Gopher Coaches Pleased with Pre-Nationals

The University of Minnesota women's and men's cross country teams left Indiana State's LaVern Gibson cross country course feeling good about themselves. Five weeks before the squads hope to return to the venue to compete at the NCAA Championships, both earned top-5 finishes in their division of the Pre-National Meet held Saturday.

The Gopher women finished 3rd; the Gopher men finished 5th.

Women ... “We fought hard today,” women's coach Gary Wilson said in a media release. “The field went out extremely fast in the first kilometer of the race. We wanted to take that first K at our normal pace, and we stayed poised, but that also meant we needed to keep fighting and fighting...working very hard to pass people as the race progressed. It was a tough race, but a good race for us. I’m pleased with our outcome."

Megan Duwell led the team with an 18th place finish in 20:45 over the 6K course in the women's "Blue Race.". Gabriele Anderson finished 40th in 21:13.1, Felicitas Mensing was 42nd in 21:13.9, Mallory Van Ness was 46th in 21:16.5, Amy Laskowske finished 52nd in 21:18.4, Jamie Cheever was 70th in 21:29.0, and Heather Dorniden was 81st in 21:36.9.

The #1-ranked University of Washington sqaud handily won the race with 36 points, #13 Villanova was 2nd with 126. The #4-ranked Gophers tallied 198.

Men ... Sophomore star Hassan Mead led the Gopher with a 3rd place finish in the men's "Blue Race."

“Hassan did a great job of working his way up through the field,” men's coach Steve Plasencia said. “Hassan was probably 50th at the mile mark but found David (Alabama’s Tyson David) and was able to go with him to create a bit of distance from the rest of the field. McNeill (Northern Arizona’s David McNeill) caught them down the last stretch. It was a very close finish."

Mead was followed by teammates Chris Rombough,8th in 23:47.3, Mike Torchia 67th in 24:38.3, Sean Olson 72nd in 24:41.2, Ben Blankenship 84th in 24:47.8, Ben Kampf 118th in 25:04.7, and Mike McFarland 125th in 25:06.8.

Alabama, ranked #6 in the nation coming into the meet, won the division with 89 points. The #14-ranked Gopher men were 5th with 234.

Minnesotan Notes ... Former Winona High School star Garrett Heath led the Stanford University men's team to a victory in the men's "White Race" with a 3rd place, 23:36 finish. Younger brother Elliott Heath was the #3-man for the Cardinal finishing 12th in 23:48. Edina alum Tom Burke finished 53rd for Willliam and Mary in the "Blue Race" in 24:28. Eden Prairie alum Ryan Little finished 98th in 24:54 for Oklahoma State in the "Blue Race," teammate Johnathan Stublaski, a Henry Sibley alum, was 157th in 25:22. Winona Cotter grad Don Wasinger finished 160th for Kansas in te "White Race" in 25:21.1.

Prior Lake native Megan Brandeland helped her Princeton team to a runner-up finish in the women's "White Race," finishing 14th in 20:47. Detroit Lakes alum Hanna Grinaker finished 34th in the "Blue Race" in 21:08. Mankato Loyola alum Sarah Price finished 70th in 21:30 for Michigan State, which finished a place behind the Gopher women in the "Blue Race."