News: Sports Drinks: Kampf; Goucher; USATF MN Meet #4 Results; Peterson; Shawn Francis; Stress Relief

Eden Prairie alum John Davis writes about the science behind the composition of sports drinks HERE.

Heather Kampf(bottom row far left) and Gabe Grunewald(upper row, far right)
at the Liberty Mile dinner

Pre-Liberty Mile radio interview with Heather Kampf is HERE.

Kara Goucher to run the Philly Half on September 21 HERE.

Results of USATF Minnesota's Summer League Meet #4 are HERE.

Jon Peterson's latest blog entry on the Bix 7 and his "road trip" is HERE.

Woodbury Bulletin article on pole vaulter Shawn Francis, a Hastings native, helps out at local clinic is HERE.

Stress management: healthy diet, exercise, and sleep HERE.

News: Gabe Grunewald; Heat Acclimation; 1968/Echo Summit; A Professional Rabbit, Sports Gene/Badwater Ultra

Article on Team USA Minnesota's Gabe Grunewald is HERE.

Research study on heat stroke and the importance of acclimating properly prior to racing in extreme heat HERE.

Video of the recent "Return to Echo Summit," the site used by the 1968 US Olympic track team prior to the Games in Mexico City is HERE.

NPR story on the "life of a professional pacemaker(aka rabbit)" HERE.

MPR interview with author David Epstein on the Badwater ultra and his book the Sports Gene HERE.

Sign Up for the TrainMeUp MN Study

A University of Minnesota study is looking for active, lean subjects to see how exercise benefits metabolism, for the TrainMeUpMN study. Researchers are looking for active, lean people (Age 18-40) who run regularly (>45 minutes running, 5 days per week) and who are otherwise in good health. Researchers are interested in how the subject’s body has adapted to exercise.

The study will involve 4 outpatient visits to the University of Minnesota. The study will take about 3 months. Researchers will measure VO₂max, body composition using DXA, and muscle fat content. Researchers will measure muscle fat content by sampling muscle using a small needle in an outpatient procedure with local anesthesia (1 from each leg, 2 biopsies total).  Each muscle sample will be roughly the size of 2 pencil erasers. The procedure is a well-established technique which has been performed on high-level athletes for muscle evaluation.

Compensation will be provided. If interested, please email Tyler Bosch or Anne Bantle at endores@umn.edu or call 612-301-8309 

News: Kiefer; Michigan Track Classic/Heath and Kampf; Ryan Shay Women's Mile Finish Video, High Tech Workout Clothes; Running Health Benefits

Northfield Daily News report on pole vaulter Alexis Kiefer's runner-up finish at the USATF Junior Olympics last week is HERE.

Startlists for Michigan Track Classic men's Mile and women's 800 scheduled for August 10 are HERE.  Garrett Heath in the mile.  Heather Kampf in the 800.

Finish line videos from the women's race at the Ryan Shay mile are HERE.

Sales up for High-tech workout clothes HERE.

Running health benefits or risks have been a topic for a long time.  HERE is the most recent analysis of an Iowa State study that has had different interpretations since it was first introduced as an abstract two years ago.  Doubt that we've heard the last word on this topic.

News: Voyageur 50 Results; Kampf and Finnerty Interviews MJ on Money; Marathon Training Tips; US Pro Circuit

Full results for the Voyageur 50-Mile Trail run are HERE.

Heather Kampf video interview after Ryan Shay mile is HERE.

Rob Finnerty video interview after Ryan Shay mile is HERE.

Olympian now entrepreur and sports commentator Michael Johnson on his finances over the years: "I gone  from $3 an hour to $500,000 per race."  HERE

Tips on marathon training from Doug Kurtis, Grandma's and Twin Cities winner as well as having run 200 sub 3-hour marathons HERE.

Vin Lannana, who coached Bob Kempainen prior to coaching at Oregon, promotes the a pro circuit of track meets in the US HERE.

Minnesota Vaulters Place High at JO Nationals

Northfield's Alexis Kiefer tied for second in a tight competition in the Women's 17-18 pole vault at the USATF Junior Olympics in Texas on Friday.  Kiefer cleared 3.90m/12'9.5".  MSHSL Class A PV champion Andrianna Jacobs finished fifth in the event, clearing the same height.  Kally Long won the title clearing 4.05m/13'3.5" with the next four vaulters all at the same height with places decided on fewer misses. Result is HERE.

TrackTown High Performance Meet: Garrett Heath 6th in 1500; Harun Abda ran on Runner-Up 4 by 800 Relay Team

Garrett Heath finished sixth in the 1500 in 3:40.8.  Result is HERE  Harun Abda ran the second leg on the second place Oregon Elite team in the 4 by 800 relay that was timed in 7:16.8.  Result is HERE. .

