News Bits

Perham Focus report on Perham's XC team's first meet, the Shocky Strand Invitational  is HERE.

Red Wing Republican Eagle story on the  results from the Stewartville Invitational is HERE.

Team USA Minnesota's Gabriele Anderson continues her Euro summer tour on Sunday running the 1500 at the ISTAF Meet in Berlin.

Star Tribune three story lines for 2013 XC season is HERE.

St. Cloud Times story on St. Cloud Christian's McKenzie Holt is HERE.

ABCNewspapers feature on Ben Olson is HERE.

Yes/No: Three Minnesotans in the top ten at USATF 20k Championships?

This Labor Day, the USA Running Circuit (USARC) will make a stop in New Haven, Connecticut for the USATF 20k Championships.  The 36th Annual Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race has attracted a strong domestic field, including top Americans Matt Tegenkamp, Abdi Abdirahman and Alisha Williams.

Several Minnesotans stand to challenge the leaders, including Kelly Brinkman, Stephanie Price, Meghan Peyton, Melissa Gacek and Andrew Carlson.

Minnesotans have historically run well at New Haven.  How will they run in 2013?  Let us know what you think...

Yes/No: Will three or more runners from Minnesota finish in the top ten (men or women) of the USATF 20k Championships at New Haven?

In 2012, Katie McGregor was the only Minnesotan in the top ten.  However in 2011, Jason Lehmkuhle finished second, McGregor was third, Andrew Carson was sixth and Meghan Peyton finished seventh.

Here are some links for more information:
- Team USA Minnesota press release
- USATF 20k Championship
- 2013 Entries
- New Haven 20k
- 2012 Results
- 2011 Results

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 7:40 A.M. CDT, Monday, September 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 a bonus for participants making their 2013 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My Answer:  No

The last question was:  Will Wally Ellenson medal (finish in the top three) at the Pan Am Junior Championship in the High Jump? The answer was yes - not only did Ellenson finish in the top three, he placed first.  Fourteen people answered correctly this week.  Lori Anne Schwiesow and Mary Varney are tied for first with eighteen points.   They are followed closely by Pat Foley and Dimitri Drekonja with seventeen points.

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

No Records in Zurich 5K

No records were set in the women's 5K at the Weltklasse IAAF Diamond League Meet in Zurich on Thursday as Meseret Defar won the race in 14:32.83 and Tirunesh Debaba was second in 14:34.82.  Team USA Minnesota's Gabriele Anderson and Uganda's Janet Achola paced the pair through 3K in 8:54. Race video is HERE.

Liz Podominick's Post Worlds Interview

Amanda Bingson(hammer), Alyssa Hasslen
(shot),  and Liz Podominick in the stadium
in Moscow

For Liz Podominick the IAAF World Championships in Moscow was her first step on the international stage as a competitor.  She hopes to take what she learned from the experience and apply it to get to the next level where she's not merely participating but in the thick of the competition.  Below she shares her thoughts on the experience and photos from her time in Moscow

Down the Backstretch: Moscow as your first World Championship experience, was it what you expected or did some things surprise you?

Liz Podominick: I can say yes and yes. USATF, the support staff and other athletes, did an amazing job in preparing me on what to expect. Things like the warm-up/check-in procedures, the walk-through the day prior to the start of competition to "test" the circle, etc. They were really well explained, and if I had a question, they made sure to find the answer. 

I understand the scope of the logistics involved for such a huge event from my work experience with US Figure Skating, but it also amazed me being on the athlete side this time. I cannot even begin to say how thankful I am for what everyone did. I really did not have to focus on anything else but my competition and getting ready for it. I felt truly blessed.

DtB: You said one takeaway from the competition was that you belonged in that sort of competition.  Did you have doubts doing in?  If so what convinced you that you could hold your own at the top level of the sport?

LP: While I was nervous to compete, they were the typical performance nerves. I didn't feel wide-eyed and unsure when I walked into the stadium. I had a sort of inner peace that this was the start of something huge for me. This same sort of thing happened to me when I started to compete at the national stage as a post-collegiate three years ago, I just knew I belonged but it was going to take some time. 

