Short-Cut: Results' Link for January 30-31

Here's where Minnesotans are competing this weekend ...

Friday:
Millrose Games: Results
Update: Goucher wins second straight Millrose Mile in 4:33.19.
Nebraska Adidas Classic: Results
MSU-Mankato Open & Multis: Results
St. Olaf Invitational: Results
Update: SCSU's Mitch Bruzik wins shot put with 49-5.
Cobber Pentathlon: Results
Update: Cobbers' Leah Kay wins with 3314.

Saturday:
Nebraska Adidas Classic: Results * Story
Update: Gophers' Studt wins shot with 56-11 1/2 and weight with 66-1 1/2.
MSU-Mankato Open & Multis: Results
Update: Kawaskii Bacon doubles in 6.72 and 21.92.
Cobber Open: Results
Update: Morhead's Jennifer Hensel vaults 13-1 1/2
Warren Bowlus Open: Results
Update: Brian Tolcser throws weight 66-10 3/4, UMD's Morgan Place runs 17:20.98 5K.

Yes/No:
Answer: Yes ... Goucher wins at Millrose.

Hamline Elite-Meet Expands Format; Relays, Kids', and Open Races Added

Hamline University's Elite-Meet, the late-April gathering of many of the top Minnesota high school track and field athletes in a single-class, all-finals competition, will expand in 2009.

The meet is slated to become a two-day event which will include a Saturday relay carnival and offer events for kids and open runners.

The meet, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, will commence in traditional fashion with a Friday night competition for the state's top individual athletes and relay teams. As before, the meet will admit only the fastest individual entrants into Friday's competition and contest only the relay events contested in MSHSL competition.

The new Saturday component of the meet will offer a wide spectrum of relay events including medleys, a shuttle hurdle relay, and field events contested in relay fashion. Entry into the relay events will still be based on performance, but Saturday's relay field sizes will be larger than those on Friday.

Saturday action will also feature an invitational 3000 meter event, co-sponsored by Twin Cities Marathon, Inc., for open runners and a St. Paul's Fastest Kid competition open to 5th and 6th-graders from St. Paul schools.

The Elite-Meet's official web-site can be found HERE.

High School Coaches of the Year Named

The Minnesota State High School Track and Field Coaches Association recently named its coaches of the year for 2008. In addition to its state-wide winners, the organization recognizes top head and assistant coaches for each class, gender, and section in the state.

Earning State Coach of the Years honors were: Rod Reuer of Brainerd who was named the Boys Class AA Head Coach of the Year; Brent Schacht of St. Croix Lutheran HS who was named the Boys Class A Head Coach of the Year; Jorjean Fischer of Eastview who was named the Girls Class AA Head Coach of the Year; and Tom Plocker of Blue Earth Area who was named Girls Class A Head Coach of the Year.

Bil Gangl of Mahtomedi was recognized as the Class AA Assistant Coach of the Year, while the late Al Handahl of Renville County West was named the Class A Assistant Coach of the Year. Handahl died on April 30, 2008 while preparing his team's grass track in Danube for practice.

The Miles' Lists: 200 Meters

Here's our next installment of the Miles' Lists, the 2008 and all-time high school boys performance list compiled by Bill and Tim Miles. Today's event -- the 200 meters.

Click HERE to find all of the 2007 lists, our recent interview with Bill Miles, and all of the 2008 Miles' Lists we've published so far.

200 METERS

2008 BESTS
21.85 Sean King 12 Cretin-Derham Hall
21.91 ChiChi Ojika 11 Irondale
21.94 Joe Rancourt 12 Faribault
22.00 Emmanual Matadi 11 St. Paul Johnson
22.00 Cameron Boy 11 Jordan
22.07 Leon Cheneyon 12 Robbinsdale Cooper
22.08 Diahn Zeon 12 Richfield
22.08 Dalton Keep 12 Forest Lake
22.10 Darren Thompson 12 Glencoe-Silver Lake
22.13 Caleb Rissman 12 Triton
(10)
22.14 Tony Johnson 12 New Prague
22.14 Derek Bredy 12 West Central Area
22.17 Skyler Jackson 11 Frazee
22.18 Josh Jackson 11 Farmington
22.18 Chris Norgaard 12 Spring Lake Park/St. Anthony
22.24 Austin Eliason 11 Rosemount
22.25 Chris Stoks 12 Virginia
22.30 Nicholas Pfeile 11 Southwest Minnesota Christian
22.1 Zach Bork 12 Rocori
22.35 Mandela Bakhit 12 Anoka
(20)
22.35 Keraus Holiday 12 Minneapolis Southwest
22.41 Calvin Clark 9 Henry Sibley
22.41 Kris Adams 12 Barnum
22.2 Cory Shufelt 12 Hutchinson
22.46 Antwan Hollie 11 Minneapolis South
22.46 Lincoln Arnold 10 Morris Area
22.49 Matthew Dvorak 12 St. Croix Lutheran
22.51 Dylan Enderlein 11 Providence Academy//HCAC
22.54 Tylor Erickson 11 Bloomington Jefferson
22.54 Markus Whittaker 10 Wayzata
(30)
22.55 Paul Yerhot 12 Chaska
22.55 James Sanigular 12 Roseville Area
22.58 Heath Jared Allen 11 Anoka
22.59 Justin Collins 11 Delano
22.59 Andrew Taubel 12 Wabasha-Kellogg
22.60 Jackson Mboma 12 Maple Grove
22.61 Luke Sames 12 Shakopee
22.61 Chuck Steiner 11 White Bear Lake
22.62 Tendeh Brownell 11 Osseo
22.62 Nate Mattson 10 Hawley/Ulen-Hitterdal
(40)
22.63 Harvey Hodges 12 Minneapolis Washburn
22.63 Payton Kujava 11 Ada-Borup
22.65 Travis Pedersen 12 Worthington
22.66 Leandro Dower 11 Minneapolis North
22.66 Josh Carter 12 Duluth Denfeld
22.66 Jordan Spronk 12 Southwest Minnesota Christian
22.67 Brandon Ordorff 12 Buffalo
22.67 Charlie Hrdlicka 12 United North Central
22.68 Jesse Okoi 12 Fridley
22.70 Thomas Youngquist 11 Champlin Park
(50)
22.70 Uche Ogbonnaya 12 Irondale
22.70 Joey Blackmore 11 Albany
22.71 Andrew Balzar 12 Mounds View
22.71 Brady Roden 12 Foley
22.72 Kendrick Hall 11 Minneapolis Roosevelt
22.73 Matt Kloss 12 Coon Rapids
22.73 Brock Keaton 12 Hopkins
22.73 Lance Arneson 12 Kingsland
22.74 Will Jackson 12 Eastview
22.5 Andrew Lewis 9 St. Paul Central
(60)
22.74 John Adler 11 Anoka
22.75 Bryce Prax 12 LeSueur-Henderson
22.77 Lekpea Kordah 11 St. Louis Park
22.80 Christopher Hatcher 10 Minneapolis South
22.83 Mike Freund 12 Richfield
22.83 John Bridges 11 Roseville Area
22.83 Luke Mernin 12 Rockford
22.84 Adam Sturm 11 Farmington
22.84 Tim Illikainen 12 Shakopee
22.6 Lee Dhein 11 St. Cloud Tech
(70)
22.84 Nick Rengel 11 Sartell-St. Stephen
22.84 Laquone Robinson 11 Brooklyn Center
22.86 Eric McKay 11 Mounds View
22.87 Kory Harris 12 Eagan
22.87 Kyle Winkelman 12 Foley
22.88 Mike Richter 11 Mankato West
22.89 Will Darling 10 Austin
22.89 Blake Kerkhoff 12 New Richland-H-E-G
22.91 Harry Pitera 11 Cretin-Derham Hall
22.91 Williams Totimeh 12 Fridley
(80)
22.91 Sam Johnson 12 Wayzata
22.91 Jared Grams 12 North Branch

2008 STATE MEET CLASS AA RESULTS
Wind = -2.3 m/s
1 Chi Chi Ojika, 11, Irondale 21.95
2 Sean King, 12, Cretin-Derham Hall 22.16
3 Emmanual Matadi, 11, St Paul Johnson 22.38
4 Chris Norgaard, 12, SpringLkPk/St Anthony 22.45
5 Leon Cheneyon, 12, Robbinsdale Cooper 22.49
6 Dalton Keep, 12, Forest Lake 22.55
7 Austin Eliason, 11, Rosemount 22.59
8 Diahn Zeon, 12, Richfield 22.74

2008 STATE MEET CLASS A RESULTS
Wind = +0.9 m/s
1 Cameron Boy, 11, Jordan 22.00
2 Darren Thompson, 12, Glencoe-Silver Lake 22.10
3 Skyler Jackson, 11, Frazee 22.17
4 Chris Stoks, 12, Virginia 22.25
5 Caleb Rissman, 12, Triton 22.31
6 Kris Adams, 12, Barnum 22.41
7 Nicholas Pfeifle, 11, Sw Minn Christian 22.46
8 Matt Dvorak, 12, St Croix Lutheran 22.49
9 Dylan Enderlein, 11, Providence Academy 22.51

