Down the Backstretch

Stillwater Sub 4--Luke Watson

2012-01-27T21:40:00.000-06:00

By Jim Ferstle
"I owe everything I ever did in running to the foundation I got at Stillwater High School," said Luke Watson, the first of four Ponies to dip under the four-minute mark in 2003. "Scott (Christensen, the Stillwater coach) is one of the best coaches in the world at any level."

The year before Watson had "knocked on the door" of a sub-four, running 4:01 and 4:00+ outdoors and a 3:58 1,600 meter leg in a relay, but didn't get it. Then at the Mayo Mile, and indoor meet at his college, Notre Dame, he won the race and broke four for the first time.

"At the time I think there were only five Minnesotans who had (run a sub four)," said Watson. "You have to think of American distance running back in the '90s. Back then a sub four minute mile was pretty rare. I was thrilled (to have done it). It still puts you in a little elite club. When people ask you about running, they have three questions: 'How fast do you run a mile. Have you run a marathon, and have you been in the Olympics.'"

Even people who are not sports fans can relate to the sub-four minute mile, says Watson. He had thought about doing it one day, but in high school it was a far off goal. Then a great time was anything around 4:10, but many of those 4:10 high schoolers from the state went on to break four in college or beyond, notes Watson. "One of the neat things about Minnesota in general is it has produced a lot of sub four minute milers."

One of the reasons, he says, is the quality of the coaches in the state. "When I was coaching at Edina that was one of the things that impressed me was the number of great coaches in the state." The guy who set the standard for greatness for Watson was Christensen. "(Stillwater) had a bunch of committed athletes who really bought into Scott's system. He really prepared us well. When we went to the starting line we had so much confidence. The more I learn about the sport, the more I've learned how importance confidence is.

"A lot of it was erasing those doubts (that most athletes often carry into a race) . If you don't do that some of those doubts can be a big deal. One of the things he did to boost are confidence was what we called the 'secret workout.' It was a workout we would do, not before every race, but a couple times a year. We always came out of the secret workout feeling great. It always gave us confidence that we were prepared for the challenge."

"I can't tell you exactly what Scott did to get us peaking at the right time, but we just felt like we were the best team going into (a race). Scott was a good manager of the emotional stability of the team. He kept people on an even keel, not cocky, just the right amount of confidence, self belief. One of the things he used to say was that 'you had to immerse yourself in the present to get where you want in the future.'"

Focus. Concentrate on the task ahead. "Scott would individualize workouts right down to every person on the team. He would have charts up on the wall on what you had to do if you wanted to reach a certain goal. What pace you had to run in workouts. It was very compartmentalized into what you can do today."

The quality of the competition around the state was also important, said Watson. "We always went to the biggest meets. Scott put the schedule together to compete against the best. You always knew (that to be the best) you had to outperform those guys. Our successes gave us confidence."

Christensen was also able to manage a team full of talented athletes so that the competition was against other teams, not teammates. The rest of the guys, such as Sean Graham, another of the sub four club, were great training partners, said Watson, more than great rivals. Individual success was not sought at the expense of the team, but as a contribution to the team's achievements. Reflective of that is Watson's attitude toward the achievements of Stillwater's four-minute group.

Watson sees the teams' successes not so much as their individual or collective accomplishments, but rather a reflection Christensen's program and what he taught them. "When Ben (Blankenship, the most recent Pony alumni to break four) did it, we sent some e-mails around wondering about how it compared with other schools. Scott did some research and found out that we had the most with Eugene South second with three. We were proud of that mostly for Scott. We like to see him succeed. We're happy for his successes."

As a demonstration of that, they organized a reunion of Stillwater alumni in August last year. Around 50 guys showed up, 30 ran in the 5K they held during the reunion. "We had this alumni reunion for Scott. All of the sub four guys showed up."

Not an insignificant effort as Watson is currently at Penn State University finishing up a five year program for a PhD in accounting, Graham is in Washington, DC, and Luke's younger brother Jake is working in LA. But they all came home to honor the guy who made it all possible, Scott Christensen.

2012-01-27T11:16:00.000-06:00

Photo by Gene Niemi

St. Thomas University senior Ben Sathre demonstrated last Saturday what his coach Pete Wareham already knew. Sathre is a talent in the midst of a breakthrough year, having already won the NCAA Division III cross country title, Ben is now focused on track. Below he talks about his start in the sport, the race at the Jack Johnson Classic, and the future.

Down the Backstretch: You didn’t start running until your junior year at Chaska. What were you doing prior to that? Why did you get into running?

Ben Sathre: I didn't do anything prior to running in high school. I played football until seventh grade, but didn't do much else. I got into running because my sister, Stephanie Sathre, was pulling me out. She was a pretty good runner for Chaska back in her day, and I guess everyone thought I would be good too. She tried unsuccessfully to get me out, but I really didn't want to. The idea of running to me did not sound like fun. Somehow she eventually got me out.

DTB: Now that you have a national championship “under your belt,” what are your goals for indoor and outdoor seasons?

BS: My goals have always been to see what I'm capable of and also to show others what I'm capable of. I want to see how high I can climb, and also want to show others that I deserve be there. This year, my goals are to stay healthy and learn to run more relaxed. I set goals of working on improvement, and I'll see where that can take me. Last year I messed up my hamstring early and suffered most of indoor season before a stress fracture took me out for outdoors. I don't want a repeat of last year. I guess if you were looking for more quantitative goals, I'd like to be in the 3:45 range for 1500 and 13:50 range for 5000 meters.

DtB: You were low mileage in high school and have brought it up in college. How has that adjustment been as you only had two years of high school running to get your body used to the work?

BS: Surprisingly the adjustment from low mileage in high school to higher mileage in college has been quite easy. I just increased by about 15 miles per week each year and ended up around high 80's and Pete (Wareham) keeps telling me I can't go higher than 90, so I leave it at that, but no problems adjusting really.

DtB: Your coach says that you are very tough mentally. It’s one of your strengths. Where does that positive, never-give-up attitude come from? The self confidence?

BS: The positive attitude is something I grew up with. I encountered a lot of obstacles as a kid, and life taught me that the only way to get anywhere in this world was to just pick yourself up and keep going. And Keep going. And Keep going.

If something doesn't work the first time, you just work a little harder and try again until it does work. Sometimes you don't have any other option. I've seen how much a difference it makes in life if you give that extra little effort. I try to surround myself with that idea and keep it in my head that way. If you surround yourself with positive role models who have fought hard for what they want, then you start to believe that you can do it to.

On race day, confidence comes from knowing you put in the work. Do what you are supposed to do and then do a little more. And then a little more. Last spring Pete was having me do workouts on a stationary bike when I couldn't run. We'd do a 15 minute all out or 60 minutes all out, and we had to burn a certain amount of calories in that time. I did that all summer too.

When I toed the line at nationals I knew I had put in the work and deserved the win. I set the St. Thomas record for most calories burned in one hour (1023) and 15 minutes (318) on the stationary bikes.

DtB: How do you approach a race like the 3K at the Jack Johnson meet? Do you have a specific time goal? A race strategy on how you think the race will go and what you need to do? Do you get intimidated by the competition or inspired to meet the challenge?

BS: My goal in the race was to hang with Mead as long as possible. I knew he would probably be around 8:00 to 8:05 and I felt confident that I could run that. I didn't have a time goal or anything and the 3000m isn't run in D III so I didn't have much riding on it. I just wanted to see what I could do.

It's tough to say. I wasn't really intimidated going into the race. I time trialed a 3000 on our track last fall after cross, and ran 8:16 in training flats all by myself and felt comfortable. I knew I could go considerably faster, and so I had a lot of confidence. At the same time though, standing at the starting line I was a little shocked to be there next to Hassan Mead. I've followed his career for years, and I fully respect him and his abilities, and to be standing there and running with him was a little shocking to me.

DtB: How did the race play out for you? About like you thought it would go or did something surprise you?

BS: The race was about what I expected. I was thinking I'd be around 8:05 or so, but I was happy with the result. I didn't really prepare that much for the race. I didn't taper or rest up for it, so I wasn't expecting a perfect race and probably could have gotten a little bit more out of myself, but I was happy to start the season on a good note.

DtB: What did you learn from the race? Tactics? About yourself/ About what you have to do to improve,etc.?

BS: The thing I take away most from this race is that I feel like I can put myself on a different level. I felt like I was improving quite a bit, but to have that evidence is a boost to the confidence and allows me to think of my racing ability differently. To improve I think I have to stick my nose in there more than I did. My goal like I said was to sit there and run a quick time. I was more in a time trial mood than a race mood like I would be at nationals or conference.

DtB: You may be moving up in distance. How do you feel about the longer races, especially the 10K. Do you see them as your future?

BS: I'm not the fastest runner, and I don't have a huge kick so I would say that my future is in the longer distances. I don't understand Pete and his philosophy. Pete has never let me run 10K. He always throws me in the 5000 and 3000 and 1500. He doesn't want me doing high mileage or long runs or anything that most other long distance runners do. I guess he is just trying to be careful with me since I don't have that high mileage background.

I don't know how I'll fare in 10,000 races, but I feel that I'll do even better than I do at 5000 and 1500 because I'm definitely better suited for longer distances, and I could see that in high school when I was running 9:36 for 3200 but couldn't break 4:30(for 1,600) or 2:04(for 800).

DtB: What are your plans for post-collegiate running? Try and get with a pro group?

BS: I would love to get with a pro training group. I love running and competing, and I feel like I have a lot more to offer to the sport. I don't know if it will happen though, because I don't have a proven record, and I havent done the kind of high mileage that most pros do. I'm thinking about running the half marathon at Grandma's in Duluth this summer to see if I can potentially make it as a distance runner post college. If it doesn't work out, I'll just move on with my life.

A Little History

2012-01-26T12:32:00.005-06:00

By Jim Ferstle

At the Jack Johnson Classic on Satruday I had a chance to visit with a lot of old friends, people I hadn't seen for awhile. One of them was Rick Recker. If you've been at many running or track events in Minnesota, you either know or have seen Rick. He's been a jack of all trades--a runner, race official, course measurer, officer for MDRA, USATF. Rick knows everybody and/or they know him.

