NCAA Championships Open Today at Drake

Action at the NCAA Division I Championships commences today at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa and runs, jumps, and throws until Saturday.

To put you in the NCAA mood we offer ...

-- THIS Star-Tribune feature story on Gopher women's javelin ace Ruby Radocaj. Radaocaj, originally from Pennsylvania, comes from a family of javelin throwers -- her father and mother threw and her brother will compete at NCAAs for Villinova this weekend. Ruby Radocaj is seeded #3 in the event.

-- THIS U of M preview on the Gopher women's contingent competing this weekend. Eight Gopher women will compete this weekend: Radocaj, Heather Dorniden (800m), Andrea Smith (pole vault), Alicia Rue (pole vault), Liz Roehrig (heptathlon) Jamie Cheever (steeplechase), Liz Podominick (shot and discus), and Christin Kingsley (long jump).

-- THIS Track and Field News projection which places the Gopher women 8th in the meet as a team.

-- The Gopher men send five athletes to the meet: Hassan Mead (5000m), Chris Rombough (5000m), Ben Peterson (pole vault), R.J. McGinnis (decathlon), and Aaron Studt (shot put). You can read their preview HERE.

-- The meet, of course, marks the final contest for the Gopher men with Head Coach Phil Lundin at the helm. Lundin will coach at St. Olaf College starting this fall. There's a nice review of Lundin's Gopher career HERE, thanks to the Gopher sports information team.

-- Finally, we recommend THIS portal for keeping up to date with the action at Drake.


DtB will keep an eye on the action as well with updates and photos of the Gophers and the other Minnesotans competing at NCAA ... including Winona's Garrett Heath (Stanford) in the 1500m, Osseo's Julian Morris (Northern Iowa) in the high jump, Mounds View's Nate Englin (Missouri) in the shot put, Mankato Loyola's Sarah Price (Michigan State) in the steeplechase, Edina's Alex Gits (Stanford) in the 10,000m, and Minneapolis Washburn's Kadeshia Fortune (Mississippi) in the 4 x 100m.