200 METER ALL TIME BESTS
20.92 Jon Boyd, Mankato East 2004
20.96 Ibrahim Kabia, Champlin Park 2004
21.22 Jerry Burch, SP Cretin-Derham Hall 1998
21.0 Mark Lutz, Rochester Mayo 1969 (21.1y)
21.27 Robb Merritt, Hopkins 2001
21.30 Tim Whitney, SP Arlington 1998
21.42 B.J. Otto, Stanford 2007
21.43 Jerrell Hancock, Anoka 2007
21.49 Jay Thomas, Tartan 2004
21.57 Jason Bruce, Burnsville 1984
(10)
21.59 Antwon Simmons, Minneapolis North 2003
21.65 Bob Ewings, Forest Lake 1993
21.66 Lamonta Bronaugh, Burnsville 1999
21.70 Jeff Tarnowski, Wayzata 1995
21.72 Joe Hemberger, Park 1988
21.72 Melvin Carter, SP Central 1997
21.5 Billy Nadeau, Hibbing 1927 (21.6y)
21.5 Randy Melbourne, Mpls Washburn 1993
21.74 Sean King, St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall 2007
21.75 Tim VanVoorhis, Apple Valley 1993
(20)
21.75 Jeremy Heckman, Centennial 1997
21.76 Josh Wilske, Lakeville 1997
21.77 Adam Freed, Duluth Marshall 1996
21.77 Rolando Peco, Duluth Central 2000
21.77 Shayne Shaw, Eastview 2003
21.77 Brock Keaton, Hopkins 2007
21.79 Demetre Martin, Mpls Henry 1987
21.79 Richard Lewis, SP Highland Park 1998
21.82 Jeff Byrd, Mpls Central 1979
21.82 Nick Herold, North St. Paul 2006
(30)
21.83 Jason Erickson, Alexandria 2001
21.6 Paul Bearman, St Louis Park 1967 (21.7y)
21.6 Mike Keenan, Glencoe 1976 (21.7y)
21.6 Paul Otto, Edina East 1977 (21.7y)
21.6 Ryan Lamppa, Benson 1977 (21.7y)
21.6 Bob Sobieck, Alexander Ramsey 1981
21.6 Tracy Martin, Brooklyn Center 1983
21.6 Jason Crocker, Minnehaha Academy 1985
21.6 Todd Haferman, Prior Lake 1988
21.84 Pat Schottel, Roseville Area 1999
(40)
21.6 Brandon Smith, New London-Spicer 2000
21.6 Jerald Burton, Osseo 2003
21.6 Cory Johnson, Moorhead 2004
21.85 Lorenzo Martin, Mpls Roosevelt 1984
21.85 Rhashidi VanLeer, Woodbury 1995
21.86 Stan McClure, Hopkins 1986
21.88 Andre Billups, SP Central 1979
21.89 Rich Kleber, Northfield 1983
21.90 Scott Beadle, Moorhead 1992
21.90 Greg VanLeer, Woodbury 1993
(50)
21.90 Tom Gerding, Waconia 1997
21.90 Jamar Stromberg, Mpls Henry 2000
21.91 John Shevlin, Eastview 2002
21.91 Tyler Key, Apple Valley 2007
21.91 ChiChi Ojika, Irondale 2008
21.92 Matt Skulborstad, Rosemount 1995
21.93 Jordan Wilkie, Eagan 2001
21.93 Joe Rancourt, Faribault 2007
21.7 Elwin Burditte, Minnetonka 1976 (21.8y)
21.7 Steve Makie, Eden Prairie 1977 (21.8y)
(60)
21.7 Bob Galle, Rosemount 1983
21.7 Garrett Veal, Buffalo 1991
21.94 Justin Suss, Lakeville 2005
21.7 Joe Clark, Rochester Century 2005
21.7 Clarence Suttle, St. Paul Johnson 2007
21.95 Matt Taylor, Duluth East 1998
21.95 Matthew Shannon, Mpls Washburn 2000
21.95 Wade Lescault, Minneapolis Roosevelt 2003
21.95 Jeff Brunette, Mounds View 2007
21.95 Chris Anderson, Duluth Central 2007
(70)
21.96 Venus Griffin, North St. Paul 2002
21.97 Neuby Ras, Alexandria 1998
21.97 George Dudley, Hopkins 2007
21.98 Dave Guinn, Bloom Jefferson 1978 (22.11y)
21.99 Kamiba Polk, Champlin Park 1998
22.00 Cassidy Glad, Rocori 2001
22.00 Jonathan Thompson, St. Louis Park 2002
22.00 Emmanual Matadi, St. Paul Johnson 2008
22.00 Cameron Boy, Jordan 2008
22.01 Carl McCullough, SP Cretin-DH 1992
(80)
22.02 Chuck Easterlin, Duluth Central 1982
22.02 Matt Vought, Cooper 1986
22.03 Rod Hutton, Shakopee 1984
22.03 Dean Paulson, Kennedy 1989
22.03 Mark Rasmussen, Detroit Lakes 1995
22.03 Derek Thaden, Robbinsdale Cooper 2000
21.8 Dick Gehring, Mpls Washburn 1942 (21.9y)
21.8 Jerry Jacobs, Robbinsdale 1964 (21.9y)
21.8 Terry Wooley, Alexander Ramsey 1964 (21.9y)
21.8 Pete Shea, Richfield 1966 (21.9y)
(90)
21.8 Ron Dachis, St Louis Park 1967 (21.9y)
21.8 Fred Merrill, Orono 1969 (21.9y)
21.8 Leo Bond, Faribault School for Deaf 1971 (21.9y)
21.8 Jim Gravalin, Moorhead 1972 (21.9y)
21.8 Dave Thompson, St Charles 1973 (21.9y)
21.8 Terry Lewis, Mpls North 1974 (21.9y)
21.8 Darrin Wolke, Kennedy 1981
21.8 John Bodine, Barnesville 1982
21.8 Nate Cooper, Climax 1983
22.04 Rod Smith, Roseville 1988
(100)
21.8 Lawrence Means, Rochester JM 1988
21.8 Jimmy Brown, Mpls Southwest 1988
22.04 Ryan Murray, St Thomas Academy 1990
21.8 Ethan Allen, St Peter 1990
21.8 Neville Grant, Mpls Washburn 1993
21.8 Chuck Harris, Minnetonka 1994
21.8 Luke Pfeifer, Frazee-Vergas 1996
21.8 Charlie Lenn, Pine Island 1999
22.04 Keith Hartman, Rochester Lourdes 1999
22.04 Monte Stewart, North St. Paul 2001
(110)
21.8 Fletcher Terrell, St. Louis Park 2002
22.04 Keith Carter, St. Paul Harding 2006
21.8 Kyle Henderson, Robbinsdale Armstrong 2007

220 yds on straight- 20.7 Mark Lutz, Roch Mayo 1970

JUNIOR BESTS
21.0 Mark Lutz, Rochester Mayo 1969 (21.1y)
21.30 Tim Whitney, St Paul Arlington 1998
21.49 Jay Thomas, Tartan 2004
21.52 Jon Boyd, Mankato East 2005
21.63 Jerry Burch, Cretin-DH 1997
21.65 Ibrahim Kabia, Champlin Park 2003
21.66 Lamonta Bronaugh, Burnsville 1999
21.70 Jeff Tarnowski, Wayzata 1995
21.72 Joe Hemberger, Park 1988
21.5 Randy Melbourne, Mpls Washburn 1993
21.74 Sean King, Cretin-DH 2007

SOPHOMORE BESTS
20.92 Jon Boyd, Mankato East 2004
21.77 Rolando Peco, Duluth Central 2000
21.83 Jason Erickson, Alexandria 2001
21.84 Jerry Burch, Cretin-Derham Hall 1996
21.86 Joe Hemberger, Park 1987
22.00 Jonathan Thompson, St. Louis Park 2002
21.8 Leo Bond, Faribault Schl for the Deaf 1971 (21.9y)
21.8 Jeff Byrd, Mpls Central 1978 (21.9y)
22.13 Lashay Whittaker, DeLaSalle 1993

FRESHMAN BESTS
21.60 Jon Boyd, Mankato East 2003
22.40 Jason Miller, Mahnomen 1990
22.41 Calvin Clark, Henry Sibley 2008
22.43 Chuck Harris, Minnetonka 1992
22.2 Jeff Byrd, Mpls Central 1977 (22.3y)
22.63 Adrian Perryman, St. Paul Central 2000
22.64 Charlie Lenn, Pine Island 1996
22.5 Andrew Lewis, St. Paul Central 2008
22.76 Jermaine Brown, Champlin Park 1994
22.76 Jonathan Roberts, Robbinsdale Cooper 2006

After a short delay, it's time to introduce Down the Backstretch's new Fantasy Sports Czar -- Doug Cowles. Doug signed on at the start of 2009, but then immediately took advantage of DtB's generous paternity leave policy when he and his wife Sara brought Henry Jack Cowles into the world on Inauguration Day.

We hired Doug because we wanted a professional running the fantasy and prediction contests at DtB. Last year, Doug won the $2000 prediction contest that USA Track and Field organized to promote its Visa Series last summer. Your editor/publisher knows from bitter, bitter experience in more low-key fantasy games that Doug is a formidable opponent.

So, starting this week, Doug will man the helm of our fantasy and prediction endeavors. He'll host DtB's weekly Yes/No contest -- and reveal his own pick each week! -- and organize some more elaborate games here and there during the course of the season.

Welcome to the team, Doug and take it away ...

Participants likely know the rules of the game by now but for curious new visitors here’s a quick synopsis: At the end of the week we ask readers to predict, with a yes/no answer, the results of a competition involving Minnesotans. To play the game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us before the deadline.

After the track, field or road competition takes place, we’ll award a point for every correct answer and tally up the scores. We will continue to offer a bonus for participants making their debut in Yes/No -- a correct answer will be worth two points for any first-time players.

Last week, 15 contestants (63% of players) correctly answered "no" to the question, "Will Emily Brown break her U of M Fieldhouse record of 9:10.60 in the 3000 meters at the Jack Johnson Classic this Saturday?"

The current Yes/No leader-board shows 13 contestants tied for first place with 2 points after two weeks. Once things settle out a bit more we'll publishing a listing of contest leaders.

This week’s question is ...

Yes/No: Will Kara Goucher win the Women’s mile at the Millrose Games?

Note: Duluth native Kara Goucher is the defending Millrose mile champion and ran a 4:39/9:03 mile/3k double two weeks ago as she prepares for the Boston Marathon in April. Goucher will face an international field including 17-year-old Ethiopian junior star Gezahegne Kalkidan. There's video of Goucher at the Millrose Games media conference HERE, along with archived video of last year's race.

