Tuesday, November 04, 2008

The Gopher Women: How They Won Big Tens

The Golden Gopher women's cross country team shared some of the secrets to their second straight Big Ten title in a media release late Monday.

Here's how the 2008 Big Ten champs described their victory:

Head Coach Gary Wilson ... "We didn’t necessarily run our best race, but we ran a smart race. Wow we just kept rallying, in the last 1,000 meters, the last 500 meters, the last 300 meters."

"Gabe (Gabriele Anderson) was our hero catching those three Wisconsin kids."

"Our pack from our first runner to our fifth was as tight as we would have liked. But I’ll tell you one thing. When our three, four and five separated a bit from our top two, they just kept plugging away."

"I heard the team scores at the midway point and thought, oh no, this is not good. Wisconsin was out there pounding it. Michigan State went out hard. All I could think was that we needed to keep our composure. Turns out we did what needed to be done to be to come out on top."

"I’m extremely proud of this team."

Top Gopher Finisher Megan Duwell ... "I went out knowing I needed to get in good position right away. I was able to keep contact with the top group and then work off them. I tried to make a move at the end but they stayed with me. It was a good race."

"We went into the meet expecting that anything would happen. We went out there and put it all on the line. I’m excited how it turned out."

Badger-Beating Gabriele Anderson ... "The race didn’t play out like I thought it might. I wasn’t quite where I thought I could be, but I have confidence in my kick."

"Wisconsin ran really well. I’m glad I was able to make up enough ground to make a difference. You obviously don’t know at the time. I guess we really needed it."

"We knew coming in that the race would be a tight battle. I’m really happy and honored to win another Big Ten title in my senior season."


Watch Video Re-Caps ... You can watch video re-caps of the Big Ten Championshps thanks to the Big Ten Network.

Find the women's recap on THIS page.

Find the mens recap on THIS page.

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