Yes/No: Will a Male Runner Win the "Equalizer?"

The Medtronic TC 10 Mile will host the USA 10 Mile Championships this Sunday. Men and women will compete for national championships, but, in a unique twist, the men will also race against the women for a $10,000 "Equalizer Bonus" that goes to the first USA Champion -- male or female -- to cross the finish line in St. Paul.

The elite women will be given a head-start of exactly seven minutes. This means defending TC 10 Mile and USA champion Katie McGregor and the elite women will start seven minutes prior to course record-holder Abdi Abdirahman and the rest of the men setting off in chase.

Give us your prediction in the 2011 version of the Battle of the Sexes...

Yes/No: Will a male runner win the “Equalizer Bonus” at the 2011 USA 10 Mile Championships?

The roll call of top contenders for the men's title has to start with the course record holder - Abdirahman. He has won two Medtronic TC 10 Mile races and has four USA 10 mile titles to his name. Mohammed Trafeh has risen to the top of the list of U.S. road racers this year by virtue of his USA Half Marathon crown and USA 15k championship. Ben True also has two USA road racing victories to his name this year - 5k and 10k. Team USA Minnesota runners Josh Moen and Matt Gabrielson will be running as well. Moen waged a stirring battle with Abdirahman in 2009 with both running sub-47 minutes.

Not many runners in the United States -- male or female -- have credentials like Abdi Abdirahman, but Katie McGregor is certainly in the same ballpark. She has won the Medtronic TC 10 Mile six times. In fact, there was only one year in which she raced and did not cross the finish line first (2008 - Kara Goucher). McGregor is a seven-time USA champion in events from 10K to 25K.

Other top women in the race include Olympian Blake Russell, Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, the USA 20K champion, Serena Burla (runner-up in the 2011 USA Half-Marathon), and 2:29 marathoner Stephanie Rothstein. Team USA-MN stars Emily Brown and Meghan Peyton will be in the mix as well.

Find an up-to-date entrants list for USA 10 Miles HERE.

Look for past results of the Medtronic TC 10 Mile race HERE.

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 7:00 A.M. CDT, Sunday, October 2nd. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will offer our usual bonus for participants making their 2011 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My answer: Yes

Last week's contest was the Pick 10 - Griak Invitational. Chris Lundberg squeaked out a victory over Jake Marotz, 48 - 47 (This battle surely ignited the decades-old debate in Northfield over which college is better). The win shot Lundberg up the overall standings where he now sits in second place. 143 points keep Bryan Tolcser in the lead with a comfortable ten-point cushion.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

Twin Cities to Announce Equalizer Time Today

Organizers of Sunday's Medtronic TC 10 Mile, which hosts the 2011 USA Men's and Women's 10 Mile Championships, are set to reveal the length of the head-start given to the race's elite women for the event's "Equalizer Bonus" which will award $10,000 to the USA Champion -- male or female -- who crosses the race's St. Paul finish line first.

The length of the handicap will be announced shortly after 12:30 p.m. today at the the media conference for the event and for the 30th Annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon to be held at the St. Paul riverCentre.

Twin Cities In Motion officials say the head start will be determined by " ... past Medtronic TC 10 Mile course results, as well as the outcomes from a number of Championship races and ten-mile records."

If the battle-of-the-sexes works out as planned, the USA Men's Champion will be kicking to catch the USA Women's champ on John Ireland Boulevard homestretch for the $10,000 bonus.

Note: Down the Backstretch will "tweet" the Equalizer time from the media conference as soon as it is announced. The information will be useful to Yes/No players, who can look for this week's contest post on the web-site around 1:30 p.m.

Grandma's Champ Kipyego Eyes Double

Can Christopher Kipyego become the next Andrew Musuva?

2011 Grandma’s Marathon champion Christopher Kipyego of Kenya will try on Sunday to become only the second male runner in history to win Grandma’s and the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathons in the same year. If he can accomplish the feat, he stands to add to the $15,000 take-home pay the winners of the event receive.

Kipyego, who won the closest finish in Grandma’s history in June with a personal best 2:12:15, will earn a $10,000 bonus if he can match Musuva’s double win from 1999. Kipyego can expect a strong challenge from a group of his own countrymen, including Julius Koskei, who has run 2:10:14, and Coon Rapids-based John Njoroge, who finished third in the 2009 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and who has a PR of 2:10:00.

The battle for the women’s Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon title could turn out to be a battle between Russia’s Nedezdha Leonteva and Kenya’s Doreen Kitaka. Leonteva has run a 2:31:57 marathon and has twice been a medalist at the Russian marathon championships. Kitaka, who is also based in Coon Rapids, has run 2:32:00 for the distance and finished fourth at Grandma’s Marathon in June. Other contenders include Truphena Tarus of Kenya, Elena Nagovitsyna of Russian, and American Emily Harrison of Flagstaff, Ariz.

In the USA Men’s Masters Championships held in conjunction with the event, two-time Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Mbarak Hussein of Albuquerque, N.M., returns in hopes of winning his fourth career USA Masters Marathon crown. His two outright Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon wins came as a masters runner, and last year, the Kenyan-born American citizen, who ran 2:08:12 for a marathon in 2004, earned a third USA Masters title at Twin Cities finishing 7th overall. Tracy Lokken of Marquette, Mich., the 2007 and 2009 USA Masters champ, Matt Sandercock of Exton, Penn., the third-place master last year, and Bob Weiner of Evergreen, Colo., the fourth-place master last year, could also challenge.

The USA Women’s Masters Championships appears wide open with the late scratch due to injury of four-time USA Masters titlist Susan Loken of Phoenix, Ariz.. Hoping to fill Loken’s speedy shoes on the masters victory stand are Shannon McHale of West Simsbury, Conn., who set her marathon personal best of 2:40:36 at Twin Cities in 2009, Sheri Piers of Falmouth, Maine, a 16th-place finisher at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, and Joanna Zeiger of San Diego, Calif, an Olympian for the United States in 2000 in the triathlon.

The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon offers prize purses of $56,500 each for open men’s and women’s runners. An additional $33,050 each will be awarded to male and female runners in the USA Masters Marathon Championships.

In order to earn the course record bonus of $25,000, male runners must top Phil Coppes’ course record of 2:10:05 set in 1985 and women must better the record of 2:26:50 shared by Zinaida Semenova (2001) and Irina Permitina (2004).

USA 10 Mile: McGregor and Abdirahman Return

Six-time Medtronic TC 10 Mile champion Katie McGregor of Team USA Minnesota and men's course record holder Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, Arizona return to the streets connecting downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul to vie for USA 10 Mile titles and, perhaps, battle each other on John Ireland Boulevard for a $10,000 "Equalizer Bonus" in a handicapped competition between the top men and woman.

McGregor returns to defend her USA 10 Mile title against as solid field of American challengers. McGregor has only lost once on her home course – in the 2008 USA 10 Mile to Duluth native Kara Goucher. One of the most decorated long distance runners in Minnesota history, McGregor has won seven USA titles in her distinguished running career.

Two-time Medtronic TC 10 Mile champion Abdirahman, returns hoping to add a third Medtronic TC 10 Mile and fifth USA 10 Mile title to his remarkable resume. A three-time Olympian at 10,000-meters on the track, the Somali-born American has twice topped a local favorite at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile. In 2007 he outran Team USA Minnesota’s Jason Lehmkuhle for the crown. In 2009 he narrowly beat Team USA Minnesota’s Josh Moen in his record-breaking win.