Send your "yes" or "no" answer to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 6:00 pm. CST Friday, January 30. Note the early deadline -- the Millrose Games are Friday night! Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail ... and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.

My Answer: Yes.

Good Luck and thanks for playing Yes/No on DtB!

Grandma's Marathon Plugs Back In

The Duluth News-Tribune's Kevin Pates reports this morning that Grandma's Marathon will no longer ban headphone use during its signature events.

You can read his story HERE.

The Grandma's Marathon board of directors voted to lift the ban on Tuesday, Pates reports. Last December, USA Track and Field amended it rules on headphone use -- banning use only for athletes competing for USA Championship awards and prize money.

Also ... The official media release from Grandma's on the matter is HERE.

Vega, Nicolini Lehmkuhle Top Grant Winners

Team USA Minnesota athletes Antonio Vega and Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle were granted $1750 and $1500, respectively, by the Minnesota Elite Athlete Development Program, to help them in "in reaching their fullest potential" as runners.

MEADP, a partnership between Grandma’s Marathon- Duluth, Inc., Twin Cities Marathon, Inc., the Minnesota Distance Running Association and Austin-Jarrow Sports of Duluth, awarded grants to seven Minnesota distance runners for 2009.

Also earning monies to assist in their development were: Eric Hartmark ($1000), Jeremy Polson ($750), Melissa Gacek ($1000), Kim Magee ($750), and Jennifer Hess ($250.)

The runners were selected to receive funding to help cover training, travel and competition expenses through an application process. The awards were presented on Jan. 17 at the MDRA Annual Meeting.

Gophers Maintain Hold on Big Ten Honors

For the third straight week, University of Minnesota men and women have been named Athletes of the Week by the Big Ten. Earning the distinction this week for their exploits at the Jack Johnson Classic on Saturday: Heptathlete R.J. McGinnis, distance runner Chris Rombough, and half-miler Heather Dorniden.

McGinnis scored 5511 points in the heptathlon at the meet, a mark that currently tops the nation. The score is the fifth-best in Gopher history and an NCAA provisional qualifier. McGinnis won four of the seven heptathlon events in his effort.

Rombough won the meet's 3000 meter event in 8:00.66 seconds, an NCAA provisional qualifier and the top time in the country this season. The mark is also a school record, bettering Will McComb's 8:00.46 which was run on an over-sized track. Rombough is the defending Big Ten champion in the 10,000 meters.

Dorniden, a six-time All-American in the 800-meter run, won the event with a time of 2:05.51 seconds. Her mark, too, is currently the top time in the nation in the event. Dorniden also anchored the Gophers’ champion 4 x 400m squad that clocked 3:49.96.

Gopher Men's Track Blog ... If you haven't found the U of M's men's track blog yet, it's HERE. Find photos, video, and updates on the exploits of the Gopher men.

Jack Johnson Classic Photos by Gene Niemi

Down the Backstretch photo contributor Gene Niemi offers these shots of action at Saturday's Jack Johnson Classic at the University of Minnesota.

Gopher red-shirt Chimerem Okoroji (#5) and Gopher frosh Kylie Peterson going 1-2 in the women's 60 meter dash.

Jenelle Deatherage (leading) edged Burnsville alum Laura Hermanson of NDSU in the women's mile.

Gopher Ben Blankenship leads eventual men's mile champ Andy Richardson, a Gopher red-shirt. Richardson clocked 4:11.13

Chris Rombough finishes his 8:00.66 3000m victory.

Team USA Minnesota's Emily Brown defends her Jack Johnson 3000m title in 9:18.57.

Photos by Gene Niemi.

The Miles' Lists: Long Jump

Here's our second installment of the Miles' Lists, the 2008 and all-time high school boys performance list compiled by Bill and Tim Miles. Today's event -- the long jump.

Click HERE to find all of the 2007 lists, last week's interview with Bill Miles, and the 2008 Miles' Lists we've published so far.

LONG JUMP

2008 BESTS
22-11 Tony Johnson 12 New Prague
22-10 Diahn Zeon 12 Richfield
22-9 Derek Bredy 12 West Central Area
22-8 ¼ Zach Bork 12 Rocori
22-5 ¼ Christian Metz 11 Cambridge-Isanti
22-2 ½ Wendell Booth 12 Grand Rapids
22-2 ½ Caleb Rissman 12 Triton
22-1 ¾ Kyle Winkelman 12 Foley
21-11 ¾ Eyo Ekpo 11 Andover
21-11 ¼ Marvin Mathews 12 Roseville Area
(10)
21-10 Brayden Hebl 11 Fillmore Central/Lanesboro
21-9 Casey Lipp 12 Breckenridge
21-8 Dalton Wall 11 Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin
21-7 ½ Erik Romsdahl 12 St. James
21-7 ¼ Eddie Anderson 11 Lakeville South
21-6 ¾ David Sparkman 11 Anoka
21-6 ½ Austin Delaney 12 St. Louis Park
21-6 ½ Travis Jimenez 11 Paynesville Area
21-6 ½ Andrew Taubel 12 Wabasha-Kellogg
21-5 ½ Nate McGriff 11 Bemidji
(20)
21-5 ¼ Tylor Erickson 11 Bloomington Jefferson
21-5 Joshua Allen 12 Minnetonka
21-4 ¾ Erich Johnston 12 Burnsville
21-4 ½ Shawn Wells 11 Eastview
21-4 ¼ Trevor Jellum 11 Lakeville North
21-4 ¼ Ronnie Wilson 11 Apple Valley
21-4 ¼ AJ Barker 11 DeLaSalle
21-4 Jordan Jarland 10 Fillmore Central/Lanesboro
21-3 ½ Beau Gagnon 10 Buffalo
21-3 ½ Anthony Osifuye 10 Woodbury
(30)
21-3 ¼ Cooper Wahlo 11 Woodbury
21-3 Jason Adelsman 12 Fergus Falls
21-3 Michael Pittman 11 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
21-3 Nat Arneson 12 Maple Lake
21-2 ½ Matthew Dvorak 12 St. Croix Lutheran
21-2 ¼ Jack Trebelhorn 12 Alexandria
21-2 Brian Grand 10 North Branch
21-1 ¾ John Oberg 12 Burnsville
21-1 ½ Scott Miller 12 Faribault
21-1 ½ Terence Reid 11 Hills-Beaver Creek/Ellsworth/Edgrtn
(40)
21-1 ½ Tom Argabright 12 Mayer Lutheran
21-1 ¼ Matt Muenchow 12 Glencoe-Silver Lake
21-1 ¼ David Giancola 12 Jordan
21-1 Varmah Sonie 11 Apple Valley
21-1 TJ Struss 11 Brainerd
21-0 ¾ Alex Kisch 12 North St. Paul
21-0 ¼ Kamal Abda 11 Fridley
21-0 ¼ Antwan Hollie 11 Minneapolis South
21-0 Jordan Hauschild 12 Farmington
21-0 Blair Reigel 10 Lakeville South
(50)
21-0 Rumeal Harris 9 Eden Prairie
20-11 ¾ Micah Pierce 10 Roseville Area
20-11 ½ Anthony Gustafson 9 Faribault
20-11 ½ Darius Clare 10 Delano
20-11 ½ Jeremy Boedeker 12 Ely
20-11 ¼ Mandela Bakhit 12 Anoka
20-10 ¼ Mike Bendix 12 Farmington
20-10 ¼ EJ Knight 11 United South Central/A-C
20-10 Mike Richter 11 Mankato West
20-10 Ernest Dorsett 11 Woodbury
(60)
20-10 Andrew Million 11 Totino Grace
20-10 Tyler Rien 11 St. Cloud Cathedral
20-9 ½ Jordan Benesh 10 Mankato East
20-9 ½ Anthony Kemper 12 Prior Lake
20-9 ½ Brent Hansen 12 Sartell-St. Stephen
20-9 ¼ Levin Fossen 12 Waseca
20-9 ¼ Dustin Hicks 12 Stillwater Area
20-9 ¼ Thaddeaus Swint 12 St. Louis Park
20-9 Seth Friedrich 10 Pine Island
20-9 Kenny Schofield 11 Cotton/Cherry/Cook/Orr
(70)
20-8 ¾ Eddie Hodges 11 Caledonia/Spring Grove/M-C
20-8 ½ Andy Blaufuss 12 North St. Paul
20-8 Kyle Vossen 12 Eastview
20-8 Cody Thibault 10 White Bear Lake
20-8 Rashad West 12 Woodbury
20-8 James Iverson 11 St. Cloud Apollo
20-8 Robby Floren 12 Kenyon-Wanamingo
20-8 Taylor Kunkel 9 Byron
20-7 ½ Paul Wagner 12 Fisher/EGF SH/Climax
20-7 ¼ Warren Matthews 12 Richfield
(80)
20-7 ¼ Drew Feuk 12 New Prague

2008 STATE MEET CLASS AA RESULTS
1 Zach Bork, 12, Rocori 22-8 1/4w[+3.5w]
2 Diahn Zeon, 12, Richfield 22-6[+1.4w]
3 Tony Johnson, 12, New Prague 21-11[+1.8w]
4 Christian Metz, 11, Cambridge-Isanti 21-8 1/2w[+2.1w]
5 David Sparkman, 11, Anoka 21-4 3/4w[+2.2w]
6 Eyo Ekpo, 11, Andover 21-3 1/4w[+3.0w]
7 Marvin Mathews, 12, Roseville Area 21-3[+2.0w]
8 Josh Allen, 12, Minnetonka 21-2 1/2[+1.5w]
9 Jack Trebelhorn, 12, Alexandria 21-2 1/4[+1.9w]

