Thursday, September 30, 2010

Twin Cities Increases Anti-Doping Efforts

If you're an elite athlete running the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, don't be surprised if someone with a clipboard and a polo shirt that reads "U.S. Anti-Doping Agency" approaches you after your race.

The event will conduct drug-testing in each of its open prize-money races, not just the USA Championships. Twin Cities In Motion, the event organizer, announced this week that it is voluntarily expanding its anti-doping efforts to include testing of athletes in the open women's field.

As host of the USA Championships in the Men's Marathon and the Women's 10 Mile , drug-testing for those races is supported by USADA and the U.S. Olympic Committee. Twin Cities in Motion will cover the costs of testing for its open women's race, which is not a USA Championship in 2010.

The average cost of a drug test is between $500 and $750 per athlete.

“Twin Cities In Motion, like USA Track & Field, believes in doing everything we can to ensure a clean sport,” Virginia Brophy Achman , Executive Director of Twin Cities In Motion, said in a media release. “Despite the cost that these additional tests incur, we believe it is part of the responsibility in operating a successful, respected event. We also feel drug testing goes hand-in-hand with our support of post-collegiate athletes, who benefit from a level playing field.”

Battle of Master Champions ... The late additions of former USA Masters Marathon champion Dennis Simonaitis of Draper, Utah and defending USA Masters champ Tracy Lokken of Marquette, Michigan, to the TCM masters field means three USA Masters titlists will race one-another for the 2010 USA Masters crown on Sunday.

The trio – which includes two-time Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Mbarak Hussein of Albuquerque, New Mexico– accounts for the last six USA Masters titles. Simonaitis won USA Masters titles in 2004 and 2008; Hussein won both open and USA Masters titles in 2005 and 2006; Lokken won in 2007 and 2009.

Carl Rundell of Birmingham , Michigan , the USA Masters Marathon runner-up the last two years, is also a contender in the race to crown the country’s top 40-and-over marathoner.

Six-Time Wheeler Champ Returns ... Saul Mendoza, the winner of six Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon wheelchair titles and the event’s defending champion, will seek a record seventh victory at Sunday’s 2010 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.

Mendoza, a Wimberley, Texas resident, won his first Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon title in 1996. He won the race again the next two years, and added additional victories in 2001, 2003, and last year for a record six titles. His 1:35:03 clocking in 1997 remains the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon course record for wheelers.

Mendoza can expect a challenge from 2009 wheelchair runner-up Scott Parson of San Jose , California. Last year, Mendoza edged Parson for the win by just five seconds, in 1:40:50. Chad Johnson, the fourth-place finisher in 2009 also returns to the competition.

In the women’s wheelchair competition, Christina Ripp of Lakewood , Colorado, and Sandra Rush of Fallbrook, California are the favorites.

Top Contenders ... Below are listings of the top contenders in this weekend's elite races at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon as announced by race organizers:

USA Women’s 10 Mile Championship Field:

10001 Katie McGregor 33 Edina MN
10002 Jen Rhines 36 Mammoth Lakes CA
10003 Renee Metivier Baillie 28 Boulder CO
10005 Kathy Newberry 32 McLean VA
10006 Sally Meyerhoff 26 New York NY
10008 Stephanie Herbst-Lucke 44 Atlanta GA
10009 Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz 29 Bloomfield CO
10010 Michelle Frey 28 Minneapolis MN
10011 Meghan Armstrong 24 Richfield MN
10012 Lindsey Scherf 25 Hartsdale NY

USA Men’s Marathon Championship Field:

1 Fernando Cabada 28 Alamosa CO
2 Jeffrey Eggleston 26 Flagstaff AZ
4 Luke Watson 30 State College PA
6 Sergio Reyes 28 Palmdale CA
8 Michael Reneau 32 Corvallis OR
10 Tyler Sigl 24 Seymour WI
12 Drew Schackleton 24 Los Angeles CA
14 Kyle Schackleton 24 Los Angeles CA
16 Jeff Jonaitis 29 Tinley Park IL
18 Matt Hooley 28 Madison WI
20 Donovan Fellows 31 Woodbury MN
50 Mohamed Trafeh 25 Duarte CA

Women’s Open Marathon Field:

F2 Buzunesh Deba 23 Ethiopia
F4 Galina Alexandrova 34 Russia
F10 Alena Vinitskaya 37 Belarus
F12 Becki Ordway 27 USA ( Bellbrook , OH )
F14 Kelly Flathers 39 USA ( Huntington Beach , CA )
F30 Leah Kiprono 23 Ethiopia
F34 Carole Jefferson 25 USA ( Schwenksville , PA )
F60 Valentina Galimova 23 Russia
F111 Svetlana Ponomarenko 40 Russia

USA Men’s Masters Marathon Championship:

101 Tracy Lokken 45 Marquette MI
102 Mbarak Hussein 45 Albuquerque NM
103 Dennis Simonaitis 48 Draper UT
104 Carl Rundell 42 Birmingham MI
105 Robert Weiner 45 Evergreen CO

USA Women’s Masters Marathon Championship:

F101 Tamara Karrh 40 Marietta GA
F102 Susan Loken 47 Phoenix AZ
F103 Meghan Arbogast 49 Corvallis OR
F104 Lori Kingsley 44 Wysox PA
F105 Jill Boaz 43 Los Osos CA

Men’s Wheeler Marathon Field:

201 Saul Mendoza 43 Wimberley TX
202 Scott Parson 51 San Jose CA
203 Aaron Pike 24 Champaign IL
204 Chad Johnson 35 Charlestown IN
205 Grant Berthiaume 48 Tucson AZ

Women’s Wheeler Marathon Field:

F201 Christina Ripp 30 Lakewood CO
F202 Sandra Rush 49 Fallbrook CA

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Price, Blankenship Earn Big Ten Awards

University of Minnesota harriers Stephanie Price and Ben Blankenship were named Big Ten Conference Runners of the Week for their sterling runs at the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday.

Price (pictured, top), a junior from Mankato, was the runner-up in the Division I women's race at the meet, running the soggy 6K course in 20:41. The performance was the 6th-fastest 6K ever run by a Gopher woman. It led the Gopher women to a 7th-place finish at the meet.

Blankenship (pictured, bottom), a senior from Stillwater, was honored for his 10th place finish in the Division I men's race at the meet. He ran the 8K circuit in 24:32, leading the Gopher men to a 5th-place team finish.