McGregor can expect challenges from 2003 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Blake Russell of Pacific Grove, Calif., a 2008 Olympian in the marathon, USA 20K champion Janet Cherobon-Bawcom of Rome, Ga., and 2011 USA 25K champ Molly Pritz of Rochester, Mich. Serene Burla of Falls Church, Va., the runner-up in the last two USA Half Marathon Championships, and Stephanie Rothstein of Flagstaff, Ariz., a 2:29 marathoner, are also expected to contend along with McGregor’s Team USA Minnesota teammates Emily Brown, the 2009 USA Cross Country champion, and Meghan Peyton, who finished 4th in the USA 10 Mile last year.

Those expected to challenge Abdirahman this year include Mohamed Trafeh of Duarte, Calif, the 2011 USA Half Marathon and USA 15K champion, 2008 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Fernando Cabada of Boulder, Colo., the 2011 USA 25K champ, Ben True of Hanover, N.H., the 2011 USA 5K champion, and 2010 USA 25K runner-up Brett Gotcher of Flagstaff, Ariz. Team USA Minnesota’s Moen returns to challenge Abdirahman again, as does teammate Matt Gabrielson, the 6th-place finisher at the this year’s Grandma’ Marathon.

The race begins shortly after 7:00 a.m. on Sunday with the elite women starting first, followed by the elite men a short time later. The men's and women's USA champions will earn $12,000 for their victories.

Find up-to-date USA 10 Mile startlists HERE. Find biographies of the top runners HERE.

Andrew Carlson Out of Twin Cities Marathon

Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson who had intended to make his marathon debut at Sunday's Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, has withdrawn due to injury, according to Team USA Minnesota president Pat Goodwin.

A recent MRI showed that the University of Minnesota alumnus has two torn ligaments in his ankle.

The elite distance training program will still be well-represented in the Medtronic TC 10 Mile, also set for Sunday. Six Team USA Minnesota distance runners – including defending women’s champion Katie McGregor – will compete at the USA 10 Mile Championships held in conjunction with the event.

In addition to McGregor, the women’s field will include Meghan Peyton and Emily Brown, with the men’s line-up including Josh Moen, Matt Gabrielson, and Jon Grey. The race begins shortly after 7:00 a.m. in downtown Minneapolis near Mall of America Field.

Jason Lehmkuhle, the 2007 USA 10 Mile runner-up, has withdrawn from the race with a hamstring injury, however.

McGregor won the TC 10 Mile for the sixth time in 2010, a year in which it was also the USA Women’s 10 Mile Championship. She has a personal best in the distance of 53:48. She most recently placed third at the USA 20K Championships on Labor Day.

In 2010, Peyton was fourth in the women’s 10 mile championship. She has posted 55:20 in the distance while Brown has run 56:40 for 10 miles. Most recently Brown finished third at the USA 5K Championships and Peyton was fifth in the 5K on Sept. 18.

Moen makes his return to the USA 10 mile, having finished second in 2009 when the USA Men’s 10 Mile Championship was last at Twin Cities. He posted 46:38 at that race. Earlier this year, Moen was second at the USA 25K Championships in May and then sixth at the USA 8K Championships in June.

Gabrielson is returning to competition after running a personal best 2:13:28 at Grandma’s Marathon in June. He has a best in the 10 mile of 48:54, which he set in 2006 at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile when he won the race.

Grey – who joined Team USA Minnesota in late August after graduating from the College of William and Mary – will make his debut at the championships both as a professional distance runner and at the 10 mile distance. He has run 28:40 in the 10,000 meters on the track.

The event will feature a head-to-head competition between the genders with the women starting ahead of the men’s field in a handicapped format. A $10,000 “Equalizer Bonus” will be awarded to the first USA Champion – woman or man – to cross the finish line in St. Paul. In addition, the championship prize purse totals $60,000, with $12,000 each going to the first male and female.

Cathedral Girls Join Boys Atop Class A Poll

The St. Cloud Cathedral girls' cross country team joined the school's boys' squad atop the latest Minnesota Class A rankings after their victory at the Milaca Mega Meet on Saturday.

The Crusaders won the meet's Class AA division -- the Mega Meet separates teams into four classes -- with 55 points. Esko, the new #2-ranked team, was runner-up with 70, last week's top-ranked team, Adrian, tallied 84.

The top-ranked individuals in Class A remained unchanged. The Blake School's Brandon Clark and Clare Flanagan still top the individual polls.

In Class AA, the Rosemount boys' team moved into the #2 position in the new Class AA poll. Stillwater, which romped in the Class AAAA division at Milaca, continues to top the rankings of the state's best large school boys' teams.

Rosemount, the #4-ranked Class AA team a week ago, moved up on the the merits of its third-place finish at Saturday's Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota. The Irish edged defending Class AA champs Wayzata, the #2-ranked team last week, 271 to 273 in the meet's Gold Race. Edina, which finished 9th in the race with 360 points, fell a spot to #4.

Monticello, a comfortable winner at Milaca, is still tabbed as the best Class AA girls team in Minnesota. Maria Hauger still tops the Class AA girls' individual rankings, as does Wayzata's Josh Thorson for boys.


Find complete Minnesota high school rankings below ...

Class A

Boys' Teams:

1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Perham
3. Blake
4. Esko
5. Waseca
6. Redwood Valley Area
7. Minnehaha Academy
8. Winona Cotter
9. Crosby-Ironton
10. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
11. Albany
12. Ottertail Central

Boys' Individuals:

1. Brandon Clark, Blake
2. Shane Streich, Waseca
3. Charlie Lawrence, Foley
4. Matt Welch, Proctor
5. Nick Stoks, Canby-Minneota/LinHi
6. Byron Schuldt, Nevis
7. Romeo Benish, Proctor
8. Dan Borash, Royalton
9. Jackson Lindquist, Esko
10. Pat Reinschmidt, Plainview-E-M
11. Nick Golebiowski, St. Cloud Cathedral
12. Jonnathan Surber, St. James


Girls' Teams:

1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Esko
3. Adrian
4. LaCrescent
5. Waseca
6. Blake
7. Trinity of River Ridge
8. Minnehaha Academy
9. Luverne Area
10. Annandale
11. United South Central
12. Fairmont

Girls' Individuals:

1. Clare Flanagan, Blake
2. McKenzie Holt, St. Cloud Christian
3. Marissa Shady, Esko
4. Elena Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral
5. Emi Trost, Cannon Falls
6. Morgan Durbin, St. Cloud Cathedral
7. Lydia Lutz, Park Rapids
8. Jordan Kopplow, Adrian
9. Meghan Henrikson, Mankato Loyola
10. Lauren Friese, Fairmont
11. Liz Miller, Watertown-Mayer
12. Mary Ennis, Trinity

Class AA

Boys' Teams:

1 Stillwater
2 Rosemount
3 Wayzata
4 Edina
5 Eden Prairie
6 Moorhead
7 Andover
8 White Bear Lake
9 Eastview
10 Hopkins
11 Centennial
12 Sartell-St Stephen

Others receiving votes: Rochester Mayo

Boys' Individuals:

1. Josh Thorson, Wayzata
2. Joey Duerr, Chaska
3. Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
4. Will Burke, Edina
5. Glen Ellingson, Moorhead
6. Wayde Hall, Stillwater
7. Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo
8. Connor Olson, Wayzata
9. Eric Colvin, Stillwater
10. Jan Ketterson, Jefferson
11. Tom Linner, Stillwater
12. Zach Roozen, Mounds View

Others receiving votes: Kieran Kelly, Chanhassen; Mubarik Musa, Worthington; Sidney Speir, Eagan

Girls' Teams:

1. Monticello
2. Lakeville South
3. Eden Prairie
4. Eagan
5. Wayzata
6. East Ridge
7. Edina
8. Alexandria
9. Moorhead
10. Shakopee
11. Andover
12. Chanhassen

Girls' Individuals:

1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
4. Kaytlyn Larson, 9, Lakeville South
5. Kaelyn Williams, 12, Robbinsdale Cooper
6. Megan Hasz, 8 Alexandria
7. Chrissy Monson, 11, Albert Lea
8. Bethany Hasz, 8, Alexandria
9. Jenna Truedson, 9, Bemidji
10. Vivian Hett, 9, Burnsville
11. Nicole Heitzman, 11, Andover
12. Martha Hubbell, 10, Visitation

Gophers Pleased with Griak Performances

The University of Minnesota cross country squads came away from Saturday's Roy Griak Invitational pleased with their performances in the meet.

The #24-ranked Gopher men scored 153 points to finish third in the 24-team Merrill Fischbein Men’s Gold Race, behind #11 Portland's 96 and #10 North Carolina State's 114.


The #30-ranked Minnesota women finished fifth with 182 points in the Jack Johnson Women’s Gold Race. Un-ranked California and #8 Iowa State tied with 128 points. #10 Arizona and #26 Michigan State also topped the Gophers in the 26-team field.

“It was a good day,” Gopher men's coach Steve Plasencia said. “We came in as the third highest ranked team today and got beat by the two teams ahead of us. Overall, this team really has some good depth and that showed today.”

Hassan Mead (pictured above) led the Gopher men with a third-place individual finish in 23:49. Pieter Gagnon finished 19th (24:35), Andrew Larsen was 27th (24:46), Bobby Nicolls was 49th (25:03),and Erik Truedson was 55th (25:06).

Women's coach Gary Wilson felt similarly.

“They did a really good job,” Wilson said. “There was a lot of good learning today. We beat Washington, Vanderbilt, Penn State and those are some good solid teams. I think this team will be ready to rock n’ roll, in one month (at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite).”

Washington entered the meet ranked #11, Penn State was #18, and Vanderbilt had received votes in the most recent NCAA Division I coaches' poll.

Stephanie Price (pictured below) led the Gophers with a 5th place finish in 20:51. Ashlie Decker was the Gophers' number two runner finishing 31st (21:25), freshman Molly Kayfas was 39th (21:36), Laura Docherty took 52nd (21:46), and Missa Varpness was 55th (21:48).


Find complete results of all the Roy Griak Invitational races HERE.

Find Flotrack's extensive coverage of the meet HERE.

Photos by Gene Niemi.

Griak Invitational Results Round-Up ...

Find Roy Griak Invitational results by clicking on the race headlines below ...

Men's D1: #24 Gophers, Mead Take 3rd

Men's D2: Un-Ranked MSU-Mankato Finishes 3rd

Men's D3: Hamline's Monson Wins, #19 Pipers 4th

Women's D1: #30 Gophers. Price Finish 5th

Women's D2: #10 Minnesota-Duluth, Place Take 7th

Women's D3: Minn.-Morris' Keller 2nd, #22 Carleton 4th

H.S.Boys Gold: #4 Rosemount 3rd, #2 Wayzata 4th, Thorson 2nd

H.S. Boys Maroon: Cretin's Docherty Wins, Mpls Southwest 4th

H.S. Girls Gold: #4 Eagan 4th, #5 Wayzata 7th, Blake's Flanagan 3rd

H.S. Girls' Maroon: DESC, Spring Valley's Colbenson Win

Pick Ten: Roy Griak Invitational Races

The Roy Griak Invitational is set to be run all day on Saturday. The University of Minnesota hosts the 26th annual event featuring races with high-schoolers through all three divisions of collegiate running. With all of this racing, we felt this would be the perfect event to bring back the Pick Ten contest.

Pick Ten has a simple concept: predict the finish place for each of 10 Minnesota athletes or teams at the Griak Invitational. You will score points for each athlete/team that 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 Hassan Mead to place first in the Division I race, and he places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Mead to place first and he finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Mead to finish third in the race and he places first, second or third, you get 8 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 24th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. 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.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2011.

Pick 10 ... Roy Griak Invitational:

Hassan Mead - University of Minnesota, Men's Division I Gold:
Stephanie Price - University of Minnesota, Women's Division I Gold:
University of Minnesota Gophers Team, Men's Division I Gold:
University of Minnesota Gophers Team, Women's Division I Gold:
Morgan Place - University of Minnesota-Duluth, Women's Division II Maroon:
University of Minnesota-Duluth Team, Women's Division II Maroon:
Simone Childs-Walker - Carleton, Women's Division III Maroon:
Carleton Team, Women's Division III Maroon:
Devin Monson - Hamline, Men's Division III Maroon:
Hamline Team, Men's Division III Maroon:

To Help You Make Your Picks ...

The University of Minnesota has a great deal of information about the meet HERE.

Hassan Mead is back to fight for the Griak individual championship that he won in 2009. Mead sat out last year's race due to injury but appears to be back to full strength. Stephanie Price finished second at the Griak Invitational last year. The senior All-American will battle last year's champ Laura Hoer from North Carolina State.

The Gopher men finished fifth at Griak last year and are currently ranked #24 in the nation. The two other ranked teams at the meet are Portland (#10) and North Carolina State (#11). On the women's side, the Gophers face an extremely strong field. Minnesota is ranked #30 in the nation, behind Iowa State, Arizona, Washington, Penn State, North Carolina State, BYU and Michigan State.

Morgan Place and UMD both won titles at Griak last year. Place is coming off a victory at St. Olaf while the UMD team placed third. The squad comes into the weekend ranked #10 in Division II in the nation.

Simone Childs-Walker and her Carleton team are coming off double second place finishes at St. Olaf last week. In 2010 at the Griak meet, Carleton finished eighth and Childs-Walker was second individually. Carleton will enter the Griak meet ranked #22 in the nation.

Hamline men started the season with a team victory at the Luther All-American Invite. They finished sixth in the 2010 edition of Griak and are currently ranked #19 among Division III schools. Devin Monson finished third at Luther, he was ninth at Griak in 2010 and is a returning All-American and defending MIAC champ.

Good luck!

Last week's question was: Will St. Olaf women win the team title at their home invitational on Saturday? The correct answer was yes. St. Olaf won with a low score of 46 points to beat cross-town rival and second place team Carleton by 24 points.

Mike Henderson increased his lead with a correct answer this week. He now has twenty-three points to lead by two over Patrick Eastman, Lori Anne Peterson and Rachel Karel. Eighteen players answered correctly this week.

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

Minnesotans to Race at Fifth Avenue Mile

Four Minnesotans will compete at Saturday's Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City.

Team USA Minnesota's Gabriele Anderson and Heather Kampf will compete for the women's title against world 1500m champion Jenny Simpson and USA champion Morgan Uceny.