2008 STATE MEET CLASS A RESULTS
1 Derek Bredy, 12, West Central Area 22-0 1/4
2 Caleb Rissman, 12, Triton 21-5 1/4[-1.7w]
3 Kyle Winkelman, 12, Foley 21-2 1/2[-1.1w]
4 Casey Lipp, 12, Brecknrdge/Camp-Tint 21-0 1/2[-0.5w]
5 Matt Muenchow, 12, Glencoe-Silver Lake 20-10 3/4[-1.1w]
6 Erik Romsdahl, 12, St James 20-10 1/4[-0.6w]
7 Paul Wagner, 12, Fisher/Egf S 20-7 1/2[-1.6w]
8 Travis Jimenez, 11, Paynesville Area 20-6 1/4[-1.6w]
9 Dalton Wall, 11, MtLake/Butterfld-Odin 20-4 3/4[+0.0w]

LONG JUMP ALL TIME BESTS
24-9 1/4 Von Shepard, St Paul Central 1982
24-8 3/4 B.J. Otto, Hill-Murray 2007
24-4 3/4 Leonard Jones, Mpls Henry 1990
24-3 Dave Eiland, Mpls Roosevelt 1975
24-3 Tyrone Minor, St Paul Central 1989
24-1 1/4 Reondo Davis, Blaine 1998
24-0 1/2 Bob Peller, St Paul Cretin 1982
24-0 1/2 Robby Bunke, Rushford-P-H 1992
23-11 1/2 Omar ClemmonsRochester JM 1997
23-10 3/4 Andrew Newman, Eastview 2000
(10)
23-10 1/2 John Bodine, Barnesville 1982
23-9 1/4 Matt Gordon-Jackson, Champlin Park 2000
23-8 1/4 Rolando Peco, Duluth Central 2000
23-8 Dave Dyson, Burnsville 1978
23-8 James Lundberg, Robbinsdale Armstrong 2002
23-8 Tommy McNamara, Mounds View 2007
23-7 1/2 Adam Freed, Duluth Marshall 1996
23-7 Rod Smith, Roseville 1988
23-6 1/2 Jeff Gilchrist, Mpls Washburn 1978
23-6 1/2 Jon Pontius, Fergus Falls 1993
(20)
23-6 Roman Riley, Minnehaha Academy 1980
23-6 James Ewer, Lakeville 2005
23-5 Walter Davis, Apple Valley 1986
23-5 Jason Greene, Mpls Washburn 1995
23-4 3/4 Jack Trittin, Apple Valley 1984
23-4 3/4 Jay Thomas, Tartan 2004
23-4 1/2 Duane Proell, St Cloud Tech 1968
23-4 1/2 Todd Jorgenson, Detroit Lakes 1982
23-4 Cal Jacobs, Mpls North 1941
23-4 Demetre Martin, Mpls Henry 1987
(30)
23-4 Dan Lynch, White Bear Lake 1988
23-3 1/2 Neal Guggemos, Wnstd Holy Trinity 1982
23-3 1/2 Mark Freitag, Princeton 1992
23-3 1/4 Drew Fleigle, Mounds View 2006
23-3 Walter Groce, Mpls Central 1971
23-3 Frank Elli, SP Harding 1971
23-3 Trammelle Powell-Scott, Roseville Area 2005
23-2 1/2 Ray Tharp, Mpls Washburn 1942
23-2 1/2 Jay Bunke, Rushford 1976
23-2 1/2 Wayne Larson, Coon Rapids 1977
(40)
23-2 L C Hester, Mpls Roosevelt 1956
23-2 Clyde Thomas, SP Central 1969
23-2 Jim Gustafson, Bloom Lincoln 1979
23-2 Ed Hegland, Appleton/Milan 1987
23-2 Jesse Appel, Waterville-Elysian-Mrrstwn 2000
23-1 3/4 Gary Pegues, Park Center 1983
23-1 3/4 Dan Krenzel, Apple Valley 1991
23-1 3/4 Carl McCullough, Cretin-Derham Hall 1991
23-1 1/2 Jade Ellis, Totino Grace 2004
23-1 1/4 Scott Tryggeseth, Pillager-Motley 1985
(50)
23-1 Greg Agnew, Mpls North 1981
23-1 Kyle Duininck, Central MN Christian 1987
23-1 Terrell Johnson, Mpls Henry 1988
23-0 3/4 Brian Trombley, Anoka 1984
23-0 1/2 Trevor Berg, Walker-Hackensack 1985
23-0 1/2 Marcus Westberry, Mpls Washburn 1994
23-0 Ralph Wirtz, Coon Rapids 1967
23-0 Robert Blakely, SP Central 1978
23-0 Jason Crocker, Minnehaha Academy 1985
23-0 Melvin Carter, SP Central 1997
(60)
22-11 3/4 Rick Johnson, Anoka 1977
22-11 3/4 Rod McClendon, Hopkins Lindbergh 1978
22-11 1/2 Rich Ryan, St Peter 1973
22-11 1/2 Tom Luckemeyer, St Cloud Tech 1974
22-11 1/2 Doug Weirens, Sauk Rapids 1982
22-11 1/4 Dave Finneman, Anoka 1975
22-11 1/4 Darrel Thompson, Rochester JM 1985
22-11 1/4 Dan Samion, Minnetonka 1990
22-11 John Vipond, Herman-Norcross 1989
22-11 Tyler McCormick, White Bear Lake 1994
(70)
22-11 Lloyd Parsons, Mpls Roosevelt 1936
22-11 Tony Johnson, New Prague 2008
22-10 3/4 Rick Kjosling, Litchfield 1975
22-10 3/4 Gary Beaudot, Austin Pacelli 1984
22-10 1/2 Byron Gigler, Moorhead 1961
22-10 1/2 Ray Durham, SP Central 1969
22-10 1/2 George Honza, Montgomery 1969
22-10 1/4 Cam Stottler, Forest Lake 1996
22-10 Julius Crawford, Mpls North 1961
22-10 Dan Neubauer, Bird Island 1976
(80)
22-10 Jim Black, Apple Valley 1982
22-10 Steve Boudreau, St Louis Pk 1985
22-10 Sam Moen, Mahtomedi 2006
22-10 Ojullo Madho, Richfield 2006
22-10 Diahn Zeon, Richfield 2008
22-9 3/4 Gene Lewis, Mpls North 1956
22-9 3/4 Joel Hartiel, New Ulm 1978
22-9 3/4 Joe Schmidgall, Morris Area 1998
22-9 3/4 Jason Kupcho, White Bear Lake 1999
22-9 1/2 Ray Durham, SP Central 1969
(90)
22-9 1/2 Craig Rowe, Apple Valley 1989
22-9 1/2 Sam Adegoke, Mounds View 2000
22-9 1/2 Jason Spaargaren, Northfield 2006
22-9 1/4 Carl Pederson, West St Paul 1957
22-9 1/4 Craig Rixman, Fairmont 1978
22-9 1/4 Daniel Lawson, Sartell-St. Stephen 2004
22-9 Lon Ellis, Mpls Central 1961
22-9 Ryan Schutz, Park 1997
22-9 Derek Bredy, West Central Area 2008
(100)

JUNIOR BESTS
24-9 Von Shepard, SP Central 1982
24-4 1/2 B.J. Otto, Hill-Murray 2006
24-1 1/4 Reondo Davis, Blaine 1998
23-11 1/2 Omar Clemmons, Rochester John Marshall 1997
23-11 Bob Peller, St Paul Cretin 1981
23-10 3/4 Andrew Newman, Eastview 2000
23-9 1/4 Tyrone Minor, SP Central 1988
23-4 3/4 Matt Jackson, Champlin Park 1999
23-4 3/4 Jay Thomas, Tartan 2004
23-3 Leonard Jones, Mpls Henry 1989

SOPHOMORE BESTS
23-8 1/4 Rolando Peco, Duluth Central 2000
23-1 3/4 Von Shepard, St Paul Central 1981
23-1 3/4 Carl McCullough, Cretin-DH 1991
23-1 1/2 Dave Eiland, Mpls Roosevelt 1973
22-10 1/2 B.J. Otto, Hill-Murray 2005
22-8 3/4 Jade Ellis, Totino Grace 2002
22-8 1/2 Darius Lloyd, St Agnes/St Bernard’s 2000
22-7 Dale Curtis, Park Center 1987
22-5 1/2 Tony Paul, Marshall County Central 1991
22-5 1/2 Omar Clemmons, Rochester John Marshall 1996

FRESHMAN BESTS
23-1 3/4 Rolando Peco, Duluth Central 1999
22-2 3/4 J.R. Gray, Worthington 1997
22-2 Dean Nyberg, Cromwell 1993
21-9 1/4 Kee Lockhart, Breck 1995
21-8 1/4 Todd Bouman, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 1988(106)
21-8 Jordan Campa, St. Michael-Albertville 2007
21-3 Tony Dallavalle, Rochester Mayo 2003
21-1 1/2 Mike Miller, Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 1996
21-0 Rumeal Harris, Eden Prairie 2008
20-11 3/4 David Kelley, Sauk Rapids-Rice 1999

Short-Cut: Results' Links for January 23-25

Here are this weekend's patented "Short-Cut" links to all the important results ...

Friday:
Jack Johnson Classic: Results
Update: McGinnis, Roehrig lead multis. Story

Iowa State Open: Results

Saturday:
Jack Johnson Classic: Women * Men
Update: Dorniden wins 800m in 2:05.51, Rombough runs 8:00.66 3K.

Iowa State Open: Results
Update: Mankato's Rains -- LJ: 18-6, TJ: 37-5, no PV, Krajsa miles 4:11.o9.

St. Olaf Triangular: Women * Men
Update: Carleton's Charlie Gamble zips 8:25.44 3ooom.

UW-Stout Open: Results
Update: Concordia-St. Paul's Bacon wins in 6.38, Bethels's Borner clocks 5:09 mile.

Securian Frozen 5k/Half Marathon: Results

Yes/No:
Answer: No ... Emily Brown runs 9:18.57 to win Jack Johnson 3000m.

Jack Johnson Classic: Lots to Enjoy

This weekend's Jack Johnson Classic at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse offers lots to enjoy for all sorts of track and field fans, be they sprint fanatics, endurance aficionados, mutli-event mavens, vault freaks, or Jacks and Jills with a jones for the jumps.

