Monday, October 31, 2016

Rob Volke and Maddie Van Beek Recipients of RRCA Roads Scholar Grants

 Rob Volke and Maddie Van Beek Recipients of RRCA Roads Scholar Grants HERE

MN XC Coaches Association Class A Rankings

FINAL POLL
                                     
BOY'S TEAMS                          
1.       Perham                                   .
2.       Mora                                       
3.       LaCrescent                              
4.       West Central Area                    
5.       Mankato Loyola/Cleveland      
6.       Trinity of River Ridge               
7        Minnehaha Academy                 
8.       Greenway                                
9.       Pequot Lakes                            
10.      Lake City                
11.     Windom Area                          
12      Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop         


INDIVIDUALS                          
1.       Declan Dahlberg          Mounds Park Acad.
2.       Zack Emery                   LaCrescent
3.       Matt Steiger                   LaCrescent
4.       Carl Kozlowski              Lake City
5.       Mike Schwinghamer      Mora
6.       Ryley Nelson                  West Central Area
7        Mike Mitchell                 Blake
8.       Alec Sanbeck                  Mora
9.       Ethan Olson                    Moose Lake/WR
10.     Mathew Van Eps             Willmar Community Christian
11.     Keiser Owen                    Jordan
12      Christian Sterton             Ada-Borup/NCW
        
GIRL'S TEAMS                         
 1.       Perham                              
2.       Fairmont                                         
3.        Luverne                                   
4.       Annandale                                
5.       Minnehaha Academy                
6.       Lac Qui Parle Valley-DB           
7.       Eden Valley-Watkins/K             
8.       Lanesboro/Fillmore Central      
9.       Trinity of River Ridge         
10      West Central Area                    
11.     Belle Plaine                              
12.     Lake City                                 


INDIVIDUALS                         
 1.      Tierney Wolfgram    Math&Science Acad.
2.       Anna Donnay           Eden Valley-Watkins/K     
3.       Brynnan Covington  Perham
4.       Madeline Kelly         Providence Acad
5.       Kayla Christopherson Austin Pacelli
6.       Kira Sweeney             Staples-Motley
7.       Kristine Kalthoff        Albany
8.       Madison Schandelmeier  Luverne
9.       Marissa Whitehead          Martin County West
10      Elyssa Peterson                Greenway
11.     Katherine Geist                Crookston
12.     Regan Feit                        Luverne

Final 2016 MN XC Coaches Association Girl's AA Rankings

10/31/2016   
Teams
1 Edina                                                                                                                       
2 Willmar                               
3 Marshall
4 Minnetonka             
5 Wayzata                                                                  
6 Mpls Washburn                   
7 Shakopee                 
8 Eden Prairie             
9 Forest Lake              
10 Lakeville South      
11 Red Wing               
12 Henry Sibley                      
Honorable Mention:   White Bear Lake , Prior Lake, Chanhassen, Hopkins                         

Individuals
1       Anna Fenske, 8, Farmington                                     
2       Anastasia Korzenowski, 12, Chanhassen   
3       Amanda Mosborg , 12, Edina                       
4       Jaycie Thomsen, 12, Wayzata                                  
5       Morgan Richter, 9, Edina                                                          
6       Schmitz, Sophie, 12, Willmar                    
7       Emily Kompelien, 11, Edina;                      
8       Sophie Whicher, 11, Minnetonka                                            
9       Emily Covert, 10, Mpls Washburn                             
10     Jesse Hanson, 12, Willmar                        
11     Lauren Peterson, 10, Farmington                             
12     Regan Duffy, 10, Forest Lake                                    
Honorable Mention:  Renae Anderson, 12, Hopkins; Maria Rickman, 10, Edina; Tess Misgen, 12, Shakopee; Kayla Rudie, 12,  Willmar;  Claire Boersma, 12, Marshall; Mallory Stach, Prior lake, 9;  Briane Brewster, 9, Lakeville South; Annalise Davis, 10, St. Michael-Albertville;  Molly Moynihan, 11, Apple Valley

Minnesota XC Coaches' Association Boy's AA Cross Country Rankings

FINAL (released 10/31/2016)
 Teams
1              Wayzata
2              Edina
3              Maple Grove
4              Mounds View
5              Stillwater
6              Minnetonka
7              Rosemount
8              Hopkins
9              Bemidji
10           Sartell
11           Minneapolis Washburn
T12         Eden Prairie
T12         Red Wing
Other Teams receiving votes: Eagan

Individuals
1              Alex Miley, Maple Grove
2              Seth Eliason, Hopkins
3              Khalid Hussein, Wayzata
4              Patrick Roos, Edina
5              Matt Wilkinson, Minnetonka
6              Innocent Murwanashyaka, St. Paul Como Park
7              Colin Dwyer, Prior Lake
8              Reed Kurak, Centennial
9              Tyler Moore, Little Falls
10           Joseph Minor, Minneapolis Washburn
11           Grant Price, Wayzata
12           Gemechu Meskele, Wayzata
Other Athletes receiving votes:

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Lance Elliott's Big 10 Championship Photo Galleries

Lance Elliott's Big 10 Championship Photo Galleries HERE

Gene Niemi's Big 10 Photo Album

Connor Olson gives two thumbs up
Photo by Gene Niemi
Erin Finn closing in on the finish.
Photo by Gene Niemi
Megan Hasz surrounded by Spartans.
Photo by Gene Niemi
Emma Benner leads the chase pack behind Michigan's Erin Finn.  Benner
finished sixth in the woman's race


UMAC XC Championship Summaries

UMAC XC Championships Women's Recap HERE.  Men's HERE.