Gophers Edge Upward in Polls ... Both University of Minnesota teams moved up a place in the latest NCAA Division I cross country polls, released yesterday. The women now find themselves rated as the #27 team in D1, one spot better than a week ago.

The men moved up a single spot as well, ranking #26 in the country this week.

The Gopher men are ranked #3 in the Midwest Region; the Gopher women are ranked #4.

Find the latest national rankings HERE.

Find this week's regional polls HERE.

Photos by Gene Niemi.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Edina, Cathedral New High School Poll Toppers

The boys teams from Edina and St. Cloud Cathedral have ascended to the top spots of the Class AA and Class A rankings, respectively, in the latest Minnesota high school cross country polls.

Individually, Cathedral's Elena Danielson has moved to the top of the Class A girls' individual rankings.

The rest of the top-ranked teams and individuals in the state remained unchanged after a busy weekend of racing. The Eden Prairie girls still top the Class AA team ranks, while Marie Hauger of Shakopee and Aaron Bartnik of Eden Priarie lead the large school individual polls.

In Class A, the Adrain girls remain #1 as does Worthington junior Murbarik Musa.

The Edina boys moved ahead of former #1 Wayzata thanks to a runner-up finish to Wisconsin's Madison West High School in the Larry Zirgibel High School Boys Gold race at the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday. Wayzata finished 5th in the meet.

St. Cloud Cathedral moved to the top of the Class A rankings on the strength of its victory in the Class AA division of the Milaca Mega-Meet on Saturday.

Cathedral's Danielson was the Class AA girls' individual champion at the Mega-Meet.

Find complete high school rankings, HERE, at RaceberryJam.

Team USA Minnesotans in Action at TCM

Six Team USA Minnesota distance runners will be among the professional competitors running in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon races this weekend.

Emily Brown will start the weekend of racing by running in the TC 5K on Saturday. Brown, a two-time member of the U.S. World Cross Country team and the 2009 USA Cross Country champion, will make her second appearance at the TC 5K. In 2007, she won the race with a time of 16:21.

On Sunday morning, three Team USA Minnesota runners - Katie McGregor, Michelle Frey and Meghan Armstrong - will compete in the USA Women's 10 Mile Championship held in conjunction with the Medtronic TC 10 Mile. McGregor is a five-time winner of the TC 10 Mile, who finished runner-up to Kara Goucher the last time the race hosted the USA 10 Women's 10 Mile Championships, in 2008.

McGregor is a six-time national champion (25K twice, 15K, 10K twice, and 10,000 meters), six-time qualifier for the U.S. World Cross Country team, and three-time competitor in the 10,000 meters for the U.S. World Outdoor team. McGregor has a best in the 10 mile of 53:48.

Frey and Armstrong will race the TC 10 mile event for the first time. Most recently, Frey won the City of Lakes 25K in Minneapolis on September 12. Earlier this year, Frey competed in the USA Half Marathon Championships and the Boston Marathon. This past summer she won the Run for Oromia 10k and was second in the Heart of Summer 10k and Back in Shape 5K, all in Minneapolis. She has a best in the 10 mile distance of 57:25.

Armstrong has a best in the 10 mile of 58:30, which she set in 2008 when she won the Women Run the Cities 10 Mile. Last year at Twin Cities she won the TC 5K and so far in 2010, she has won the ING Miami Half Marathon, run a personal best of 1:13:56 in the half marathon and posted a best of 33:21.55 in the 10,000 meters. Most recently she placed fourth at the USA 5K Championships on Sept. 19.

In the men's division of the TC 10 Mile, which is not a championship race, new Team USA Minnesota runner Chris Rombough will make his second appearance at the 10 mile event. While still at the University of Minnesota, where he was a six-time All American in cross country and track, Rombough ran the race in 2009 and placed 10th with a time of 48:41.

Josh Moen will run his second marathon at the Twin Cities Marathon which is also the site of the USA Men's Marathon Championship. Moen's first marathon was also at Twin Cities in 2008 where he posted a debut time of 2:23:16. Since then he has placed second at the 2009 USA Men's 10 Mile Championship, held at Twin Cities last year, with a time of 46:38, and posted a personal best of 1:02:52 to place sixth at the USA Half Marathon Championships last January. Most recently he won the City of Lakes 25K in Minneapolis on Sept. 12.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Anderson Profiled on Universal Sports

A feature on Gopher/Team USA MN's Gabriele Anderson by Universal Sports is HERE.

Weddle Duals With Sid Howard on Fifth Avenue

Thom Weddle and New York Masters running legend Sid Howard waged a stirring dual in the men's 70 plus age group in the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile on Sunday. You can watch the race(the second race on the feed) HERE.

Griak Invitational Photos by Gene Niemi

UMD's Morgan Place, the Women's Maroon II individual champ, leads the #6-ranked Bulldogs to victory.

Concordia-Moorhead's Tom Sederquist winning the Men's Maroon III race.

Women's Gold runner-up Stephanie Price of Minnesota battles eventual winner Laura Hoer of NC State.

Boys High School Gold champion Adam Zutz of St. Francis.

Gophers Happy with Griak Performances

The University of Minnesota men's and women's cross country teams were pleased with their performances at Saturday's Roy Griak Invitational.

The #27-ranked Gopher men placed 5th in the Men's Gold race with 136 points. #19-ranked Duke won with 83 points, followed by co-#11-ranked North Carolina State and New Mexico, and #16 BYU.

Ben Blankenship led the squad with a 10th-place finish, followed closely by teammates Pieter Gagnon, 14th, and Mike Tochia, 15th. (The trio is pictured above in their finish order.)

“I think our top three guys ran well,” Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia said. “We also had some of our young guys step up a bit. We still need to find more depth. Overall it was a decent meet for us.”

Find full Men's Gold Division results HERE.

The #28-ranked Gopher women finished 7th in the Women's Gold race with 185 points. #21 Arizona won with 76 points followed by #18 New Mexico, #15 Iowa State, #7 Duke, #14 Providence, and un-ranked Boston College.

The Gopher women, who were led by the runner-up individual finish of Stephanie Price, topped #27 Penn State and national poll vote-getters Arizona State and North Carolina State.

“We ran pretty well,” Gopher head coach Gary Wilson said. “This was an amazingly talented field and I was looking forward to seeing how our young team would respond. They did well overall. Of course we have lots of room for improvement but it’s September. We can learn a lot from today’s race.”