Results: Peterson 5th, Finan 19th at Bix; Kampf, Finnerty Sweep Ryan Shay Mile Titles; Borst and Nowak Win at Voyageur 50

Team USA Minnesota's Jonathan Peterson finished fifth in the Bix 7 on Saturday in 33:54.  Teammate Eric Finan was 19th in 35:50.  Top 25 men and women results are HERE.

Heather Kampf wins third straight Ryan Shay mile in PR of 4:21.39. Kampf tweeted: "Fast day today! It took a 4:21.1 to capture a 3-peat victory at the Shay Mile! Grateful to run a great race to honor an amazing athlete!!" Women's results HERE. Women group photo HERE. Rob Finnerty started the Minnesota sweep of the Shay Mile titles winning the men's race in 3:56.98. Men's results HERE.

Michael Borst defended his 2013 Voyageur 50 title running 6:53.20 despite temperatures that reached 81 F. Christi Nowak won the women's race in 8:36.20. Duluth News Tribune story is HERE.

News: Voyageur 50-Mile; Race Cancellations; Bix 7 Race Coverage schedule, Dani Stack, Jonathan Peterson, David Epstein/Sports Science

Duluth News Tribune feature on the Voyageur 50-Mile  Trail race that will be run on Saturday is HERE.

KARE-11 report on the cancelled 5K Foam Fest race HERE.  Not an isolated case, as in this instance the company putting on the race has issued statements saying they are declaring bankruptcy.  Thus far race cancellations have not been common, but it is happening elsewhere as noted in the Milwaukee  Journal Sentinel article HERE.

KSTP story on Better Business Bureau recommendations for running event entrants HERE.

Coverage of Bix 7 on Saturday HERE. Live coverage as well as "encore" broadcast repeated in the afternoon. Team USA Minnesota's Eric Finan, and Jon Peterson will be running.

Des Moines Register  story on Team USA Minnesota's Dani Stack HERE.

Jonathan Peterson's blog on his experiences on the Euro track circuit is HERE.

Inquiring Minds radio program talking with author David Epstein(The Sports Gene) about science and sports is HERE. (Epsrtein interview starts at 26:35 of the program.)

Masters News: Susan Loyd

Susan Loyd reports from the USATF Masters Championships last weekend in North Carolina and wants to make people aware of the Minnesota Senior Games on August 2:  "the Minnesota Senior Games on August 2, 2014, at St. Thomas University will allow walk-up(entries)  for the first time ever! And, people who are 49, but who will turn 50 before December 31, 2014, CAN participate and qualify."

On her Nationals experience:
"It was a difficult Nationals for me due to a terrible knee injury. I could run, but I could not get out of the blocks, and limped my way through most of the competition. I really was lucky to make it to the finals in all my three events, and to be able to hold things together just enough.

I placed 4th in the 400m -1:15.25, 6th in the 100m with 15.87 and 7th in the 200m with 33.67. 

USATF is now recognizing relays in five year increments. And, my W55 4X100 Non-club team (Susan Loyd, Karen Maxwell, Vicki Fox and Cheryl Bellaire) set a new American Record at 60-69. (Fortunately, I ran anchor.....no blocks!)   Our W50 (not W55) 4X400m non-club team got silver with a 5:05.04 mark. (We had one gal on our team who was 50, so we had to run down).

The meet was so much fun, despite my injury. For the most part, things ran on time, and the weather was almost perfect. Jim(Schoffman), Tom (Langenfeld) and Sherwood (Sagedahl)looked great and had success. I always love competing with them. They are such an inspiration."

News: Torchlight 5K Results; Rudisha; Usain Bolt; Grandma's Youth Program, Amanda Smock; Jamie Cheever

Torchlight 5K results are HERE.

BBC documentary on David Rudisha HERE.

Follow the money, sponsor influence on the sport's biggest draws HERE.

Grandma's Wednesday Night at the Races Youth program photo album is HERE.

MIAC interview with Amanda Smock HERE.

My horrible year of running finally makes sense. I tore my left labrum in my hip in November. Next up is orthoscopic hip surgery.
— Jamie Cheever (@JamieCheever) July 24, 2014

News: World Junior Champs/Burns, NCAA Changes Interference Rule; Kenya/Rudisha, Blankenship, Charity Races, Running Form, 90-year-olds

Shaina Burns 23rd after first day of IAAF World Junior meet in Eugene with 2520 points.  Her point total is low as she was DQed in the 200, the last event of Day One.  She was seventh prior to the 200.  Her time in the 200 was 26.48,  which would have put her in thirteenth place in the pentathlon.  The DQ was for a lane violation. Results are HERE.  Burns moved up two places in the final day, finishing the competition in 21st place with 4582 points.  Results are HERE.