During our brief conversation he asked: Did you know that four Stillwater High School guys had run sub-four minute miles? I didn't. Which, among other things, indicates that I don't know everything, and I don't read high school news releases or I would have dicovered this long ago. Just look HERE.

And, as Rick probably knew, this is one of those factoids that inspire articles from guys like me. So I began educating myself. I talked to Stillwater's coach, Scott Christensen, an anatomy and biology teacher at the school for "32 years," he says with a bit of pride and wonderment. He has been a coach at the school since 1981. Scott said that when now Gopher runner Ben Blankenship became the fourth Stillwater grad to run sub-four, the kids were curious where this accomplishment ranked among the other US high schools. Doing a little research, Christensen discovered that Stillwater was number one, ahead of another high school with a storied tradition in distance running, Eugene(OR) South that has three sub-four alumni.

I got in touch with the first Stillwater grad to break four in the mile, Luke Watson, who is now in the fourth of a five year PhD program in accounting at Penn State University. It was a conversation that stretched probably around an hour and at the end I noted that the telling of this Stillwater story was not going to fit in a short item. It's a lot like another story I did last year on a trio of guys from Hammond High School in Indiana who are still the only trio of high school runners to have run under 9 minutes for two miles in the same year in high school. Every time I talked to one of these guys there was another great piece of information, a rich history that accompanied the accomplishment that attracted attention.

During my conversation with Luke I recounted my own experience arriving in Minnesota in the summer of 1972 and being impressed by the Minnesota running community. The fact that it stretched from high school programs that taught the young to a Masters running community that not only gave back by work at races, but allowed older athletes to continue to enjoy the old ABC Wide World of Sports tag line: "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport. The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. The human drama of athletic competition." My first journalism job out of college was at the White Bear Press where I was the sports editor and darkroom technician.

There, among others, I met the track and cross country coaches at White Bear and Mariner High Schools--Ron Sass, Don Glover, Lyle Helke. Got to know that part of the Minnesota running community. Watched the Mariner girls win the State High School XC championship, but perhaps more memorably observed them singing and dancing, the radio blaring the music at full blast, in between events at track meets. I remember and still have photos of a young Mark Nenow, who ran for Anoka, winning the state cross country individual race. Mark went on to become the American recordholder for 10,000 meters on the track and now is a VP at the Columbia sportswear company in Oregon.

My first Minnesota track meet at the Macalester Track I met a seemingly crusty old guy named Pat Lanin and discovered over time how much the then high school coach at Hopkins contributed to the running community in his various volunteer jobs with the MDRA, USATF, and beyond. Became friends with Jeff Winter who directed most of the major road races in the area. Followed the example of the Masters guys, such as Paul Noreen, Bill Andberg, Alex Ratelle, Rick Kleyman, who demonstrated that running is a lifetime sport.

But what impressed me most was the generosity of the other runners in the area from Ron Daws, Steve Hoag, Garry Bjorklund, John Naslund, Chuck Burrows, Garret Tomczak, Don Timm, Bruce Mortenson, Doug Suker, Steve Benson, Dennis Barker, and others whose names I apologize for missing. They accepted a total stranger from Ohio with open arms and encouragement. All we had in common was running, but that was enough. And it wasn't just the men. There was Alex Boies, Pat Weisner, Judy Lutter, Jan Arenz, Emily Lanin, Mae Horns, Gloria Jansen, and, more recently, Pat Goodwin and Virginia Brophy Achman, who played huge roles in the development and advancement of the sport.

But those are other stories, and for the next few days, probably, I'll be telling the tale of the Ponies. It's a story of more than four guys, who happened to run fast, and their coach. I hope you enjoy it.

Yes/No: Jim Dilling over 7-3 at U.S. Open?

2012-01-25T06:42:00.001-06:00

The USA Track and Field's Visa Championship Series returns in 2012 with the U.S. Open. The meet will be held at the venerable Madison Square Garden and feature such luminaries as Bernard Lagat, David Oliver, Asafa Powell and Jenn Suhr.

Former Minnesota State-Mankato athlete Jim Dilling will kick off his indoor season by competing against Jesse Williams, Dusty Jonas and Jamie Nieto in the high jump. Dilling, the 2007 USA Track and Field Champion is gearing up for a season which he hopes will culminate in a berth in the Olympic Games this summer.

Tell us what height Dilling will reach in New York...

Yes/No: Will Jim Dilling jump 7-3 or higher at the U.S. Open on January 28th?

Dilling has jumped 7-6 1/2 both indoors and outdoors in his career. In 2011, he finished sixth in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a jump of 7-5 3/4. After graduating from Minnesota State - Mankato, Dilling trained at Kansas State University with his coach. This year, Dilling returned to Mankato to pursue a master's degree and coach the Mavericks' high jumpers.

In case a slam dunk contest breaks out at the meet, smart money will be placed on Dilling to dominate. If you don't believe us, check out this video HERE.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 6:00 P.M. CDT, Saturday, January 28th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.

My answer: No

Last week's question was: Will Chris Rombough and/or Hassan Mead break 8:10 in the 3000 meters at the Jack Johnson Invitational? The answer was yes. Both runners were comfortably under 8:10 in their first track races of the year. Almost everyone answered this correctly and there are currently thirty-eight contestants tied for first place in the overall standings.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

Anatomy of a Race

2012-01-24T13:15:00.004-06:00

By Jim Ferstle
At every meet, there is usually a marquee event, one that is selected from all the rest to be the most anticipated contest or having the potential for the best result. Such was the men's 3,000 meters at this year's Jack Johnson Classic at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse on Saturday.

One aspect that made it special, noted one of the race officials, was that it was probably Hassan Mead's last indoor race at "the Barn," as the fieldhouse is affectionately known, as a Gopher. Mead has a special place in the hearts of Gopher track fans, not only for the talent he possesses, but also for the obstacles he has overcome. When Mead won a fast 5,000 meter race at Stanford several years ago, he appeared to be ready to contend with the best in the country, and/or a place on a future Olympic team, thus joining the luminous cast of University of Minnesota alumni who went on to make their mark in US distance running.

A seemingly ordinary leg injury that failed to heal threw a temporary wrench into Mead's rise, but just when he seemed to be ready to get back into the fray, he encountered a life threatening event, not your typical running injury setback, a collapsed lung. He battled back from those obstacles, and this year won the NCAA regional cross country individual title. He's built on that entering what will be his last season as a Gopher, hoping to regain his past form.

With the season still young, Mead was not in peak shape, but University men's track and cross country coach Steve Plasencia could see that he was, perhaps, ready to run fast last weekend. To increase the chance of that happening, Plasencia, a man who doesn't overlook the many small details that often go into creating outstanding performances, began to put the pieces together. He let it be known that Mead appeared to be in shape to run well this weekend.

He changed the schedule of events at the meet to put the 3K in a better spot on the program, so that the crowd would be there to witness and cheer the athletes, that they could become a part of the race by helping to will the runners to new heights. So, right after Goldy Gopher warmed up the crowd with a "sprint race" with kids. Goldy getting down on his stomach to crawl the final meters, while one of the kids who walked next to Goldie with a look of concern fearing that the oversized rodent was indeed in distress, but ultimately relieved as Goldy put up his paw for a high five with the child.

Meanwhile, Plasencia was moving around the track, talking to race officials making sure all was set for the 1 PM race start time. Plasencia brought former Gopher and US Olympic Trials marathon sixth place finisher, Andrew Carlson, onto the infield as Carlson was serving as the honorary starter for the 3K. The preparations finished, Plasencia stood anxiously at the top of the straightaway, a stopwatch in each hand, ready to monitor the action.

Sean Olson, a senior middle distance runner at the U from Menomonie, WI, was given the job of pacemaker. Chris Rombough, a former Gopher who now runs for Team USA Minnesota and holds the meet record for the event, and NCAA Division III XC champion, Ben Sathre of St. Thomas were in the field to challenge Mead.

Photo by Gene Niemi
The plan was to start by running 64 second quarters for as long as possible and take the race from there. Olson kept them on pace through 800 meters, but then the pace started to slide. They went through the mile in 4:20, ran 2:10 for the next half, and the race was on. Mead with his elegant, silky-smooth stride kept in control launching a final quarter of 60 seconds to leave Rombough nearly three seconds back, with Sathre a step behind Rombough, as Hassan moved around lapped runners and flashed past the finish in 8:03.84.

"We wanted to go through the mile in under 4:20 and take it from there," said Mead. "You really need two pacemakers to do (what they were trying to do)." Mead was given a bouquet of flowers and announced to the crowd as he did an abbreviated lap of honor after the race. The overflow crowd in the stands, which included area distance running luminaries, such as former Boston Marathon runner up Steve Hoag, 1976 US Olympic trials fourth place finisher Don Timm, NCAA steeplechase champion Bruce Mortenson, former U of M track and cross country coach Roy Griak, and 1988 Olympic marathon trials winner Rod DeHaven, who now coaches at South Dakota State, among others, gave him a round of applause.

The appreciative audience got what they came for and went away hoping for more thrills in the future from the 3K protagonists--Mead, Rombough, and Sathre--who will seek to build on their accomplishments on Saturday as they face the challenges of the Olympic year ahead.

The Magic of the Mile

2012-01-23T00:06:00.015-06:00

"The mile is magic," says Ryan Lamppa. "It's America's distance." Lamppa believes that this and other attributes make the mile an ideal vehicle for promoting the sport of running.

Last week the Bring Back the Mile Campaign was launched with an e-mail blast to the media and a website www.bringbackthemile,com. The seed that sprouted this idea came to Lamppa ten years ago when he was working out at the local track in his hometown of Santa Barbara, California. The track is right next to the ocean in a climate that is conducive to running any distance year round.

Lamppa is Running USA's media director and was one of the people behind the development of the Running USA teams that have transformed American distance running over the past decade(the idea was officially launched in the Fall of 2000). Initially his thought was to put on a mile race on the track in Santa Barbara. The more he thought about it, the more it became clear that a single event, no matter how successful, only had a sort of "the circus comes to town" impact in that the event is like a traveling circus that comes goes quickly through a community, only leaving a small footprint.