My marks were not indicative of how I actually threw. My last two throws may have gotten me into the finals, but I just couldn't quite save them. I am proud that I knew what adjustments to make without my coach being there. 

A lot of the women competing were not throwing at their best. I was not the only one nervous to compete. I know I am on the right track, but I also realize now that I need more international experience. Little things like just adjusting to international travel and a drastically different time zone, as well as my body's reaction to jet lag and a longer season was invaluable. I made sure to note how my body was feeling so that I can be better prepared for future international events. 

DtB:  Was there anything from the experience that stood out?  Either on or off the track?

LP: Some of it is really hard to put in words and you have to be there to understand it. But just hanging out with the other athletes from Team USA (and other countries) after competing is a memory that I will have forever. The inspiration I found watching other athletes compete for their country is addictive and the chance to be a part of it makes me determined to be back at that stage again. 

It's just a whole different level of understanding and confidence I have gained just by going through the experience. I truly believe it's going to carry over into next season and the seasons to come.

Decathlete Gunnar Nixon, Podominick, Jeremy Taiwo(decathlon),
and Hasslen in Moscow.

DtB:  You said going in that the goal was to make the final.  You didn’t do that, but did you observe what it takes to get to the next level?  What it will take for you to go one step further next time?

LP: Mostly I realized that what I am doing is taking me on the correct path. I just need more time to develop. Some of it comes down to strength, which just takes time, and many of the habits that I have been trying to break need to be fixed. It's very encouraging. I believe that the next time I am in that situation, I will have the experience and skills to compete with the best!

DtB:  Your coach, Mac Wilkins, is moving down to the OTC in Chula Vista.  You’ve applied to train there.  How does that process go?  What are the criteria?  When will you know whether you’re in or not?

LP: I am waiting to get the final approval that I am in, but I meet all the criteria (A standard, showing improvement, made a team, etc.). So, I am in the process of selling/donating a lot of my stuff, squeezing a visit home (with a possible small fundraiser fit into the tight schedule), getting an agent, and planning for the next season. 

DtB:  You haven’t just been training for the discus, but you were defending your thesis in between Nationals and the World Championships.  What’s the subject?  How did that go?

LP: I definitely had a lot on my plate, which was of my own doing, but it needed to get done. It took a bit of a toll on my training and body. My thesis examined how physical activity is portrayed across the lifespan in women's magazines. 

t was an interesting subject to me and found some results that will hopefully impact future research. I passed the oral defense (in July before leaving for Worlds), and I just found out today that my final draft has been approved, so it literally feels like a ton has been lifted off my shoulders! I am waiting for it to sink in...

Brittany Borman(javelin), Hasslen, Tia Brooks(shot put)
Podominick, and Inika McPherson(high jump)
at the airport

Gabriele Anderson to Pace Women's 5K in Zurich IAAF Diamond League Meet

Gabriele Anderson. Photo by David Monti

Team USA Minnesota's Gabe Anderson has another pacer job, as she will be setting up the field for the women's 5K at the Weltklasse Meet in Zurich, an IAAF Diamond League Meeting, on Thursday.  The 5K is probably the most loaded field in a meet that features, among others, Usain Bolt in the 100.

The women's 5K is billed as a battle between the top two female distance runners in the world--Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar of Ethiopia.  Also in the field are the US's Jenny Simpson and Molly Huddle.  Dibaba and Defar could have a shot at the Dibaba's world record of 14:11.15(Defar has a PR of 14:12.88).  Huddle's American 5K record of 14:44.76, set in 2010, could also be in jeopardy.

Meet startlists and results will be HERE.

USTFCCCA NCAA DIII XC National Rankings

St. Olaf's men's team is ranked fifteenth in the USTFCCCA NCAA DIII XC rankings.  St. Johns' is tied for thirtieth.  In the women's rankings, Carleton in fourteenth and St. Ben's twenty-ninth.  Full list is HERE.

Grandma's News: Jon Carlson Interim ED; Minnesota Mile Set for September 8

The Grandma’s Marathon-Duluth, Inc. board of directors has announced the selection of Jon Carlson as the organization’s interim executive director.