NCAA changes rules on "impeding" including the word "flagrantly" to the rule that deals with "interference" between runners on the track HERE.

Documentary on Kenyan runners narrated by Irish middle distance legend Eamonn Coghlan is HERE.

Luring Kenyan athletes to the Middle East HERE.

Haven't died. Foot issue has been resolved, now it's just a slow train a coming. Ready to begin the summer session @NikeRunning
— Benjamin Blankenship (@benfblankenship) July 23, 2014

Concerns about "oversaturation" of charity races HERE.

Study on impact of arms on running form, economy HERE. 

New York Times story on the "dream team" of 90 year old relay runners HERE.

A runner's Grandma's Marathon experience blog HERE.

USATF Masters Summary

Here's the wrap up from the USATF Masters Championships.  There were some glitches in the reporting of results and in WiFi coverage for people at the meet, so here is a summary of what happened in North Carolina courtesy of Tom Langenfeld: We missed one Minnesota gold medalist:  Chris Cohen of Chanhassen won the M45 400m hurdles in 63.15 on Sunday.  He earlier took third in the 110m highs in 17.14 (a Minnesota age group record) behind two hurdlers who were within a tenth of a second of the American record.  

Chris is a former Gopher defensive back but hadn’t hurdled since high school until last year.  (He wore a Gopher track uniform in the highs, so is easily identifiable in the video HERE.) He was boys track coach at Minnetonka 2000-2013, assistant at Chanhassen this past year.

By my quick count, looks like Minnesotans brought home a total of 15 individual medals – seven gold, three silver, and five bronze.

Sherwood Sagedahl accounted for a third of those.  And after winning  the pentathlon, 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m, long jump and javelin, he ran a leg on the winning M75 non-club 4x400 relay team (5:01.88).

A little late now, but a few other notes I would have passed along from Winston-Salem if I could have:

Carl Etter – Although consistently among the national leaders in the jumps, he was competing in his first USATF national.  His winning LJ and TJ distances bettered the listed M70 Minnesota age group records.

Paul Lykken – The defending M50 javelin champion, he missed the gold this year by just 2 centimeters – three-quarters of an inch! (55.10m to 55.08m).

Jim Schoffman – He was able to run his age in the 400m again, Achilles problem notwithstanding.  Jim turned 60 last year, and ran under 60 several times during the season.  Now 61, he ran the 400m final in Winston-Salem at 60.98.

Susan Loyd – Nursing a knee problem, she still managed a fourth in the W55 400m and made the finals in both the 100 and 200m.

Tom Langenfeld – Fourteenth consecutive outdoor national HJ championship, 16^th out of the last 17 years, 22nd overall dating back to 1975.  (This year’s was the first one won on misses, however.)  Competed as a 78-year-old Sunday.  Turned 79 the next day.

Some of the Winston Salem Journal coverage of the USATF Masters on the friendships of the athletes HERE, on middle distance legend Nolan Shaheed HERE.

News: Leer/Beard, Park Point 5 Photos, Harrier Half, Influence of iPods, NCAA lawsuits, World Juniors

Will Leer announces on Twitter that the beard has gone HERE.

Grandma's Park Point 5-Mile photo album is HERE.

Perham Focus on the Harrier Half and 5K HERE.

Runners' World on the influence of music on running HERE.

NCAA lawsuits and their potential influence on college sports HERE.

List of World Bests for female Juniors HERE men HERE; bests for female US Juniors HERE, men HERE.

Garrett Heath Second in Sainsbury's Anniversary Games 2-Mile in Central London

Finish of the 2-Mile on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace in
London

Bernard Lagat and Garrett Heath went one, two in the two mile at Sainsbury's Anniversary Games in Central London on Sunday.  Lagat ran 8:27 and Heath 8:29.  Result is HERE.  GArrett heath and friends at Big Ben HERE.

USATF MASTERS: Updated: Langenfeld Wins M75 HJ; Sagedahl M75 1500; Etter, Kleyman 3rd; Loyd 8th; Schoffman on 1st and 3rd Place Relay Teams

Tom Langenfeld won the M75 high jump on fewer misses on Sunday at the final day of the USATF Masters Championships in North Carolina.  Both Langenfeld and runner-up Bernhard Stamm cleared 1.35m/4'5.2".  Langenfeld did not misses until the pair attempted 1.4m, while Stamm missed twice before clearing 1.35m. Result is HERE. Carl Etter followed up his triumphs in the long and triple jumps with a third place finish in the M70 high jump.  Etter cleared 1.30m/4'3.2". Result is HERE. Sherwood Sagedahl finished his marathon weekend with a win in the M75 1500 in 6:04.75.  Result is HERE. Sagedahl was also third in the M75 200 in 30.96.  Result is HERE.