Find full Women's Gold Division results HERE.

Photo by Gene Niemi.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

It's A Boy

Colton Mirko Goucher was born yesterday. He's the first child of Adam and Kara Goucher, and weighed in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce. Kevin Pates writes about the birth in the Duluth News Tribune HERE.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Short-Cut: Results' Links for September 24-26

There's more than just the Griak Invitational going on this weekend ... but there's a lot of Griak Invitational going on all the same.

Keep track of everything here ...

Friday:
Mounds View Mustang Invite: Boys' Results * Girls' Results
Update: Edina boys win; Hopkins girls 2nd.

Saturday:
Roy Griak Invitational: Men's Results * Women's Results
Update: Gopher men 5th, Gopher women 7th, Price runner-up.
Apple Valley Eagle Invite: Boys' Results * Girls' Results
Update: #1 Eden Prairie girls and #3 Eden Prairie boys romp.
Milaca Mega-Meet: Complete Results
Update: Class A #1 Adrian girls edge #2 St. Cloud Cathedral 58-59.

Sunday:
Fifth Avenue Mile: Results
Update: Leer, 3:56.6, Anderson 4:30.95; Dorniden 4:31.05.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Pick 10: The Roy Griak Invitational

Fans of the University of Minnesota cross country team will have only a short time to contemplate losing three-time cross country All-American Hassan Mead, who is out for the season with a collapsed lung. The team will quickly discover how they stack up this year without Mead as the Gophers host the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday. The Gopher women have some questions to answer as well as they move on without 2009 seniors Megan Duwell, Heather Dorniden, Amy Laskowske, and Elizabeth Yetzer.

While the Griak meet would be a spectacular event if it was only a Division I race, it is much more than that. There are 11 races throughout the day featuring all levels of college runners as well as four high school races and even a kids race.

There is too much action for a single question, so we will bring back the Pick 10 contest this week.

Pick Ten has a simple concept: predict the finish place for each of 10 Minnesota athletes/teams in each particular race at the Roy Griak Invitational. You will score points for each athlete who scores at or above the finish place you predict for them, following the 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system.

For example: If you pick Ben Blankenship to place first in the men's gold race, and he places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Blankenship to place first and he finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Blankenship to finish third in the race and he places first, second or third, you get 6 points, since you that's the place you picked him for.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...10th. Send your predictions by 9:00 A.M. CST on Saturday, September 25th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. We'll announce the winner of this Pick Ten contest next week and keep a running tally of Pick Ten scores from throughout the year to crown a grand champion. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

Pick 10 ... Roy Griak Invitational:

University of Minnesota Women:
University of Minnesota Men:
Ben Blankenship (University of Minnesota):
Stephanie Price (University of Minnesota):
Morgan Place (University of Minnesota-Duluth):
Jacob Bastyr (Minnesota State-Mankato):
University of Minnesota-Duluth Women:
Simone Childs-Walker (Carleton):
St. Thomas Women:
Hamline Men:


To Help You Make Your Picks ...

The University of Minnesota men's team placed fourth at Griak last year. Currently the Gophers are ranked 27th in the nation. Other ranked teams in this race include New Mexico (11th), North Carolina State (12th), BYU (16th), Duke (19th), Iowa State (21st).

The Gopher women were second at Griak 2009 with a very low score of 48. The Gophers are currently ranked 28th in the nation. This team races promises to be very competitive as nine of the squads ran at the National meet last year. Ranked teams include: Duke (7th), Providence (14th), Iowa State (15th), New Mexico (18th), Arizona (24th), Penn State (27th).

Ben Blankenship finished fourth at Griak a year ago. The 2010 field looks wide open as only 3 of the top twelve finishers will return. Stephanie Price was 22nd a year ago and is undefeated so far in 2010 and has dominated the competition in two minor meets.

Morgan Place won the Division II race at 2009 Griak. Place has spent her entire college career winning races and she is undefeated so far in 2010. Jacob Bastyr was 41st at Griak last year as a freshman. Bastyr is coming off a second place finish at the St. Olaf Invitational last week. The University of Minnesota-Duluth women are currently ranked 6th in the nation in Division II Cross Country. The squad will return in 2010 to defend their championship in the Griak Division II race. UMD is so deep that 4:24 1500 meter runner Michelle SanCartier is currently running as their fourth woman.

Simone Childs-Walker finished third behind two seniors at the 2009 Griak Invitational Division III race. Childs-Walker has not lost in 2010. The St. Thomas women finished seventh at the 2010 Griak meet and are currently ranked 28th in the nation. Hamline men placed eighth at last year's Griak and are ranked 24th in the 2010 National poll.

Gophersports.com has a lot of good information on the meet including: 2009 results ... Men's D1 Preview ... Women's D1 Preview ... Race Information.

Good luck!

The fantasy contest question from last week was: Will a Minnesota native win one or both of the Minnesota Mile elite races? The answer was no. Garrett Heath missed the win by a mere .3 seconds. Will Leer finished fifth and Heather Dorniden and Gabriele Anderson were third and fourth for the women. Lori Anne Peterson and Gregg Robertson extended their margins in first and second place with correct answers.

The Pick Ten standings are still tight. Mike Henderson is the leader with 82 points, followed closely by Jesse Schoen with 78 and Toby Hatlevig at 76 points.

For full standings of both contests, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Cabada, Ponomarenko Return to Twin Cities

Two Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champions who braved challenging weather conditions to win Minnesota's richest marathon will return to reclaim their titles next Sunday at the 29th running of the event.

Fernando Cabada (pictured above), the U.S. 25K record-holder who weathered a torrent of rain to win Twin Cities in 2008, returns after a one-year absence. As it did in 2008, the race will serve as the USA Men's Marathon Championships this year.

Svetlana Ponomarenko (pictured below), who won the 2007 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon despite stifling heat and humidity, returns after a two-year hiatus to race from the Metrodome in Minneapolis to the state capitol in St. Paul for the $25,000 winner's prize.


In the Medtronic TC 10 Mile, which serves as the 2010 USA Women's 10 Mile Championship, five time TC 10 Mile champion Katie McGregor of Team USA Minnesota headlines a strong field that includes three-time Olympian Jen Rhines.

Twin Cities will also serve as the USA Masters Marathon Championships.

Read excerpts of Twin Cities In Motion's media release on its elite fields below ...