Carlson has been the nonprofit organization’s race director since July 2003 after retiring from Minnesota Power, where he had worked since 1980 in the employee benefits department. He served on the Grandma’s Marathon board from October 2002 until being hired as a full-time employee.

A graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth and Hermantown (Minn.) High School, Carlson resides in Duluth with his wife and two children.

Carlson officially begins his new role on Sept. 1. He takes over for Scott Keenan who is stepping down after 37 years with the organization. Keenan started Grandma’s Marathon with the North Shore Striders Running Club in 1977 and announced in May that the 2013 Grandma’s Marathon would be his last as executive director. The organization’s signature race, Grandma’s Marathon, is the 14^th largest marathon in the U.S. and is presented by Toyota and Wells Fargo.

The seventh running of the Minnesota Mile road race is scheduled for Sunday, September 8 in downtown Duluth. This one-mile event – hosted by Grandma’s Marathon – is open to runners of all skill levels.

The Minnesota Mile offers runners a unique opportunity to secure a spot in next year’s Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, as 250 finishers will be randomly selected to receive guaranteed entries into the 2014 half marathon on June 21. This is an excellent chance for runners to gain an automatic entry to the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon without needing to enter the lottery system.

Registration for all divisions is available online at www.GrandmasMarathon.com. The pre-registration entry fee is $20 and late registration (September 7 and 8) is $30.

The race begins one block east of Fitger’s on Superior Street and finishes near the Holiday Center.

The Minnesota Mile event includes a number of race divisions:

8:50 a.m. - Wheelchair Mile

9:00 a.m. - Verizon Wireless Kids Mile (Ages 8 to 14 - FREE)

9:20 a.m. - All City Mile (Recreational)

10:00 a.m. - Duluth Mile (Semi-Elite)

10:20 a.m. – Grandma’s Minnesota Mile (Elite - $20,100 Prize Purse)

The Minnesota Mile is the last event on the 14-stop nationwide inaugural Bring Back the Mile Tour 2013. For more on the Bring Back the Mile Tour, visit www.bringbackthemile.com.

USTFCCCA NCAA DII XC National Rankings

Minnesota State Mankato men are ranked 21st in the USTFCCCA NCAA DII rankings.  Winona State is ranked ninth and UMD fourteenth in the women's DII poll.

USTFCCCA DII & DIII NCAA Region XC Rankings

The USTFCCCA Region XC Rankings are out and Minnesota State Mankato is ranked fourth in the men's Central Region.  The NSIC and MIAA conferences dominates the women's Central Region rankings with each having five teams in the top ten.  The NSIC's Augustana is first, Winona State is second, UMD is third, MSU Mankato fifth, and U-Mary eighth.  Full listing for all the Regions are HERE.

In DIII the MIAC has four teams in the men's top ten led by St. Olaf in second, St. John's in third, St. Thomas sixth, and Carleton in tenth.  For the women seven Minnesota teams are in the top ten, six of them from the MIAC.  Carleton is ranked second, followed by St. Olaf in fourth, St. Ben's fifth, Gustavus sixth, St. Thomas seventh and Concordia Moorhead eighth.  St. Scholastica from the UMAC Conference is tenth.  Full Regional listing is HERE.

Gopher Women Ranked 19th in USTFCCCA NCAA DI XC Pre-Season Poll

Gopher women's XC team is ranked 19th in the USTFCCCA Di Pre-Season poll HERE. Wood Report on Minnesota is HERE.

Minnesota Men Take Top Two Spots in Ultra

The Duluth News-Tribune has a report on the Lean Horse 100-Mile Ultra HERE. Minnesota men took the top two spots.  Complete results are HERE.

Scott Keenan Retires from Grandma's Marathon, But Not Politics

Grandma's Marathon founder and only race director until Friday will be getting back into politics.  Keenan is running for an open seat on the St. Louis County Board that covers East Duluth.  Tonight the Grandma's Board of Directors will select an interim Executive Director for the race.  Keenan's last official day as Executive Director is Friday.  Duluth News Tribune story on Keenan's jump back into politics is HERE.

2013 USTFCCCA Regional DI NCAA XC Rankings

The Gopher women are ranked  first and the Gopher men sixth in the USTFCCCA Pre-Season Midwest Region XC Rankings HERE.  Gopher women's press release is HERE.

