Reeling in the Lead Pack: A DtB Round-Up

Like a distance runner who has let the lead pack get away, DtB needs to make up some ground to match the pace of recent action. So, to catch the leaders, here's a round-up of news items that DtB has let pull away ...

Studt named Big Ten Athlete of the Week ... Gopher shot putter Aaron Studt was named a Big Ten Athlete of the Week for the second week in a row this week in recognition of his Drake Relays victory last weekend. Studt threw 60-8 to win the title.

Riter injured ... An athlete we expected to see competing at Drake, Gopher alum Trent Riter, tells DtB that a "hip/groin" injury which flared up early last week kept him from competing in the Drake Relays 800 meters as planned. Riter, a finalist at the USA Outdoor Championshps in 2007, plans an MRI before the week is over.

"I'm able to jog with mild pain but things flare up when I get going in a workout," he said. "I'm seeing the right people to get some help and figure this out. I hope to be back training hard and racing fast soon."

Tom Church's Best Day Ever ... Reviving a regular feature from the by-gone days of Minnesota Running & Track magazine, the USATF-Minnesota web-site has just published a "My Best Day Ever" story, HERE, by former Carleton College distance runner Tom Church. Church tells the story of his team's musical effort to win the Woods-to-Water relay in Northern Wisconsin.

You can find all of USATF-Minnesota's feature material HERE.

Drake, Get in Gear, & Trials Photos ... The USATF Minnnesota web-site also features newly published photo galleries from the Drake Relays, the Get in Gear 10K, and the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials. The photo of Gopher javelin star Ruby Radocaj -- a Drake champ -- that adorns this post is part of Gene Niemi's Drake Relays gallery.

You can find USATF-Minnesota's photo galleries HERE.

Oregon Relays Video ... Savvy web-surfers have probably found these items already, but if you haven't checked out the Oregon Relays videos on Runner'Space.com you may want to dial them up.

You can view an interview with Kara Goucher after her 5000m victory HERE.

There's an interview with Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson HERE.

Andrew's 5000m race is HERE.

You can watch Minnetonka alum Will Leer's sub-4 Mile HERE, in which Stillwater HS grad Sean Graham also competes.

You can also see Adam Steele race 800m HERE.