Rick Kleyman was runner-up in the M70 1500 in 6:25.12. Result is HERE. Susan Loyd was eighth in the W55 200 in 33.67.  Result is HERE  Jim Schoffman led off the Mass Velocity 4 by 400 relay team that won in 4:18.55. Result is HERE. He also ran on the third place finishing Mass Velocity 4 by 100 meter relay team that was timed in 57.78.  Result is HERE. "On the 4 x 100 relay I dropped the baton on the exchange," said Schoffman.  First time ever. My teammate Roger Pierce is yelling at me to pick it up. I go to pick it up and I kick it even further. Just like Bill Cosby's comedy bit. Finally I get it picked up Our commanding lead is gone, and I salvage a 3rd.

"Roger told he had the baton in my hand but my hand wasn't opened very far. Then it hit me I have Duputren's contracture in my left hand which keeps me from opening my hand all the way. The joys and challenges on being a master athlete. I'm having surgery this fall to correct the problem."

A couple more results we missed in early reporting: LaCrescent's Peter Haack finished fourth in both the M35 200(23.87) and 400(52.75).  Eagan's Michael Moser seventh in the M60 High Jump clearing 1.15M/3'9.3".

The Hopkins Raspberry Run in Pictures

They're off at the start of the Raspberry Run 5-Miler.  Winner John Klecker(7),
runner up Reed Rischer(515) lead the pack. Photo by Jim Ferstle

Women's runner-up Elaina Schellhaass(548). Photo by Jim Ferstle

The middle of the pack coming off the starting line. Photo by Jim Ferstle

On only a "warm" day for the Hopkins race, one runner
takes no chances, carrying her fluids like a football
running back. Photo by Jim Ferstle

A police escort for the back of the pack. Photo by Jim Ferstle

The Hopkins XC team hands out water to sixth place finisher Tony Bye.
Photo by Jim Ferstle

Jay Biwer ready for a shower and a cup of water with about a mile
to go. Photo by Jim Ferstle

The Raspberry Mile begins with winner Justin Grunewald(131) out front,
5-mile winner John Klecker(7), and Philip Richert(555), who will finish
second and third, respectively. Photo by Jim Ferstle

Back at the 5-mile starting line, the races are done, but the cricket match
goes on. Photo by Jim Ferstle

Full results for 5-Mile and 1-Mile are HERE.

Updated: USATF Masters Champs: Etter, Sagedahl, Lykken, Loyd, Schoffman in Action

Duluth's Carl Etter won his second USATF Masters title on Saturday taking the M70 triple jump with a leap of 8.96m/29'4.75". Result is HERE.  Fairmont's Sherwood Sagedahl finished fourth in the M75 javelin launching the spear 29.60m/97'1.4".  Result is HERE. He was also sixth in the 100 in 15.19. Result is HERE.  Susan Loyd was seventh in the W55 100 in 15.87. Result is HERE. Owatonna's Paul Lykken is defending champion in the M50 javelin, which has no final results posted as yet HERE. Appears to scoring glitches with what appears to be place listings, but no stats on the individuals' performances.

In the prelims of the M60 200 Jim Schoffman finished ninth in 28.17.  Result is HERE.

Results have been spotty.  For example, there is a video of the 800 from Thursday, but no results for the M60-64 or 65-69.  The video of the fast heat from the M60 800 is HERE.  Schoffman, who finished third, reports: "The 800 was  a tactical race. Nolan Shaheed, the current world record holder(M60)  set the pace and gave me a gift of a 71 first 400. I held on for third. My stiff Achilles kept me from finishing better than  ninth in the 200 so I didn't advance. The weather has been great."

You can hear the announcer in the video of the 800 noting that Shaheed is 65 and running in the heat with the 60-64 runners. But, Shaeed turned 65 on Friday, not Thursday, so he was still 64 when he ran the 800. He finished second.  There were also issues in measurements.  The 100 meters, turned out to be 99.95 meters, and the meet officials had to use a tape for the starting line to allow the runners to go the correct distance.  All this is detailed in Ken Stone's Masters Track HERE.

In Heusden, Leer Wins 1500; Abda Wins 800 B Race; Kampf PRs in 1500; Finan Wins 5K C Race; Grunewald 3rd in Madrid 3K

Photo timer finish picture for the 800 B race. Abda is on the far right...