Minnesota natives Garrett Heath and Will Leer will compete in a men's field that includes defending champion Amine Laalou of Morocco and three-time Medtronic TC 1 Mile champion David Torrence.

Anderson and Kampf both competed at the Fifth Avenue Mile in 2010 with Anderson posting 4:31.05 on the course and Kampf finishing in 4:30.95. The women’s race starts at 12:50 p.m. EDT followed by the professional men’s race at 1:05 p.m.

Last year, Leer finished 7th in the men's race in 3:55.02, while Heath finished 11th in 3:56.15.

Find the complete startlist for the races HERE.

Minnesota-Duluth Keeps #10 Ranking

Despite finishing behind two nationally ranked NCAA Division III teams last weekend at the St. Olaf Invitational, the Univeristy of Minnesota-Duluth women's cross country team maintained its #10 national ranking in Division II in the latest poll released yesterday.

The Bulldogs are the #4-ranked team in the power-packed Central Region of D2, trailing national #1 Western State (Colorado), #5 Adams State (Colorado), and #7 Augustana (South Dakota).

No Minnesota D2 men's team cracked the national top-25; Minnesota State-Mankato is ranked #7 in the Central Region.

Find the complete D2 national rankings HERE

St. Olaf Rises to #15 ... The St. Olaf women, who handily won their home intonational against cross-town rivals Carleton and Minneosta-Duluth on Saturday, rose to #15 in the NCAA Division III women's poll, up from #16 last week.

The Carleton women rose to #22 in the rankings, up from #24 a week ago.

The Hamline University men lead Minnesota colleges in the D3 men's poll at #19, down a spot form last week. St. Olaf is ranked #25.

Find the complete D3 national rankings HERE.

Griak Women's Field Packed with Ranked Teams

The women's Division I race at Saturday's 26th Roy Griak Invitational will feature eight nationally ranked teams, including #30-ranked hosts Minnesota.

The Jack Johnson Gold Race includes #9 Iowa State, #10 Arizona, the defending Griak champs, #11 Washington, #18 Penn State, coached by Minnesota native Beth Alford Sullivan, #21 North Carolina State, #25 Brigham Young, and #26 Michigan State.

In the Griak Division I men's race -- the Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Race -- the #24 ranked Gophers are likely to face their stiffest competition from #10-ranked Portland State, the only other ranked team in the men's field.

Twenty-six teams total will compete in each Division I race.

The Griak Invitational kicks off at 9:00 with a full day of cross country races for collegiate and high school runners. The Division I races start at 12:20 p.m. (men) and 1:10 (women). Find the complete Griak schedule HERE.

Find a complete listing of college and high school teams in the meet -- and lots of other Griak Invitational information -- HERE. A U of M News Service interview with Roy Griak HERE.

All Quiet on the HS Cross Rankings Front

For the second straight week, the top teams and individuals in the Minnesota high school cross county rankings remain unchanged.

In Class AA, the Stillwater boys and Monticello girls top the team poll, while Wayzata senior Josh Thorson and Shakopee junior Maria Hauger lead individuals.

In Class A, the St. Cloud Cathedral boys and Adrian High School girls lead small school teams, while the Blake School duo of Brandon Clark and Clare Flanagan lead individually.

Find full rankings below ...

Class AA

Boys' Teams:

1. Stillwater
2. Wayzata
3. Edina
4. Rosemount
5. Andover
6. Eden Prairie
7. Moorhead
8. White Bear Lake
9. Eastview
10. Owatonna
11. Hopkins
12. Rochester Mayo

Others receiving votes: Forrest Lake, Mahtomedi, Mounds View, Sartell-St Stephen

Boys' Individuals:

1. Josh Thorson, Wayzata
2. Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
3. Jan Ketterson, Bloomington Jefferson
4. Joey Duerr, Chaska
5. Glen Ellingson, Moorhead
6. Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo
7. Wade Hall, Stillwater
8. Tom Linner, Stillwater
9. Zach Roozen, Mounds View
10. Connor Olson, Wayzata
11. Mubarik Musa, Worthington
12. Eric Colvin, Stillwater

Others receiving votes: Kevin Docherty, Cretin-Derham Hall; Joel Reichow, White Bear Lake; Nathan Rock, Rosemount; Sidney Speir, Eagan; Preston Zimny, Little Falls


Girls' Teams:

1. Monticello
2. Lakeville South
3. Eden Prairie
4. Eagan
5. Wayzata
6. East Ridge
7. Edina
8. Alexandria
9. Moorhead
10. Prior Lake
11. Hopkins
12. Chanhassen


Girls' Individuals

1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Kaelyn Williams, 12, Robbinsdale Cooper
4. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
5. Megan Hasz, 8 Alexandria
6. Erica Seidenkrantz, 12, Monticello
7. Vivian Hett, 9, Burnsville
8. Chrissy Monson, 11, Albert Lea
9. Bethany Hasz, 8, Alexandria
10. Kaytlyn Larson, 9, Lakeville South
11. Taylor Janssen, 11, Moorhead
12. Anna French, 9, Wayzata


Class A

Boys' Teams:

1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Minnehaha Academy
3. Perham
4. Blake
5. Winona Cotter
6. Esko
7. Albany
8. Waseca
9. Mora
10. LaCrescent
11. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
12. Redwood Valley Area

Boys' Individuals:

1. Brandon Clark, Blake
2. Shane Streich, Waseca
3. Nick Stoks, Canby-Minneota/LinHi
4. Byron Schuldt, Nevis
5. Charlie Lawrence, Foley
6. Jacob Siekmeier, Math & Science Academy
7. Matt Welch, Proctor
8. Jacob Burr, Glencoe-Silver Lake
9. Brady Speicher, Perham
10. Jesse Delgado, Waseca
11. Jonnathan Surber, St. James
12. Cade Eckstrom, Madelia-Truman

Girls' Teams:

1. Adrian
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. LaCrescent
4. Waseca
5. Blake
6. Esko
7. Albany
8. Luverne Area
9. Perham
10. Park Rapids
11. Fairmont
12. Warroad

Girls' Individuals:

1. Clare Flanagan, Blake
2. Jordan Kopplow, Adrian
3. Emi Trost, Cannon Falls
4. McKenzie Holt, St. Cloud Christian
5. Victoria Alexander, Lake of the Woods
6. Lauren Friese, Fairmont
7. Morgan Durbin, St. Cloud Cathedral
8. Marissa Shady, Esko
9. Elena Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral
10. Lydia Lutz, Park Rapids
11. Sally O’Brien, Waseca
12. Austin Their, Adrian

Brown, Peyton 3rd and 5th at USA 5K

Team USA Minnesota teammates Emily Brown and Meghan Peyton finished in 3rd and 5th-place, respectively at the USA 5K Championships in Providence, Rhode Island yesterday.

Brown clocked 15:56 in the race, held in conjunction with the CVS/pharmacy Downtown 5K. Peyton ran 15:59.

Julie Culley of New Jersey won the race in 15:39.

“The race went by really fast but it was a good race,” Brown said in a Team USA Minnesota media release. “I’ve had the 5K championships on my calendar for the past few years but I wasn’t able to run it because of injuries or the breathing problem I had. Everything is good now.”

Next up for Brown will be the USA 10 Mile Championships on Oct. 2 in the Twin Cities and then the USA Women’s 10K Championship in Boston on Oct. 10.