The meet, which opens at 3:00 p.m. today with multi-event competition, gets going full-bore on Saturday afternoon when open competition gets underway.

The official time schedule for the meet can be found HERE.

Some events of special interest include:

Women's Pentathlon -- Although Golden Gopher star Liz Roehrig is out of indoor eligibility, she's competing unnattached in her home building today and tomorrow. Roehrig, a four-time Big Ten heptathlon champ, will compete outdoors for the Gophers.

Multi-event heat sheets are HERE.

Men's Pole Vault -- Defending Big Ten indoor champ Ben Peterson will take to the air again. At the Northwest Open two weeks ago, Peterson won the vault with an indoor-PR of 17-4 1/2. (There's video of that vault HERE, on the Gopher men's track blog.)

Women's Pole Vault -- Gopher star Alicia Rue hopes to ride her pole to another PR on her home runway. Last week, the former Robbinsdale Armstrong star cleared 14-4 to establish a personal, school, and fieldhouse record.

Women's Triple Jump -- Olympian Shani Marks and Olympic Trials 5th-placer Amanda Thieschafer will compete as part of their preparations for the upcoming USA Indoor Championships. Marks told DtB earlier this week that she and training partner Thieshafer will jump off short approaches on Saturday.

Men's 60 Meter Dash -- Reigning Big Ten Athlete of the Week Ibrahim Kabia will take another shot at his school record of 6.63. He ran 6.64 last week.

Women's Mile -- Olympic Trials finalists Janelle Deatherage (1500m) and Laura Hermanson (800m) will tangle over the classic distance. Hermanson, a Burnsville High School alum competing for North Dakota State moves up to face Deatherage, a professional who competed for the University of Wisconsin as a collegiate.

Women's 800m -- Gopher half-mile stars Heather Dorniden and Julie Schwengler run their first 800s of the season on Saturday. Dorniden was the NCAA runner-up at 800m indoors last year; Schwengler was the Big Ten runner-up in the event in 2008.

Men's 200m -- The newest edition to the state's elite track and field population, quarter-miler Andrew Rock, comes down in distance along with training partner Aaron Buzard, a Gopher alum. Rock won a silver medal in the 400 meters at the 2005 IAAF World Championships.

Men's 3000m -- Gopher distance stars Chris Rombough and Hassan Mead hope to push one-another to fast times. Rombough opened his season last week with a ripping 4:05 mile while Mead clocked 4:10.

Complete heat sheets for the meet can be found HERE.

It’s Yes/No time again ...

In case you missed it last week here’s the quick-and-dirty explanation: On Thursday or Friday of nearly every week we'll ask a yes or no question predicting the results of some aspect of the sport involving Minnesotans.

If you want to play the game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us before the deadline we set. After competition around the track, in the field, or on the roads answers the question, we'll give everyone who was right a point, tally up the scores, and begin work on a question for the next week.

This week, we’re offering a bonus for participants making their debut in Yes/No: A correct answer will be worth two points for any first-time players, giving those of you who missed the contest last week a chance to catch right up.

Last week, 18 contestants correctly answered "yes" to the question, "Will Andrew Carlson be the top Minnesota finisher in the USA Men's Half Marathon Championships in Houston on Sunday?"

So, without further ado …

Yes/No: Will Emily Brown break her U of M Fieldhouse record of 9:10.60 in the 3000 meters at the Jack Johnson Classic this Saturday?

Send your "yes" or "no" answer to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before noon on Saturday, January 24. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail ... and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.

Note: Last year at the Jack Johnson Classic, Brown won the 3000m event in a personal best time of 9:10.60, establishing the current U of M Fieldhouse record. Brown recently competed in two European cross country races and a New Year’s Eve road race in New York City. She is preparing for the February 7 USA Cross Country Championships.

The Miles' Lists: "It's a labor of love."

Tim and Bill Miles, the brothers who coach at St. John's University and Wayzata High School, respectively, have again generously given Down the Backstretch the liberty to publish their comprehensive statistical lists of the best 2008 and all-time track and field performances by Minnesota High School boys.

The brothers Miles began compiling these records in 1981 -- Tim deserving the lion's share of credit for the annual lists, Bill deserving the bulk of the kudos for the all-time compilations -- which are a treasure trove for the statistically minded track and field fan.

Over the next few weeks, we'll publish, event-by-event, the body of work we call The Miles' Lists. Kicking off the series today, we've asked Bill Miles some questions about constructing the lists and, below, posted the Miles' List statistics for the 100 meters.

DtB: Why did you and your brother Tim decide to compile lists of the top annual and all-time high school boys track and field performances in Minnesota?

Miles: We are both fans of track and field. Nobody else was doing it and we thought that it was something that we would enjoy looking at. So we did it.

DtB: How long does it take to gather the information and then construct the lists each year?

Miles: It's a labor of love. We don't punch a clock.

DtB: You and Tim compile the boys' lists, does anyone keep track of girls' performances?

Miles: Tim and I did compile both boys and girls annual lists for the first few years and had pretty complete all-time lists. We passed all of the records and archives off to others. There have been two individuals who have published lists, but they both stopped. Copies of our original work for girls track and field has been passed on to the Girls Track & Field Coaches Association and the Minnesota USATF. If anyone is interested they can get the names of the contacts at those two organizations from me. As a track fan, I would love to see those honor rolls and lists.

DtB: What are some of the things you've seen change over the years in the sport and that are reflected in the lists? Have there been trends you can see from the "data" you collect?

Miles: In the good old days we ran on cinders or in mud. Lane one was always chewed up and loose. The really fast tracks were crushed brick. Jumping surfaces were uneven. Times were recorded to the tenth of a second on sweep clocks. In the 1950s, times or distances were often only recorded for the meet winner. Before FAT times were only recorded for scorers, so if you finished sixth at the State Meet when only five scored, you didn't have an official time- just the time that your coach got. No longer do pole vaulters and high jumpers land in piles of sawdust or bags of foam.

Today tracks are faster, shoes are lighter, discs are more aerodynamic, poles are better, and pits safer. I also believe that the science of the sport is better understood and more widely distributed. We have many coaches who are real students of the sport and their athletes are trained in a manner more specific to their event. The internet has also increased an awareness by athletes of what others are doing and raised standards and expectations.What hasn't changed is the simplicity of the sport. We run, jump, and throw. Athletes work hard and get better. We know who wins without judges or judgement calls. It is sport at its best.

DtB: Let me put you on the spot: What's the best performance -- across the boys events -- all-time in Minnesota?

Miles: The best performance I witnessed was Bjorklund's 4:05 mile in 1969. The stadium at Macalester was overflowing and the place was going wild as he tried to run 4:00. That record stood for almost 40 years until it was broken by Finnerty's 3:59 1600 last year. Even though I didn't get to see it, I would have to call it the best. I should probably disclose that I was a distance runner and am a distance coach and don't doubt that a great argument could be made for a field mark or a sprint/hurdle mark by someone more interested in those events.

The Miles' Lists: 100 Meters

Here's our first installment of the "Miles Lists" -- the comprehensive 2008 and all-time high school boys performance lists compiled by St. John's University coach Tim Miles and Wayzata High School coach Bill Miles.

100 METERS

2008 BESTS
10.68 Joe Rancourt 12 Faribault
10.68 Kassim Lakis 12 Robbinsdale Armstrong
10.73 ChiChi Ojika 11 Irondale
10.75 Sean King 12 Cretin-Derham Hall
10.78 Diahn Zeon 12 Richfield
10.78 Derek Bredy 12 West Central Area
10.79 Charlie Hrdlicka 12 United North Central
10.79 Caleb Rissman 12 Triton
10.81 Chris Norgaard 12 Spring Lake Park/St. Anthony
10.86 Terrell Sinkfield 11 Hopkins
(10)
10.86 Skyler Jackson 11 Frazee
10.88 Matthew Dvorak 12 St. Croix Lutheran
10.89 Jesse Okoi 12 Fridley
10.90 Josh Jackson 11 Farmington
10.90 Emmanual Matadi 11 St. Paul Johnson
10.94 Myint Maung 9 St. Paul Highland Park
10.94 Bryce Prax 12 LeSueur-Henderson
10.97 Nate Mattson 10 Hawley/Ulen-Hitterdal
10.98 Josh Carter 12 Duluth Denfeld
10.99 Jared Grams 12 North Branch
(20)
11.00 Alen Bobaric 11 Andover
11.01 Kris Adams 12 Barnum
11.01 Jordan Spronk 12 Southwest Minnesota Christian
11.03 Blake Webster 11 Eagan
11.04 Alex Kisch 12 North St. Paul
10.8 Tendeh Brownell 11 Osseo
11.07 Lekpea Kordah 11 St. Louis Park
11.07 Zach Bork 12 Rocori
11.07 Chris Stoks 12 Virginia
11.08 Williams Totimeh 12 Fridley
(30)
11.08 Kyle Winkelman 12 Foley
11.09 Warren Matthews 12 Richfield
11.09 Nicholas Pfeile 11 Southwest Minnesota Christian
11.10 Phillip Butler 11 St. Agnes
11.13 David Sparkman 11 Anoka
11.13 Braden Bentley 10 Stewartville
10.9 Cory Shufelt 12 Hutchinson
11.14 Harry Pitera 11 Cretin-Derham Hall
11.14 Matt Schroeder 10 Totino Grace
11.14 Sam Johnson 12 Wayzata
(40)
10.9 Ryan Guentzel 10 Two Harbors
10.9 Casey Lipp 12 Breckenridge/Campbell-Tintah
11.17 Paul Yerhot 12 Chaska
11.18 Brian Kiedrowski 12 Burnsville
11.19 Nick Nelson 11 Lakeville North
11.19 Mitchell Koenig 12 Forest Lake
11.20 Andrew Lewis 9 St. Paul Central
11.20 Keraus Holiday 12 Minneapolis Southwest
11.20 Dan Blaser 11 Forest Lake
11.20 Eri Romsdahl 12 St. James
(50)
11.21 Blaec Nelson 12 Faribault
11.21 Mandela Bakhit 12 Anoka
11.21 Oludayo Obilade 11 Champlin Park
11.21 Trent Johnson 11 Moorhead
11.22 Brandon Inda 11 Mankato East
11.22 Andre Hunt 9 Eastview
11.22 Otis Morris 12 St. Cloud Tech
11.23 Andrew Anderson 10 Rosemount
11.24 Calvin Clark 9 Henry Sibley
11.24 Harvey Hodges 12 Minneapolis Washburn
(60)
11.24 Markus Whittaker 10 Wayzata
11.0 Dan Cooper 11 Hermantown
11.25 Shedrick Agyei 11 Lakeville North
11.25 Deven King 11 Blaine
11.25 Dillon Grant 12 Forest Lake
11.25 Kellen Noga 12 Parkers Prairie
11.26 James Sanigular 12 Roseville Area
11.26 Matt Kloss 12 Coon Rapids
11.27 Jordan Hauschild 12 Farmington
11.27 Austin Eliason 11 Rosemount
(70)
11.28 Hakeem Bourne-McFarland 12 Bloomington Kennedy
11.28 Marcus Binns 11 Cretin-Derham Hall
11.29 Leon Cheneyon 12 Robbinsdale Cooper
11.29 Jeremy Randle 12 DeLaSalle
11.30 Brad Wiest 11 Mankato West
11.30 Kirk Randall 12 Wayzata
11.30 Dorian Cross 11 Duluth East
11.31 Paul Berndt 11 Mankato West
11.31 John Adler 11 Anoka
11.31 Fritz Rock 11 Wayzata
(80)
11.31 TJ Struss 11 Brainerd