Burkstrand, Finan, and Stack Newest Members of Team USA Minnesota

Team USA Minnesota has added three up-and-coming distance runners – Eric Finan, Travis Burkstrand and Dani Stack – to its training group.The athletes, who are recent college graduates, will officially be on board September 1.

Finan is from Ohio and a graduate of the University of Cincinnati.  Burkstrand and Stack are native Minnesotans with Burkstrand running collegiately at the University of Minnesota and Stack at Iowa State University.  Among them they hold eight All-America distinctions in either cross country or track.

“Eric, Travis, and Dani are great additions to our grou, and I’m really looking forward to working with them,” said Dennis Barker, Team USA Minnesota coach.  “Eric already has good range and potential from the mile up through the half marathon, Travis will be a nice complement to our highly-ranked mid-distance women, and Dani has the talent to be a top distance runner.”

At New Richmond High School in Ohio, Finan was a standout prep athlete in cross country and track.  At Cincinnati, the two-time All American set school records in the 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m and was the Big East Cross Country Champion and the Big East 5000m Champion.  In 2011, he was 25th at NCAA Cross and 10th in the 5000m at NCAA Outdoor.  He debuted on the roads at the 2013 USA Half Marathon Championships in Duluth with a time of 1:04:42.  He has a BA in mechanical engineering and an MBA.

Burkstrand is a 2008 graduate of Eastview High School where he was a four-time all-state performer in cross country and track and also lettered in hockey.  At Minnesota, he was a four-time All American, a six-time Big Ten Championship medalist, a six-time Drake Relays Champion, and set four school records.  His specialties were the 800 meters and relay teams including the 4x800m and DMR. He was a two-year member of the U’s cross country team.  He expects to receive his MA in graphic design from the U in 2014.

Stack competed at Loyola Catholic High School in Mankato where she holds the school record in the 800 and 1600 meters, placed fourth in both the 1600m and 3200m at the Class A Minnesota State Track meet, and qualified for the State Cross Country meet three times.  At Iowa State, she was a two-time All American and nine-time All-Big 12 competitor in track and cross country.  She twice competed in the 10,000m at NCAA Outdoor and was a member of two cross country teams that competed at the NCAA Championships.  She has a BA in dietetics and journalism.

Photos of Newest Members of Team USA Minnesota

Travis Burkstrand. Photo Courtesy
of  Mike Scott

Dani Stack

Eric Finan

Wally Ellenson Wins Pan Am Juniors High Jump

Wally Ellenson at US Championships
Photo by Gene Niemi

Gopher high jumper Wally Ellenson won the gold medal in the high jump at the Pan American Juniors on Sunday with a leap of 2.16m/7'  1". Complete meet results HERE seem to have everything but the full high jump results.  Photo of Ellenson and Justin Fondron(University of Alabama), who took the bronze with a leap of 2.13m/6' 11.75", on Instagram HERE. Media report of the win HERE. July interview with Ellenson talking mostly about his other sport, basketball, is HERE.

Peyton and Kampf Do A Crim Double

Team USA Minnesota's Meghan Peyton and Heather Kampf completed their Crim Festival of Races double on Saturday.  Peyton finished sixth in the 10-Mile in 56:41, while Kampf was tenth in 58:47.  On Friday Kempf won the Michigan Mile, and Peyton was fifth. Women's 10-mile results are HERE.

Maggie Ewen Wins Silver in Pan Am Juniors Discus

Maggie Ewen finished second in the Pan Am Junior Championship discus on Saturday in Columbia.  She led the competition with her final throw, but took the silver with a toss of 50.49m/165' 7" as Brazil's Izabela da Silva had a huge last throw of 54.15m/177' 7.75".

 "I felt pretty good on my first two throws," Ewen said.  "When I got to my last one I decided I needed a big one. My legs were slow today, I was really tired. The key was just to get my mind right. I feel like I could have done more." Results with the full series of each thrower are HERE.

Maggie Ewen at the MSHSL Championships
Photo by Gene Niemi

Thirteen Picked for UST Hall of Fame

Four track athletes are among the thirteen selected for induction into the University of St. Thomas Athletic Hall of Fame on September 19.