USA Men’s Marathon – In the marathon, all eyes will focus on former race winner Fernando Cabada to see if he can become only the fourth man in race history to win multiple Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon titles. In 2008, Cabada won Twin Cities and the USA Marathon title by battling chilling rains and sturdy competition to win in 2 hours, 16 minutes and 32 seconds.

Cabada will face a field of emerging young marathoners vying for their own USA title. Jeffrey Eggleston of New York City looks to build on the 2:14:32 debut he made at the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Phoenix earlier this year. He’ll likely be joined in the lead pack by Palmdale , California ’s Sergio Reyes, who clocked 2:15:30 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon last fall and Hudson , Wisconsin native Mike Reneau, who has a 2:16:20 to his credit.

Luke Watson, the Stillwater native who finished 7th at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon last fall in 2:15:29, is the local favorite as he attempts to be the first male Minnesota native to win the state’s premier marathon. Duarte , California ’s Mohamed Trafeh, a marathon debutante, has the shorter-distance credentials that could make him a winner – he’s the reigning USA 15K champion and has run 1:00:38 half marathon, the 5th-fastest ever run by an American. Team USA Minnesota’s Josh Moen, who finished runner-up in last year’s USA Men’s 10 Mile Championships, could make an impact in the marathon, despite his modest 2:23:16 personal best.

USA Masters Marathon – 45-year-old, two-time Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Mbarak Hussein, whose running resume glows with a 2:08:12 marathon personal best from 2004, is the favorite to win his third USA Masters Marathon title. Despite his age, he also shouldn’t be counted out for the overall title either, as both of his previous Twin Cities wins came after he turned 40. Hussein’s masters competition is likely to come from 42-year-old Carl Rundell of Birmingham , Michigan , last year’s USA Masters runner-up, or 44-year-old Sean Wade of Houston , Texas , who brings a 2:10:59 personal best from his younger days to the starting line.

In the women’s competition, 47-year-old Susan Loken of Phoenix will seek a fourth USA Masters title. Loken won masters titles on the streets between Minneapolis and St. Paul in 2005, 2006, and 2007. 43-year-old Jill Boaz, who was the second-place finisher and the USA Champion at the 2002 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, should provide strong competition as well as top seeded Tamara Karrh, in her first year of eligibility as a Master’s runner.

USA Women’s 10 Mile – Five-time Medtronic TC 10 Mile champion Katie McGregor of Edina will seek the one thing that has eluded her on the course nicknamed the “Shortcut to the Capitol®” – namely, a USA title. When the USA Women’s Championship was contested at Twin Cities in 2008, McGregor finished runner-up to Duluth native Kara Goucher in her lone defeat on the familiar course.

McGregor, a six-time USA titlist in distances ranging from 10K to 25K, will face strong competition from three-time Olympian Jen Rhines of Mammoth Lakes, California, who has represented her country at the Olympics in the 5000-meters, 10,000-meters, and marathon, and Renee Metivier-Baillie, the 4th-place finisher at this year’s USA Half Marathon Championship.

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Open Women’s Race – Although not a USA Championship this year, the race for the women’s title at the 2010 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon should feature a battle between 2007 champion Svetlana Ponomarenko of Russia and this year’s Grandma’s Marathon champion Bezunesh Deba of Ethiopia . Ponomarenko, now a 40-year-old, survived sauna-like temperatures to win the race in 2007 in 2:34:09. Deba prevailed in Duluth last June running 2:31:35.

Other contenders for the women’s crown include Galina Alexandrova of Russia , a 2:36:20 marathoner, and Alena Vinitskaya of Belarus , 2:32:28.

Photos by Paul Phillips, Competitive Image.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Collapsed Lung Puts Mead Out for Season

Two-time Big Ten cross country champion Hassan Mead will miss the entire 2010 Gopher cross country season as he recovers from a collapsed lung, the Minnesota Daily reports.

You can read the full story HERE.

Mead (pictured), a three-time cross country all-American for the Gophers who had already missed last spring's indoor and outdoor track seasons with an Achilles tendon injury, was hospitalized on September 7 when his lung collapsed while running, according to the story.

Mead was recently released from the hospital, but there is currently no timetable for his return to athletics.

The news comes as the #27-ranked Gophers prepare to host Saturday's Roy Griak Invitational.

Photo by Sean Hartnett.

Grandma's Minnesota Mile Champions

The good folks at Grandma's Marathon sent us these photos of the record-setting winners of Saturday's Grandma's Minnesota Mile.

Kenyan Aron Rono (34) breaks the tape in 3:58.18 ahead of Winona native Garrett Heath (1).


Canadian Carmen Douma-Hussar tops Kansan Amy Mortimer for the women's title in 4:35.60.

Find our coverage of the race HERE.

Photos by Dan Swanson Photography, courtesy of Grandma's Marathon.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Wayzata Now Tops Class AA Boys Poll

Wayzata, the Class AA boys' state champions in 2007 and 2008 and last year's runner's up, return to the top of the recently released Minnesota High School Class AA rankings this week after a 28-44 win at the Metro Invitational over former #1 Eden Prairie, the Class AA champs last year.

Edina rose to #2 in the rankings after its win at the Lakeville Applejack Invitational. Eden Prairie is #3.

The top slots in the rest of the state high school rankings remain the same: the Eden Prairie girls still top Class AA --where they defeated #3 Roseville 36-53. Maria Hauger of Shakopee and Aaron Bartnik of Eden Prairie still top the Class AA individual polls.

In Class A, the Perham boys and Adrian girls' still pace the small school pack. Worthington's Mubarik Musa and Adrian's Jordin Kopplow still lead Class A individuals.

Find complete rankings below ...