A day for PRs in the Netherlands. Will Leer runs a PR of 3:34.26 to win the 1500.  Gopher grad Harun Abda won the 800 B race in 1:45.55 and Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf finished tenth in KBC Nacht 1500 in 4:06.16, a PR.  1500 result is HERE.   800 is HERE. Abda's time of 1:45.55 ties his PR.
Tem USA Minnesota's Eric Finan won the 5000 C race in 13:37.41, another PR. Jon Peterson was eighth in 13:49.98. Result is HERE. "Despite a neighbor on the starting line attempting to swing dance with me, I still ran a 1 sec PR today" wrote Kampf on Twitter. "Happy for that, certain I'm better."

In Madrid at the 32nd Meeting Madrid IAAF World Challenge event Gabe Grunewald finished third in the 3K in 8:52.39. Result is HERE.

Shawn Francis vaulting in Mexico on Sunday HERE.

UPDATED: Carl Etter Wins M70 LJ; Sagedahl Takes M75 400, 2nd in LJ; Schoffman 3rd in M60 400; Loyd 4th in W55 400 at US Masters Champs

Carl Etter won the men's M70 long jump on Friday at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships in North Carolina with a leap of 4.32m/14'2.1"  Result is HERE. Sherwood Sagedahl won his second event by taking the M75 400 in 1:09.80.  Result is HERE. Sagedahl was also second in the M75 long jump with a leap of  3.77m/12'4.4".  Result is HERE.  Jim Schoffman was third in the M60 400 in 1:00.98.  Result is HERE. Susan Loyd finished fourth in the W55 400 in 1:15.25. Result is HERE.

In prelims, Loyd was eighth in the 100 prelims in 15.94. Result is HERE.  Sagedahl was sixth in the M75 100 prelims in 14.97. Result is HERE

News: Špotáková/Roesler, Willis; Grunewald: Park Point 5-Mile

Gopher grad Barbora Špotáková continued her winning streak in Europe as she won the Monaco Diamond League javelin on Friday with a throw of 66.96m/219'8.2"  Laura Roesler was seventh in the 800 in 1:59.44.

Nick Willis on achieving his lifetime goal of running under 3:30 in the 1500 HERE.

Team USA Minnesota's Gabe Grunewald provides several photos from Madrid HERE. She's running the 3K in the Meeting de Atletismo

Scott Behling wins in 25:46 in the Park Point 5-Miile

Amanda Boman first female finisher in 30:10

Park Point 5-Mile Results are HERE.

Team USA Minnesota's Eric Finan and Jon Peterson will run the 5K and Heather Kampf the 1500 at the  KBC Nacht meet in Heusden.

USATF Masters Championships Begin With a World Record for Sherwood Sagedahl

Sherwood Sagedahl

from Tom Langenfeld
Beginning an ambitious schedule for the 2014 US Masters Championships at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina, newly turned M75 Sherwood Sagedahl scored 4,060 points in the pentathlon.  A new World Record for M75, Sagedahl broke the old mark of 3.733 by Germany's Edmund Selb, which was set in 2002.  Robert Hewitt had the previous American record of 3,510 set in 2008.  Sagedahl also holds the M70 World Record in the event of 3806 set in 2012.

In prelims, Jim Schoffman won his heat in the M60 400 meters in 61.63, the second fastest time in the prelims.  Video of the race is HERE. Susan Loyd ran in the W55 400 prelims.  The is a glitch in the results which appear to show the finish place of the runners, but cut off the part of the team column and the third column where the results should be.  Thus, if this is correct, means that Susan Loyd finished with the fourth fastest time in the W55 prelims.  Peter Haack M39, running in the M35 prelims had the seventh fastes time.  Live results are HERE. You can click on the race results to see the truncations in some of the results. Hopefully they'll get it fixed.

Jim Schoffman on the weather: "Couldn't have asked for better weather. 80's in the day. After surviving 2006 championship's in Charlotte with heat index around 110, this is a treat."

News: TCTC Kids XC Program; Keifer; Park Point 5 Mile; Dent Dash 5K, Kampf

TCTC Kids Cross Country League program information HERE.

Northfield News on Northfield HS's Alexis Keifer who two Beach Vault competitions HERE

Preview of the Park Point 5-Mile from the Duluth News Tribune is HERE.

Perham Focus article on the Dent Dash 5K complete with a link to the results is HERE.

Heather Kampf's  Bruges, Belgium canal shot HERE.

News: Abda 4th in Liege 800; USATF MN All Comers; Mead; Leuven Training Run; Kara Goucher Marathon Training Tips

Gopher grad Harun Abda fourth in Liege 800 in 1:46.31. Result is HERE.

