Monday, October 31, 2016
Rob Volke and Maddie Van Beek Recipients of RRCA Roads Scholar Grants
Meet the six talented up-and-coming runners that comprise our 2016 Roads Scholar grantees https://t.co/90mXaVnJ9q pic.twitter.com/qChpt9luoH— RRCA (@RRCAnational) October 31, 2016
MN XC Coaches Association Class A Rankings
Final 2016 MN XC Coaches Association Girl's AA Rankings
Minnesota XC Coaches' Association Boy's AA Cross Country Rankings
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Lance Elliott's Big 10 Championship Photo Galleries
Gene Niemi's Big 10 Photo Album
UMAC XC Championship Summaries
St. Scholastica women's summary HERE. Men HERE
UW Superior men's summary HERE. Women HERE
Martin Luther men's summary HERE. Women HERE.
University of Minnesota Morris summary HERE.
Bethany Lutheran summary HERE.
Northwestern Men's summary HERE. Women HERE.
North Central men's summary HERE. Women HERE
USATF Masters 15K Championship Results
Congrats Masters National 15K Champ! @melissagacek 💪🏻 #fasterasamaster pic.twitter.com/4THYAJV9L6
— oiselle team (@oiselle_team) October 30, 2016
Gopher Men and Women 4th in Big 10 Team Championships
"I told the team that we were probably a third to sixth place team on any given day, so to be fourth, I'm really pleased with that," said Hopkins."We're right where we should be right now. We were fourth last year as a team, we replaced four of our top five, and we were fourth again. There are not a lot of teams in the country that could do that. It speaks to the girls and their belief in themselves, the depth of this team, and just how committed they are to the process."
Hopkins singled out Madeline Strandimo, the red shirt junior who, Hopkins said, ran the best cross country race of her collegiate career on Sunday. A middle distance runner on the track, Strandimo is more known for her speed than her long distance prowess. So, for her to improve from a 20th place finish last year to 8th this year demonstrates her potential. Four places behind Strandimo was freshman Meghan Hasz in 11th, one half of the Hasz twins who have also demonstrated their talent in their first collegiate season. Her sister Bethany finished 20th as the duo continue to place well in top collegiate competition.
Madeline Strandimo runs past the camera man on the final straightaway. Photo by Gene Niemi |
Both are kinesiology majors at the U of M and noted as one of the things they enjoy most in running for the Gophers is the talent that surrounds them. Hopkins said that she recruited the twins because of their telent and she believed that the two were used to pushing one another in practice and would thrive in the collegiate environment because of that. Some top high schoolers are used to not being challenged in high school and are used to winning races easily and are not used to being challenged.
The twins savor being pushed by their teammates instead of only having each other to challenge themselves. They've also dealt with adversity as Meghan lost much of her junior and senior years in high school to leg injuries. They were finally able to get her healthy for her senior track season and believe they've put that recurring injury in the rear view mirror.
A different kind of setback hindered the men's team's chances for finishing higher than their 4th place team placing on Sunday. Richfield grad Obsa Ali, one of the team's top runners, hasn't been at full strength for the last couple of weeks, said Plasencia. This week Ali's body temp reached 102 degrees Despite this illness Ali was determined to race, but while the mind was willing, the flesh was weak.
Charlie Lawrence, the team captain, said that Plasencia told them they had the potential to finish from first to eighth place in the Big 10. Fourth being the happy medium of that range with underclassmen Lawrence(junior), Connor Olson(red shirt freshman), and Matt Welch(junior) leading the charge up front finishing 8th(Lawrence), 13th(Welch), and 14th(Olson).
Lawrence(19), Olson(20), and Welch(19) bringing it home. Photo by Gene Niemi |
When Welch heard the comment that it was the Northern Minnesotans that took the lead for the men, he added: "Yeah both Class A too," referring to the fact that both he and Lawrence were from the so-called "small schools" from up North, an obvious source of pride for Welch. Freshman Evin Ferlic (39th) and junior Derek Wiebke(45th) finished the top five for the Gopher men.
Both Plasencia and Hopkins note that the emphasis now is on recovery. Both teams will be aiming for a qualifying spot for NCAA DI Nationals on November 11 in Iowa City. Leading up to that race they will be aimed at avoiding illness and staying sharp for the challenge ahead. "The hay is in the barn," said Hopkins. The goals are clear. What remains is being ready and able to achieve those goals to finish the season on a high note.
Michigan's Women's Team and Individual champion Erin Finn and Wisconsin's men's Team and Individual Champion Morgan McDonald Grind Out Big 10 Victories
Aussie native Morgan McDonald leads the Wisconsin Badgers to the team title by winning the individual men's race in the Big 10 Championships. Photo by Gene Niemi |
"Three points!! Don't do that to me!!" he said, reacting to the fact that the Badger's margin of victory had everyone enduring an excruciating wait until the official announcement of what team emerged triumphant.
