Pre-Olympic Track & Field News Round-Up

With Olympic track and field competition set to commence in the wee hours Friday, we'll take today to clear the (rather messy) DtB news desk of items that haven't made our pages yet ...

Association Honors Coaches ... The Minnesota Cross Country Coaches' Association recently inducted Mike Jacobs and Roger Twigg into its Hall of Fame. 

Jacobs has coached the boys' and girls' cross country and track teams at Marshall High School for 32 years. He served as an art teacher for 38 years in the Marshall district prior to his retirement in 2011. During his tenure, Jacobs' teams won 30 conference championships (12 girls and 18 boys).

His girls teams participated in the MSHSL Class AA state Meet 10 times, with seven consecutive appearances from 1994 through 2000 and with top finishes of third in 1995 and fourth in 1997 and 2006. Coach Jacobs’ boys’ teams participated in five Class AA state meets finishing second in 2002 and winning championships in 2003 and 2004. The 2004 team featured individual champion, Yahya Iman and posted a score of 34 points.

Roger Twigg (l) and Mike Jacobs.

Twigg started the boys' and girls' cross country programs at Crosby-Ironton High School and has been the coach for 39 years. He has been the head Track coach for 28 years and formerly was an assistant wrestling coach. Presently he serves as a registered MSHSL track official. Twigg taught 8th grade geography for 34 years and served as Athletic Director at Crosby-Ironton High School for 15 years until his retirement.

During his career as a high school cross country coach, three boys’ teams and nine girls teams were Class A state meet participants. Crosby-Ironton has had 44 individual entries in the state meet with 14 accomplishing All-State honors. His track and field teams have had 76 state meet participants with 26 place winners. Two were state champions including state meet high hurdles record holder Lynn Fruendienst.

The organization also named its 2011 Coaches of the Year: Gregg Greeno, St. Michael-Albertville (AA Girls), Jamie Kirkpatrick, Edina (AA Boys), and Twigg, Crosby-Ironton (A Boys), and Kent Viesselman of United South Central (A Girls)

Grey Named Roads Scholar ... Team USA Minnesota distance runner Jon Grey was named one of six Road Runners Club of America "Roads Scholars." The grant program is designed to assist American post-collegiate runners "who show great promise to develop into national and world-class road running athletes."

Grey, who joined Team USA Minnesota in September, is the reigning USA Track & Field Club Cross Country Champion.  A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Grey was a three-time All-American as a collegian.  He sports a 28:26.44 10,000-meter personal best.

Read about all the Roads Scholars HERE.

Andrew Rock.

Rock to Coach at Bethel ... Olympic gold medalist Andrew Rock has been named the men's and women's track and field coach at Bethel University, the school has announced.

Rock, who has served as a Carleton College assistant coach recently, was the 2006 USA champion at 400-meters and earned World Championship and Olympic gold medals as a member of the USA's 4 x 400-meter relay teams in 2007 and 2008.

Rock did his collegiate racing at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, where he won nine NCAA Division III individual titles and participated on eight national championship teams. Rock finished his collegiate career as a 17-time All-American, with four NCAA Division III national records.

Read Bethel University's media release about the hiring HERE.