Big Ten Champs Honored by USATF-Minn.

The Minnesota Association of USA Track & Field has announced that Ben Blankenship and Samantha Sonnenberg are USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for March 2011.

Blankenship, a University of Minnesota senior, was honored for defending his Mile Run title at the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships last month in Champaign, Illinois. The Stillwater High School alumnus won the race in 4 minutes, 1.14 seconds. Two weeks later, at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Blankenship was the runner-up at 3000-meters.

Sonnenberg, also a Minnesota senior, was recognized for winning the pole vault at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. The Waukesha, Wisconsin native cleared 13 feet, 7 1/4 inches in winning her first-ever conference crown. At the NCAA Championships, Sonnenberg earned All-American honors by finishing 7th in the event with a 13-11 1/4 clearance.

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.