Yetzer, Schmidt Earn Big Ten Honors

Gopher tracksters Elizabeth Yetzer and Kari Schmidt earned the initial Big Ten Big Ten Athlete of the Week awards of the 2009 outdoor season, the school announced.

Yetzer, a sophomore from Lakeville, won both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters at the University of South Florida’s Bulls Invitational to capture Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week honors. She clocked 4:25.35 in the 1500m, an NCAA Midwest Region qualifying time. Yetzer ran 2:10.77 to win the 800 meters.

Schmidt, a senior from Lindstrom, was named the Big Ten Field Event Athlete of the Week. She won the Bull's Invite hammer throw with a toss of 173-4, a personal best and the ninth-best throw in school history. Schmidt also placed second in the shot put with a throw of 47-11.

The awards are the first career weekly Conference honors for both Gopher athletes.