For the first 5K of the 8K men's race it appeared that Michigan State was in the driver's seat with nearly the entire team at or near the front of a lead pack that had few stragglers. The difference between first to last place was merely the length of a dense group of runners who hit the 5K mark within seconds of the one another in a time of 15:20.
A fan standing by the finish watching watching the race unfolding on the jumbotron said that someone in that crowded pack should sacrifice himself by surging to the front and challenging others to cover his move. The objective being to break up the field and the seeming stranglehold the Spartans had on the team title.
The runner who bolted, however, was Michigan State's Sherod Hardt. He was shadowed by Wisconsin's McDonald who seemed on "cruise control" as the duo battled for the top two spots.
Their acceleration fractured the pack, stringing out the runners who had seemed to have been shoulder-to-shoulder, pasted together for more than half the race. Following their leader, McDonald's teammates began grinding through the now fractured pack toward the front as Michigan State's men were displaced from their domination of the team race.
In the next two kilometers McDonald easily pulled away from Hardt as his teammates confidently crushed the Spartans, moving from to 58 points behind to two points ahead. Michigan State could not respond as the Badgers ground away toward the front of the chase pack and held on to win the team race by three points.
There was no matching drama in the women's race as Finn, not wanting to repeat her only defeat of the season in September at the Griak Invitational, took off during the first mile and never looked back. Her teammates were equally dominant "grinding out" a win by gradually opening an increasingly larger gap over the Spartans and holding off a late charge by Penn State.
Bulletin: Gopher Men's and Women 's Teams Finish 4th in the Big Ten XC Championships
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Taybri Irving Wins in Style
Plotting what it might take to win. A noted front runner, Meyer, decided to stick with what has worked for her and shortly after the start of the 6K run, she made her move, pulling away from Irving and three other runners to take an early lead. Irving meanwhile was following Peyton's advice: "I told her to stay in the top five and if anybody made a break not to go with it," said Peyton. "They'll come back to you."
Slowly, but surely Irving closed the gap on Meyer, leaving the chase pack behind and challenged Meyer as the pair exchanged surges and the lead on the last lap. "I was trying to run hard on the downhills, said Meyer, "because I'm not as good going uphill as I am going down." The downhill surges couldn't shake Irving, however, and she pulled away for good. "With 500 to go I was trying as hard as I could (to stay with Irving)," said Meyer, "but she pulled away and I wasn't going to catch her. I don't have much of a kick."
Taybri Irving nearing the finish. Photo courtesy of Augsburg |
St. Olaf's Joe Coffey Wins a Tactical Battle and Puts to Rest the Curse of Como
This year he buried it, but not without some anxiety. "I felt a bit of a cramp in my side," And, he said, that he felt it in nearly the same spot it appeared two years ago, but the feeling passed. Since the early pace of the race was tortoise like, Coffesy's main mental struggle was when should he make his move. He didn't want it to come down to the final straight, a kicker's dual, but when should he make his move?
In retrospect Coffey said that the slow early pace was an advantage for both him and his team because most of his teammates were running with him in the large lead pack. The result being that the team was in the driver's seat for the team championship. But as the snail's pace continued, Coffey knew he had to make a move soon. When the the pack approached the Como ski hill for the second time, he hatched his plan.
Every runner had to accelerate going up the hill to keep a good pace while climbing,so Coffey thought that if he made a big move, a greater acceleration before he crested the top of the hill, he could open a gap on the other runners who weren't expecting that much of an acceleration. The strategy worked. He quickly increased the gap as the runners ran along the top of the ski hill and then back down toward the starting line the gap increased even more.
Nervous to see how much of a lead he had, Coffey looked around several times to check on the chasers. His move had fractured the large pack and the race was on. Coffey knew he had to keep pushing the pace as he raced across the fairway where the race had started and went under the overpass decorated with the MIAC banner and embarked the last loop. "I was sucking air for the last K," Coffey described of the effect of his effort, but his rivals weren't getting any closer.
Joe Coffey has the finish in sight. Photo by Jim Ferstle |
MIAC Recap, Summaries
St. Olaf men's summary HERE. Women HERE
St. John's summary HERE
St Thomas summary HERE
Carleton women's summary HERE. Men HERE.
Gustavus men's summary HERE. Women HERE
Augsburg women's summary HERE. Men HERE
St. Ben's summary HERE.
St. Kate's summary HERE
Macalester women's summary HERE. Men HERE
Bethel women's summary HERE. Men HERE
St. Mary's summary HERE.