"I want something bigger," Lamppa thought. "I want it to have a 'spill over' effect." So a single mile race becomes a series of races. To broaden the campaign further there would also be an effort to return the mile to high school meets, which now run 1,600 meter races, a hybrid distance that is neither a mile nor a metric mile that is run in the Olympics. Lamppa knew he couldn't do this alone so he began talking to people inside and outside the sport about his idea. About what to call it, what elements would make it work, and how to get it done.

He was encouraged by the enthusiasm others expressed about the concept. "When I asked people: 'What do you think?' They would respond: 'How can I help? What can I do?'" He hired a marketing person to help him craft his message. He solicited support from some of the top names in the sport, past and present, two of whom have Minnesota ties.

Steve Holman, the former Minnesota state high school champ from Richfield High School, and Carrie Tollefson, the Minnesota Olympian, both jumped on board. And the list of supporters is not just runners, but agents, coaches, journalists, and a former US Congressman from Kansas, who was also a former World Recordholder in the mile and 1,500 meters, Jim Ryun.

Lamppa's pitch is simple, to elevate and celebrate the mile, the American event. Everybody knows what a mile is, says Lamppa, not just runners. It's short enough that anybody can participate in a mile event without a huge commitment to the training for the event. It's a TV friendly distance and the four-minute mile still has status, a universal cache that is recognized by those inside and outside the sport.

The timing for launching such a push is now, said Lamppa. Two US runners--Jenny Simpson, who won the women's metric mile, and Matt Centrowitz Jr., who was third in the men's race, at the IAAF World Championships last year. Morgan Uceny was ranked the number one female miler/1,500 meter runner for 2011 by Track & Field News. All of this illustrates that US middle distance runners are among the best in the world. 17 US high school boy milers ran under 4:10 in the mile last year, said Lamppa, the most ever to run that fast in a single season.

Add to that the fact that February 10 is the 50th anniversary of America's Jim Beatty becoming the first man to run under four minutes indoors and other similar historic milestones and you have messages that can not only generate media interest, but there is a chance to "get people excited about the mile again," says Lamppa. There are other tie ins, such as the First Lady, Michelle Obama's, program to attempt to reverse the obesity trend in children. What better way than to get them exercising using running a mile as an early goal in such a program? adds Lamppa.

All of these elements are the foundation of a broad platform that can be used to elevate and celebrate the mile, he says. Lamppa also envisions, in the near future, nationally televised mile races that generate interest, money, and the increase the popularity of the event, as well as the image of the sport.

These projects are focused on the US now, but can be extended to other countries with rich histories with the mile, such as England, Ireland, Scandinavia, New Zealand, and Australia.
New Balance, for example, just launched The British Miler Campaign with a preview screening of a documentary, the trailer for which can be viewed HERE. It is a promotion for the rich history for the event in the UK as well as UK New Balance athletes currently competing in the event.

Just as it took some time for the seed that was planted in Lamppa's mind ten years ago grow into the flower that is just beginning to bloom, this project will not transform things overnight, but over time. The 'building blocks" for this project are there, Lamppa believes, knowing that the race to make it happen is more of a marathon than a mile.

"I am the mile" is one of the themes. So if you see people holding up signs with that slogan, wearing T-shirts with it stenciled on the front, or the words up on billboards, you'll get the message. The mile is our distance, says Lamppa. It's time to reclaim it, and return it to its proper place in the sporting firmament.

Kampf Sets Meet Record in Mile; Mead Wins 3K

2012-01-21T21:21:00.000-06:00

Two Gophers, one former and one current, were among the outstanding performers at the Jack Johnson Classic that finished its two day run at the University of Minnesota Field House on Saturday. In the 3K, Gopher Hassan Mead(8:03.84) outkicked former teammate, now Team USA Minnesota runner, Chris Rombough(8:06.70) and St. Thomas University's Divison III NCAA XC champ Ben Sathre, who finished third(8:07.02)

Former Gopher Heather Kampf, now running for Team USA Minnesota, set a new meet record in the mile with a time of 4:41.5. Other women's meet records fell to Olimpia Nowak of Northern Iowa in the 60m hurdles(8.44), while North Dakota State’s 4x400 relay team set a new Fieldhouse record with a time of 3:48.00. For the men, Nike's Derek Miles in the pole vault(18' 1.25"); and Gophers Harun Abda in the 600(1:16:38)and David Pachuta in the 800m(1:49.9) also set new Classic records.

In the team competition, Minnesota swept the men's and women's team titles. The Gopher women took the top three spots in the 60m dash and 800m run, to top the standings with 190 points. North Dakota State (120), South Dakota (105), Northern Iowa (85.5) and South Dakota State (52) rounded out the top five. For the men, Minnesota scored 202 points, followed by Northern Iowa(94), North Dakota State(79), South Dakota State(64), and South Dakota(59).

Chimerem Okoroji (7.52), Chidera Obasih (7.60) and Sasha Davis (7.64) took the top three spots the 60m, while Heather Brunn (2:14.07), Katie Hill (2:14.07) and Megan Smith (2:14.89) swept the 800m. In the women's 3K, Minnesota swept the top two spots with Rachel Drake (9:44.58) and Molly Kayfes (9:47.61). Stephanie Price(4:50.75) and Laura Docherty(4:55.65) placed second and third behind Kampf in the mile.

Gopher men's winners included: Cameron Boy in the 200m(21.92); Micah Hegerle in the Weight throw(20.356m/66' 9.75"), Trey Davis in the shot put(17.64m/57' 10.5"), Oladipo Fagbemi in the Triple Jump(15>03m/49' 3.75"), Kevin Bradley in the 400m(48.48), and the men's 4 by 400 relay(3:15.30).

Jack Johnson Classic Underway

2012-01-20T19:57:00.000-06:00

Day one of the Jack Johnson Classic results are HERE. Live results for tomorrow will be there as well. Heat sheets and more info for Saturday's races for the women are HERE, the men HERE.

Who Is Jack Johnson?

2012-01-20T10:24:00.003-06:00

He has a race, an indoor meet, a scholarship fund named in his honor, but who was Jack Johnson? Why is this weekend's indoor track meet at the University of Minnesota named after him?

If you were a University of Minnesota athlete in the 30 years prior to 2006, that's probably an easy question to answer, but for the rest of us, it's not. Jack Johnson was a beloved person in the University athletic family. For three decades he worked as an equipment manager for the athletic department, starting off there as a student trainer and rising to the role of equipment manager for the women's teams at the University.

"He was a Mounds View high school guy," said Steve Plasencia, the men's track and cross country coach at the U. "Single, never married, the kids in the program here were his family. There's a great picture of Jack that I still see around the office. He's out on the cross country course, foot up on the oak tree(see photo)."

"He was a good friend of mine and my wife," said Garry Wilson, the women's cross country coach at the U. "Jack did everything he possibly could for the team."

That included, said Plasencia, action above and beyond the call of duty at events such as the 2000 NCAA Championship meet at Iowa State University in Ames. The temperatures were frigid with a strong wind that was in the runners' faces at the start of the race, said Plasencia. It was so bad that Plasencia had to take one of his runners into the shower room after the race and hold him up under the hot water until he thawed.

Near the end of the finish chutes Johnson was running around handing out parkas and hand warmers for the Gopher runners. For Jack it was just part of the job. It was the sort of selfless behavior that endeared him to the teams. "He didn't have any immediate family. The kids were his family," said Wilson. In his first year at the equipment job, he was asked if he wanted to go along with the Gopher football team to the Rose Bowl. Let somebody else go, Jack said, I'll go the next time, Wilson laughingly remembers the selfless gesture, noting that the Gophers have not returned to the Rose Bowl since then.

And Jack was an "adopted" member to the Wilson family as well. Wilson recalls one incident of many when the boat they were out in sprung a leak and sank.

Wilson's wife and Jack were on the boat as it was going down and Jack couldn't swim. Wilson got him into a life jacket and all three made it to shore, even though the boat did not survive. In September of 2005 when Jack was diagnosed with cancer, Wilson and his wife, brought Jack to their home. They took care of Jack as the illness progressed ultimately taking his life on February 15, 2006.

Wilson didn't stop there in taking care of his friend. While Jack was still alive a scholarship fund was set up in Jack's name at the University. Seven U of M athletes so far have benefited from that fund. It's partially funded through Jack's Run a cross country race named after Johnson. The funds from that race go to the scholarship, the Angel Foundation, and the Tesfa Foundation.

Then there is this weekend's meet. Becky Bohm, a former associate director of athletic communications at the University of Minnesota, says that Wilson has been particularly attentive to honoring individuals at the school, such as Jack or former U of M women's runner Rocky Racette, who was killed in a tragic car accident. Jack's Run, Rocky's Run are both things he championed that keep the memory alive of those who had an impact on the University programs.

Wilson even made sure that Jack got an M award, which meant a U of M letter jacket. Jack was particularly proud of that, said Bohm. In fact, she recalls, that Jack was buried wearing the jacket. Just the way Jack would have wanted it.

