Challenges Await Gopher Teams at Big 10s

Stiff challenges await the strong Gopher teams competing at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Sunday.

The defending champion Golden Gopher women face a field full of challengers to their Big Ten supremacy. Minnesota is the top-ranked Big Ten team nationally, at #7, but hosts Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois are breathing down their necks at #8, #9, and #10, respectively.

The Gopher women have faced only Michigan State of that group, tipping them by 17 points at the Pre-NCAA meet two weeks ago. Other ranked teams on the starting line include #16 Wisconsin, #19 Penn State, and #21 Iowa.

The Gophers will line up the following squad on Sunday:

Gabriele Anderson (Sr., Perham, Minn./Perham) Big Ten's 2006 - 27th, 21:55 Big Ten's 2007 - 14th, 20:32.60

Jamie Cheever (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest) 2006 - 24th, 21:41 2007 - 16th, 20:37.32

Heather Dorniden (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) 2006 - 34th, 22:08 2007 - 19th, 20:42.55

Megan Duwell (Jr., West Bend, Wis./West Bend West) 2006 - 53rd, 22:49 2007 - 30th, 21:00.58

Amy Laskowske (Jr., Palatine, Ill./Palatine) 2006 - 33rd, 22:04

Felicitas Mensing (Neuhausen, Germany/Kepler Gym./Coastal Carolina)

Nikki Swenson (So., Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd) 2007 - 44th, 21:28.91

Mallory Van Ness (Jr., Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View/Missouri) 2007 - 27th, 20:57.85

Elizabeth Yetzer (Jr., Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) 2006 - 28th, 21:56 2007 - 15th, 20:36.14

For more information and statistics about the Gophers at conference, click HERE.

The Gopher Men ... Chris Rombough and Hassan Mead provide a unique - and literal -- one-two punch for the Gophers.

Rombough was the 2006 Big Ten Individual champ as a sophomore and last year, as a true freshman, Mead was the conference runner up. If Minnesota is to match last year's runner-up team finish or somehow snap Wisconsin's 10-year grip on the Big Ten trophy, it will start with Rombough and Mead.

The Gophers enter the meet as the Big Ten's fourth highest ranked team nationally. Wisconsin leads the conference at #6, host Michigan is #9, Indiana ranks #19, the Gophers are #20.

Minnesota will race with the following on Sunday:

Matt Barrett (Jr., Monroe, Wis./Monroe) 2007 - Big Ten's 2007 45th, 25:03.90

Ben Blankenship (So., Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater/Mississippi State)

Ben Kampf (Jr., Farmington, Minn./Farmington) 2006 - 43rd, 25:41 2007 - 38th, 24:56.86

Mike McFarland (So., Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) 2007 - 33rd, 24:48.40

Hassan Mead (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Minneapolis South) 2007 - 2nd, 23:47.70

Sean Olson (R-Fr., Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie)

Ben Puhl (Sr., Rochester, Minn./Century) 2005 - 53rd, 26:02.58 2006 - 26th, 25:18 2007 - 32nd, 24:45.44

Chris Rombough (Sr., Fremont, Wis./New London) 2005 - 18th, 25:01.58 2006 - 1st, 24:05 2007 - 4th, 23:54.48

Mike Torchia (So., Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) 2006 - Did not finish

Find the full Gopher men's Big Ten media release HERE.

Watch the Meet ... The Big Ten Championships will be delayed-broadcast on the Big Ten Network. The men's race will air on the Big Ten Tonight Show on Sunday at 9:00 p.m. CST. The women's meet airs on Monday’s Big Ten Women’s Show at 6:30 p.m. CST.