Boys Class AA

Teams:
1. Wayzata
2. Edina
3. Eden Prairie
4. Stillwater
5. Rosemount
6. White Bear Lake
7. Burnsville
8. Owatonna
9. Moorhead
10. Minnetonka
11. Red Wing
12 Maple Grove

Individuals:
1. Aaron Bartnik, Eden Prairie
2. Mohamed Mohamed, Eden Prairie
3. Bryant Blahnik, Red Wing
4. Adam Zutz, St. Francis
5. Lukas Gemar, Moorhead
6. Josh Thorson, Wayzata
7. Steven Dado, Totino Grace
8. Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
9. Trent Lusignan, Shakopee
10. Shane McCallum, Rosemount
11. Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo
12. Tom Linner, Stillwater

Girls Class AA

Teams:
1. Eden Prairie
2. Monticello
3. Roseville
4. Lakeville South
5. Chanhassen
6. Hopkins
7. Wayzata
8. Prior Lake
9. Andover
10. Elk River
11. Eagan
12. Minnetonka

Individuals:

1. Maria Hauger, 10, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 11, Alexandria
3. Kayla Urick, 12, Chaska
4. Erica Seidenkranz, 11, Monticello
5. Becca Dyson, 12, Roseville
6. Abbi Aspengren, 12, Elk River
7. Kaelyn Williams, 11, Cooper
8. Taylor Perkins, 10, Lakeville North
9. Meghan Bailey, 12, Minnetonka
10. Amber Seidenkranz, 9, Monticello
11. Katie Moran, 12, Visitation
12. Cassidy Soli, 10, Champlin Park

Boys Class A

Teams:
1. Perham
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. Glencoe-Silver Lake
4. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
5. Holy Family Catholic
6. Esko
7. Mora
8. Minnehaha Academy
9. LaCrescent
11. Fairmont
12. Waseca

Individuals

1. Mubarik Musa, Worthington
2. Mason Ferlic, Mounds Park Academy
3. Grant Wintheiser, St. Cloud Cathedral
4. Matt Jergensen, Caledonia
5. Grant Timm, Plainview-E-M
6. Aaron Haley, Plainview-E-M
7. Brandon Clark, Blake
8. Troy Koivisto, Dassel-Cokato
9. Oj Ojulla, Worthington
10. Jensen Orlow, Holy Family Catholic
11. Shane Streich, Waseca
12. Brendan Skime, Thief River Falls

Girls Class A

Teams:
1. Adrian
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. Holy Family Catholic
4. LaCrescent
5. Blake
6. Waseca
7. Perham
8. Albany
9. Esko
10. Park Rapids Area
11. Fairmont
12. Dover-Eyota/St. Charles

Individuals:
1. Jordin Kopplow, Adrian
2. Lauren Friese, Fairmont
3. Gabi Swoboda, Redwood Falls Area
4. Clare Flanagan, Blake
5. Elena Danielson, St. Cloud Catholic
6. Victoria Alexander, Lake of the Woods
7. Cheyanne Bowers, St.James
8. Molly Eastman, Holy Family Catholic
9. Jordan Chancellor, Blake
10. Emi Trost, Cannon Falls
11. Maren Greenwaldt, Sauk Centre
12. Madi Sachs, Albany

Monday, September 20, 2010

International Runners Top Minnesota Mile

The fond hopes that a pair of Minnesotans might win the elite titles at yesterday's Grandma's Minnesota Mile was put to rest by a record-setting international duo.

Kenya's Aron Rono and Canada's Carmen Douma-Hussar topped deep fields that included strong Minnesota contenders to win the race down Duluth's Superior Street.

Rono ran 3:58.18 to top Winona native Garrett Heath in the men's race, while Douma-Hussar ran 4:35.60 to outrun Amy Mortimer of Leonardville, Kansas.

Rono beat the course record of 3:59.69 held by Haran Lagat. Fellow Kenyan Felix Kiboiywo finished third in 3;59.33.

Minnetonka native Will Leer finished 5th in 4:00:13.

Douma-Hussar smashed Carrie Vickers event record of 4:40.99. Team USA Minnesota's Heather Dorniden finished third in the race in 4;39.40. Right behind her was teammate and fellow Golden Gopher alum Gabriele Anderson in 4:42.20.

The Duluth News-Tribune's Kevin Pates has the full story on the race, HERE.

Find race results HERE.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Short-Cut: Results for September 18-19

Here's what's going on this weekend ...

Friday:
National Catholic Invitational: Men's Results * Women's Results
Update: St. Mary's men 24th, women 29th.
Lakeville Applejack Invite: Results
Update: #3 Edina boys top #5 Rosemount 73-108.
Update: #4 Lakeville South girls' beat four top-10 teams.
St. Olaf Showcase: Boys' Results * Girls' Results
Update: Burnsville's O'Brien, Champlin Park's Soli win.

Saturday:
St. Olaf Invitational: Men's Results * Women's Results
Update: UMD Sweeps team titles, Sederquist, Place medalists.

Sunday:
Grandma's Minnesota Mile: Results
Update: Rono edges Heath, Douma-Hussar tops Mortimer.
Fort Snelling Relays: Results
Update: Collegeville men, Run N fun women win.
Philadelphia Half Marathon: Results
Update: McGregor 7th in 1:12:04, Herbst-Lucke 8th in 1:12:15.
USA 5K Championships: Results
Update: Armstrong 4th in 16:25.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Yes/No: A Minnesota Victor at Minnesota Mile?

In the first three editions of the Grandma's Minnesota Mile the elite field has grown progressively stronger. Now in it's fourth year, the Minnesota Mile appears to be continuing that trend of improvement. The race boasts an international field highlighted by a handful of contenders that were born right here in Minnesota.

Read yesterday's Down the Backstretch for a preview of the Minnesota Mile before you answer this question...

Y/N: Will a Minnesota native win one or both of the Minnesota Mile elite races?

The fastest mile PR in the field belongs to Kenyan Richard Kandie with a 3:53.70 to his credit. Phillip Lagat has run 3:57.55 and Steve Slattery 3:56. Wearing bib numbers 1 and 3 respectively are Minnesotans Garrett Heath and Will Leer.

On the women's side, the fastest seed time is owned by Breeda Willis who has run 4:31. Denisa Costescu and Amy Mortimer have both run 4:32. Former Gophers Heather Dorniden, Jamie Cheever and Gabriele Anderson have mile PRs of 4:38, 4:39 and 4:40, in that order.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 10:15 A.M. CST, Sunday, September 19th. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. 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.

My answer: Yes

The fantasy contest question from last week was: Will three or more MIAC teams finish among the top five teams in the women's race at the Les Duke Invitational at Grinnell on Saturday?
The answer was no. St. Olaf was second, Bethel was fourth and Carleton finished seventh. Thirteen contestants answered correctly this week. Lori Anne Peterson is now the sole leader with 23 points.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Minnesotans Headline Grandma's Minnesota Mile

With Minnesota natives Will Leer, Garrett Heath, Gabriele Anderson, and Heather Dorniden figuring prominently in its elite fields, this Sunday's Grandma's Minnesota Mile in Duluth looks to be especially true to its name.

