gearman and Bemidji State shot putter Sheena Devine were named USATF-Minnesota Athletes of the Month for June.

Gearman, a senior at the University of Minnesota, was recognized for qualifying for the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in three jumping events. Gearman placed 4th in the NCAA Midwest Region triple jump with a mark of 51 feet, 8 1/4 inches to automatically qualify in that event. He later earned at-large entry into nationals in the long and high jumps, after placing 6th in both at Regions. Gearman’s top finish at nationals was 12th in the triple jump.

Devine, a junior at Bemidji State University originally from North Branch, was honored for winning the NCAA Division II shot put with a toss of 50-7 1/2. Devine’s win was her second shot put title of the track season; she was the Division II champ indoors as well.

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.

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

Grandma's Marathon is All Over the News ... and on DtB Saturday Morning

Grandma's Marathon, which takes place Saturday, is all over the news these days. We've collected some links below to the best stories.

Down the Backstretch will be in Duluth for Friday's media events and the weekend's three races -- the William Irvin 5k on Friday night and the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and Grandma's itself on Saturday. Expect a post or two from us on Friday afternoon and then join us for morning coverage of the event from the finish line -- top results and quotes from and, we hope, photos of the races' top finishers.

Until then, check out ...

From the Duluth New Tribune ...

-- Kevin Pates, a serious runner himself, catches up with former high school phenom Melody Fairchild. The story also includes a preview of the American and Minnesota stars in the women's race.

-- Pates also wrote an in-depth story about recent drug issues at Grandma's and the event's policy aimed at cracking down on cheaters.

In the Star-Tribune ...

-- Paul Levy interviews Grandma's Executive Director Scott Keenan about doping, headphones, Garry Bjorklund, and being a race director for 31 years.

-- Rachel Blount examines the doping issue.

In the Pioneer Press ...

-- Bruce Brothers writes a Grandma's catch-all.