Peyton. who will also run the 10 Mile Championships, where she finished fourth in 2010, was happy with her success at a shorter distance race.

“The 10 mile is a little more my forte', but I was pleased with my race today at the 5K,” she said. “It is always great to come out and run these U.S. Championships. At the 10 mile, I hope to be on the podium in my hometown.”

Find results, race video, interviews, and more from the USA 5K HERE.

Kampf Wins In Maui ... Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf won the won the Front Street Mile in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday with a time of 4:39. Kampf beat former NCAA cross country champion Angela Bizzarri by a second on the out-and-back course.

Three-time Medtronic TC 1 Mile champion David Torrence won the men's race in Maui in 3:57. Former Winona High School star Garrett Heath finished 3rd in 4:00.

Find complete results HERE.

Other Team USA Minnesota Action ... Andrew Carlson finished sixth at the Great Cow Harbor 10K with a time of 30:14; Gabriele Anderson was seventh in the mile at the Great North City Games with a time of 4:51.

St. Olaf Invite Photos by Gene Niemi

DtB photo contributor Gene Niemi was on hand at Saturday's St. Olaf Invitational in Northfield and snapped a few shots of the action.

UMD senior Morgan Place won the women's invitational title, running 22:11 over the 6K course. Carleton's Simone Childs-Walker was runner-up in 22:18.

The St. Olaf women, the #16-ranked team in NCAA Division III, topped #24 Carleton and UMD, ranked #10 in Division II, in team competition. The Oles scored 46 points, Carleton tallied 70, UMD had 87.

Find women's results HERE. Find a St. Olaf photo gallery of the race HERE.

Individual men's champion Eli Horton of Central College, left, leads Joshua Mellman of Minnesota State-Mankato, Josiah Swanson of Minnesota State-Mankato, Brian Saska of St. Olaf and Garrett Eklof of Minnesota State. Bryan Lindquist of Winona State trails.

Minnesota State-Mankato won the team competition with 36 points; the host Oles scored 56 for second.

Find men's results HERE. Find a St. Olaf photo gallery of the race HERE.

Photos by Gene Niemi.

McGregor, Abdirahman to Return to TC 10 Mile

Some familiar faces will be racing one-another at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile this year.

Former Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Blake Russell and six-time Medtronic TC 10 Mile champ Katie McGregor headline the women’s portion of next month’s USA 10 Mile Championships to be held in conjunction with the Medtronic TC 10 Mile on October 2.

The event will host both the men’s and women’s USA 10 Mile Championships this year and feature head-to-head competition between the genders.

Russell, who won the 2003 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon with an aggressive solo effort in her debut marathon, and McGregor, a fellow frontrunner who won the USA 10 Mile title and her sixth Medtronic TC 10 Mile crown in the race last year, will race for a winner’s check of $12,000.

They and the rest of the strong women’s field -- which includes NCAA 10,000-meter record-holder Lisa Koll, the 2010 USA 7 Mile champion, three-time Grandma’s Marathon victor Mary Akor, and Serena Burla, the runner-up at the 2011 USA Half Marathon Championships -- will also be racing for a $10,000 “Equalizer Bonus” set aside first USA Champion – woman or man -- to cross the finish line in St. Paul.

The women’s field will leave the race’s downtown Minneapolis starting line ahead of the men in a unique handicapped format.

The men’s field is packed with talent as well, boasting two-time Medtronic TC 10 Mile champ and three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, 2009 Medtronic TC 10 Mile runner-up Josh Moen of Team USA Minnesota, 2008 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champ Fernando Cabada, 2010 USA 10 Mile champion Fasil Bizune, and 2011 USA Half Marathon and 15K champion Mo Trafeh.

The Medtronic TC 10 Mile kicks off the action on the Sunday morning of Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon weekend. The Medtronic TC 10 Mile will be followed by the 30th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. The marathon will feature a strong field of U.S. and international runners -- including Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson -- and again hosts the USA Masters Marathon Championships.

Yes/No: Who Will Win the St. Olaf Invitational?

The air is crisp and that can only mean one thing - cross country season is upon us. One of the first big collegiate cross meets in the area, the 41st annual St. Olaf Invitational, will take place this weekend. Many of the local NCAA Division II and III schools will appear, including the nationally ranked University of Minnesota-Duluth women (#10), St. Olaf women (#16) and Carleton women (#24).

Does the home team have an advantage? Tell us what you think with this question...

Yes/No: Will St. Olaf women win the team title at their home invitational on Saturday?

In the 2010 edition of the St. Olaf invitational, UMD women won handily, scoring a mere 27 points. St. Olaf was second (48) and Gustavus third (85). So far in 2011, St. Olaf and UMD are undefeated. They both won their first race - St. Olaf at Grinnell and UMD at the Northland Invitational. Carleton started off well also - they finished fourth in a Division I meet in Wyoming.

The individual battle will be intense as well as ten-time All-American Simone Childs-Walker (Carleton) squares off against the nearly indomitable eight-time All-American Morgan Place (UMD). Emma Lee from St. Olaf will certainly be in the mix as well.

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. CDT, Saturday, September 17th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will offer our usual bonus for participants making their 2011 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My answer: Yes

Last week's question was: Will the winning times be sub-4:35 for women AND sub-4:00 for men at the Minnesota Mile on Sunday? The correct answer was no. Races were slowed due to a headwind and hot weather this year. Craig Miller won in 4:03 for the men while Brenda Martinez took first in 4:44 for the women.

Mike Henderson is in first place as he accumulated his twenty-second point this year. Three players are one point behind. Twenty-four players answered correctly this week.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

Team USA Minnesota Adds Two Athletes

Team USA Minnesota has added two recent college graduates to its stable of professional distance runners: Jon Grey and Matt Llano.

Grey is a 2011 graduate of William and Mary with a personal best of 28:40.33 in the 10,000-meters. Llano graduated in 2011 from the University of Richmond where he posted 28:43.30 for the distance.

Grey is from Lancaster, Penn., where he ran cross country and track at Kennard Dale High School setting school records of 4:18 in the 1600m, 9:11 in the 3200m, and 15:41 for a cross country 5K. At William and Mary, he posted times of 8:07.79 in the 3000m, 13:46 in the 5000m, along with his 10,000m best which he set in winning the 2010 Mt. SAC Relays. The three-time All American finished fifth at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships 5000m and 17th at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Llano went to Broadneck High School in Annapolis, Maryland, where he posted prep times of 4:24 in the 1600m and 9:44 in the 3200m, and helped lead his cross country team to a first place finish in both 2004 and 2005 at the Maryland State Cross Country Meet. At the University of Richmond, the All-American was ninth at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10,000m, a four-time NCAA qualifier with two showings each in cross country and track, and he posted 14:00 in the 5000m. Llano was also a four-time Academic All-American and the Atlantic 10 Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

“Jon and Matt are two of the top long distance runners to come out of college in 2011,” Dennis Barker, Team USA Minnesota coach said. “They both have great potential as professional runners. They have good range and will be able to compete well on the track, road, and cross country.”

Grey and Llano join a men's squad at Team USA Minnesota that includes Jason Lehmkuhle, Matt Gabrielson, Antonio Vega, Josh Moen, Andrew Carlson, and Chris Rombough.