The quartet headlines two strong fields for the $12,500 prize-purse event which will send its victors home $2000 richer than before they sped down Superior Street.

Leer, a Minnetonka High School alumnus, finished third in the 1500-meter final at this year's USA Outdoor Championships. He sports a
3:55.66 PR for the mile. Heath, a Winona native, has run 3:57.34 for a mile. He finished 7th at 1500m at the World Indoor Championships earlier this year in Doha, Qatar.

The fleet Minnesota pair should expect strong competition from challengers from the other side of the globe, however. Kenyan Richard Kandie has run 3:53.70 for a mile and countryman Philip Lagat has clocked 3;57.55. Moses Weweru, also of Kenya, the runner-up in last year's Minnesota Mile, is also in the field.

Other challengers include American steeplechaser Steve Slattery and Romania national Ovidiu Olteanu, who both have run 3:56 for the classic distance.

In the Women's Race ... Breeda Willis, the 40-year-old former Irish Olympian who now makes her home in Stevens Point, Wisconsin sports the fastest mile PR in the field at 4:31.

She can expect a challenge from Romania's Denisa Costescu and American Amy Mortimer, both of whom have 4:32 PRs for the mile. Canadian Carmen Hussar, a 4:35 miler, should also be an important player in the race's finals blocks.

Team USA Minnesota runners Anderson, a Perham native, and Dorniden, a Rosemount High School alum, whose 1500m PRs of 4:12 and 4:15 put them in stride with anyone in the women's field, are joined on the starting line by fellow University of Minnesota alums Jamie Cheever and Ladia Albertson-Junkans.

Kenyans Rael Murey and Anne Kingori could also make a mark on Sunday.

Action in the Grandma's Minnesota Mile starts at 9:00 a.m. with the Verizon Wireless Kids Mile, followed at 9:20 by the All-City Mile. At 10:00, semi-elite runners will race in the Duluth Mile, followed at 10:20 by the elite races of the Grandma's Minnesota Mile.

The event concludes with a fund-raising mile walk to fight breat cancer.

Find more information on the race, HERE, on the Grandma's Marathon web-site.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Gophers' Price Earns Big Ten Honor

University of Minnesota junior Stephanie Price was named this week's Big Ten's Cross Country Runner of the Week, the conference announced yesterday.

Price, a Mankato Loyola alumnus, was honored for winning the individual title at last weekend's Oz Memorial Run. Price clocked 21:16 for the 6K race, leading the Gopher women to the team title at the meet.

The award is Price's first-ever Big Ten weekly honor.

Gophers in the Polls ... As we reported on DtB's Facebook page and your editor's Twitter feed yesterday, the University of Minnesota cross country teams lost ground in the NCAA Division I national rankings this week.

The women fell to #25 in the nation (they were #21, previously), while the men lost one spot to rank #27.

Regionally, the Gopher women are #3 in the Midwest Region, while the men rank #4.

USATF Minnesota Re-Elects Officers

USA Track and Field Minnesota re-elected all four of its officers at the organization's annual meeting last Sunday.

Rick Recker will return as the organization's president; Ed Whetham returns as vice-president; and Chris Kartschoke returns as the organization's treasurer.

Mark Krug, who was appointed secretary for the organization last year after elected secretary Sam Rush moved out of state, was elected secretary.

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.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

New Poll-Toppers: Perham Boys, Jordin Kopplow

Two new names -- and a host of returning leaders -- top the newly-released Minnesota high school cross country polls.

Perham replaces Plainview Elgin-Millville atop the Class A boys' rankings. The Yellowjackets, which started the year ranked #2, assume the leaders' position after a strong win at the Staples-Motley Invitational last week.

Adrian's Jordin Kopplow,who opened the season ranked only #7 among Class A girls, assumed the top position in the rankings from Clare Flanagan of Blake after her individual win at the Marshall Invitational.

In Class A, last week's girls' team leaders Adrian and boys' individual #1 Mubarik Musa remain atop the polls.

Likewise, Class AA team leaders Eden Prairie continue to rule the large school girls' and boys' team rankings. The top-ranked Class AA individuals remain Aaron Bartnik of Eden Prairie and Marie Hauger of Shakopee.

Find full rankings below ...

Class A ...

Girls' Teams:
1. Adrian
2. Waseca
3. St. Cloud Cathedral
4. Perham
5. LaCrescent
6. Albany
7. Esko
8. Park Rapids Area
9. Dover-Eyota/St. Charles
10. Blake
11. Fairmont
12. Annandale

Girls' Individuals:
1. Jordin Kopplow, Adrian
2. Lauren Friese, Fairmont
3. Clare Flanagan, Blake
4. Elena Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral
5. Victoria Alexander , Lake of the Woods
6. Gabi Swoboda, Redwood Falls Area
7. Cheyanne Bowers, St.James
8. Nikayla Ratz, Dover-Eyota/St. C
9. Jordan Chancellor, Blake
10. Sally O’Brien, Waseca
11. Madi Sachs, Albany
12. Ahna Buntrock, Dover-Eyota/SC

Boys' Teams:
1. Perham
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. Holy Family Catholic
4. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
5. Glencoe-Silver Lake
6. Esko
7. Mora
8. Eveleth-Gilbert
9. Fairmont
10. Waseca
11. Byron
12. Minnehaha Academy

Boys' Individuals:
1. Mubarik Musa, Worthington
2. Mason Ferlic, Mounds Park Academy
3. Oj Ojulla, Worthington
4. Grant Wintheiser, St. Cloud Cathedral
5. Troy Koivisto, Dassel-Cokato
6. Cullen Shanrock, Wabasha-Kellogg
7. Aaron Haley, Plainview-E-M
8. Grant Timm, Plainview-E-M
9. Brendan Skime, Thief River Falls
10. Klaus Weber, Perham
11. Byron Schuldt, Nevis
12. Brandon Clark, Blake

Class AA ...