The new additions, who represent ten of UST’s 20 varsity sports, bring the the Tommies' Athletic Hall membership to 184 individuals and one team since the first inductions in 1974.

Tommie women’s athletics has grown rapidly since its debut in 1977-78. There are a record eight females being inducted this year -– the first time one class has more women than men inductees. That brings the total of women in the Athletic Hall to 37.

Past inductions to the UST Hall were held every three years, although this is the first group added since 2007.

2013 St. Thomas Athletics Hall of Fame inductees:

Jake Barkley  2003  Football

Nicole Conway  2006  Softball

Roman Cress  2003  Track & Field

Carrie Embree  2007  Softball, Basketball

Jane Gibbs-Becker  2004  Volleyball

Kristal Grigsby  2006  Track & Field

Andrew Hilliard 2003  Track & Field, Football

Diane Loughlin Urick  1989  Track & Field, Cross Country

Janet Nagel  2006  Softball

Steve Pignato  1997  Baseball        

Isaac Rosefelt  2007  Basketball

Tessie Thompson 2003  Soccer

Michelle Wong  2005  Softball

Ewen Competes at Pan Am Juniors

ASU Sun Devil and the state's all-time record holder Maggie Ewen will compete tomorrow in the women's discus at the Pan American Junior Championships in Medellin, Columbia.  Live results can be found here and a live feed of the championships can be found here.

Women's discus begins at 11:00am tomorrow.

Ben Blankenship and Heather Kampf Win Michigan Mile Titles

It was a Minnesota sweep at the Michigan Mile, part of the Crim Festival of Races in Flint, MI, on Friday.  Ben Blankenship won the men's race in 4:05.59.  Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf ran 4:47.27.

Richard Kandie and Elly Sang, Kenyans who run for for the Coon Rapids based Duma Runners Club, finished ninth(4:14.33) and  twelfth(4:19.59), respectively, in the men's mile.  Team USA Minnesota's Meghan Peyton was fifth in the women's mile in 4:58.02. Full results are HERE.

Coverage of the race with photos is HERE.

More News Bits

Kara Goucher talks about Boston, branding, and doing an ultra  HERE.

Preview of the Junior Pan Ams is HERE.

Stillwater Gazette story on the Twi-Lite 5K is HERE.

Duluth News Tribune articles on Scott Jurek's return to racing at last weekend's Leadville 100 is HERE, HERE, and  HERE. iRunFar.com pre-Leadville interview is HERE.

2013 NSIC Pre-season XC Rankings

Augustana College men and women's cross country teams topped in the 2013 NSIC Cross Country Pre-season Rankings voted on by the conference coaches. The Vikings will boast both NSIC Preseason Athletes of the Year in Paul Yak and Runa Falch.  Yak is the two-time defending NSIC Cross Country Champions, while Falch won the NSIC Championship in 2010 & 2011 and finished in third last season. Augustana men have won the last four NSIC Cross Country Championships, while the women are five-time defending champions, including winning the 2011 NCAA DII National Championship and finished second in 2012.

On the men's side, Augustana received the max of 12 first place votes (coaches cannot vote for own school) and tallied 144 points, 19 points ahead of Minnesota State Mankato, who had 125 points and the other first place vote.  Sioux Falls (122) was third followed by the University of Mary and Minnesota Duluth (99), which tied for fourth.

On the women's side, Augustana garnered 13 top votes as they amassed 195 points. The University of Mary came in second with 166 points and the other two first place votes.  Winona State was third with 161 points followed by Minnesota Duluth in fourth with 158 points. Minnesota State Mankato came in fifth with 156 points.