Team USA Minnesota is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis andSt. Paul. Formed in 2001, the training center strives to improve the competitiveness of post-collegiate American distance running and to develop Olympians. The athletes are coached by Dennis Barker, head cross country and track coach at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

Team USA Minnesota Plans Active Weekend

Team USA Minnesota isn't going to be sitting around the house this weekend.

Six Team USA Minnesota distance runners will be competing this weekend at venues as far flung as New York, Providence, Hawaii, and Great Britain.

Jason Lehmkuhle and Andrew Carlson are heading to the Great Cow Harbor 10K in Northport, New York. Heather Kampf will compete at the Front Street Mile in Hawaii, and Gabriele Anderson will represent the United States in the mile run at the Great North City Games in Newcastle-Gateshead, England. And, Emily Brown and Meghan Peyton will be among the competitors at the USA 5K Championships in Providence, Rhode Island.

Lehmkuhle will be making his sixth appearance at the Cow Harbor 10K on Saturday, having won the race in 2003 and 2007, placing second in 2006 and 2009, and finishing fourth in 2008. His best time on the scenic and challenging course on the Long Island Sound is 29:95.

Carlson will make his second appearance at the event, having finished third in 2010 with a time of 29:56.

For her tropical mile on Saturday, Kampf will travel to Maui, Hawaii. She recently finished third in Grandma's Minnesota Mile in Duluth last Sunday.

Anderson will head in the opposite direction, to Great Britain to run the mile, having placed fifth at the Minnesota Mile. She will be a member of the U.S. team that will compete on Saturday against Great Britain and Northern Ireland in five track events for men and four events for women.

On Sunday, Brown and Peyton will race the USA 5K Championships hosted by the CVS Caremark Downtown 5K. Brown will be making her first appearance at the 5K championships. She most recently finished sixth in the Minnesota Mile.. Last year Peyton was fourth at the USA 5K Championships last year with a time of 16:25.

Top of High School Rankings Unchanged

The top-ranked Minnesota high school cross country teams and individuals remained unchanged in the latest polls, released yesterday.

In Class AA, the Stillwater boys and Monticello girls still top the team rankings, with Wayzata's Josh Thorson and Shakopee's Marie Hauger leading the individual polls.

In Class A, the St. Cloud Cathedral boys and Adrian girls return to the top of the small school ranks, with a pair of Blake runners -- Brandon Clark and Clare Flanagan -- leading the individual rankings.

Find complete rankings below ...

Class AA

Boys' Teams

1 Stillwater
2 Wayzata
3 Rosemount
4 Edina
5 Moorhead
6 Andover
7 Eden Prairie
8 White Bear Lake
9 Eastview
10 Burnsville
11 Owatonna
12 Sartell – St Stephen

Others receiving votes: Forest Lake, Mounds View, Rochester Centry, Rochester Mayo

Boys' Individuals:

1 Josh Thorson, Wayzata
2 Glen Ellingson, Moorhead
3 Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
4 Wayde Hall, Stillwater
5 Joey Duerr, Chaska
6 Tom Linner, Stillwater
7 Jan Ketterson, Bloomington Jefferson
8 Zach Roozen, Mounds View
9 Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo
10 Nathan Rock, Rosemount
11 Connor Olson, Wayzata
12 Joel Reichow, White Bear Lake

Others receiving votes: Will Burke, Edina; Kevin Docherty, Cretin-Derham Hall; Mubarik Musa, Worthington; Sidney Speir, Eagan

Girls' Teams

1. Monticello
2. Lakeville South
3. Eden Prairie
4. Prior Lake
5. Eagan
6. Wayzata
7. East Ridge
8. Forest Lake
9. Andover
10. Moorhead
11. Sartell
12. Edina

Girls' Individuals
1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Kaelyn Williams, 12, Robbinsdale Cooper
4. Erica Seidenkrantz, 12, Monticello
5. Emily Knapczyk, 12, Robbinsdale Armstrong
6. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
7. Chrissy Monson, 11, Albert Lea
8. Jenna Truedson, 9, Bemidji
9. Amber Seidenkratz, 10, Monticello
10. Madeline McKeefry, 10, Andover
11. Kaytlyn Larson, 9, Lakeville South
12. Piper Bain, 12, Edina


Class A

Boys' Teams

1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Minnehaha Academy
3. Blake
4. Perham
5. Winona Cotter
6. Esko
7. Waseca
8. Albany
9. Mora
10. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
11. LaCrescent
12. St.James

Boys' Individuals

1. Brandon Clark, Blake
2. Shane Streich, Waseca
3. Byron Schuldt, Nevis
4. Matt Welch, Proctor
5. Nick Stoks, Canby-Minneota/LinHi
6. Jacob Siekmeier, Math & Science Academy
7. Charlie Lawrence, Foley
8. Jesse Delgado, Waseca
9. Jacob Burr, Glencoe-Silver Lake
10. Jonnathan Surber, St. James
11. Ricki Fenske, Madelia-Truman
12. Jacob Johnson, Winona Cotter

Girls' Teams

1. Adrian
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. Blake
4. LaCrescent
5. Waseca
6. Esko
7. Albany
8. Perham
9. Park Rapids
10. Annandale
11. Fairmont
12. International Falls

Girls' Individuals

1. Clare Flanagan, Blake
2. Jordan Kopplow, Adrian
3. Emi Trost, Cannon Falls
4. McKenzie Holt, St. Cloud Christian
5. Victoria Alexander, Lake of the Woods
6. Cheyanne Bower, St. James
7. Paige Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral
8. Marissa Shady, Esko
9. Lydia Lutz, Park Rapids
10. Janessa Meulener, Belle Plaine
11. Lauren Friese, Fairmont
12. Austin Their, Adrian

Gopher Teams Open Season Perfectly

The University of Minnesota men's and women's cross country teams opened their 2011 seasons with perfect 15-points victories in their respective meets over the weekend.

The #27-ranked Gopher men swept the top five places at the Hornet Jamboree hosted by Sacramento State University in California.

Junior Pieter Gagnon, senior Hassan Mead, and sophomore Andrew Larsen, took the top spots, finishing together at 19:28 on the 4 mile course. Sophomore Erik Truedson was fourth at 19:33 and red shirt freshman Marcus Paulson ran 19:34 for fifth.

Fresno State finished runner-up with 91 points; host Sacramento State was third with 93.

"I thought overall we had a pretty good performance," Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia said. "I wanted the guys to stay in a pack for the first two and half miles and they did just that. The guys have worked hard all summer long and they certainly showed that today. I think we are in good shape to have a good season as long as we can stay healthy."

The #30 Gopher women swept the first 12 places at the Oz Memorial Run they hosted at the Les Bolstad Golf Course. Senior All-American Stephanie Price won the 6K race for the second consecutive year, clocking 21:18.

Sophomore Ashlie Decker crossed the finish line in second at 22:22, sophomore Katie Moracewski took third with 22:30, freshman Molly Kayfes finished fourth at 22:35 in her first collegiate race, and sophomore Kelli Budd ran 22:36 to round out the top five.

Northern Iowa finished runner-up in the meet with 76 points. North Dakota State edged South Dakota State for third 83-84.

Hot racing conditions were the bigget challenge to the Gophers.

"Today was so hot," head coach Gary Wilson said. "It was about 15 degrees warmer than normal, it was about 90 out there and that is a little bit much for cross country. Overall it was a good start and the Griak [Invittional] will be another level."

Find men's complete results HERE and women's results HERE.