Jack Johnson Classic Meet Schedule

2012-01-19T15:02:00.001-06:00

In case you've had trouble finding it, here is the schedule of events for the Jack Johnson Classic meet at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012
3:00PM PENTATHLON 60M HURDLES
WOMEN’S LONG JUMP: 1 Flight—9 to Finals
3:10PM HEPTATHLON 60M DASH
3:40PM PENTATHLON HIGH JUMP
3:50PM MEN’S HEPTATHLON LONG JUMP
4:50PM HEPTATHLON SHOT PUT
5:00PM WOMEN’S POLE VAULT
5:00PM MEN’S LONG JUMP: 2 Flights-9 to Finals
5:15PM PENTATHLON SHOT PUT
6:00PM WOMEN’S 5,000m
5:50PM HEPTATHLON HIGH JUMP
6:15PM PENTATHLON LONG JUMP
6:30PM WOMEN’S 200M (7 HEATS)
TBA PENTATHLON 800M
6:55PM MEN’S 200M (7 HEATS)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2012
10:00AM MEN’S HEPTATHLON 60M HURDLES
WOMEN’S HIGH JUMP—MEN TO FOLLOW(30-45 MIN WARM-UP PERIOD)
MEN’S WEIGHT THROW—2 Flights-9 go to Finals--
WOMEN’S WEIGHT THROW—1 Flight-9 to Finals—Will start 30 Minutes after Men’s Weight
MEN’S SHOT PUT--1 Flight—9 to Finals—Will start 30 Minutes after Women’s Weight
WOMEN’S SHOT PUT—1 Flight-9 to Finals—Will start 30 Minutes after Men’s Shot
10:45AM MEN’S HEPTATHLON POLE VAULT
MEN’S POLE VAULT TO FOLLOW (45 MIN WARM-UP)
11:30AM MEN’S TRIPLE JUMP—1 Flight-9 to Finals
WOMEN’S TRIPLE JUMP: 2 Flights-9 to Finals
RUNNING EVENTS: 11:30AM NATIONAL ANTHEM
11:45AM MEN 60M PRELIMS (4 HEATS)
12:00PM WOMEN 60M PRELIMS (3 HEATS)
12:15PM MEN 60M HURDLE PRELIMS (4 HEATS)
12:35PM WOMEN 60M HURDLE PRELIMS (2 HEATS)
12:50PM GOLDY’S RUN
TBA HEPTATHLON 1,000M FINAL
1:00PM MEN 3,000M (HEAT #1)
1:15PM MEN MILE (HEAT #1)
1:30PM WOMEN MILE (3 HEATS)
2:00PM WOMEN 60M HURDLE FINAL—2 SECTION FINAL (FASTEST SECTION LAST)
2:20PM MEN 60M HURDLE FINAL—2 SECTION FINAL (FASTEST SECTION LAST)
2:35PM WOMEN 60M FINAL—2 SECTION FINAL (FASTEST SECTION LAST)
2:45PM MEN 60M FINAL—2 SECTION FINAL (FASTEST SECTION LAST)
2:55PM WOMEN 600M (3 HEATS)
3:10PM MEN 600M (3 HEATS)
3:25PM WOMEN 400M (5 HEATS)
3:45PM MEN 400M (5 HEATS)
4:05PM WOMEN 800M (3 HEATS)
4:25PM MEN 800M (2 HEATS)
4:35PM WOMEN 3,000M (2 HEATS)
5:05PM MEN 3,000M (HEAT #2)
5:20PM MEN MILE (HEAT 2 & 3)
5:35PM WOMEN 4 X 400M RELAY (3 HEATS)
5:55PM MEN 4 X 400M RELAY (3 HEATS)

Peter Snell: Olympic Champion, Sports Scientist, Lydiard Coached

2012-01-19T12:47:00.000-06:00

Many might not be aware that the Twin Cities has many ties to the legendary New Zealand distance running coach, Arthur Lydiard. Nobby Hashizume is a co-founder of the Lydiard Foundation along with Olympic medalist and former Twin Cities resident Lorraine Moller of New Zealand, an organization dedicated to keeping alive the legacy of Lydiard and spreading the message of his training principles. Their website www.lydiardfoundation.org is under reconstruction right now, but should be back up in a couple of weeks, says Hashizume. For now runners can access their training program site HERE.

To read more about the practical and scientific issues with Lydiard's program, a feature on Peter Snell, one of Lydiard's athletes who went on to a career in exercise physiology/sports science go HERE.

Yes/No: Rombough versus Mead at U of M

2012-01-18T21:37:00.000-06:00

During this cold stretch in Minnesota, an indoor track is worth its weight in gold. The University of Minnesota put theirs to good use in January with back-to-back weekends of meets at the Fieldhouse. Last week, the Gophers dusted off their track spikes and hosted the Northwest Open. They are following that up with the second meet of the year—the Jack Johnson Invitational.

The Team USA Minnesota crew has been in the news lately since so many of their athletes ran well in Houston last week for the Olympic Marathon Trials. But this group has achieved success at shorter races as well—A trio of runners will open up their 2012 track campaign at Jack Johnson.

The three Team USA Minnesota runners are all former Gophers. Heather Kampf will compete in the mile, while Jamie Cheever and Chris Rombough will run the 3000 meters. A former teammate of Rombough, current Gopher Hassan Mead, will also contest the 3000 meters.

This week we'll keep an eye on two of the best 3000 meter athletes ever to run at the University of Minnesota (#2 and #3 to be precise) as they compete against each other in a rust-buster. The first Yes/No question of 2012 is...

Yes/No: Will Chris Rombough and/or Hassan Mead break 8:10 in the 3000 meters at the Jack Johnson Invitational?

Chris Rombough has a personal best of 7:54:57 in the indoor 3000 from 2010. He is currently training for the USA Cross Country Championships on February 11th.

Hassan Mead is an All-American and Big Ten Conference Champion many, many times over. He has run 7:56:15 for 3000 meters and is the Gopher school record holder in the indoor 5000 meters (Rombough is second on that list).

Rombough and Mead are both competing in their first track races of the year.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 1:00 P.M. CDT, Saturday, January 21st. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.

My answer: Yes

Last week's Pick 10 game kicked off the 2012 season of fantasy contests on Down the Backstretch. It was a close competition with twelve players finishing within five points of each other. The Marathon Olympic Trials winners were Craig Yotter and Jon Lambert with 40 points.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

"American marathoning has really improved"

2012-01-17T09:27:00.001-06:00

By Jim Ferstle
"American marathoning has really improved," said Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker after observing the Olympic Trials races in Houston last Saturday. The US will be sending its best, a strong contingent of both men and women to the London 2012 Olympics. A team that has the potential to contend for medals against the African juggernaut, Kenya, that dominated the marathon competition in 2011 and at the 2011 IAAF World Championships.

Barker was impressed at how the two pre-race favorites, Ryan Hall in the men's race, and Desi Davilla in the women's, took control from the start and pushed the early pace. The end result being that both the men's and women's races did not deteriorate into slow, tactical battles, but became races of attrition where only those who could tolerate a pace fitting of an Olympic final were in the mix for the spots on the team. The pace not only prepared those who earned spots on the team for what the race is likely to be like in London, but more importantly, it forced "darkhorse contenders" for a spot on the team, such as Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson, Jason Lehmkuhle, Matt Gabrielson, and Katie MacGregor, to run "right at the red line from the gun," said Barker.

"Matt was standing right behind Ryan Hall on the starting line," said Barker. "When the race began Hall took off. By the first turn Hall was already 40 yards ahead(of Gabrielson). Our guys weren't going into the race to run 2:12, 2:13. They were running for a spot on the team. To do that (because of Hall's rocket start where the lead group came through the half on 2:06 pace) they had to run often outside their comfort zone."

Carlson and Lehmkuhle were both on 2:09 pace through 20 miles and hoping to both survive and/or be able to pick up those in front of them if the early pace was too fast. "No great performance is without risk," said Barker. And Hall put them all at risk--the four in the lead pack(Hall, Meb Keflezighi, Abdi Abdirahman, and Dathan Ritzenhein), but none of them broke completely under the strain. Gabrielson was on 2:11 pace in a grou behind the chase pack. He faced the unenviable and, as the race went on, unlikely task of having to catch both the chase pack and the lead pack for a team spot.Carlson and Lehmkuhle were in the chase pack about a minute and 40 seconds behind the frontrunners.

In the trials for the 2008 team in New York, Lehmkuhle was in a similar spot at the same point in the race. He, along with eventual third place finisher in that race, Brian Sell, were nearly the same distance behind a lead second group that included both Meb and Abdi. Sell was able to close the gap and make the team. Jason beat both Abdi and Meb to finish fifth. It didn't happen that way this time. The "wheels" came off for Lehmkuhle at around 22 miles, Barker said, and it was Carlson's drive to the finish that was most effective, landing the debutant marathoner in sixth place.

"At 20 miles Andrew said: 'I don't think I can make it.' (to Lehmkuhle)," said Barker. "His hamstrings were starting to tighten up on him. Jason told him to relax, and not panic. Two miles later coming out of a corner at around 22 miles, Jason(who had been feeling strong until then) suddenly felt 'Like I couldn't run anymore.'( Lemkuhle said). That's the way the marathon is when you're running on the red line."

It can change suddenly, without warning, for better or worse. Carlson felt better and was able to finish strong. Lemkuhle could not. Similar scenariio for MacGregor, Barker noted, as she was right on the red line for her with the lead pack cranking off 5:30 miles, but when they dropped them into the 5:20s it was too much for MacGregor. "I was really impressed with (Kara) Goucher," he said. "Before the race she didn't appear all that confident and said that she thought she could run 2:25/ 2:26." She hoped that is what it took to make the team.

Goucher's red line got crossed when the pace dropped into the low 5:22s, but Kara was able to hold on during those fast miles, sensing that eventual fourth place finisher Amy Hastings was also having trouble handling that speed. Goucher told herself to hang on, get a gap on Hastings, hoping that she could then slow down to 5:30 per mile pace and make it to the finish. It worked, and she made the team, but it illustrates just how fine a line one treads in these situations.

"The best runners were there(in the mix for the spots on the team), and they ran great," said Barker. "Most people expected the (men's) race to be like 2008 when they went out conservatively, running around 5 minute pace from the start. This year the best people were there, they were ready to race, and they ran great. It's a fearless team (that we're sending to London)."

For Team USA Minnesota the preparation went well. The three guys prepared as best they could, said Baker. He took pages from Buddly Edelen's training and Paul Tergat's. "They both set world records about 40 years apart, but their training was really pretty similar. Tergat rested more so he was able to train faster, but otherwise there wasn't much difference in what they did." The three guys came through it all injury free and gave it their best shot on race day.

Talking to the guys afterward, Barker noted that they all felt prepared. "We covered all the bases," he said. One had a great performance, the other two did not. A 33% success rate, but Barker notes: "Just once I'd like it to get it right for everybody."