USATF Minnesota All Comers results: Meet #4 HERE

Hassan Mead driving "the snake" HERE.

Eric Finan takes a running selfie along the Leuven canal with
Heather Kampf and Jon Peterson

Kara Goucher video of marathon training tips is HERE.

Good read on a NJ linebacker turned miler is HERE.

News: Grunewald, Finan, Lightening, Extreme Exercise and the Heart

Team USA Minnesota's Gabe Grunewald paced the 5K at the Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern meet but didn't drop out.  She continued running and finished fifth in a PR of 15:33.64. Result is HERE.

Eric Finan's blog on the Letterkenny Sub 4 Challenge experience is HERE.

Lightening hits Ultra HERE. A problem for outdoor events, but how do you stop an ultra?

New Yorker article written by a cardiologist that attempts to explain the various theories surrounding "extreme" exercise and its potential impact on the heart is HERE. 

News: Bryce Miller, Kiefer, Hollis, Marshall Regional T&F Complex, Trail Running, Sirra, Heath

One we missed from the US Junior Champs, Ashland HS(WI) Bryce Miller finished second in the 3K Steeplechase in a PR of 9:04.4 to earn a spot on the US team for the IAAF Junior World Championships to be held in Eugene, OR on July 22-27.

Northfield News story on Alexis Kiefer, Northfield HS vaulter who qualified for the Junior Olympics by clearing 13' at the USATF Region 8 JO meet last weekend is HERE. Kiefer is planning on vaulting at the Brits Pub Vault in August.

Pole vaulter Mark Hollis goes higher in Austria.  Hollis, who is scheduled to jump in the Brits PubVault on August 30-31 in Minneapolis, vaulted 5.56m/18'2.9" on Friday to win his event in a meet in Ried, Austria.  Today he cleared 5.76m/18'11" to win vault at the Gugl Games in Linz, Austria. Result is HERE.

Marshall Independent news item on the groundbreaking for the Marshall Track and Field Complex is HERE.

Running Times' Jonathan Beverly's homage to Trail Running is HERE.

Perham Focus brief summary of Perham High grad Jonathon Sirra's seventh place finishes in the shot and discus as a member of the US team at the Down Under Games in Australia.  Results HERE.

Magic Redux: story on the Northport trio HERE.

Garrett Heath doing the runner/tourist/photo thing at the London Eye HERE.

Peterson fourth in Letterkenny AC Sub 4 Minute Mile Challenge; Leer; Mead; USATF Club Championships, Stacey Sagedahl, Run to Work

Runners assembled on starting line for the Letterkenny AC Sub 4-Minute
Mile Challenge

Team USA Minnesota's Jon Peterson finished fourth in the Letterkenny AC Sub 4-Minute Mile Challenge in 4:00.54, a PR.  Teammate Eric Finan was ninth in 4:06.92. Results are HERE. Photos from the event are HERE. Video is HERE.

Updates on Morton Mile: Will Leer's fan club is HERE.  Video of race is HERE.

Hassan Mead up at altitude for some training in St. Moritz HERE.

Results, finally, from USATF Club Championships are HERE. Melissa Agnew, third in 1500 in 4:28.93 and fourth in the 800 in 2:13.82.  Cole Toepfer seventh in the men's 1500 in 4:04.24.  TCTC ninth in women's team standings, men 21st.

Farimont Sentinel article on Stacey Sagedahl, who ran a marathon in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Some advice she got before her marathon in Alaska: "They showed us the difference between bear and moose scat. It was important in case we ran across one or the other on the trail."  Article is HERE.  According to the 50 States Marathon Club website list 29 Minnesotans have done the 50 states, list of US club members broken down by state is HERE. 

Outside article on running commutes to and/or from work is HERE.

Another photo from the Euro travels of Minnesota runners.  This one is of Luzern, Switzerland by Gabe Grunewald HERE.

Grunewald Wins 1500 in Belgium; Kampf 8th in 800 , Heath 10th in 1500 in Glasgow, Agnew 3rd USATF Club Champs 1500; Podominick; Smith

Women at the starting line of the 1500 in Kortrijk

Team USA Minnesota's Gabe Grunewald won the 1500 at the Guldensporen Flanders Cup Meet in Kortrijk in 4:07.70.   Result is HERE.  Her teammate Heather Kampf finished eighth in the 800 in 2:01.15 in the Sainsbury's Glasgow Diamnond League Meet on Saturday. Result is HERE.  Garrett Heath was tenth in the 1500 in 3:35.89. Result is HERE.  Street view of the canal in Kortrijk HERE.

