Gopher Half-Milers Highlight Busy Weekend

University of Minnesota 800-meter runners headlined a busy weekend of track and field, taking four of the top 10 places at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, California on Saturday.

Indoor All-American David Pachuta finished third, running 1:48.45, a new outdoor personal best. Harun Abda was fifth at 1:48.87, while Nick Hutton placed ninth at 1:49.53 and Travis Burkstrand was tenth at 1:49.62.

Selected Gopher men and women competed in California on Friday and Saturday, while teammates -- and lots of small college and post-collegiate runners -- competed at Saturday's Hamline Invitational in St. Paul.

The Hamline Invite kicked off with a bang as some of the state's most decorated female long-distance runners raced one-another at 5000-meters. Seven-time USA champion Katie McGregor topped Olympian Carrie Tollefson for the win.

McGregor clocked 16:12.98 to Tollefson's 16:26.63. Former Minneapolis Southwest and U of M star Jamie Cheever was third at 16:33.29; Meghan Peyton was fourth at 16:48.98.


Additional Gopher highlights from Stanford included Cameron Boy's third-place finish in the 200-meters with 21.33 and Quentin Mege third-place result in the hammer throw with 205-9.

Among the crew of Gopher women at Stanford, Katie Moraczewski set a 15-second PR in the 3000m steeplechase at 10:18.60m putting her #5 on the Gopher all-time list.

Find complete Stanford Invitational results HERE.

Find wrap-ups of the Gopher action at Stanford and Hamline HERE and HERE (men) and HERE women.

Find complete Hamline Invitational results HERE (men) and HERE (women).

Photo by Becky Miller/Gopher Track Shots. From left to right, Jamie Cheever, Carrie Tollefson, and Katie McGregor.