2008 STATE MEET CLASS AA RESULTS
Wind = +3.3 m/s (aided)
1 Kassim Lakis, 12, Robbinsdale Armstrong 10.68w
2 Sean King, 12, Cretin-Derham Hall 10.75w
3 Chi Chi Ojika, 11, Irondale 10.76w
4 Diahn Zeon, 12, Richfield 10.78w
5 Jesse Okoi, 12, Fridley 10.89w
6 Myint Maung, 9, St Paul Highland Park 10.94w
7 Joe Rancourt, 12, Faribault 11.02w
8 Emmanual Matadi, 11, St Paul Johnson 11.18w
9 Josh Jackson, 11, Farmington 11.25w

2008 STATE MEET CLASS A RESULTS
Wind = +1.3 m/s
1 Skyler Jackson, 11, Frazee 10.94
2 Matt Dvorak, 12, St Croix Lutheran 10.96
3 Caleb Rissman, 12, Triton 10.98
4 Charlie Hrdlicka, 12, Menahga / Sebeka 10.99
5 Bryce Prax, 12, LeSueur-Henderson 11.03
6 Nate Mattson, 10, Hawley/Ulen-Hitterdal 11.10
7 Kris Adams, 12, Barnum 11.17
8 Jordan Spronk, 12, Sw Minn Christian 11.22
9 Chris Stoks, 12, Virginia 11.31

100 METER ALL TIME BESTS
10.45 Ibrahim Kabia, Champlin Park 2003
10.3 Joe Hemberger, Park 1988
10.3 Lawrence Means, Rochester JM 1988
10.3 Tim Whitney, St Paul Arlington 1998
10.58 Jon Boyd, Mankato East 2004
10.58 Jerrell Hancock, Anoka 2007
10.59 Jerry Burch, SP Cretin-Derham Hall 1998
10.4 Rod Smith, Roseville 1988
10.67 Nick Herold, North St. Paul 2006
10.68 Kassim Lakis, Robbinsdale Armstrong 2008
(10)
10.68 Joe Rancourt, Faribault 2008
10.71 Rolando Peco, Duluth Central 2000
10.71 Jay Thomas, Tartan 2004
10.72 Brandon Smith, New London-Spicer 2000
10.73 ChiChi Ojika, Irondale 2008
10.74 Jeff Byrd, Mpls Central 1979
10.5 Darren Wolke, Bloom Kennedy 1981
10.5 Jason Crocker, Minnehaha Academy 1985
10.5 Chad Hilton, Redwood Falls 1985
10.74 Ethan Allen, St Peter 1990
(20)
10.5 Dan Samion, Minnetonka 1990
10.5 Keith Harris, Eagan 1999
10.5 Anthony Dew, Coon Rapids 2001
10.5 Darby Ursell, Buffalo 2004
10.74 Trammelle Powell-Scott, Roseville Area 2005
10.74 Chris Anderson, Duluth Central 2007
10.75 Lamonta Bronaugh, Burnsville 1999
10.75 Chris Easterling, Morris Area 2001
10.75 Sean King, Cretin-Derham Hall 2008
10.76 Jeff Tarnowski, Wayzata 1995
(30)
10.77 Jermaine Brown, Champlin Park 1996
10.77 Erik Hanson, Mesabi East 1996
10.78 John Bodine, Barnesville 1982
10.78 Bob Ewings, Forest Lake 1992
10.78 Antwon Simmons, Minneapolis North 2003
10.78 Diahn Zeon, Richfield 2008
10.78 Derek Bredy, West Central Area 2008
10.79 Billy Allen, SP Highland Park 1992
10.79 Matt Skulborstad, Rosemount 1995
10.79 Ricky Thomas, Champlin Park 1997
(40)
10.79 Monte Stewart, North St. Paul 2001
10.79 Venus Griffin, North St. Paul 2003
10.79 Charlie Hrdlicka, United North Central 2008
10.79 Caleb Rissman, Triton 2008
10.80 Garrett Veal, Buffalo 1990
10.80 Johann Eckstrom, Mounds View 1992
10.80 Mike Graham, Tartan 2003
10.81 Mark Larson, St Francis 1990
10.81 Jesse Keller, Fergus Falls Hillcrest Luth. 1998
10.81 Chris Norgaard, Spring Lake Park/St. Anthony 2008
(50)
10.82 Bobby Libby, Elk River 1989
10.82 Richard Lewis, SP Highland Park 1998
10.82 Jeff King, East Grand Forks 1998
10.82 Paul LaClaire, Irondale 2003
10.82 Justin Suss, Lakeville 2005
10.82 Clarence Suttle, St. Paul Johnson 2007
10.83 Melvin Carter, SP Central 1997
10.83 Tyler Buchholz, Robbinsdale Cooper 2006
10.84 Andre Billups, SP Central 1979
10.6 Tom Andersson, Cannon Falls 1981
(60)
10.6 Jason Bruce, Burnsville 1984
10.6 Jim Berglund, Milaca 1986
10.6 Mike Freeman, Hopkins 1990
10.6 Mike Loge, Morris 1990
10.84 CJ Simonsen, Coon Rapids 1995
10.6 Joey Gleason, Minnesota Valley Lutheran 1995
10.6 Marc Brown, St Paul Highland Park 1995
10.6 Charlie Lenn, Pine Island 1999
10.6 Robb Merritt, Hopkins 2000
10.6 Jerry Fonville, St Agnes / St Bernard’s 2000
(70)
10.6 Eric Schmidt, Anoka 2001
10.6 Jerald Burton, Osseo 2003
10.6 Isaac Anderson, Blake 2005
10.84 Alex Rooker, Totino Grace 2006
10.85 Demetre Martin, Mpls Henry 1987
10.85 Jason Braaten, Perham 1997
10.85 Matt Taylor, Duluth East 1998
10.85 Jordan Wilkie, Eagan 2001
10.85 Keith Hartman, Rochester Lourdes 1999
10.85 John Shevlin, Eagan 2002
(80)
10.85 Shayne Shaw, Eastview 2003
10.85 Jared Sandin, Minneapolis South 2003
10.85 Jonathan Thompson, St Louis Park 2003
10.86 Neville Grant, Mpls Washburn 1993
10.86 Joe Bowen, Eastview 2003
10.86 Terrell Sinkfield, Hopkins 2008
10.86 Skyler Jackson, Frazee 2008
10.87 Stan McClure, Hopkins 1986
10.87 Bob Chvatal, Holy Angels 1998
10.87 Kevin Koglin, Hutchinson 2007
(90)
10.88 Matthew Dvorak, St. Croix Lutheran 2008
10.89 Jason Miller, Mahnomen 1989
10.89 LaShay Whittaker, DeLaSalle 1994
10.89 Matt Bramwell, Robbinsdale Armstrong 1995
10.89 Ryan Buttenhoff, St Cloud Tech 1996
10.89 Jeremy Heckman, Centennial 1997
10.89 Demetrius Charles, Mounds View 2000
10.89 Garrett Cora, Duluth East 2007
10.89 Jesse Okoi, Fridley 2008
10.90 Johnny Houston, Mpls North 1986
(100)
10.90 Adewole Adebayo, Rochester Century 2003
10.90 A.C. Udeaja, Rochester John Marshall 2004
10.90 Josh Jackson, Farmington 2008
10.90 Emmanual Matadi, St. Paul Johnson 2008

JUNIOR BESTS
10.45 Ibrahim Kabia. Champlin Park 2003
10.3 Joe Hemberger, Park 1988
10.3 Tim Whitney, St Paul Arlington 1998
10.71 Jay Thomas, Tartan 2004
10.71 Jon Boyd, Mankato East 2005
10.73 ChiChiOjika 2008
10.74 Jeff Byrd, Mpls Central 1979
10.5 Dan Samion, Minnetonka 1990
10.5 Keith Harris, Eagan 1999
10.5 Anthony Dew, Coon Rapids 2001
10.5 Darby Ursell, Buffalo 2004

SOPHOMORE BESTS
10.58 Jon Boyd, Mankato East 2004
10.71 Rolando Peco, Duluth Central 2000
10.75 Jerry Burch, Cretin-Derham Hall 1996
10.78 Jermaine Brown, Champlin Park 1995
10.91 Charlie Lenn, Pine Island 1997
10.7 Jeff Byrd, Mpls Central 1978
10.7 Adam Freed, Duluth Marshall 1994
10.94 Adewole Adebayo, Rochester Century 2002
10.94 Keith Badger, Park 2003
10.7 Nick Herold, North St. Paul 2004

FRESHMAN BESTS
10.76 Jon Boyd, Mankato East 2003
10.89 Jason Miller, Mahnomen 1989
10.92 Chuck Harris, Minnetonka 1992
10.94 Myint Maung, St. Paul Highland Park 2008
11.00 Ashton Allan, Mounds Park Academy 1996
11.03 Adrian Perryman, St. Paul Central 2000
11.09 Aric Perry, Fridley 2002
11.12 Jermaine Brown, Champlin Park 1994
11.13 Rolando Peco, Duluth Central 1999
11.17 Joe Rancourt, Faribault 2005

Twin Cities Offers $5000 College Scholarships

The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon will again offer two $5000 college scholarships to college-bound high school seniors from the Class of 2009.