Girls' Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Monticello
3 Roseville
4 Lakeville South
5 Minnetonka
6 Prior Lake
7 Chanhassen
8 Andover
9 Hopkins
10 Wayzata
11 Moorhead
12 Elk River

Girls' Individuals:
1 Maria Hauger, 10, Shakopee
2 Jamie Piepenburg, 11, Alexandria
3 Erica Seidenkranz, 11, Monticello
4 Kayla Urick, 12, Chaska
5 Becca Dyson, 12, Roseville
6 Kaelyn Williams, 11, Cooper
7 Abbi Aspengren, 12, Elk River
8 Meghan Bailey, 12, Minnetonka
9 Amber Seidenkranz, 9, Monticello
10 Taylor Perkins, 10, Lakeville North
11 Haylie Zenner, 11, Fergus Falls
12 Julia Harrison, 11, Mound Westonka

Boys' Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Wayzata
3 Edina
4 Stillwater
5 Rosemount
6 White Bear Lake
7 Owatonna
8 Moorhead
9 Maple Grove
10 Roseville
11 Mounds View
12 Redwing

Received votes: Burnsville, Eastview

Boys' Individuals:
1 Aaron Bartnik, 12, Eden Prairie
2 Josh Thorson, 11, Wayzata
3 Bryant Blahnik, 12, Redwing
4 Adam Zutz, 12, St. Francis
5 Mohamed Mohamed, 12, Eden Prairie
6 Lukas Gemar, 12, Moorhead
7 Steven Dado, 12, Totino Grace
8 Riley Macon, 11, Rochester Mayo
9 Tom Linner, 11, Stillwater
10 Matt Meuwissen, 12, White Bear Lake
11 Jan Ketterson, 11, Bloomington Jefferson
12 Cole O’Brien, Burnsville

Received votes: Aldis Inde, Edina; Jan Ketterson Jefferson; Bjorn Thompson, Edina; Kyle Bratrud, 12, Eden Prairie; Zack Roozen, 11, Moundsview

Monday, September 13, 2010

Garrett Heath Interview

Flotrack does and interview with Garrett Heath on his first year as a pro and working as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Stanford HERE.

Moen, Frey Win in Fall Marathon Tune-Ups

Team USA Minnesota's Josh Moen and Michelle Frey won titles at the City of Lakes 25K on Sunday with performances that bode well for their marathon plans later in the fall.

Moen won the City of Lakes men's title in 1:18:59 over runner-up Donovan Fellows who clocked 1:20:34. Chris Lundstrom finished third in 1:22:03. Moen's performance established a Minnesota single-age record for 28-year-olds.

Moen is scheduled to run the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, which this year serves as the USA Marathon Championship for men.

"This was a workout for me," Moen, who averaged a 5:05 pace for the 15.5 mile distance, said. "For the most part, I felt comfortable throughout the race. It was good preparation for Twin Cities."

Frey also plans a marathon this fall, although she hasn't chosen which one yet. Team USA Minnesota president Pat Goodwin told DtB, however, that Frey will not race at Twin Cities, Chicago, or New York.

Frey clocked 1:31:16 for the distance, tipping Jenna Boren who ran 1:31:52. Frey's time established a state record for 28-year-olds; Boren's set a new standard for 33-year-olds.

"I was trying to do a progressive run and I was ahead of pace the entire time," Frey explained. "I'm in the middle of training for a fall marathon so this was a 100-mile week for me. The only day I ran easy was the day before the race. I didn't really back off. My long runs have been going really well and this race is encouraging for how my training is going."

Find complete City of Lakes women's results HERE.

Find complete City of Lakes men's results HERE.

There's a great Wayne Kryduba slide show from the race HERE.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Short-Cut: Results' Links for September 10-12

Keep up with this weekend's action with our handy results' links ...

Friday:
Oz Memorial Run: Men's Results * Women's Results
Update: Gopher women, Price win at home, men 3rd.
Faribault Invitational: Boys' Results * Girls' Results
Update: #4 Stillwater boys tip #8 WBL and #6 Owatonna.

Saturday:
St. John's Invitational: Men's Results * Women's Results
Update: Johnnie's, Blazers win in Collegeville.
Les Duke Invitational: Men's Results * Women's Results
Update: Tommies Sathre, Carleton's Childs-Walker win.
Luther All-American Invite: Men's Results * Women's Results
Update: Hamline's Devin Monson wins men's race.

Sunday:
City of Lakes 25K: Results
Update: Team USA Minn's Moen, Frey win.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Former MIAC Champ Chooses Soccer Over XC

Dobuol Ruon, the 2008 MIAC cross country champion and a two-time cross country all-American at St. Olaf College, is playing soccer this fall instead of running cross country.

The Northfield News wrote about Ruon's decision, HERE, in its Wednesday edition.

Ruon (pictured), a senior, played soccer and ran cross country while a student at Northfield High School. As a freshman at St. Olaf, he played soccer before running cross country during his sophomore and junior years.

Ruon, a midfielder on the pitch, has started all three of St. Olaf's matches this season, and has two shots on goal and an assist for the 1-1-1 Oles.

Ruon's return to soccer comes in the context of a distance running career beset by a tenacious lower back problem that often attacks him while racing.

"I just didn't get the job done," St. Olaf men's cross country coach Phil Lundin told DtB, referring to finding a solution for Ruon's back problems. "We just weren't able to resolve it. [Dobuol not running cross county] is a blow to us, but I can understand his decision. If he's happy, then all the better."

The St. Olaf men's cross country team is currently ranked #16 nationally in the NCAA Division III poll and is pegged as the #1 team in the Central Region. It will open its season in earnest next weekend at its home invitational.

"We still have a strong core unit of kids," Lundin emphasized. "and a lot of depth."

Photo courtesy of St. Olaf College.

Yes/No: MIAC Women Teams at Les Duke?

The college cross country season is in full swing. Many area schools participated in scrimmages or alumni meets last weekend transitioning into a season of increasingly important meets.

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the state's premier Division III league, has teams heading out to cross country invitationals at St. John's, St. Catherine, Luther, and Grinnell, among others, this weekend.

We will focus on the Les Duke Invitational hosted by Grinnell College with this question...

Y/N: Will three or more MIAC teams finish among the top five teams in the women's race at the Les Duke Invitational at Grinnell on Saturday?

In 2009, Bethel finished second, Carleton fourth and St. Olaf fifth at Les Duke. All three MIAC teams return to Grinnell in 2010. In the preseason polls, Carleton is ranked second in the region and thirteenth in the nation. St. Olaf is fifth in the region and thirty-second in the nation. Bethel is currently ranked tenth in the region.

Truman State won the Les Duke Invitational in 2009 and return in 2010 as does third place Wartburg.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 10:00 A.M. CST, Saturday, September 11th. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. 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.

