USATF MN November 2017 Athletes of the Month

November 2017 Athletes of the Month

   With a slew of championship races sprinkled throughout the month of November, high school, college, and post-college athletes saw lots of opportunities to show their fitness and end the year on a good note. Khalid Hussein and Tierney Wolfgram did just that in winning the Minnesota State High School League Cross Country Championships on November 4th, earning them each the title of USATF Minnesota’s November Athlete of the Month.

Khalid Hussein from Wayzata High School had showed he was one of the best, if not the best, high school cross country runners in the state of Minnesota all season long, consistently being ranked in the top five throughout the fall. At this year’s MSHSL State Cross Country Championships, Hussein proved just that by winning the state title in the Class AA race in a time of 15:22.6. This performance, along with his 3rd place finish at the Nike Heartland Regional Championship race on November 12th that qualified him for the Nike Nationals Championship race in Portland, Oregon, earns him the title of USATF Minnesota’s November Athlete of the Month.

Before his success this fall, Hussein was runner-up in last spring’s 1600m race at the MSHSL Track & Field Championships as well as runner-up at the 2016 MSHSL Cross Country Championships.

Tierney Wolfgram, Math & Science Academy freshman, continued her dominance in Class A competition by defending her title with a convincing win at the MSHSL State Cross Country Championships in a blazing fast time of 17:31.6. She again showed her strength at the Nike Heartland Regional Championship race on November 12th where she claimed victory and qualified for the Nike National Championship meet over the best high school runners from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin in an even faster time of 16:48.67. These performances have earned Wolfgram the honor of USATF Minnesota’s November Athlete of the Month.

Following her wins at the Minnesota State Championships and the Nike Heartland Regional Championships, Wolfgram went on to continue her hot streak with a 9th place finish in the Footlocker Cross Country Midwest Championship race, qualifying her for the prestigious Footlocker National Cross Country Championships in San Diego, California on December 9th.

Congratulations to both Khalid and Tierney on great cross-country seasons and good luck this Spring on the track!