Quoting the media release on the matter:

"RBC Foundation-USA has joined Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. to offer two $5,000 college scholarships to area high school seniors with a passion for running, a dedication to academics and a commitment to their community.

"The scholarships are available for one male and one female college-bound high school senior living in the eleven county metro-area. The application process is open through March 1 and applications are online at mtcmarathon.org. Recipients will be selected on academic achievements, community service, running accomplishments (in either cross-country or track) as well as a personal essay. The funds can be used to attend a public or private institution.

"'This year, RBC Foundation, USA has partnered with Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. in an effort to help promote kids helping kids in the community,” said RBC – USA Foundation President Martha Baumbach. “Local elementary schools kids are busy running throughout the school year, with an overall goal to run 5,000 miles. RBC Foundation will match a dollar per mile, with $2,500 dedicated to the scholarship program, and $2,500 to the school that runs and logs the most miles throughout the school year.'"

"This year’s scholarship recipients will be notified in May. McKenzie Melander from Eastview High School, in Apple Valley, and Pieter Gagnon from Washburn High School, in Minneapolis, were the 2008 winners. Melander, who attends University of Iowa, and Gagnon, who attends University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, were selected from more than 100 top track and cross-country runners who also excelled academically and within their communities.

"'We are very fortunate to have the chance to partner with organizations who share our passion for promoting healthy lifestyles for young people in Minnesota,” said Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. executive director Virginia Brophy Achman. “We hope that this scholarship offers student athletes further opportunities to continue to pursue their passion for the sport of running throughout their collegiate years.'"

"For more information, and an application, visit mtcmarathon.org/Partners/Scholarships.cfm."

Rue, Kabia Earn Big Ten Recognition

Alicia Rue and Ibrahim Kabia earned Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors yesterday for sterling performances at the Minnesota Open over the weekend.

Rue, a Robbinsdale Armstrong alum, was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week for the second straight week after she won the Minnesota Open pole vault with a school record clearance of 14-4. The mark is an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships in March.

(See a photo of the clearance and an interview with Rue's event coach Caroline White, below.)

Kabia (pictured), a senior from Brooklyn Center, was named the Big Ten’s Co-Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after speeding 6.64 in the 60-meter dash at the meet on Saturday. Kabia's mark fell just .01 off the school record 6.63 he ran at the NCAA Championships in 2007. The time is a provisional qualifier for NCAAs.

Photo courtesy of the U of M.

" ... when the problems fix, the heights will improve"

University of Minnesota pole vaulter Alicia Rue's 2009 season is off to a great start. The junior from Plymouth opened her season two weekends ago with an NCAA provisional qualifying clearance of 13-3 1/2 at the Northwest Open.

Last Saturday, at the Minnesota Open, Rue cleared 14-4 to set a new PR and school record and punch an automatic ticket to the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas in March. The photo above, by Chris Milton, shows Rue's 14-4 clearance.

To learn a little more about Rue's success, we talked to her event coach Caroline White.

DtB: Alicia's off to a great start in 2009. Are you surprised or did expect big things early?

White: I am expecting big things of Alicia this year. I don't have specific ideas for when certain heights will happen. I am more focused on the technique changes we need to make. I know when the problems fix, the heights will improve. Each athlete is so unique as far as how quickly they can make changes that it's pretty hard to set a concrete time table. We definitely have a plan, and hierarchy of what needs to change and in which order. Saturday she took the first steps, in competition, to make one of those major technique changes. The change Saturday was slight, and the pay-off was fairly large, so we're both feeling pretty positive about the season ahead.

DtB: To what do you attribute Alicia's recent improvements?

White: Just like any collegiate athlete, she's maturing both as a person and as an athlete. We're now in our 3rd year together so our communication is much more seamless and we're working well as a team. She has also gotten continually stronger since becoming a Gopher and is now as fit as she ever has been. Because of this, she's now able to start to make some of the technical changes that she physically couldn't in the past. Coach Bingle has spent a lot of time with the pole vaulters this year working on their sprinting and approaches and that is beginning to pay off for the entire squad as well.

DtB: For Alicia to go even higher, what are some of the elements that will need to come together for her?

White: I can't imagine that we'll ever stop working on any particular part of the vault, but our main focus right now is the timing and control through the top end of her jump. She tends to hesitate after her rock back just long enough to cause a big loss of energy, and height, in her vault. It's not the only problem, but we feel it's the biggest one that she is capable of fixing in a relatively short period of time. We've still got a long way to go, but 4.37m [14-4] in January suggests to us we're on the right track.

Photo by Chris Milton/Flight Deck Athletics.

Goucher Preps for Boston with Indoor Double

Kara Goucher's preparations for April's Boston Marathon included a mile/3000m double at the University of Washington's Indoor Preview meet this past weekend.

The Duluth East graduate clocked 4:39.51 to win the mile and 9:03.47 for a come-from-behind win at 3000 meters.

A full description of Goucher's busy day can be found HERE, on Paul Merca's blog.

According to Merca, Goucher (pictured) plans to race at the Millrose Games on January 30 and the Reebok Boston Indoor Games on February 7 before buckling down for her final training push for Boston.

Photo by Randy Miyazaki/Track and Field Photo

Carlson 4th at USA Half Marathon

Former Golden Gopher Andrew Carlson finished 4th in yesterday's USA Half Marathon Championships held in conjunction with the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Carlson -- who is interviewed post-race by Flotrack below -- clocked a PR 1:02:21.

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the marathon, won the race in 1:01:25. Dathan Ritzenhen was runner-up in 1:01:35. Carlson's McMillian Elite teammate Brett Gotcher was 3rd in 1:02:09.

Team USA Minnesota's Antonio Vega was 7th in a PR 1:02:55; Former Stillwater High School star Luke Watson was 12th in 1:03:51; former Gopher Chad Johnson was 21st in 1:05:16,

In women's competition, Team USA Minnesota's Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle finished 7th in 1:12:41. Teammates Meghan Armstrong and Michelle Lilienthal were 16th and 19th in 1:14:57 and 1:15:46, respectively.

Full results can be found HERE.

A comprehensive collection of results' links and highlights from a busy weekend of action can be found in the Short-Cut post below

Short-Cut: Results' Links for January 16-18

Keep up with the weekend's results here ...

Friday:
Holiday Inn Invitational (Gopher women): Results
Update: Young Gopher sprinters emerge ... Story

Blugold Indoor Open: Results
Update: Brain Sames (UST) miles 4:13.17; Caitlin Dhein (WSU) sprints 7.28.

Saturday:
Nebraska Holiday Inn Invitational: Results
Update: Gopher frsoh Giles wins 200m in 24.93.

Minnesota Open: Results
Update: Rue vaults 14-4, tops Rains; Rombough miles 4:05.61.

NDSU Bison Classic: Results
Update: Moorhead's Derik Brugger vaults 16-0 3/4.

Bethel Open: Results
Update: St. Olaf's Ruon wins 3000m in 8:57.71, Mankato's Robinson throws weight 53-1 1/2

Sunday:
USA Half Marathon Championships: Results
Corrected Update: Andrew Carlson 4th in 01:02:21, Antonio Vega 7th in 1:2:55.

Yes/No:
Answer: Yes ... Carlson top Minnesotan at the USA Half Marathon.

With this, the inaugural edition of Yes/No, DtB wades into the murky waters of fantasy sport and prediction contests. Our plan is to offer a few fantasy/prediction contests in 2009 for some of the year's bigger events as well as offer something we're calling Yes/No on a weekly bases. We've hired a Fantasy Czar to oversee the efforts ... but we'll introduce him next week.

What's Yes/No, we hope you're asking? It's simple enough: On Thursday or Friday of nearly every week between now and the end of the year we'll ask a yes or no question predicting the results of some aspect the sport involving Minnesotans. If you want to play the game, you simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us before the deadline we set.

After competition around the track, in the field, or on the roads answers the question, we'll give everyone who was right a point, tally up the scores, and begin work on a question for the next week.

Make sense?

At the end of the year, we'll confer some sort of award to the player with the highest point tally -- nothing huge, valuable, or meaningful, since we assume the utter glory of winning the 2009 Yes/No contest will be honor enough!

DtB contributors are eligible to play ... but we'll be scrupulously fair about it.

So, without further ado ...

Yes/No: Will Andrew Carlson be the top Minnesota finisher in the USA Men's Half Marathon Championships in Houston on Sunday?

Send your "yes" or "no" answer to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 11:59 p.m. Saturday, January 17. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail ... and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.

(DtB WILL NOT distribute your e-mail address to any other party.)

Note: The most up-to-date startlist for the USA Half is HERE. DtB has reported that Jason Lehmkuhle and Josh Moen, however, have scratched. Minnesotans in the race -- i.e., athletes who have attended HS and/or college in the state or who reside here now -- include (but may not be limited to): Carlson, Antonio Vega, Chad Johnson, Luke Watson, Chris Erichsen, and Paul Giannobile.