Miller, Martinez Win Minnesota Mile Titles

Former University of Wisconsin All-American Craig Miller and former California-Riverside standout Brenda Martinez won the professional races at the Minnesota Mile in Duluth on Sunday.

Headwinds slowed the pace of the elites in the road mile down Duluth's Superior Street -- Miller won in 4:04, Martinez in 4:44.

Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf was the top Minnesota finisher in the professional races. The University of Minnesota alumnus was third in 4:47, a place and a second behind Amy Mortimer of Kansas, the runner-up.

Christian Hesch of California was the men's runner-up in 4:06; Kevin Chelimo of Kenya was third with the same time.

Defending men's champ Aron Rono of Kenya, suffering from a hip injury, was 11th in 4:21.

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

Complete results of the event can be found HERE.

Smock Reflects on World Championships

Upon returning from Daegu, South Korea where she competed in the IAAF World Track and field Championships, USA triple jump champion Amanda Smock took some time to reflect the experience in this exclusive Down the Backstretch interview. Smock (pictured) didn't advance to the finals in Daegu but is already looking ahead to 2012, an Olympic year.

Down the Backstretch: Can you set the scene of the competition and walk us through your jumps at the World Championships?

Amanda Smock: The competition took place during a morning session on the 4th day (of nine) of the meet. The stadium was enormous, the largest I have ever competed in. There were two flights of 17 jumpers, both flights competed at the same time in side by side pits. We had three attempts and the top 12 jumpers would advance to the finals held two days later.

I felt really good and as you can imagine, had a lot of adrenaline. My 1st jump was the best attempt of the day but I fouled - it would not have been enough to make the finals so not a huge deal except mentally, it would've been nice to start off with a good mark. My second and third attempts were pretty similar in technique. In both jumps I made the mistake of rushing through the take off board and getting too high on my hop. Pretty frustrating competition, but keeping in mind the big picture, it was pretty amazing to be competing on that stage … in the World Championships.

DtB: In the end, did the result seem like a near-miss -- i.e., a performance similar to Eugene or Chula Vista could have put you in the finals -- or that there's a gulf you need to bridge to be a finalist at this level?

Smock: Had I completed jumps that were technically better – or equal to those I jumped at US nationals or in Chula Vista, I would’ve made the finals. Instead I had really poor attempts. After watching the video of my jumps I was able to see the mistakes I was making and of course now I would like a re-do! All I can do is learn from it, move on and not make the same mistake in the future. If I can get more consistency in my jumps, I can be in a position to make finals.

DtB: I'm curious to know your impressions of jumping with the best triple jumpers world. Did it seem similar to jumping, say, at a USA Championships or did Worlds feel like clearly another level?

Smock: Competing at Worlds brought back to memories of my first year at the US championships. I remember the feeling of being so happy just to be competing at the meet, a little bit star-struck and a little bit intimidated by the call room procedures. In that sense, it was similar to Worlds. Thankfully, each experience makes being in the position more comfortable than the time before. At my next major competition, I suspect I’ll be a lot more comfortable than I was this time around.

DtB: Did you watch the finals?

Smock: I did watch the finals and was really happy I had the opportunity to do so.

DtB: This was your first time representing the USA internationally. Can you describe what it's like wearing the USA uniform and being part of the USA contingent at the meet?

Smock: In a few words, I was honored and very proud to be competing for the US and to be wearing the US uniform. The USA is definitely recognized as the best track team in the world so to be a member of the team was pretty incredible. The fans got pretty excited to see and meet US athletes so there were plenty of "photo ops" to be had.

DtB: What was the city of Daegu like? Did you have any opportunities to see more of the city than just the stadium and the hotel?

Smock: Daegu definitely had a big city feel to it. It felt a lot like New York to me but was surrounded by beautiful green mountains. I was able to venture outside the athlete village a few times and ate at some cute restaurants where we sat on the floor and ate Korean cuisine. Inside the village, the organizing committee arranged for daily cultural events with traditional dance performances, games, and art displays, a convenient way to be a part of the Korean culture without having to travel outside of the village.

DtB: Next year, of course, is an Olympic year. With the 2011 season in the books, do you find yourself already looking ahead to the next season, the Trials, and the Olympic Games?

Smock: I gets me pretty excited to know the Olympic year is finally here. I have been thinking a lot about the upcoming season, specifically about training plans - things to keep in place, changes to make to improve my performances and how to plan out my competition schedule. In a few weeks I'll be attending a "jumps summit" hosted by USA track and field where a lot of time will be spent doing these things. Come October 1st, I'll be ready to start training.

DtB: If there's one key for you for making the Olympic team, what do you think that is?

Smock: Good question. If I could boil it down to one key piece, I would say improving the hop (1st phase) of my jump including everything from the takeoff to the arm action, as well as the hop landing. Much of the jump success is determined in this phase - if you don't execute the technique well, things go downhill pretty quickly. Sounds pretty simple on paper, fix the hop - make the Olympic team. I'll give it a shot!

Photo by Randy Miyazaki/TrackandFieldPhoto.com.

Yes/No: Sub 4:00 & 4:35 at Minnesota Mile?

Duluth has justifiably earned a name for itself in the running community, thanks to Grandma's Marathon weekend in June of every year. The fantastic field running the Minnesota Mile this weekend further solidifies Duluth's reputation as a running mecca.

A few prolific Team USA Minnesota runners will join other elite Minnesotans and even some top national middle distance runner for this edition of Grandma's Minnesota Mile

Let us know how fast you think they will run by answering this question...

Yes/No: Will the winning times be sub-4:35 for women AND sub-4:00 for men at the Minnesota Mile on Sunday?

The winning men's time was under 4:00 in both 2009 and 2010. In fact, there were four runners under 4 minutes last year. On the women's side, no one has ever run sub-4:35. The course record is Carmen Duoma Hussar's 4:35.60 from 2010.

The men's start list looks especially tough with seven runners sporting seed times below 4 minutes. The winner and course record holder Aron Rono returns to defend his title. He ran 3:58.18 last year.

The women's race will feature Team USA Minnesota stars Heather Kampf and Gabriele Anderson . The two finished third and fourth respectively last year. One runner that beat them last year - second place finisher Amy Mortimer - will return to the Minnesota Mile in 2011 as well.

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. CDT, Sunday, September 11th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will offer our usual bonus for participants making their 2011 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My answer: Yes

Last week's question was: Will at least three of the four Team USA Minnesota runners (Andrew Carlson, Jason Lehmkuhle, Katie McGregor, and Meghan Peyton) finish in the top five in their respective USA 20K Championship races? The correct answer was no. Lehmkuhle led the charge with a second place finish followed by McGregor as the third woman. Carlson finished sixth for the men and Peyton was seventh on the women's side. Peyton missed the top five by nine seconds while Carlson was only nineteen seconds off fifth.

Mike Henderson answered correctly to move into a tie for first with Patrick Eastman at twenty-one points. Twenty-two players answered correctly this week.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

Strong Girls' Teams to Tangle at Bauman/Rovn

Four of the seven top-ranked Class AA girls' cross country teams will race one-another this afternoon at then Bauman/Rovn Invitational hosted by Hopkins High School at Gale Woods Farm in Minnetrista.

Squaring off in the early-season clash are #2-ranked Lakeville South, winners of last week's Dakota Classic, #3 Eden Prairie, the defending Class AA State champions, #5 Prior Lake, the Irish Invite winners, and #7 Roseville.