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

USATF Masters 15K Championship Results HERE

Gopher Men and Women 4th in Big 10 Team Championships

Both Gopher men's coach Steve Plasencia and women's coach Sarah Hopkins emphasized their team's youth and potential while examining their fourth place finishes in the men's and women's Big 10 Championship races.  Each didn't set a narrow goal going into the event, instead they gave a range of where they could finish instead of a specific placement.

"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

The operative word at the Big Tens this year was "grind."  Women's champion Erin Finn, who led her team to victory, said that was the method they used: "just go out there and grind."  Wisconsin coach Mick Byrne, echoed Finn, calling the Badger's individual champ, Morgan McDonald, and the rest "a team of grinders."

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
While the Wolverines won a three-way battle in the women's team race, the men's race was a nail biter.  As some of the Badger team members made their way back to the "tent city" where the teams were "housed," after the race a non participating member of the team, hobbling along on crutches, pleaded with his teammates not to put him through the anxious moments where the team race was up for grabs again.

"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

Gopher Men's and Women 's Teams Finish 4th in the Big Ten XC Championships.
Results are HERE.
Emma Benner at the front of the pack as the women fly down the
fairway at the start of the Big 10 XC Championships
Photo by Jim Ferstle
Gopher men's summary HERE.  Women HERE.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Taybri Irving Wins in Style

With a "flower" in her hair and fleet feet Augsburg's Taybri Irving didn't come into the MIAC Cross Country Championships women's race expecting to win, but as her coach Meghan Peyton told her, it was a race she could win.  Defending champion Kimber Meyer, like Irving a senior running in her last conference championship, wanted to go out on top.  "I was thinking about (the race) all week," she said.

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


Irving became the first Augsburg runner to win an MIAC XC title.  Finishing her MIAC career the same way she started in middle school in Rosemount.  "Running the mile in gym," Irving said was the launching pad for her running career.  "I wanted to win."  Having experimented with tennis and football(soccer) prior to running, Irving found her sport.  "I always liked running."  A music major with a math minor at Augsburg, Irving plays classical music on guitar and tutor's French students.

She also has a trademark of sorts in that she wears a cloth flower in her hair, changing the color of the flower frequently.  The sartorial feature has no particular significance, she said, she just likes to wear a flower.  And she likes to win.


St. Olaf's Joe Coffey Wins a Tactical Battle and Puts to Rest the Curse of Como

Coming from the awards ceremony, St. Olaf's Joe Coffey gave thanks that "I never have to race on this course again."  The declaration was only partly tongue in cheek.  As a freshman, Coffey finished 130th on the Como course, same place as he finished as a sophomore when he was handicapped by a cramp in his side.  Last year he tamed the course somewhat by finishing ninth and banishing what was seemingly 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
That effort was etched on his face, but nobody was able to close the gap.  Coffey won by 10 seconds over runner up Ryan Buglar of St. John's.  His teammates were able to hold it together as well resulting in a fifth straight team title for St. Olaf.  And the curse of Como was banished forever.

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

Part of the tradition of the MIAC Cross Country Championships is that one of the teams takes responsibility for supplying staffing for the meet .  This year was Macalester's turn to run the show at the Como Park golf course and they added  a tartan touch to the opening of the event, a bagpipe player who did a solo concert on the fairway in front of the race starting line.
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.

UMAC Bulletin: UW Superior, Jackson Ljunqvist Triumph in Men's; St. Scholastica, Casey Hoveland Win Women's Titles

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

Joe Coffey finishing. Photo by Jim Ferstle
St. Olaf and Ole Joe Coffey Win Men's Titles;  St. Thomas and Augsburg's Taybri Irving Women's Champions.

Women's Results HERE.  Men HERE
Taybri Irving leading Kimber Meyer at the start of the women's race.
Photo by Jim Ferstle

Friday, October 28, 2016

MSHSL Section 8A XC Championship Results

  MSHSL Section 8A XC Championship girl's results HERE Boy's HERE

Joe Klecker 19th As Colorado Sweeps Pac 12 team Titles

Joe Klecker 19th As Colorado Sweeps Pac 12 team Titles. Men's results HERE.  Women HERE.

MSHSL Section 3A XC Championship Results

MSHSL Section 3A XC Championship boy's results  HERE. Girl's HERE

Thursday, October 27, 2016

MSHSL Section 5A XC Championship Results

MSHSL Section 5A XC Championship girl's results HERE. Boy's HERE

MSHSL 2A Sectional XC Championship Results

MSHSL 2A Sectional XC Championship girl's results HERE. Boy's HERE

MSHSL Section 7AA XC Championship Results

 MSHSL Section 7AA XC Championship  Results  HERE

MSHSL Section 1A XC Championship Results

MSHSL Section 1A XC Championship girl's results HERE.   Boy's HERE.  Teams HERE

MSHSL Section 6A XC Championship Results

MSHSL Section 6A XC Championship girl's results HERE.. Boy's results HERE

MSHSL Section 5AA XC Results

MSHSL Section 5AA XC girl's results HERE. Boy's HERE.