Donovan Fellows Runs 2:17:30; Eric Loeffler 2:25:05 in Houston OT; Chris Erichsen article link

2012-01-16T10:11:00.003-06:00

We missed a few more. Donovan Fellows, who also ran the US Olympic Marathon Trials in New York in 2007, finished 38th in Houston in 2:17:30. Eric Loeffler was 77th in 2:25:05. Also a link to an article on Chris Erichsen from the Spring Valley Tribune is HERE.

Recap of the Houston Races for Team USA Minnesota

2012-01-16T08:39:00.001-06:00

“The men’s race was on the edge right from the gun,” said Dennis Barker, Team USA Minnesota coach. “The lead pack was running sub-2:07 pace for the first half of the race and the chase pack – which included Andrew(Carlson) and Jason(Lehmkuhle) – was running 2:09 pace. Anyone who wasn’t in one of those packs had little chance of making the Olympic team. Andrew and Jason really went for it and were only a minute and 40 seconds behind the leaders at 20 miles.

“But the guys up front stayed tough all the way to the end and no one from the chase pack was able to catch them. It was the first time four Americans have ever run under 2:10 in one race so the guys who made the team (Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman) really earned it. Andrew held on pretty well and ran the seventh fastest US marathon debut ever. Jason had a tougher time over the last few miles. I really have to hand it to both of them for giving everything to try to make the team.

“Matt (Gabrielson) felt a little off but was still running 2:11 pace through 15 miles. But in a race like this if you wake up and are 98 percent instead of 100 percent that day, it’s going to be rough. He battled as long as he could to stay in contention and gave what he had. If it had been another day, it easily could have been Matt leading the chase pack.

“Josh (Moen) got a hamstring problem about ten days out from the race. It had gotten better but not good enough to run a high level marathon. It started tightening up after just a couple miles and got worse from there.”

There were 294 runners who competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, which was a selection race for the marathon team that will represent the US in London this summer. It was the first time that the men’s and women’s marathon competitions were held on the same day at the same location. The first three men and the first three women were named to the team.

“In the women’s race, Katie (MacGregor) was doing fine in the lead pack when they were running miles in the 5:30s but when they started dropping them into the 5:20s, she wasn’t able to respond,” said Barker. “Meghan (Peyton) was running a pace that would have given her a finishing time in the low 2:30s, trying to stay as close as she could to the lead back in case it broke up.

“But the leaders ran strong all the way and Meghan struggled after 20 miles. Both Katie and Meghan did everything they could on that day to make the team, but there were some great runners in front of them who ran great races.” (Shalane Flanagan, Desi Davilla and Kara Goucher comprise the women’s Olympic marathon team.)

Gabrielson, Moen and Peyton did not finish the race. In the men’s field, there were 111 starters and 85 finishers. 183 women started the marathon and 152 finished.

Aramco Half Marathon – January 15
Jon Grey was fifth in a time of 1:02:25 and Matt Llano was seventh in 1:03:26. Both runners were making their debuts in the half marathon distance.

Katie MacGregor Interview

2012-01-15T15:04:00.000-06:00

Flotrack post-race interview with Katie MacGregor is HERE.

Kara Goucher Interview

2012-01-15T14:49:00.000-06:00

Flotrack day-after-the-Trials interview with Kara Goucher is HERE.

Chad Johnson Talks About His Knee Issues

2012-01-15T13:58:00.001-06:00

Flotrack interview with Chad Johnson, who talks about how a knee injury caused him problems, future plans HERE.

Two Trials Finishers We Missed

2012-01-14T19:52:00.001-06:00

Two sharp-eyed readers pointed out two runners we missed in the list of Minnesota finishers at the Olympic Trials. Malclom Richards was 51st in 2:20:15. An interview with Malcolm prior to the race is HERE. Nichole Porath finished 69th in 2:44:12. You can read more about Nichole HERE or from her blog HERE.

Carlson Sixth, MacGregor Eleventh at Olympic Trials

2012-01-14T12:24:00.005-06:00

Team USA Minnesota and former Gopher Andrew Carlson made an impressive debut in the marathon taking sixth at the US Olympic Trials on Saturday with a time of 2:11:24. Team USA Minnesota teammate Jason Lehmkuhle was 18th in 2:14:35. Mike Reneau finished 20th in 2:14:37. Former Team USA Minnesota runner Patrick Smyth was 22nd in 2:15:00. Chris Erichsen placed 40th in 2:17:52. Former Stillwater High standout Luke Watson was 65th in 2:21:58. Chris Lundstrom came in 66th in 2:22:03. Justin Gruenwald was 74th in 2:24:16, and Chad Johnson placed 83rd in 2:36:48.

They all performed much better than USATF's results page, which didn't function during the race and still does not have a list of the female finishers, though we do know that Duluth's Kara Goucher made the team by finishing in third place with a time of 2:26:06. Team USA Minnesota's Katie MacGregor finished 11th in 2:34:01. We'll post the rest of the women's times when they are available.

Here are the rest of the Minnesota women finishers: 22. Michelle Frey 2:37:06; 47. Jennifer Houck 2:40:51; 55. Leah Thorvilson 2:42:09; 63. Jenna Boren 2:43:04; 80. Katherine Koski 2:45:27.

Finish times for both races are HERE.

Jason Lehmkuhle Feature Story

2012-01-13T14:18:00.000-06:00

Des Moines Register feature on Jason Lehmkuhle is HERE.

Matt Gabrielson Feature Story

2012-01-13T14:17:00.002-06:00

The Des Moines Register feature on Matt Gabrielson is HERE.

Meghan Armstrong Peyton Feature Story

2012-01-13T14:16:00.003-06:00

Des Moines Register feature on Meghan Armstrong Peyton is HERE.

Justin Grunewald Feature

2012-01-13T14:05:00.000-06:00

Star Tribune feature on Justin Grunewald's trip to the Olympic Trials is HERE.

The Guys Behind the Marathon Road Video

2012-01-13T07:10:00.023-06:00

The 12-minute documentary, Marathon Road, that chronicles the preparation of the four Team USA Minnesota runners for the 2012 Olympic Trials was made by a local company, Ideatap Studios. To find out how the video came together we asked the guys who produced it. Below is the answer:

"I started Ideatap with my friend Joe Tossey officially five years ago, but we had been working together in video since VHS," says company co-founder Paul Sanft. "We got connected with Team USA Minnesota after I ran track/XC at Augsburg College. Several of my teammates (Dan Vogel included) have been in regular contact with Dennis Barker ever since.

"I've covered various meets for the Auggies over the years and Dennis always liked the videos I made for his teams. So he suggested the idea of following the Team USA Minnesota during their training. I was happy just to be there to witness their impressive workouts, there was no way I could turn down the project.

"The biggest challenge by far was coordinating our shooting schedules with the runners' ever changing workout schedules. We ended up just shooting whatever we could during the rare times our schedules matched. As a result, we never actually came up with a purpose or goal for the video until December.

"At that point, it became a scramble to get final interviews and begin the process of sifting through all our footage for things that would create an inspirational feel. In fact, we didn't finish filming until this past Saturday morning. Knowing we wanted to capitalize on the excitement of the race and release it just a few days out, I had to sift through and edit 12 hours of footage down to the 12 minutes in just three days.

"I'm hoping to continue pursuing video within the running community as it's always been a passion of mine, and I think we're developing a knack for it."

Kara Goucher after OT Press Conference

2012-01-12T22:07:00.000-06:00

Flotrack interview with Kara Goucher after the Olympic Trials press conference is HERE.

"I'm Katie MacGregor and I'm Training to Become an Olympian"

2012-01-12T19:34:00.000-06:00

Team USA Minnesota's Katie MacGregor talks to Flotrack about her near misses and her approach to the 2012 US Olympic Marathon Trials HERE.

Gabrielson, Carlson on the Long Shots List

2012-01-12T12:52:00.000-06:00

Letsrun.com's "long shots list" for the men's Olympic Trials race lists both Matt Gabrielson and Andrew Carlson, calling Gabrielson "the safest bet for a high finish out of any of the guys on this list." Read it HERE.

North Country Women at the Trials

2012-01-12T10:14:00.000-06:00

The Duluth NewsTribune's Kevin Pates gives updates on three women with roots in the North Country--Katie Koski, Kara Goucher, and Jennifer Houck--who are running the Olympic Trials HERE.

Dennis Barker Talks Trials

2012-01-12T06:14:00.021-06:00

By Jim Ferstle
At one point during the Marathon Road documentary chronicling the journey of the "Four Musketeers" of Team USA Minnesota to the 2012 Olympic Trials, two of the runners, Jason Lehmkuhle and Matt Gabrielson talk about giving their all, leaving it all out on the course. "The key is to get to the finish line as fast as you can without dying," says Gabrielson.

With laughter echoing in the background, Lehmkuhle adds: "You can die directly on the finish line. But you have to make it there first."

The somewhat tongue-in-cheek banter illustrates the attitude, camaraderie, and commitment of the group and perhaps how they were able to hold up to the grueling training necessary to compete at the top level of the sport these days. Observing, orchestrating, and organizing the training for the foursome, Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker has attempted to get the group to the starting line in Houston healthy and fit.

Barker has been impressed and thankful that the four have done all that was asked of them and gone through a cycle of marathon preparation "better than any we've ever had." Aside from an unexplained "knot" in Josh Moen's hamstring, which may or may not be an issue in Houston, the four go into the race healthy, fit, and prepared. The last obstacle to overcome being the uncertainty. How will they feel on race day? Will it all come together?

"The men's race is really wide open," says Barker. The two big favorites, defending Trials champion Ryan Hall and 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2009 NYC Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi, both ran Fall marathons. 2008 Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein is a question mark going in, having struggled recently with a series of injuries. After that are "a handful" of others who all have a shot at the team should any of the aforementioned trio of pre-race favorites falter.

Recovering from a marathon is more of an art form than a science, so Barker believes both Hall and Keflezighi are less likely to adopt a catch me if you can strategy and blow the race open early. So, a large pack of runners could well be together longer at a pace that the Musketeers have trained themselves to be comfortable running. Predicting what happens then gets more complicated. Gabrielson finished eighth in the 2008 5,000 meter track trials and demonstrated his ability to run with the best in a high profile, high pressure race, says Barker.