In boys' competition, #8 Eastview, winners at St. Olaf's Rolf Melby Invitational, is expected to battle for top placing with #9 Mounds View, led by the state's #2-ranked individual Zack Roozen, and #10 Eden Prairie, winners of the Matterhorn Invite last week.

(#2-ranked Wayzata and #4 Edina will attend the meet but are not running their varsity teams, race officials said.)

Racing on the rolling hills of Gale Woods -- the venuel later this fall for the always-epic 6AA Section Championship -- begins at 3:30 p.m. The boys' varsity race commences at 4:30 p.m. followed by the girl's varsity at 4:55 p.m.

Look to the Down the Backstretch Facebook page, HERE, for results of the meet.

Team USA Minn. Pleased with 20K Results

After placing all four of its participating athletes in the top-seven of the men's and women's races at the USA 20K Championships held in conjunction with the Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race in Connecticut, Team USA Minnesota athletes are happy with their performances and eager for the upcoming competitions on their schedules.

Team USA veteran Jason Lehmkuhle led the team with a runner-up finish in the men's race, running 1:00:36 to winner Abdi Abdirahman's 1:00:12. Teammate Andrew Carlson was 6th in 1:02:03.

In women's competition, seven-time USA champion Katie McGregor finished 3rd in 1:09:56. Teammate Meghan Peyton was 7th in 1:10:28.

Lehmkuhle, who is pointing for the Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston in January, entered the race hoping to improve his standing versus some of the athletes he competed against earlier in the season at the Falmouth Road Race in Massachusetts.

He succeeded, hitting the chute ahead of former Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champ Fernando Cabada, former Team USA Minnesota teammate Patrick Smyth, and Arizona-based Brett Gotcher, who had each bettered him on Cape Cod.

McGregor ran a largely solo race in New Haven.

“I was in no man’s land,” the University of Michigan alumnus said afterward, “but it was a good race. I’m just starting up after a couple of months of good training so I wanted to do this race to see where I was at. I still have a lot of work to do but I feel this was a step in the right direction.”

Lehmkuhle, McGregor, and Peyton are scheduled to compete at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile in October. The race will serve as the USA 10 Mile Championship for both men and women this year.

Carlson said training for his marathon debut at the Medtronic Twin Cities Maraton this fall impacted his performance.

“I have marathon legs right now and basically one gear,” the University of Minnesota alumnus said. “On a day like today, with the humidity, you race for place. I’ve run 59:26 in New Haven before so it was a slow day for everyone given the conditions."

Find complete results HERE. Watch race videos HERE.

Gene Niemi Photos: MDRA Victory 10K

Team USA Minnesota's Josh Moen wins the men's race in 29:39.

Kristen Nicolini wins the women's race in 34:41.

Photos by Gene Niemi.

Thorson Climbs to Top of Class AA Boys' Ranks

Wayzata senior Josh Thorson, who won the Columbus Catholic Invitational in Marshfield, Wisconsin on Saturday, has vaulted to the top of the MSHSL Class AA boys' individual cross country rankings this week.

At the meet, Thorson beat #6-ranked Tom Linner Stillwater, who finished third and Cole O'Brien of Burnsville, the State Meet runner-up in 2010 and the #1-ranked runner in the Class AA preseason poll, who finished fourth.

(The runner-up at Marshfield was Hudson, Wisconsin junior Ryan Kromer, the son of former University of Minnesota stand-out John Kromer.)

The top of the rest of the Class AA ranks remained unchanged: Stillwater and Monticello still lead the team rankings and Shakopee junior Maria Hauger -- who romped at the Rolf Melby Invitational at St. Olaf on Saturday -- still tops the girls' individual rankings.

In Class A, the top team spot remain unchanged: the St. Cloud Cathedral boys and Adrian girls still pace the division and Blake's Brandon Clark still tops the boys' individuals.

The top-ranked Class A girl this week is now Clare Flanagan of Blake who moved from #7 to #1 in the latest poll.

Find complete rankings below ...

Class AA

Boys' Teams

1. Stillwater
2. Wayzata
3. Rosemount
4. Edina
5. Moorhead
6. Andover
7. White Bear Lake
8. Eastview
9. Mounds View
10. Eden Prairie
11. Owatonna
12. Sartell – St Stephen

Others receiving votes: Burnsville, Forrest Lake, Mahtomedi, Monticello

Boys' Individuals:

1. Josh Thorson, Wayzata
2. Zach Roozen, Mounds View
3. Glen Ellingson, Moorhead
4. Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
5. Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo
6. Tom Linner, Stillwater
7. Nathan Rock, Rosemount
8. Mubarik Musa, Worthington
9. Jan Ketterson, Bloomington Jefferson
10. Joel Reichow, White Bear Lake
11. Joey Duerr, Chaska
12. Connor Olson, Wayzata

Others receiving votes: Tyler Broadwell, Sartell - St Stephen; Ahmed Bule, St Paul Central; Will Burke, Edina; Wayde Hall, Stillwater; Sidney Speir, Eagan; Parker Wharram, Mound Westonka


Girls' Teams:

1. Monticello
2. Lakeville South
3. Eden Prairie
4. Andover
5. Prior Lake
6. Wayzata
7. Roseville
8. Eagan
9. East Ridge
10. Sartell
11. Alexandria
12. Stillwater

Girls' Individuals
1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Erica Seidenkrantz, 12, Monticello
4. Nicole Heitzman, 11, Andover
5. Amber Seidenkratz, 10, Monticello
6. Kaelyn Williams, 12, Robbinsdale Cooper
7. Jenna Truedson, 9, Bemidji
8. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
9. Emily Knapczyk, 12, Robbinsdale Armstrong
10. Chrissy Monson, 11, Albert Lea
11. Taylor Scholl, 12, Prior Lake
12. Piper Bain, 12, Edina


Class A

Boys' Teams:

1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Minnehaha Academy
3. Perham
4. Esko
5. Winona Cotter
6. Waseca
7. Blake
8. Albany
9. Mora
10. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
11. LaCrescent
12. St.James

Boys' Individuals:

1. Brandon Clark Blake
2. Jonnathan Surber St. James
3. Shane Streich Waseca
4. Byron Schuldt Nevis
5. Matt Welch Proctor
6. Nick Stoks Canby-Minneota/LinHi
7. Jacob Siekmeier Math&Science Acad
8. Cade Ekstrom Madelia/Truman
9. Charlie Lawrence Foley
10. Jesse Delgado Waseca
11. Matt Schrupp Winona Cotter
12. Micheal Wagner Eveleth-Gilbert

Girls' Teams:

1. Adrian
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. Blake
4. LaCrescent
5. Waseca
6. Albany
7. Annandale
8. Park Rapids
9. Perham
10. United South Central/AC
11. Trinity at River Ridge
12. Esko

Girls' Individuals:

1. Clare Flanagan Blake
2. Jordan Kopplow Adrian
3. Cheyanne Bower S., James
4. Victoria Alexander Lake of the Woods
5. Emi Trost Cannon Falls
6. Greta Danielson St. Cloud Cath.
7. Jordan Chancellor Blake
8. Sally O”Brien Waseca
9. Kallyn Knutson Esko
10. Lydia Lutz Park Rapids
11. McKenzie Holt St. Cloud Christian
12. Megan Sauer Adrian