MSHSL 2AA Sectional XC Championship Results

MSHSL 2AA Sectional XC Championship girl's results HERE. Boy's HERE

MSHSL Section 3AA XC Results

Section 3AA girl's XC Results HERE. Boy's HERE.

MSHSL 8AA Section XC Results

MSHSL 8AA Section XC Results HERE.

Pre-MIAC Championships Profile of Concordia Moorhead Women's Team

Pre-MIAC Championships Profile of Concordia Moorhead Women's Team HERE
The Concordia Moorhead Women's Team on the starting line. Photo courtesy of
Concordia Moorhead

Sarah Barker Looks Inside the Sub 2 Project

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

MSHSL Section 4AA XC Results

MSHL Section 4AA XC girl's results HERE. Boy's HERE

MSHSL Section 6AA XC Results

MSHSL Section 6AA XC girl's results HERE. Boy's HERE



Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Minnesota XC Coaches Association Boy's AA Rankings

WEEK 8 (released 10/25/2016)
Teams
1             Wayzata
2              Edina
3              Mounds View
4              Stillwater
5              Minnetonka
6              Maple Grove
7              Hopkins
8              Minneapolis Washburn
9              Rosemount
10           Red Wing
11           Eden Prairie
12           Centennial
Other Teams receiving votes:  Sartell

Individuals
1              Alex Miley, Maple Grove
2              Seth Eliason, Hopkins
3              Patrick Roos, Edina
4              Matt WIlkinson, Minnetonka
5              Khalid Hussein, Wayzata
6              Innocent Murwanashyaka, St. Paul Como Park
7              Reed Kurak, Centennial
8              Kevin Dado, Totino Grace
9              Tyler Moore, Little Falls
10           Colin Dwyer, Prior Lake
11           Myles Fleming, Henry Sibley
12           Liban Jama, Wayzata
Other Athletes receiving votes:

Monday, October 24, 2016

Gopher Women's Big Ten Preview

NCAA DII Women's AOW Emi Trost


ESPN radio Interview with Gopher Men's Coach Steve Plasencia

ESPN radio Interview with Gopher Men's Coach Steve Plasencia. Last interview on the show taped last week.  Starts at 27:16    HERE

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Minnesota HS Coaches' Association Class A Rankings


Oct. 24th
                                       
BOY'S TEAMS                          
1.       Perham                                    
2.       Mora                                       
3.       LaCrescent                              
4.       West Central Area                    
5.       Mankato Loyola/Cleveland      
6.       Minnehaha Academy                
7        Pequot Lakes                            
8.       Jordan                                      
9.       Trinity of River Ridge              
10.      Lake City                                 
11.     Windom Area                           
12      Mora Nova Classic Academy  

INDIVIDUALS
1.       Declan Dahlberg              Mounds Park Acad.
2.       Zack Emery                     LaCrescent
3.       Matt Steiger                    LaCrescent
4.       Carl Kozlowski               Lake City
5.        Lucas Mueller                Nova Classic
6.       Mike Schwinghamer       Mora
7         Ryley Nelson                 West Central Area
8.       Mike Mitchell                 Blake
9.       Alec Sanbeck                  Mora
10.     Hunter Kjelshus              Perham
11.     Ethan Olson                    Moose Lake/WR
12      Keiser Owen                   Jordan     


GIRL'S TEAMS                          
1.       Perham                              
2.       Fairmont                                    
3.        Luverne                                        
4.       Stewartville                             
5.       Lanesboro/Fillmore Central      
6.       Annandale                                
7.       Lac Qui Parle Valley-DB          
8.       Minnehaha Academy                
9.       Trinity of River Ridge               
10      Albany                                     
11.     Mora
12.     Blake                                       

INDIVIDUALS
1.       Tierney Wolfgram                Math&Science Acad.
2.       Brynnan Covington              Perham
3.       Anna Donnay                       Eden Valley-Watkins/K    
4.       Madeline Kelly                    Providence Acad
5.       Abby Orvis                          Stewartville
6.       Lynn Kantonen                    Park Rapids Area
7.       Kira Sweeney                      Staples-Motley
8.       Kristine Kalthoff                Albany
9.       Grace Ennis                        Trinity of River Ridge
10      Caitlin Covington               Perham
11.     Madison Schandelmeier     Luverne
12.     Jenna Pavich                       Fairmont

Saturday, October 22, 2016

UK Play that Focuses on the Pressure on Elite Athletes to Dope

 Deny, Deny, Deny  UK Play that Focuses on the Pressure on Elite Athletes to Dope

NSIC Championships Results, Summaries

NSIC Championship women's  results  HERE. Men HERE
U-Mary women's summary HERE. Men HERE.
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