"Jason really enjoys being in a big race with good runners and being fit," said Barker. "That's what he likes about running." In other words, crank up the stakes, the pressure, and the better some people perform, some of those being several members of Team USA Minnesota, Barker says. The group had tests done to discover how the team's runners performed under high stress conditions--their mental fitness under pressure, said Barker. Lehmkuhle 's tests indicated that as the stress increased, so too did his ability to perform.

"Andrew (Carlson)is like that as well," says Barker. "He's very emotional--feeds off emotion more than the others. The more emotional it is, the better he seems to do. He can dig stuff out of himself that you never thought he could do." The key for any of the guys, however, they all acknowledge, is just being in "the hunt" late in the race, having a shot at a spot on the team with plenty of run left in the legs with a 10K to go.

Same for the women, notes Barker. While most give the top two spots tin the womens' Trials to Desiree Davila and Shalane Flanagan, the third spot is considered up for grabs with a lot of women in contention. Duluth's Kara Goucher said in a recent interview that she believes running 2:25 in Houston will be good enough to make the team. Katie MacGregor would have to have a big PR to make that time, but it's not an impossible jump to make.

Meghan Armstrong Peyton has been hitting training runs at around 2:30 marathon pace. Both go into the race with different goals. For MacGregor it is seeking that elusive Olympic team place that she has just missed in the past. For Peyton, it's to find out if the marathon is her event. About the only thing predictable about a marathon, though, whether you are a veteran like MacGregor or a "rookie," like Peyton, is that it is unpredictable.

Barker is in the preparation business, not predictions, so he'll watch like the rest of us as the drama unfolds in Houston. The preparation has been done, soon it will be time for the show to begin.

Kara Goucher Gets Ready for the Trials

2012-01-11T17:51:00.000-06:00

Writer Jon Gugala's take on Kara Goucher's preparation for the Olympic Trials is HERE.

Meghan Armstrong Peyton Interview

2012-01-11T17:50:00.003-06:00

Sarah Barker's interview with Meghan Armstrong Peyton is HERE.

The "Four Musketeers of Minnesota" Get Ready for Houston

2012-01-11T12:02:00.003-06:00

You've seen the trailer, here's the full 12 minute video of Minnesota's "Four Musketeers" giving their thoughts on the preparation for the Olympic Marathon Trials. Produced by local group, Ideatap Studios, the scenery gives one a lot of views of the guys out on the Mississippi River Parkway doing the work to prepare for Houston. Interviews with all four and Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker gives glimpses into the process of getting ready for the big event.

Their blurb for the story: "Since 2001 Team USA Minnesota has had 17 US National Champions and 61 top three finishes in US Championship races. Jason Lehmkuhle has two Olympic Trials top ten finishes, including fifth in 2008. Andrew Carlson has won two US National Championships. Matt Gabrielson finished eighth in the 2008 Olympic Trials 5,000 meters. Josh Moen has run 46:38 for 10 miles. Enjoy the stories of these men as they train for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston on Saturday, January 14th.

Regards,
Dan Vogel, Riley Conway, Paul Sanft, and Joe Tossey"

Marathon Road from Paul Sanft on Vimeo.

Pick Ten: Olympic Marathon Trials

2012-01-11T05:48:00.000-06:00

We will kick things off for this year's Down the Backstretch fantasy contests with a big one - the Olympic Trials in the marathon. By our count there are twenty-eight marathoners with Minnesota ties in the race, fourteen men and fourteen women. This is a group that includes runners with legitimate Olympic dreams and others that just snuck under the Olympic trials qualifier time. The race will be run in Houston, Texas on Saturday, January 14th at 8:00 A.M.

Pick Ten has a simple concept: predict the finish place for each of 10 Minnesota athletes at the Olympic Trials Marathon. However, there is a bit of a twist. You will choose places for Minnesota athletes among Minnesota athletes only. We will only score the fourteen Minnesota men and fourteen Minnesota women that we have indicated. You will score points for each athlete that scores at or above the finish place you predict for them, following the 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system.

For example: If you pick Katie McGregor to place first in the women's race, and she places first among Minnesota women, you get 10 points. If you pick McGregor to place first and she finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick McGregor to finish third in the race and she places first, second or third, you get 8 points, since that's the place you picked her for.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...10th. Send your predictions by 8:00 A.M. CST on Saturday, January 14th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2012.

Pick 10 ... Olympic Marathon Trials:

Katie McGregor:
Kara Goucher:
Jenna Boren:
Meghan Peyton:
Leah Thorvilson:
Matt Gabrielson:
Josh Moen:
Chris Erichsen:
Luke Watson:
Michael Reneau:

Here are a few links to help you make your picks ...

- USATF lists all the entries and their qualifying times.
- Down the Backstretch lists the Minnesota athletes in the race.
- An update on Josh Moen.
- Runners World Olympic Trials Cheat Sheet.
- An article about Kara Goucher.
- Team USA Minnesota Press Release.

Good luck!

This is the first contest of the year so all standings will reset. Last year, Bryan Tolcser won the Pick 10 contest and Mike Henderson topped the field for Yes/No.

For full standings of both contests, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner.

Feature on Michelle Frey

2012-01-10T18:01:00.000-06:00

Feature story from the Des Moines Register on Michelle Frey and her preparation for the Olympic Trials Marathon is HERE.

Josh Moen Feature

2012-01-10T18:00:00.003-06:00

An earlier piece from the Des Moines Register on Team USA Minnesota's Josh Moen is HERE.

Another Julie Maxwell End of the Streak Article

2012-01-10T18:00:00.001-06:00

She ran every day for more than 33 years, but has gathered more attention for the end of her streak. Kasson's Julie Maxwell is featured in the Rochester Post Bulletin(with photo) HERE.

Minnesotans Have Rich History in Olympic Marathon Trials

2012-01-10T00:31:00.118-06:00

By Jim Ferstle
The last time either the men's or women's Olympic Trials were in Houston, a Minnesotan won. Janis Klecker was the surprise victor in 1992 on a rainy day that featured drama, sportsmanship, and plenty of surprises.

Klecker had slipped and fallen at the 16-mile water stop, only to be helped up by the eventual runner-up, Cathy O'Brien, a 1988 Olympian in the marathon who made her second team. Klecker won in 2:30:12, a personal best, but the eyes of Texas were on a transplanted Californian who had spent the majority of her long career as a middle distance runner, US running legend and eventual third-place finisher Francie Larrieu, then 39, who was living in Dallas and made her fifth Olympic team by virtue of her third-place finish.

Larrieu was chosen to the the US flagbearer at the Barcelona Games. Klecker went on to become a dentist, and give birth to six children with husband Barney Klecker. In her running, Janis followed the example of her mother, Mae Horns, who was an outstanding Masters runner, and the mother/daughter twosome were familiar figures on the Minnesota running scene.

In the men's Olympic trials in 1992, another Minnesota doctor to be, Bob Kempainen, made his first Olympic team despite having limited training due to a stress fracture that minimized his training. In 1996, however, Kempainen matched Klecker's feat by winning the Olympic Trials in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2:12:45. Kempainen, who is now a pulmonologist and critical care physician, etched himself into Trials history, however, because of an upset stomach.

Just as Klecker had gotten up after a fall, Kempainen had to overcome "hurling" portions of his fluid replacement drinks several times on national television as he ran the final miles of the race. "This guy is the toughest human being on the face of the earth," said Keith Brantly, who finished third in 2:13:22. "I would have started crying and stopped."

In 1996 Minnesota barely missed having two representatives on the team as current University of Minnesota men's track and cross country coach, Steve Plasencia, finished just behind Brantley in 2:14:20. Plasencia was already a two-time Olympian at 10,000 meters on the track, having made the team in 1988 and '92. For Kempainen, the victory in the trials also helped with his medical school tuition, as first prize was $100,000, then the highest winners' purse in the sport.

The financial incentive was not there in 1968 when another Minnesota legend, Ron Daws, made the Olympic team in the marathon with a third place finish in the first time a US Olympic trials marathon where the team was solely selected by those who finished in the first three spots. Other years there were trials races, but the team was selected by a committee instead of by the finish of those running a trials race. Like both Klecker and Kempainen, Daws was not a clear favorite to win an Olympic berth, but he used his wits to win an Olympic spot by a mere four seconds.

"I didn't make as many mistakes," said Daws. He also had a little luck as a sciatic nerve condition forced him to rest ten days prior to the trials, rather than attempt to get in more training. "I was fit and rested," he said, rather than fit, but fatigued due to the stress of what was at stake and the natural tendency of most elite athletes to overtrain. The injury, he said "saved my life," or at least his place on the team.

Daws' mentor, another University of Minnesota product, Buddy Edelen, was arguably the best marathoner in the world in the mid 1960s. Edelen was the first man to run under 2:15 for the marathon, a world recordholder, who had won an Olympic trials race in 91 degree heat by 20 minutes in 1964. But Edelen overtrained, was injured, and could only finish sixth in the Tokyo Games in 1964. The Chicago Tribune's Olympic writer Phil Hersh recently ranked Edelen as the fourth best US marathoner ever. Edelen was a pioneer in the sport who refined training for the event and provided a road map for those who would follow him.

Perhaps the most physically gifted of all Minnesota male marathoners, however, missed his chance at Olympic glory at the distance for political, not athletic reasons. Then US President, Jimmy Carter issued an edict in 1980 that the US would not participate in the Summer Games that year because they were being held in the Soviet Union, which had invaded Afghanistan. Thus, there was no team at the Games that summer, but the US still had trials.

The marathon trials were held in Buffalo, New York on May 24 and were won by Tony Sandoval in 2:10:19. Bjorklund was furious at Carter for the boycott and did not participate. Instead he went to a race he helped found, the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, and, on June 21, ran Grandma's as a protest. Fueled by anger, Bjorklund ran solo the entire race, and broke the course record by more than four minutes in a time of 2:10:20.