Hamline women's summary HERE. Men HERE
Concordia Moorhead women's recap HERE. Men HERE
Bagpipe Seranade
The music played and the crowd clapped approval for the impromptu pre-race concert. Photo by Jim Ferstle |
Hopkins Grad Reed Fischer Wins MVC Championship Individual Title
MVC XC Championships Results HERE. Meet summary HERE.A great day for the Bulldogs at the #MVCXC Championship. Reed Fischer is your 2016 MVC Champion! pic.twitter.com/eUvww2jeki— Drake TF & XC (@Drake_TFXC) October 29, 2016
UMAC Bulletin: UW Superior, Jackson Ljunqvist Triumph in Men's; St. Scholastica, Casey Hoveland Win Women's Titles
Results HERE.
MIAC Bulletin: St. Olaf and Ole Joe Coffey Win Men's Titles; St. Thomas and Augsburg's Taybri Irving Women's Champions
Friday, October 28, 2016
Thursday, October 27, 2016
MSHSL Section 3AA XC Results
Section 3AA girl's XC Results HERE. Boy's HERE.Section 3AA heading toward the mile at Valleywood GC. #mshsl pic.twitter.com/x7FCyPvBYV— USATF Minnesota (@USATFMN) October 27, 2016
MSHSL 8AA Section XC Results
Section 8AA Champions
— Willmar Athletics (@cardsathletics) October 27, 2016
Medalist: Sophie Schmitz-W
AWESOME!!!@YulpSection @WCTsports @ToddBergeth @BernhagentTara @MSHSLjohn pic.twitter.com/J2dBKfdQux
Pre-MIAC Championships Profile of Concordia Moorhead Women's Team
The Concordia Moorhead Women's Team on the starting line. Photo courtesy of Concordia Moorhead |
Sarah Barker Looks Inside the Sub 2 Project
An interview with one of the sub-2 hour marathon scientists. I'd love to hear your views: https://t.co/IjmlphpOhj Love the last question!
— Ross Tucker (@Scienceofsport) October 27, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
MSHSL Section 6AA XC Results
6AA boys state qualifiers. HopkinsCC Eli Hoeft and section Champ Seth Eliason. pic.twitter.com/EY3IwqhipM— HOPKINS CC (@hopkinscc) October 26, 2016
Girls 6AA state qualifiers HopkinsCC Renae Anderson and Bit Klecker pic.twitter.com/8wcg8zy8jg— HOPKINS CC (@hopkinscc) October 26, 2016
Incredible finish at Section 6AA today by Wayzata! All 7 runners in top 13, average time of 15:58! #StateBound #WayzataXC pic.twitter.com/qAfik5tdX6— Brandon Heebink (@bheebink) October 27, 2016
this is cross country. this is who we are. we are one. #section6aa pic.twitter.com/MANtU1EciI
— nkh (@nkh515) October 27, 2016
NSIC Spotlight Interview with UMD's Emi Trost
#NSICSpotlight Radio Show Ep. 8
— NSIC (@NorthernSunConf) October 26, 2016
Audio: Emi Trost @UMDBulldogs @UMDTFCC
Listen now at:https://t.co/EF36Sg7auH pic.twitter.com/kIoa8zb9DH
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Gopher coaches Steve Plasencia and Sarah Hopkins Preview the Big 10 Championships
Hear from the #Gophers coaches ahead of this Sunday's @bigtenchamps on campus.
— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) October 25, 2016
Video: https://t.co/BACcl3LKZN
Minnesota XC Coaches Association Boy's AA Rankings
Monday, October 24, 2016
Gopher Women's Big Ten Preview
The #Gophers host the @bigtenchamps at Les Bolstad this Sunday. #B1GXC 🏃♀️💨
— Minnesota W TrackCC (@GopherWCCTF) October 25, 2016
More 👉 https://t.co/4kGjdksddS pic.twitter.com/POIfQTrT7D
NCAA DII Women's AOW Emi Trost
#NSICCC Champion, now @USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week
— NSIC (@NorthernSunConf) October 24, 2016
Emily Trost @emitrost of @UMDBulldogs @UMDTFCC https://t.co/yujB0XhYm0
ESPN radio Interview with Gopher Men's Coach Steve Plasencia
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Minnesota HS Coaches' Association Class A Rankings
12 Keiser Owen Jordan
Saturday, October 22, 2016
UK Play that Focuses on the Pressure on Elite Athletes to Dope
Lance Elliott's videos of the Hornet Mile Heats
NSIC Championships Results, Summaries
U-Mary women's summary HERE. Men HERE.CHAMPIONS! Marauders win their first NSIC women's cross country title in school history. https://t.co/o6OmQGkCRt— U-Mary Marauders (@umarysports) October 23, 2016
UMD women's summary HERE. Men HERE.
Augustana summary HERE.
MSU Moorhead summary HERE.
Winona State men's summary HERE. Women HERE.
MSU Mankato men's summary HERE. Women HERE.
Concordia-St. Paul summary HERE.
SMSU men's summary HERE. Women HERE.
St Cloud State summary HERE.
Bemidji State summary HERE.
NSIC women's summary HERE. Men HERE