My answer: Yes

The fantasy contest question from last week was: Will twelve or more women break 40:00 at the Victory 10k on Monday?
The answer was no. Five women ran sub-40 minutes in a race won by former Gopher Ladia Albertson-Junkans. Seventeen players answered correctly last week. It was a good week to make up ground as the top three contestants overall all answered incorrectly. Rachel Karel answered correctly and is in fourth place, two points out of the lead.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Vega, McGregor to Power NYC's USA Field

Organizers of the ING New York City Marathon have confirmed that Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor and Antonio Vega will compete in their event on November 7.

The race, which last year served as the USA Men's Marathon Championships, will serve as the 2010 USA Women's Marathon Championships.

Along with a stellar international field that includes Kenyan World Half Marathon Champion Mary Keitany, New Zealand star Kim Smith, and Ethiopia's Werknesh Kidane, McGregor will face marathon debutante Shalane Flangan, the American record-holder at 10,000-meters, Mary Akor, winner of three straight Grandma's Marathons, and Blake Russell, the winner of the 2003 Twin Cities Marathon.

Vega, the 2010 USA Half Marathon champion and the current USA Running Circuit points leader, joins fellow Americans Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist and defending NYC champ, Dathan Ritzenhein, the former American record-holder at 5000m, and debut marathoner Tim Nelson in the field.

Top men's international runners at the ING New York City Marathon include marathon world record-holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, countryman Gebre Gebremariam, Arata Fujiwara of Japan, Kenyans Abel Kirui, Peter Kamais, and Emmanuel Mutai, and Canada's Simon Bairu.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Barbora Špotáková Talks About Winning Diamond League

Former Gopher javelin thrower and Beijing Olympic champion, Barbora Špotáková writes in her IAAF diary about winning the Diamond League competition in her event, her season, her injuries, and her summer vacation. You can read the story HERE.

USATF Minnesota Annual Meeting Sunday

The Minnesota Association of USA Track & Field will hold its Annual Meeting this Sunday, September 12th, at 6:30 p.m. at Broadway Pizza on west River Road in Minneapolis.

All members are encouraged to attend and participate.

The Annual Meeting will feature election of officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) for the upcoming year. Nominations for those offices will be accepted from the floor.

The agenda for the meeting can be found HERE.

There will be a free pizza buffet for all USATF Minnesota members at the event.

The regular monthly meeting of USATF Minnesota will follow the adjournment of the Annual Meeting.

For more information contact office@usatfmn.org.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Eden Prairie Tops Both Class AA Polls

Eden Prairie's boys and girls cross country teams find themselves atop the Class AA ranking in the latest polls released today.

The Eden Prairie boys, the defending Class AA champions, maintain the top rank they held in the pre-season season poll. The Eden Prairie girls, the 2008 Class AA champions, jumped from #3 to the top ranking.

In Class A, the Adrian girls replaced Waseca atop the rankings, while the Plainview-Elgin-Millville boys continue to pace their poll.

Complete Class AA and Class A rankings can be found below.

Class AA Girls

Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Monticello
3 Roseville
4 Lakeville South
5 Minnetonka
6 Prior Lake
7 Hopkins
8 Andover
9 Elk River
10 Wayzata
11 Moorhead
12 Edina

Individuals:
1 Maria Hauger, 10, Shakopee
2 Jamie Piepenburg, 11, Alexandria
3 Erica Seidenkranz, 11, Monticello
4 Abbi Aspengren, 12, Elk River
5 Kayla Urick, 12, Chaska
6 Kaelyn Williams, 11, Cooper
7 Laura Lawton, 12, Eden Prairie
8 Taylor Scholl, 11, Prior Lake
9 Megan Bailey, 12, Minnetonka
10 Becca Dyson, 12, Roseville
11 Haylie Zenner, 11, Fergus Falls
12 Julia Harrison, 11, Mound Westonka Teams


Class AA Boys


Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Wayzata
3 Edina
4 Stillwater
5 Rosemount
6 Owatonna
7 Burnsville
8 White Bear Lake
9 Moorhead
10 Redwing
11 Eastview
12 Hopkins

Individuals
1 Aaron Bartnik , 12, Eden Prairie
2 Josh Thorson , 11, Wayzata
3 Bryant Blahnik, 12, Redwing
4 Cole O'Brien, 11, Burnsville
5 Adam Zutz, 12, St. Francis
6 Steven Dado, 12, Totino Grace
7 Mohamed Mohamed, 12, Eden Prairie
8 Lukas Gemar, 12, Moorhead
9 Jan Ketterson, 11, Bloomington Jefferson
10 Tom Linner, 11, Stillwater
11 Bjorn Thompson, 12, Edina
12 Trent Lusignan, 12, Shakopee


Class A Girls

Teams:
1. Adrian
2. Waseca
3. Annandale
4. Perham
5. St. Cloud Cathedral
6. LaCrescent
7. Esko
8. Albany
9. Park Rapids Area
10. Blake
11. Dover-Eyota/St. Charles
12. Fairmont

Individuals:
1. Clare Flanagan, Blake
2. Jordin Kopplow, Adrian
3. Lauren Friese, Fairmont
4. Courtney Alama, Annandale
5. Elena Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral
6. Victoria Alexander, Lake of the Woods
7. Gabi Swoboda, Redwood Falls Area
8. Ahna Buntrock Dover-Eyota/SC.
9. Taylor Alama, Annandale
10. Morgan Larson, Waseca
11. Sally O’Brien, Waseca
12. Emi Trost, Cannon Falls


Boys Class A

Teams:
1. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
2. Perham
3. St. Cloud Cathedral
4. Holy Family Catholic
5. Waseca
6. Esko
7. Mora
8. Eveleth-Gilbert
9. Fairmont
10. LaCrescent
11. Minnehaha Academy
12. Blue Earth Area

Individuals:
1. Mubarik Musa, Worthington
2. Mason Ferlic, Mounds Park Academy
3. Oj Ojulla, Worthington
4. Grant Wintheiser, St. Cloud Cathedral
5. Troy Koivisto, Dassel-Cokato
6. Cullen Shanrock, Wabasha-Kellogg
7. Aaron Haley, Plainview-E-M
8. Grant Timm, Plainview-E-M
9. Brendan Skime, Thief River Falls
10. Andrew Gerdts, Le Sueur-Henderson
11. Keith Schornack, Perham
12. Byron Schuldt, Nevis