Bjorklund had made his statement and helped launch Grandma's onto the national scene. But, although he had participated in the 1976 Games on the track at 10,000 meters, the Olympic flame had been extinguished for Bjorklund by the boycott.

Jon Grey Finishes Fourth; US Team Second in Team Race in Scotland

2012-01-09T07:33:00.056-06:00

Team USA Minnesota's Jon Grey finished fourth overall in a time of 25:52 to help the US men's & women's teams to a second place finish at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge at Holyrood Park in Scotland on Saturday. The Great Britain & Northern Ireland team won the overall team title with 144 points. The US was second, and the European Select team in third with 215 points.

The US teams finished third(in the men's and women's senior races), but edged the Europeans in the overall combined scores(that include both the senior and junior team scores). Grey won $1,750 in prize money in the men's 8K race. Brainerd and US Air Force Academy grad Justin Tyner was 22nd in in 27:15. University of Minnesota grad and Team USA Minnesota's Jamie Cheever finished 15th in the women's 6K in 22:59. Results of all the races are HERE.

Info for Coaches or Those Interested in the Track Coaches Clinic

2012-01-09T07:14:00.022-06:00

January 15 is the deadline for the $90 registration for the Minnesota Track Coaches Association's annual Track and Field Clinic held January 26-28 at the Double Tree Hilton in Bloomington. Registrations received after that are $110.

Register Today at www.mshsca.org/track/

Clinic features over 60 Hours of Track & Field Instruction by some of the top International, National, and State Track & Field Coaches!

Some of the Coaches speaking include:
Boo Shexanayder- Olympic & LSU Jumps Coach
Don Babbitt- University of Georgia Throws Coach
Pat Tyson- Gonzaga Coach, One of Bill Bowerman's "Men of Oregon," Prefontaine's roommate
Dr. Donal Chu- Stanford University, plyometric training guru
Holly Kelly-Thompson- six time All-American High Jumper
Dr. Jack Ransone-Head Trainer for US Olympic Team
Will Freeman-Grinnell College, All-American Pole Vaulter
Jack Sands- Texas HS Coach for 37 years
Plus many outstanding area High School and College Coaches!

In addition to the great speakers, your clinic fee includes two free coaches' socials, a great banquet meal, thousands of dollars of prize drawings from our great vendors, and the opportunity to connect with coaches that share your passion for Track & Field!

You do not need to be a Coaches Association Member to attend!

Julie Maxwell Talks About the End to Her Streak

2012-01-08T12:00:00.000-06:00

Kasson's Julie Maxwell tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Richard Chin about her 33 plus year running streak HERE.

News Round-Up: Road Races, Mathre, Trials

2012-01-06T08:52:00.006-06:00

We found some interesting stories in the local and national media recently that we wanted to share ...

The first, HERE, in the StarTribune, notes the growing popularity of road racing events in the Twin Cities metro area and the pressure it puts on local municipalities and race organizers. As local governments limit the number of events at a given venue, race directors are looking further afield for race locales.

Also, the Northfield News, HERE, has a feature story on Northfield native Steve Mathre, the University of St. Thomas men's coach and the proprietor of Eagle Eye Digital Video. Mathre's company, which allows coaches and athletes to analyze technique, is set to provide the video review capabilities for the 2012 Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

Finally, Runners World, HERE and HERE, recently listed their eleven men and ten women "to watch" at the Olympic Marathon Trials next weekend. Not surprisingly, there's a Minnesotan on each list.

Gearing Up for the Olympic Marathon Trials

2012-01-05T08:24:00.006-06:00

The 2012 road racing season will kick off with a bang thanks to the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials next weekend. Twenty-eight Minnesota men and women will toe the starting line in Houston in the races that will choose the country's marathon team for the London Games.

To ramp up to the event, we wanted to share two pieces of video related to Minnesotans in the race. The first is a trailer for a documentary film Dan Vogel, Riley Conway, and Paul Sanft are producing about the Team USA Minnesota runners competing at the Trials.

The second video, by Dustin Franta, features St. John's University alum Chris Erichsen talking about this training leading up the Trials.

USATF-Minn. to Host Youth Clinic, Meet

2012-01-04T08:48:00.004-06:00

Athletes aged 5 to 18-years-old have an opportunity to jump-start their 2012 track & field season with USATF Minnesota's Indoor Youth Track & Field Clinic & Meet set for Sunday, January 15 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas Indoor Track in St. Paul.

Coaches and elite athletes will be presenting techniques for starting, sprinting, hurdling, middle and long distance running, long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, and shot put. Participants will be provided with opportunities to learn by doing and should come dressed ready to run, jump and throw. Following the clinic, a brief meet will be held.

Scheduled presenters include 2011 USA National Champion Triple Jumper Amanda Smock, a three-time NCAA Division II National Champion from North Dakota State University, 2009 USA National Champion Cross Country Runner Emily Brown of Team USA Minnesota, a four-time All-American at the University of Minnesota, former Mounds View High School throws coach Tim White, Hill-Murray High School head coach Chris Dallager, and other area coaches.

Cost for the clinic and meet is $10 for 2012 USATF Minnesota members; $20 for non-USATF members. More information, including a registration form, can be found at www.usatfmn.org in the Upcoming Events section.

Also on the Calendar ... Other beginning of the year events sponsored by USATF-Minnesota include:

-- Board Meeting, Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 6:30 PM at the Courage Center in Golden Valley

-- All-Comers Indoor Meet, Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 1:00 – 5:00 PM at the University of St. Thomas Indoor Track in St. Paul

-- Award Celebration, Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 6:00 PM at the Braemar Country Club in Edina

-- Indoor Track & Field Championships, Sunday, March 11, 2012 at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse in Minneapolis

-- 8K State Championship, Sunday, March 18, 2012 hosted by The Human Race 8K in St. Paul

Happy Holidays and Thanks from DtB

2011-12-22T07:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays everyone!

On behalf of our little operation, let me wish all of you a happy, healthy, and relaxing holiday season from Down the Backstretch. As much as we all love cross country, track & field, and road racing, it's now time to turn our focus to family and friends rather than results and performances.

As we've done in the past, DtB is going to enjoy a little holiday vacation. We'll return to action after the New Year, of course, getting you back on top of the sport and the budding indoor season. If big news happens to break during our "vacation," you can bet we'll at least note it on our Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Before we go, let me take a moment to thank some of the folks that made 2011 another fine year for DtB. First off, special, heart-felt thanks go to Adam Lindahl of TC Running Company and the Board of Directors at USA Track and Field - Minnesota for their support of DtB as its presenting sponsors. Without their generous investments in our site, DtB would likely not still exist.

We'd also like to thank everyone who has advertised with us during the year -- folks like Twin Cities in Motion, Grandma's Marathon, the Minnesota Distance Running Association, the University of Minnesota Track and Field Camps, the Autism 5K, and the SISU Foundation. your business is truly appreciated!

I'd also like to thank anyone and everyone who has contributed to DtB. Special thanks go to co-founder Pete Miller, fantasy contests director Doug Cowles, photographer Gene Niemi, commentator and pinch hitter Jim Ferstle, ultra-running maven Alex Kurt, throws contributor Kevin Holubar, photographer Sean Hartnett, and high school lists' statisticians Kevin Moorhead, Bill Miles, and Tim Miles. Without the generous contributions of those folks and others, DtB wouldn't have been all that it was this year.

Finally, allow me to thank you, our readers, for making DtB an important part of your enjoyment of the greatest sport on earth. Your continued loyalty to DtB makes the job of covering all the track, road, and cross country action fun and rewarding.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Jon Grey Featured in RT Article

2011-12-22T06:36:00.000-06:00

Team USA Minnesota's Jon Grey is the subject of a feature on the Running Times website HERE.

Grey, Tyner, Cheever Make USA XC Squad

2011-12-21T09:12:00.006-06:00

Team USA Minnesota runners Jon Grey and Jamie Cheever and former Brainerd High School star Justin Tyner have been named to the USA squad for the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country - International Challenge on January 7.

Teams from the United States, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and a select European team will compete in men’s and women’s junior and senior races at the event.

Grey and Tyner will run on the senior men's team; Cheever will compete in the senior women's event.

Each country competing in the International Team Challenge will consist of nine athletes per team (six on the junior teams) with the first six athletes per team scoring.

Read the full USA Track and Field media release HERE.

Longest Running Streak by Female Ends

2011-12-20T19:13:00.000-06:00

Julie Maxwell, a Kasson, Minnesota resident, who had not missed a day of running since July 5, 1978, fell and broke her ankle on December 10, ending the streak after nearly 34 years.

Read about it HERE. Find a current listing of active running streaks -- including some that have lasted more than 40 years! -- HERE.

Sathre, Keller Named Athletes of the Month

2011-12-20T08:37:00.002-06:00

Ben Sathre and Linda Keller have been named USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for December.

Sathre, a senior at the University of St. Thomas, was honored for winning the men’s title at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in Winneconne, Wisconsin last month. The Chaska High School graduate ran the 8-kilometer course in 23:45. As a junior last year, Sathre was the runner-up at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Keller, a junior at the University of Minnesota – Morris, was recognized for her seventh-place finish in the women’s race at the NCAA Division III Championships. The Paynesville High School grad ran the 6K course in 21:08, earning All-American honors for the second season in a row. A year ago, Keller finished 19th at the meet.

USA Track & Field Minnesota selects Athletes of the Month to honor excellence in track and field and its related sports in Minnesota. USA Track & Field is the governing body of the sport in the United States and the Minnesota Association of USATF sanctions and sponsors track and field, cross country, road racing, and racewalking events for athletes of all ages in the state.

Twenty-Eight Minnesotans Enter Olympic Trials

2011-12-19T08:34:00.013-06:00

Twenty-eight marathoners with ties to Minnesota are entered in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials scheduled for January 14 in Houston, Texas.

Fourteen Minnesota men and fourteen Minnesota women have achieved a qualifying mark and were accepted to the event after regular entry into the race closed on Friday evening.

Male athletes needed to run a marathon under 2:19:00 to qualify; women needed to better 2:46:00. Provisions also allowed athletes to qualify at other distances or via performances at the USA Marathon Championships.

