Down the Backstretch

March and April Athletes of the Month

5/14/2018

 

 
5/12/18

MENDOTA HEIGHTS - The Spring track & field season yielded a slew of great performances from Minnesota athletes all over the country. As we approach the Championship season, athletes are rounding into form and throwing down - representing Minnesota well. Highlighting the March and April Athlete of the Month awards is NCAA Champion and U of MN school record holder in the weight throw Kaitlyn Long, top U.S. Masters athlete Patrick Billig, collegiate record holder and star U.S. thrower Maggie Ewen of Arizona State, and the B1G Ten 5k leader and 3k steeplechase national qualifier of the University of Minnesota, Obsa Ali.

Kaitlyn Long, a senior for the Golden Gophers, won the NCAA Division I Indoor title in the weight throw to become the University of Minnesota’s second track & field national champion ever on March 10th, earning her the honor of USATF Minnesota’s March Athlete of the Month for women. Long recorded a winning mark of 23.30m (76-05.5 feet) on her sixth and final throw after being in fifth place after her penultimate attempt. A previous two-time NCAA Division II national champion at Winona State, Long joined Heather Dorniden (Kampf) as a Gophers National Champion.

Patrick Billig, long-time Minnesota resident and one of the top Masters athletes in Minnesota as well as the United States, finished 2nd in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:43.43 as well as 2nd in the 3,000 meters with a time of 9:58.89 in the 55-59 age group at the USATF Masters Indoor National Championships in Landover, Maryland from March 16-19 - earning him the title of USATF Minnesota’s March Athlete of the Month for men. Billig was also USATF Minnesota’s 2017 Runner of the Year for men 55-59.

 
Maggie Ewen, senior at Arizona State University and one of the top athletes in the NCAA this year, re-set the collegiate record in the hammer throw at the Sun Angel Classic on April 6th with a throw of 74.53m earning her the honor of USATF Minnesota’s April Athlete of the Month for women. Ewen already held the NCAA record before the meet, but it was more than a meter shy of her personal best as she threw 74.56m last summer at the USATF Outdoor Championships (which is outside of the official NCAA season). A few weeks later on April 28th, Ewen proceeded to also break the NCAA collegiate record in the shot put at the Desert Heat Classic with a throw of 19.46m (63-10.25 feet) to top Raven Saunders’ record from two years ago. Ewen is only the second woman to currently hold two NCAA outdoor records in two different events, joining Jenny Simpson (neé Barringer) from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Obsa Ali, a senior at the University of Minnesota and Richfield native, ran the B1G Ten’s top 5,000m time of the year at Stanford’s Cardinal Classic on April 20th, giving him the title of USATF Minnesota’s April Athlete of the Month for men. Ali clocked a time of 13:43.13, Minnesota’s fastest time in the event since 2014, which is the top time in the B1G Ten and 12th in the NCAA. Ali’s performance moves him up to third all-time at the University of Minnesota behind Gopher All-Americans Hassan Mead and John Simons. A few weeks later on April 28th, Ali also clocked the B1G Ten’s second fastest (at the time) 3,000m steeplechase performance with an 8:51.25 to finish first at the National Relays hosted by Arkansas.

Honorable Mention Worthy Performances in March and April

Men:

• Teddy Frid of Minnesota earned second team All-American honors after finishing 10th in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships on March 9th and 10th.
• Ryan Lockard of Minnesota also earned second team All-American honors by finishing 12th in the high jump at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.
• Karl Olsen of Bethel University finished 2nd at the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships on March 9th and 10th in the 400m with a time of 47.88.
• Donson Cook-Gallardo of Carleton University finished 3rd in the mile with a time of 4:11.76 at the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships.
• Keylan Jackson of St. Paul Johnson High School claimed both the 100m and 200m titles at the Hamline Elite Meet on April 27th with times of 10.84 and 22.68 respectively.
• Calvin Ciganik of Mounds View High School captured both the meet and facility record, as well as the 1stplace title, in the pole vault at the Hamline Elite Meet with a vault of 15 feet 8.00 inches.
• The Bethel University 4x400m Relay Team ran the number one time in NCAA DIII at the Drake Relays on April 28-29 with a 3:12.18 finish. Their time is now number two in Division III.
• Eric Dols of Hamline University threw the number hammer throw in NCAA Division III at the Cobber Open on April 21-22 with a toss of 60.99 meters. Dols now ranks No. 3 in Division III.

Women:

• Agnes Esser of the University of Minnesota placed 11th at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships to earn second team All-American honors in the weight throw with a toss of 20.89 meters.
• Kaitlin Pace also of the University of Minnesota placed 12th in the pole vault at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships with a vault of 4.12 meters, earning second team All-American honors.
• Ali Glassbrenner of the University of St. Thomas earned All-American honors with a 4th place finish in the mile at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in a time of 4:57.72.
• The Bethel University 4x400m Relay Team placed 4th at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, earning All-American honors, in a time of 3:51.06.
• Kara Parker placed 1st in the 45-49 age group’s 3,000m run with a time of 11:06.63, while also placing 3rd in the 800m in 2:41.26 and 3rd in the 1500 in 5:14.18 at the USATF Masters Indoor National Championships.
• Emily Kompelien of Edina High School won the 800m and mile at the Hamline Elite Meet with times of 2:12.79 and 4:56.57, respectively.
• Emma Spagnola of the University of Minnesota set the school record in the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.97 at the Lenny Lyles Clark Wood Invitational.
• Kylie Sabin of the University of Minnesota re-set her own school record in the shot put with a throw of 16.89m, also at the Lenny Lyles Clark Wood Invitational.
• Bethany and Megan Hasz of the University of Minnesota ran the No. 1 and No. 2 5,000m times in school history at the Mt. SAC Invitational with Bethany running 15:59.46 and Megan running 16:00.22.
• Emily Covert of Minneapolis Washburn High School set the meet and facility record in the Hamline Elite Meet 3200m with a time of 10:17.41.

We welcome your nominations!
To nominate an athlete for USATF Minnesota’s Athlete of the Month award, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to maxwellkuzara@gmail.com with the subject line “Athlete of the Month Nomination”.

Fans can follow along with USATF Minnesota on Facebook, Twitter, and online at www.minnesota.usatf.org.

Maxwell Kuzara
Athlete of the Month Committee Chair
Communications & Media Director
USA Track & Field Minnesota
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