TCTC's Melissa Agnew third in the USATF Club Championships 1500 in Tacoma.  Video HERE.

Chicagoland Throws Series winners, Liz Podominck and Jared Schuurmans.

Liz Podominick wins Elite Women's Discus at the Chicagoland Throws Series.  Results HERE.

Sun Sailor story on Wayzata grad, Cornell-bound quarter miler Michael Smith is HERE.

News: Leer PR in Morton Games Mile; Mead 11th in Glasgow; Macalester Athletics, Kenya Athletes

A win and a PR for Will
Leer at the Morton Games.

Will Leer won the Morton Games Mile in 3:51.82 a PR in Dublin on Friday.  Irish Independent article on the meet is HERE. Result is HERE. Hassan Mead finished eleventh in the 5K at the Sainsbury's Glasgow Diamond League Meet in 13:26.59.  Result is HERE. You can read about Leer's visit to the Morton Games in 2008 HERE. Not a win, but a PR. Will Leer's fan club is HERE.  Video of race is HERE.

...and a stadium record

Macalester names Margaret Gehring as new Head Coach, Director of Athletics HERE

Info on second meeting of PAAK, Kenyan athletes organization HERE..

News: Spotakova, Goucher, World Juniors Sports Science Symposium, Updates...

Gopher grad Barbora Spotakova targets European Championships javelin throw HERE.

Kara Goucher blogs about her recovery from a sacral stress fracture HERE.

International Sports Science Symposium to be held in conjunction with IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene HERE.

Andrw Bumbalough's reaction to USATF report on the 5K DQ controversy at the USATF Indoor Champs HERE.

USATF Minnesota Athletes of the Month for March thru June

USATF Minnesota selections for Athletes of the Month for March through June are HERE.

March

Jerrell Hancock

Amelia Campbell

April

Heather Kampf

Trent Lusignan

May

Mason Ferlic
Photo by Becky Miller

Emma Bates
Photo by Becky Miller

June

Shaina Burns. Photo by Gene Niemi

Terrence Bowers

News Updated: Kampf, Leer on Székesfehérvár, Upcoming Euro meets, US Worlds Juniors Team, Arciniaga, Red & White, and Boom Video, Cof L 25K, Sensational Six

Heather Kampf on the "power of the mind" HERE. Post race interview from Cork meet is HERE.

Will Leer give two thumbs up for Székesfehérvár HERE.

Upcoming meets this week for Team USA Minnesota runners, Garrett Heath, and Hassan Mead.  Mead(5K), Heath(1500) and Heather Kampf(800) will run in the Sainsbury's Glasgow Diamond League Meet July 11-12.  Gabe Grunewald(1500) will be running in the Guldensporen Flanders Cup Meet in Kortrijk on July 12. Gopher grad Harun Abda will pace the men's 1500 in Kortrijk and Rob Finnerty is entered in that event.  Eric Finan and Jon Peterson will be running the mile in the Letterkenny Sub 4 Challenge on July 13.

Athletes arriving at Glasgow airport for this weekend's Diamond League Meet were greeted by a familiar site HERE. Wind sprints anyone!

USATF World Juniors Team named. HERE.  One Minnesotan on team Shaina Burns in the heptathlon.

CTolleRun interview with 2013 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon winner Nick Arciniaga HERE.

Red, White, and Boom Half video HERE.

Snowshoe Magazine feature on Jeff Winter City of Lakes 25K is HERE.

NW Times article on the "sensational six," two high school trios who run sub 9 minute two miles 39 years apart  is HERE.

Laura Roesler a USTFCCCA Bowerman finalist HERE.

News: Kampf Wins 800 in Cork, Grunewald wins 1500 in Lignano, Leer 10th in 3K in Hungary

Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf won the 800 at the Cork City Sports in 2:01.25.  Results are HERE. Teammate Gabe Grunewald wins in Lignano in 4:05.22.  Results HERE.Will Leer finished tenth in the 3K at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Hungary on Tuesday in 7:52.83.  Results are HERE.

A blogger's thoughts on the "death of track & field" is HERE.

News: Padua; Memorial Leon Buyle Videos, USATF Juniors, Kampf, Leer

Gopher grad Harun Abda was fourth in the 800 at the World Athletics Meet in Padua on Sunday in 1:46.32. Result is HERE. "1:46:3 today," wrote Abda on Twitter. "Not a great time but 4sec faster than what I ran at USA's champ, It was hard to run fast when there were 13 ppl in 1 heat."

Team USA Minnesota's Jon Peterson's thoughts on his first race this summer in Europe HERE. 3K video is HERE. 1500 video is HERE.