	Men's Preseason Coaches' Poll				Women's Preseason Coaches' Poll
1	Augustana (12)	144		1	Augustana (13)	195
2	Minnesota State (1)	125		2	University of Mary (2)	166
3	Sioux Falls	122		3	Winona State	161
4	University of Mary	99		4	Minnesota Duluth	158
	Minnesota Duluth	99		5	Minnesota State	156
6	MSU Moorhead	91		6	Sioux Falls	127
7	St. Cloud State	86		7	MSU Moorhead	114
8	Northern State	60		8	St. Cloud State	107
9	Winona State	53		9	Northern State	88
10	Minot State	42		10	Minot State	66
11	Wayne State	35		11	Bemidji State	62
12	Concordia-St. Paul	33		12	Concordia-St. Paul	55
13	Southwest Minnesota State	25		13	Southwest Minnesota State	53
	first place votes in ( )			14	Wayne State	47
				15	Upper Iowa University	20

For the second straight season, Augustana's Paul Yak has been picked by the league coaches as the NSIC Preseason Athlete of the Year. Yak is the two-time defending NSIC Men's Cross Country Champion and NSIC Athlete of the Year.  He finished seventh at the NCAA Central Region meet to earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors.  Two years ago, Yak earned All-American honors after finishing 11th at the NCAA DII Championship.

For the third consecutive year, Augustana's Runa Falch has been selected as the NSIC Preseason Athlete of the Year. Falch won the 2010 & 2011 NSIC Cross Country Championships before finishing third last year.  But Falch rebounded to win the 2012 NCAA Central Region title and finish eighth in the nation to earn All-American Honors for the third straight year.

The NSIC Women's Cross Country field has expanded once again in 2013 with the addition Upper Iowa, to amass a total of 15 women's teams and 13 men's teams.

NSIC Cross Country teams will compete in various meets throughout the fall with the season culminating in Sioux Falls, SD on Saturday, October 26th at the NSIC Cross Country Championships.  The NCAA Regional will take place two weeks later on Saturday, November 9th in again at Yankton Trails in Sioux Falls, SD The NCAA DII National Cross Country Championships will be held at Plants Ferry Athletic Complex in Spokane, Washington on November 23, 2013.

2013 NSIC Cross Country Athletes to Watch

Augustana
Paul Yak	Sr.	Storm Lake, Iowa
Runa Falch	Sr.	Steinkjer, Norway
Bemidji State
Emily Turner	So.	Bringham Lake, Minn.
Concordia-St. Paul
Joshua Smith	So.	Ashland, Wis.
Anna Schield	Jr.	Two Harbors, Minn.
University of Mary
Taylor Thompson	Sr.	Williston, ND
Jennifer Agnew	Sr.	Onamia, Minn.
Minnesota Duluth
Dan Nielsen	Jr.	Andover, Minn.
Kaelyn Williams	So.	Golden Valley, Minn.
Minnesota State
Devin Allbaugh	Sr.	Bettendorf, Iowa
Emily Knapczyk	So.	Plymouth, Minn.
MSU Moorhead
Cody Christ	So.	Dazey, ND
Molly Montonye	So.	Graceville, Minn.
Minot State
Joel Cartwright	So.	Great Falls, Mont.
Kara Kuntz	Jr.	Voltaire, ND
Northern State
Jake Arechigo	Sr.	Sioux Falls, SD
Whitney Kuyper	Jr.	Stickney, SD
Sioux Falls
Billy Brockmueller	Jr.	Brandon, SD
Sierra Harder	Sr.	Mountain Lake, Minn.
Southwest Minnesota State
Alex Solheim	So.	Slayton, Minn.
Tatum Larson	So.	Canton, SD
St. Cloud State
Gemechu Bekelcho	So.	Minneapolis, Minn.
Kassie Vaness	Sr.	Oxford, Wis.
Upper Iowa
Courtney Fullmer	Jr.	Buford, Ga.
Wayne State
Greg Tracy	Sr.	Omaha, Neb.
Skyler Lippman	Sr.	Pierce, Neb.
Winona State
Billy Eifert	Jr.	Cambridge, Minn.
Jessica Young	Jr.	Winona, Minn.

Will Leer Wins B section of 1500 at DN Galan IAAF Diamond League Meet: Anderson 14th in 3K

US indoor champ Will Leer won the B section of the 1500 at the DN Galan IAAF Diamond League Meet on Thursday in 3:36.97.  The US took the top three places in the race. Full results are HERE. The 1500 A final was won in 3:33.59 by Djbouti's  Ayanleh Souleiman. Those results are HERE.

