Gopher Teams Sweep Big Ten Indoor Titles

The center of the Big Ten track and field universe is firmly located within the borders of the state of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota men's and women's track teams, after all, swept the 2009 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field titles over the weekend.

The Gopher men snapped Wisconsin's eight-year hold on the conference indoor title with a resounding, 42-point win over runners-up Michigan. The victory marks the program's first indoor crown since 1998.

The Gopher won their third straight indoor title by edging Penn State by four points -- 129-125. The indoor three-peat is only the second in Big Ten women's history. Wisconsin won four straight titles between 1984-1987.

The men's/women's sweep is the first since 1997 when Wisconsin accomplished the feat.

Men Out-Distance the Field

“Coming into this meet we thought we had a very good chance of contending for the title, but you still need your guys to go out and perform,” first year men's head coach Steve Plasencia said in a Gopher media release. “They not only went out and competed, but our guys had very strong performances across the board. I think our heptathletes got us started and we just keep the hammer down."

During Day 1 of the competition, the Gophers vaulted themselves into first place thanks to individual titles by Aaraon Studt in the shot put and Hassan Mead in the 3000 meters. Joe Plencner earned runner-up points in the pole vault, while Chris Rombough was third in the 3000m behind Mead.

At the end of the first day of competition, the Gophers led the defending champion, second place Badgers 47-36.

On Day 2, the Gophers left Wisconsin and the rest of the conference in rear view mirror. Thanks to a heptathlon trifecta -- Gopher R.J.McGinnis won followed by teammates Joey Schwecke, Brock Spandl in second and third -- a 5000m exacta -- Mead and Rombough went 1-2 -- and a high jump title from Matt Fisher, the Gopher men were free and clear.

"It was after Matt’s win in the high jump that we knew the title was ours,” Plasencia, who earned his first Big Ten title as a head coach with the victory, said. “Even before the second day’s events started other coaches were asking who was going to catch Minnesota. We just need to stay focused. Matt Fisher delivered big time."

The Gopher men's point total was the highest in the Big Ten since 2004 and the margin of victory the greatest since 2003.

Dorniden, Again, Leads the Way

With a five-and-a-half point lead going into the final event of the Big Ten women's championship -- the 4 x 400m relay -- the University of Minnesota, fittingly, would once again rely on anchor woman Heather Dorniden to secure the Big Ten title.

Not only had the senior from Rosemount powered the team into the lead in the meet at hand -- winning the mile and setting a meet record in the 600m -- her presence in the maroon and gold has marked the "Minnesota Era" in Big Ten women's track and cross country.

The Gopher women won their first-ever conference title -- the 2006 outdoor championship -- when Dorniden was a freshman. The middle distance ace -- a national champ, seven-time all-American, and, now, four-time Big Ten indoor titlist -- had been instrumental in the team's previous two indoor crowns. (Remember her crash in the 600m last year?) Dorniden has also been an important scorer for the Gopher harriers, the two-time defending Big Ten champs.

So, naturally enough, there Dorniden was waiting to receive the final baton exchange on Sunday, where she anchored the squad to a 4th-place finish in the event, which sealed the team title for the Gopher women.

"It was relaxing knowing we had Heather as our anchor,” Gopher women's coach Matt Bingle. “But we had the advantage of having seven women warming up for the event. We had so many women ready to put it on the line. We have so much depth of runners that could run a fast 400 for us.”

Depth, as well as Dorniden, was a key to the title overall.

“Depth was the difference,” Matt Bingle said. “This was a great team effort. We needed points from all over the place and we managed to get those points in all but two events."

In their release, the Gopher media crew, in fact, highlighted a perfect example of just how Gopher depth prevailed.

In the 800m, Dorniden's wheelhouse event but one she eschewed in favor of the more lucrative mile/600m double, Michigan star Geena Gall won the event and scored 10 points for the third place Wolverines. Minnesota, however, powered by runner-up Julie Schwengler, 3rd-placer Nikki Swenson and 5th and 7th-placers Jamie Cheever and Ladia Albertson-Junkans doubled Gall's score with depth.

The middle distance-powered team scored another 22 points in the mile -- Dorniden winning, Gabriele Anderson 2nd, Elizabth Yetzer 5th. In what may be a sign of the future core of the Gophers, however, the team also earned 13 points in the 60m dash from freshman Kylie Peterson 3rd, Chimerem Okoroji 5th, and Nyoka Giles 6th.

"the freshmen all stepped up for us,” Bingle said. “You never know what will happen when you have to depend on freshmen. They did a super job for us. We wouldn’t have won the title without them."

For More ...

Men's Reports: Day 1 * Day 2

Women's Reports: Day 1 * Day 2

Men's Results: HERE

Women's Results: HERE