Minnetonka's Mia Barron finished fourteenth in the long jump with a leap of 5.75m/18'10.5".  Result is HERE.   A missed result from yesterday, Kasson Mantorville's Taylor Wiebke finished tied for ninth in the high jump clearing 1.65m/5'5". Result is HERE.Video is HERE.  Another athlete I missed was St. Thomas pole vaulter Connor O'Neill.  He had three misses at the opening height of 4.90m/16'.75". Result is HERE.

Photos from USATF Juniors, Day 1 from The Oregonian are HERE. Jenna Truedson wearing hip number 5 is in photos # 4 and 5.

Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf has arrived in Cork, Ireland ready to run the 800 in the Cork City Sports International Meet on Tuesday. Will Leer is in Hungry and will be running in the István Gyulai Memorial Athletics Meeting on Tuesday. Gabe Grunewald will be running the 1500 in Lignano, Italy in the Sports Solidarity Meet on Tuesday.

June St. Cloud Times article on Dan Christian is HERE. 

News: Finan and Peterson PR in Belgium; Afton Trail Run 50/25K; USATF Juniors, Truedson 5th in 3K, Barron 7th in TJ, Prelim Results

Team USA Minnesota's Eric Finan and Jon Peterson finish first and third in the Leon Buyle Memorial Meet in Belgium. Both set PRs, with Finan running 7:54.18 and Peterson 7:55.36. Race results are HERE.  Rob Finnerty was tenth in the 1500 in 3:41.87. Results HERE. In the other heat of the 1500, Will Leer was fourth in 3:35.48 and Garrett Heath was sixth in 3:35.97. Result is HERE. Second fastest time ever for Heath: "Had wanted a PB, but great meet and hopefully more fast times to come."

Michael Brost won the Afton Trail Run 50K in 3:43:38.  Leslie Semler won the women's race in 4:43:57. Nate Hoffman won the 25K in 1:36:37.  Emma Lee won the women's 25K in 1:50:54.  Top five finishers in the various classifications are HERE.

Preview of USATF Junior Championships is HERE. Wayzata grad/Cornell's Michael Smith 12th in 400 prelims, fifth in heat in 47.70. Result HERE. Waseca's Shane Streich finished with the tenth fastest time in the 800 of 1:51.24(a PR, bettering the 1:51.92 he ran in the MSHSL Class A prelim race).  St. Thomas' Ryan Trapp had the thirteenth fastest time of 1:51.53.  The winner of each of the three heats automatically qualified plus the five best times. Results are HERE. Minnetonka grad Mia Barron finished seventh in the triple jump, leaping 12.34m/40'6", her furthest jump outdoors this season. Results are HERE. Bemidji's Jenne Truedson finished fifth in the 3K in 10:04.87.

Sports Scientists look at when a 2 hour marathon might happen HERE.

News: USATF Indoors DQ Report, USATF Youth Championships, Spotakova

The USATF working group report on the DQs in the Indoor Championships is HERE. The Oregonian story on the Youth Championships and the USATF report is HERE and HERE.

USATF Junior Champs in Eugene start on Saturday.  Lakeville South grad Shaina Burns has already made the US team in the heptathlon.  Wayzata grad Michael Smith is running the 400, Waseca's Shane Streich and  Elk River HS grad and St. Thomas University's Ryan Trapp are entered the 800, Bemidji's Jenna Truedson the 3K, and Minnetonka grad Mia Barron both the long and triple jump.  Kasson-Mantorville's Taylor Wiebke in the high jump. Start lists are HERE.

IAAF article on Gopher grad  Barbora Spotakova is HERE.  She won the javelin at the Lausanne Diamond League Meet on Thursday, throwing 66.72m/218'10".

Peyton 10th at Peachtree; Grabau, Gacek Win Red, White & Boom Half Titles

Meghan Peyton finishing at Peachtree.

Ending with fireworks, the Fourth of July is building the tradition of starting the day with a road race.  In Atlanta, Team USA Minnesota's Meghan Peyton finished tenth in the women's race at the Peachtree 10K, which is also this year's USATF 10K Road Championships.  Peyton ran 33:17, a road PR. Katie McGregor was 30th in 35:48.  Andrew Carlson finsihed 22nd in the men's race in 30:47, and Team USA Minnesota's Jon Grey was 26th in 31:00.

Locally Zane Grabau of Waterville and Melissa Gacek of White Bear Lake took the men's and women's titles in the Red, White & Boom Half Marathon that finished on Minneapolis' Stone Arch Bridge. Grabau ran 1:12:53 and Gacek 1:22:17, four seconds off the course record.