Team USA Minnesota's Gabriele Anderson finished 14th in the 3K in 8:59.68.  Full result for the 3K is HERE.

News Bits

Star Tribune story on the Edina girls XC team is HERE.

Chanhassan Villager article on the girls and boys XC teams is HERE.

Pine Journal article on retired Esko coach Jerry Zimny, who was named to the  Minnesota High School XC Coaches Association Hall of Fame is HERE.

Stillwater grad Sean Graham hired as assistant men's distance coach for the University of Kentucky. Story HERE.

Stillwater Twi-light 5K Set for Thursday Evening

Stillwater HS's annual Twi-light 5K set for Thursday.  Stillwater Gazette blurb on it HERE.

Perham Begins XC Season with Time Trial

Call it a rite of Fall--Perham HS, like many cross country teams--runs a team time trial to kick off the start of XC season.  The Perham Focus has a story, results,  and photo of the event HERE.

Forest Lake Girls XC Featured in PP Photo Essay

The St. Paul Pioneer Press photo essay on the Forest Lake girls' XC team is HERE.

Yes/No: Will Wally Ellenson make the podium at Pan Am Juniors?

The last Yes/No question centered on former Gopher basketball and track and field athlete Liz Podominick.  This week, it feels only natural to turn our attention to current Gopher basketball and track and field athlete Wally Ellenson.  He may not have reached the same level of stardom as Podominick, but he certainly made a splash in his freshman year as a high jumper.

Ellenson finished eighth in the NCAA Outdoor Championships and second in the USA Junior Outdoor Championships.  According to the IAAF World Juniors list, he is currently tied for the third best mark in the world with his 7'2.5" jump (2.20 meters) at the NCAA Championships.

Wally Ellenson will travel to Medellin, Columbia for the Pan Am Junior Championships this weekend. (Maggie Ewen is also taking part, competing in the discus.) This meet is held every two years for track and field athletes nineteen years old or younger from the Americas.  Some of the best athletes in the world, of all time, have competed and won at this meet, including Carl Lewis, Javier Sotomayor and Usain Bolt.

How will Ellenson compete against this strong competition?  Let us know what you think with this question...

Yes/No: Will Wally Ellenson medal (finish in the top three) at the Pan Am Junior Championship in the High Jump?

Ellenson actually comes into the meet with the highest jump in the field this year at 2.20 meters.  However, three other jumpers are just a tick behind at 2.19 meters (Justin Fondren from the United States, Christoff Bryan from Jamaica and Alhaji Mansaray from Canada).

Heat Sheets are not available yet, but check these sites for more information on the meet as the week goes on:
 - Pan Am Juniors
 - Runnerspace
- USATF

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 3:30 P.M. CDT, Sunday, August 25th.  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 a bonus for participants making their 2013 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My Answer:  Yes

The last question was:  Will Liz Podominick qualify for the finals in the discus at the World Championships on Saturday? The answer was no - Liz Podominick finished in 21st place in the qualifying round.  Twelve people answered correctly this week.  Lori Anne Schwiesow and Mary Varney are tied for first with eighteen points.   Two points back are Pat Foley and Dimitri Drekonja at sixteen points.

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

Kim Jones: Winning the Big One

Kim Jones writes about winning the National Championship and making her first World Championships team in the final excerpt from her book Dandelion Growing Wild HERE.

Boys' HS Class A Pre-Season XC Rankings

Teams

                                        

Rank                                   2012

                                           Place

                                         

1     Perham                             1

2     Waseca                             3

3     Martin County West          4

4     Minnehaha Academy         8

5     St. Cloud Cathedral           2

6     Esko                                 6

7     Cotter                               5

8     Plainview-Elgin-Millville     9

9     Proctor                            11

10.   Mora                              14

11    Pelican Rapids                12

12    Albany                            13

Individuals

                                                        -

Rank                                                    2012

                                                             Place

1     Shane Streich,11,Waseca                      3

2     Nick Golebiowski,12, St. Cloud Cath.   4

3     Keeghan Hurley,12, Perham                  5

4     Ian Torchia,12, Rochester Lourdes        6

5     Jayden Cullen,12, Perham                     8

6.    Isaac Overmyer,11,Park Rapids           10

7     Richard Swanson,11, Kingsland            11

8     Mike Destache,11, St. Paul Acad.         15

9     TJ Schiltz,12, NRHEG                          17

10    Matt Schrupp,12, Cotter                      18

11    Billy Beseman,11, Perham                    19

12    Ephraim Bird,11,  Hope Acad.              24

Girls' HS Class A Pre-Season Rankings

Team             

                                       2012  Place

                                         