Good luck ... and, for those who dare, thanks for playing Yes/No!

Goucher Planning Motherhood Post-Boston

Kara Goucher has some big plans for later in the year.

The Duluth native (pictured), who will compete in the Boston Marathon in April, is hoping to start a family afterward, Track and Field News reports in a copyrighted story today.

Find the story full story HERE.

Photo by Paul Merca.

Jacub Zivec, Eden Prairie Girls Honored

The Minnesota Association of USA Track & Field announced yesterday that Jacub Zivec and the Eden Prairie girls cross country team are USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for January 2009.

Zivec, a Grand Rapids High School exchange student from the Czech Republic, was recognized for his stellar performances at the Nike Cross Nationals and Footlocker Finals meets in December. Zivec, who was barred from competing in Minnesota State High School League varsity competition last fall, finished runner-up at the Nike meet in Portland, Oregon and was 5th at the Footlocker Finals a week later in San Diego.

The Eden Prairie girls team, which won the MSHSL Class AA state title in November, was honored for its 11th place team finish at Nike Cross Nationals. The team of Cassy Opitz, Allie Rudin, Laura Lawton, Megan Platner, Dana Jeter, Hanna Hoch, and Alex Birkle, notched the highest finish at the meet ever by a Minnesota team at Nike.

USA Track & Field Minnesota selects Athletes of the Month to honor excellence in track and field and its related sports in Minnesota. USA Track & Field is the governing body of the sport in the United States and the Minnesota Association of USATF sanctions and sponsors track and field, cross country, road racing, and racewalking events for athletes of all ages in the state.

1968 Olympian Van Nelson: Part II

Here's Part II of Chad Austin's interview with 1968 Olympian Van Nelson. The interview is the first in a new series where DtB will catch up with past greats in Minnesota running and track & field.

Read Part I of the interview HERE.

Find two great photos of Nelson in his racing prime HERE and HERE.

Find tons of great interviews that Austin has conducted on his own web-site, Running Minnesota, HERE.


DtB: What was your training like?

Nelson: First, we never missed a day. It didn’t matter if it was cold or raining. We just dressed appropriately, but we never missed a day. I ran two-a-days all the time. The mornings would be an easy 10-mile run, right around 60-63 minutes. The evenings would be another 10 miles, either on the roads in around 55 minutes or intervals on the track.

I never ran anything over 220-yard intervals with a 220-yard jog. I’d do like 30-36 of them. My coach would time them and they’d only vary a tenth of a second on either side. Depending on how I felt, they’d probably be around 30.1 to 30.3 with about a 50 second jog. And the last 220 was always all-out in like 26 or 27 seconds.

DtB: Wow, you never ran 440s, 880s, fartlek workouts, etc?

Nelson: No. Speed was for speed. If it was going to be a long, hard run, then we’d be out on the roads running 10 miles in 55 minutes. There wasn’t anything in between.

DtB: Is that how you think most people trained? Did you ever compare notes?

Nelson: I don’t know. I just know that’s what worked for me.

If we were there for speed, we were there to get the knees up. Why drone on at half-speed? We tried 440s a couple of times, but they didn’t seem to work. We wanted that quickness. I’d do some shorter stuff, like jogging the curves and then high knee lifts down the straight-aways.

We always ran how we felt. If we were tired one day, we’d just step it down and adjust the time of our 220s. Instead of the 30.2s, we’d run 32.5s. Otherwise, trying to run faster than your body will allow just defeats you mentally and you’re shot.

DtB: What was your longest training run?

Nelson: I’d very rarely go over 10 miles. Maybe twice a month I’d run up to 15 miles. But it was 20 miles every day, so I was running 140 miles per week. Everything was quality and pushed hard, except for the mornings.

DtB: What about easy days?

Nelson: Easy days would occur during our taper leading up to meets. And some meets we’d train right through without a taper. I’d run 10 miles in the morning and then the meet in the afternoon.

When I did taper, I’d run my last interval workout 5 days before the meet. Then during the last 4 days I’d only run once a day; 10 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles, 1 mile. There was no speed work on those days.

DtB: Do you run now at all?

Nelson: I do some light jogging, walking, and biking. Years ago I’d get together with Steve Hoag for a run around the lakes. We’d watch little old ladies and kids pass us and we’d just laugh and say something like, “It sure was nice [when we were fast]."

DtB: Who was your biggest influence throughout your career?

Nelson: My coach, Bob Tracy. He was much coach at St. Cloud State as well as at the Olympics. Unfortunately, he passed away last spring at the age of 80.

DtB: How do you think your life would be different without running?

Nelson: Well it gave me a lot of confidence. I was a shy kid. Running was a confidence booster and it’s carried over into the rest of my life. As a teacher, it’s helped me get up in front of a group of students. And the work ethic I developed through running has carried over to my teaching too.

DtB: Can you tell us about your family?

Nelson: My wife, Lynda and I got married in 1974. She taught too, but is now retired. We have two kids, Adam and Katie. Adam graduated from Mankato and is teaching preschool autistic children. Katie lives in California and works for a merger and acquisition company.

DtB: What has your non-running career been like?

Nelson: After graduating, I taught in Maple Lake for one year and then got a job in Edina where I’ve been for the last 38 years. I’ve been teaching health education for the last 25 years. I have two more years before I retire and then I plan on traveling more. I also like to go biking, go to antique shows, and fishing with my brother Richard.

DtB: Finally, what are some of your fondest running memories?

Nelson: My best race memories would be running in the Olympics. That is, of course, a highlight of my career.

I also remember running outdoors in the Toronto Maple Leaf Games in 1967. It was the fastest 3-mile race for a group of runners EVER in the world at that time. I ran a PR of 13:09 and was able to beat 5 other Olympians and came in 2nd to Ron Clark.

Setting two Pan-American Game records and winning two gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m races in 1967 in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada.

In 1965, setting a new U.S. freshman record for collegiates, 13:45.8 for 3 miles, in Sioux Falls, SD.

Three years of double gold medal races at the Drake Relays and twice winning the Drake Relays' Outstanding Athlete Award.

But, probably the fondest memories that I have as I look back would not be all the records. My fondest memories are the ones I have of traveling the world and running the races with and for my coach, Bob Tracy.

Grandma's Marathon Registration Opens

Registration for this year's Grandm'as Marathon opened at a minute after midnight last night. Runners intending to run in the 33rd annual edition for the Duluth event on June 20th will need to register on-line on the Grandma's Marathon web-site HERE.

The 26.2-mile race, which has reached its capacity for 14 consecutive years, is limited to the first 9,500 participants. In the last two years, the race has filled by early April.

“We were very pleased with how well our transition to online registration worked last year, and we are excited to begin the entry process for this spring’s event,” Grandma's executive director Scott Keenan said.

Running community observers are curious to see the impact, if any, Minnesota's two new spring marathons will have on Grandma's, the 11th largest marathon in the country. The Stillwater Marathon is scheduled for May 24; the Minneapolis Marathon is slated for May 31.

Grandma's Marathon weekend will also feature the 19th annual Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and the 16th annual William A. Irvin 5K. Lottery registration for the Bjorklund Half will be open from Feb. 18 through March 1 . Registration for the Irvin 5K opens Wednesday, March 18.

Emily Brown: Getting Back on the Horse

DtB caught up with Team USA Minnesota's Emily Brown upon her return from a recent three-race junket. The Gopher alum finished 7th at the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country race on Saturday, was 4th at the Antrim International Cross Country in Northern Ireland before that, and returned to competition with a runner-up finish at the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run 4 Mile in New York City.

Brown hadn't raced since the prelims of the women's 5000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trails in Eugene, Oregon last July, where she raced soon after learning she had a stress fracture in her sacrum. Hopes to race last fall were thwarted by a flair-up of the injury.

Here's what Brown, a member of the USA Team at last year's World Cross Country Championships had to say ...

DtB: It had been a while since you raced, how exciting and meaningful was it to compete again?

Brown: Like the old saying goes, if you fall of the horse you have to get right back on again. And the sooner the better. Unfortunately I wasn't ready to go again until now, a long 6 months since the Olympic Trials.

These races were really important for me because I had been approaching each workout and each run with the fear that I wasn't going to be able to be as good as I was last year. I needed these races to prove to myself, no one else, that I could still compete and compete well and come out of it all pain free. To me these races signified that I am injury-free and completely able to start rolling again.

DtB: How frustrating was it to deal with the injury after all the success you had early in 2008?

Brown: The frustrating thing was not the fact that I wasn't able to reach all of my goals that I had for 2008. It was the fact that I realized I wasn't invincible. Push yourself hard in your training and see the results pay of on the track. Push yourself too hard and find yourself sidelined for weeks or even months.

Unfortunately there is a fine line between the two and it is often not clear where that line is before it is too late. What is clear is that I am going to have to dedicate more than just workout time to becoming a smarter, better runner. It is going to have to be more of a full-time job than just a sport if I want to reach my full potential. I know that I have many years of running left and that the best is yet to come.

DtB: How did you feel about the results of the races?

Brown: I felt good about my time in the Midnight run but was frustrated that I did all of the work only to get out kicked for the win. I was really happy with the pace and when I finished I felt like I had at least another mile or two in me.

The unfortunate thing I realized from these races is that I am still missing that racing instinct. I was running some good, solid "workouts" but fell a little flat in the later stages when it became time to really start racing. I now know that I need to get that competitive edge back and starting fighting for each inch no matter how bad it hurts. These races were good opportunities to shake the cobwebs out but now it is time to get after it.

DtB: What's next for you?

Brown: Next up is the US Cross Country Championships. I am glad I had these races as a little reminder of what cross country really is and I have gained quite a bit of confidence going into the championships.

In Good Company ... We noticed that Runner's World Online just posted THIS interview with Brown.

Photo by Sean Hartnett.