1     Annandale                        2

2     Waseca                            4

3     Dover-Eyota                     5

4     Perham                             7

5     Holdingford                      10

6     Rochester Lourdes            9

7     Esko                                 1

8.    Spectrum                           13

9     Canby/Minneota/Linc HI    11

10    Martin County West          12

11    LaCrescent                        --

12    Albany                              15

Individuals

                                                        -

Rank       Runner                                  2012

                                                              Place

1     Emi Trost,12, Cannon Falls                    2

2     Hannah Truniger,10,Mayer Lutheran      8

3     McKenzie Holt,12,St. Cloud Christian    3

4     Emily Mantor,12,United South Central    4

5     Elizabeth Schlafke,10, Annandale            6

6     Savannah Ramireze,12, Litchfield            6

7.    Madison Schandelmeier,9, Luverne         9

8     Kayla Huhnerkoch,11, Redwood Valley  11

9     Mary Naas,11, St. Paul Academy           12

10    Courtney Alama,12,                               13

11    Janessa Meuleners,11, Belle Plaine         14

12.   Kailee Kiminski,11, Esko                       15

Team USA Runners Back in Action on Roads and Track

The IAAF World Championships are done, but the summer track season continues.  Team USA Minnesota's Gabriele Anderson is returning to Europe for the second half of the summer track season.  She'll run the 3K in Stockholm on August 22 and the 1500 in Brussels on September 6. They are the final two meets of the IAAF Diamond League series.

Back in the US, the action is on the roads as Anderson's teammates Heather Kampf, Meghan Peyton, and Andrew Carlson do some road racing.  Peyton will run the Crim 10-mile August 24 and the US 20K Championship on September 2 with Carlson.  Kampf does another road mile at the Crim Festival of Races Michigan Mile on August 23.

Trinidad & Tobago and Nick Willis Fail to Make World Champs Finals

Alena Brooks
Photo courtesy of
U of M

Gopher grad Alena Brooks and her Trinidad and Tobago 4 by 400 relay team failed to qualify for the finals Friday at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.  Brooks did not run on the relay in the heat. The T&T team finished fifth in the second heat in 3:33.5. T&T story is HERE.

Medtronic TC Mile men's champ Nick Willis also fell short in qualifying for the 1500 finals, placing seventh in the first heat in 3:43.8.  Willis story is HERE. Only one US 1500 runner, Matt Centrowitz made the final. Full results for the 4 by 400 are HERE. For the 1500 HERE.

Want A Chance to Run on Target Field?

For the first time in the event’s history, runners in the 4^th annual Fifteen’s 5K, hosted by Minnesota Twins All-Star pitcher Glen Perkins and his wife Alisha, will finish their races on Target Field. The fun run stars near Gold Medal Park at 8:00 a.m. Sunday. 

The event, which supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and features Twins players awarding finishers’ medals, is organized by Twin Cities In Motion, the organizers of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and an array of other Twin Cities running events.

Participants will run to the Twins home ballpark from a starting line at 2^nd Street S. and S. 11th Avenue, looping through Minneapolis’ historic Mill and Warehouse Districts, before finishing on the Twins’ home field.

Already, more than 1100 runners have registered for the event.  In-person registration is available during packet pick-up at the Twin Cities In Motion offices and in the start area on race-day until the event reaches capacity. The registration fee is $46.

Packet pick-up at the TCM office runs Friday, August 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturday, August 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The Twin Cities In Motion offices are located at 2635 University Avenue West, Suite 190, St. Paul, 55114, in the Westgate III office complex. Race-day registration begins at 7:00 a.m. at the starting area. Find additional information on the event at tcmevents.org.