Minnesota men's qualifiers include: Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson, St. John's University alum Chris Erichsen, Woodbury resident Donovan Fellows, Team USA Minnesota's Matt Gabrielson, University of Minnesota alums Justin Grunewald and Chad Johnson, Team USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle, Run N Fun's Eric Loeffler, Northfield High School alum Chris Lundstrom, Team USA Minnesota's Josh Moen, Sauk Rapids native Chris Raabe, the Twin Cities Track Club's Mike Reneau, St. Olaf graduate Malcolm Richards, and Stillwater High School alum Luke Watson.

Minnesota women entered in the race include: St. Olaf alum Jenna Boren, Bloomington resident Kelly Brinkman, Foley and Mansfield's Nicole Cueno, former Team USA Minnesota runner Michelle Frey, Duluth East alum Kara Goucher, Moorhead resident Megan Grindall, Chaska High School alum Stephanie Herbst-Lucke, St. Scholastica alum Jennifer Houck, Duluth Marshall alum Katie Koski, Team USA Minesota's Katie McGregor, former Team USA Minnesota runner Kristen Nicolini, Team USA's Meghan Peyton, Gustavus Adolphus alum Nichole Porath, and Robbinsdale Armstrong alumnus Leah Thorvilson.

Find a complete listing of the more than 300 men's and women's Olympic Marathon Trials entrants HERE.

2012 Team Circuit Races Announced

2011-12-16T08:48:00.005-06:00

USA Track and Field Minnesota has unveiled its Team Circuit for 2012. The year-long series of team-scored road races looks similar to this year's circuit, with a few notable exceptions.

The grand prix, which is presented by Twin Cities in Motion and Life Time Run, features eight races, down one competition from 2011. Competition will still be conducted in six categories - men's open, women's open, men's masters, women's masters, men's grand masters, and women's grand masters.

The circuit will commence with its traditional opener -- the St. Patrick's Day Human Race in St. Paul on Sunday, March 18.

The rest of the circuit is as follows:

Get in Gear 10K/USATF Minnesota 10K Championship
Saturday April 28th

Medtronic TC 1 Mile/USATF Minnesota 1 Mile Championship
Thursday May 17th

Brian Kraft Memorial 5k/USATF Minnesota Team 5k Championship
Monday May 28th

Life Time Fitness Torchlight 5k/USATF Minnesota 5k Championship
Wednesday July 18th

MDRA 15K/USATF Minnesota 15k Championship
Sunday August 12th

City of Lakes 25k/USATF Minnesota 25k Championship
Sunday September 9th

Medtronic TC 10 Mile/USATF Minnesota 10 Mile Championship
Sunday October 7th

For the first time, the Team Circuit will break the men's and women's open competition into two divisions, with the top division competing for cash prizes as in the past and the lower division competing for awards and non-cash prizes.

Find official information on the USATF Minnesota Team Circuit HERE.

Runners of the Year: McGregor, Erichsen Lead

2011-12-15T07:38:00.005-06:00

With the Minnesota road racing season all but over, Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor and former St. John's University star Chris Erichsen are poised to win Minnesota Runner of the Year Awards for 2011.

The Minnesota Runner of the Year Awards recognize the exploits of Minnesota runners racing in Minnesota races over a variety of road distances ranging from the mile to the marathon. Athletes earn points based on their rank order in up to five separate race distances.

McGregor leads 2007 women's Runner of the Year (and 2009 and 2010 ROY runner-up) Jenna Boren 79 points to 75 points. Kim Robinson, who was the ROY runner-up in 2008, is third with 68 points.

Full open women's standings can be found HERE.

Erichsen leads 2010 Runner of the Year Dan Greeno 90 to 87 in the open men's division. Team USA Minnesota's Matt Gabrielson stands third with 76 points.

Full open men's standings can be found HERE.

Minnesota Runner of the Year awards are conferred for age-group runners as well. Find all the Runner of the Year details, HERE, on the official web-site managed by Mike Setter.

MDRA to Host Race Director's Conference

2011-12-14T08:23:00.002-06:00

The Minnesota Distance Running Association is set to host its annual Race Director's Conference, scheduled for January 21, 2012.

The half-day event is designed to let road race directors share knowledge and bring up new ideas to enhance the race experience for participants and sponsors.

The conference will be held at the Edina Community Center in the morning prior to MDRA's annual awards Pizza Party.

Registration fees for the conference are $40. Find a registration form HERE.

Topics for the upcoming conference include race communications and announcing, sponsors and sponsorship, race certification, and the pros and cons of walkers in races.

Minnesota Youngsters Race at Junior Olympics

2011-12-13T07:24:00.006-06:00

A handful of Minnesota's top young runners made the trip to the USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last weekend.

Jesse Delgado of Waseca was the top finisher in the group, placing 22nd in 13:12.56 in the Youth Boys (born 1997-98) 4K. Delgado was runner-up in the Midget Boys division last year.

Spencer Urick of Chaska finished 41st in the Youth Boys 13:29.42.

In the Midget Boys (born 1999-2000) 3K, Zach Emery placed 40th in 10:32.11.

In the Bantam Girls (born 2001-02) 3K, Tessa Laska of South St. Paul finished 38th in 12:02.66. Laska was a medalist at the USATF Junior Olympic track championships this past summer in Wichita.

Anna Meger of Mahtomedi finished 188th in 12:42.24 on the Midget Girls 3K course.

In the youngest age division, Kaori Zeller ran the 2K course for Sub-Bantams (born 2003-04) in 10:00.39 to finish 80th.

Jennifer Delgado of Waseca, sister of Jesse, completed the Young Women's division (born 1993-94) 5K run in 28:18.13 for 74th.

Thanks to USATF-Minnesota Youth Athletics Chair Chris Dallager for information on the event.

Team USA's Grey Wins Club Cross Title

2011-12-12T07:56:00.007-06:00

Team USA Minnesota's Jon Grey is getting his professional career off to a nice start.

The 2011 William and Mary graduate who joined Team USA Minnesota in September won the individual title at the USATF Club Cross County Championships in Seattle on Saturday. Grey went to the front of the field early and was pulling away before the halfway mark of the 10K event which he won in 29:38.

“Initially I planned to sit and kick, but during the race I was just running an even pace and slowly pulled away after 4K,” Grey said. “So I kept on the hammer until I crossed the finish line. I was definitely surprised to run away from a field like that."

Grey (pictured) finished ten seconds ahead of runner-up Aaron Braun, the event's defending champ. Brainerd native Justin Tyner, a recent Air Force Academy graduate, finished 9th in the race in 30:02. Grey's Team USA Minnesota teammate Matt Llano finished 18th in 30:18.

Run N Fun's Justin Grunewald finished 23rd in 30:33, leading the St. Paul-based club to an 11th-place team finish in the race.

Grey's victory earned him a spot on the USA team competing at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge, which will be contested in Scotland on January 7.

“Overall, I can not believe I actually won and it shows how well I have progressed in a very short time under Coach [Dennis] Barker,” Grey said. “I am very honored to be able to get my first USA win as a Team USA Minnesota athlete."

"I am also extremely excited for Edinburgh," he added. "That was the whole reason I made this trip, and it means so much to me to earn my first USA team trip which will hopefully be the first of many.”

Find complete USATF Club Cross Country results HERE.

Photo: (c) Mike Scott http://miscottrunningphoto.shutterfly.com/ 2011

Peterson, Three Others into Western States

2011-12-11T19:33:00.001-06:00

Brian Peterson of Minneapolis will be running the Western States 100-mile race in California this June. He was one of more than 270 applicants to have an entry ticket drawn at Placer High School in Auburn, California on Saturday.

Peterson, 27, has finished two 100-mile races to date. He won his debut at the 2010 Superior Sawtooth 100, and placed fourth at the Cascade Crest 100 in Washington State in August.

Peterson will be joined by fellow Minnesotans Scott Hoberg, David Holmen, and Ethan Richards at Western States.

Unofficial lottery results are posted HERE. Official results should be posted to the site shortly.

Cross Country Season Finales on Tap

2011-12-09T12:13:00.004-06:00

The final meets of the U.S. cross country season are set for this weekend.

The nation's top high school harriers -- including Shakopee star Maria Hauger -- will race in San Diego on Saturday at the Footlocker National Championships. Hauger, a three-time MSHSL Class AA state titlist, finished 5th at the Footlocker Midwest Regional in November.

The nation's top club teams and some top individuals -- including Team USA Minnesota's Jon Grey and Matt Llano -- will compete at the USA Club Cross Country Championships in Seattle on Saturday as well.

Finally, the youngest competitors in the sport will race for glory at the USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Look for results on our Facebook and Twitter feeds this weekend ... and a full report on Monday.

Yes/No: Final Standings and Wrap-Up

2011-12-09T09:15:00.002-06:00

Let's make it official: Mike Henderson is the Yes/No champion for 2011 joining Pick 10 gold-medalist Bryan Tolcser in the winner's circle.

Coincidentally, the two victors are both St. Kate's track coaches, so all Down the Backstrech fantasy hardware (not that there actually is any) will find a home in the Saint Catherine University athletic building this year. Henderson, the head track and cross country coach at St. Kate's won the 2011 Yes/No crown with a grand total of 29 points. He finished two points ahead of Rachel Karel and Jim Glazer.

Entering the final weekend triple-header, Henderson and Karel were tied with 26 points. Henderson displayed a superior finishing kick, however, by answering all three final questions correctly. Other contestants to go three-for-three in the final week were Glazer, Dimitri Drekonja, Megan Smith and Nick Wareham.

Some may argue that Henderson has an unfair advantage in a contest such as Yes/No. He has coached collegiately in the Big Ten and the MIAC and is active in the local road racing scene. His deep involvement in the sport may have contributed to his impressive Yes/No run. Or, maybe he just got lucky ... 29 times this year.

For the record, here are the top eight finishers in the final Yes/No standings:

Mike Henderson - 29
Jim Glazer - 27
Rachel Karel - 27
Jesse Schoen - 26
Patrick Eastman - 26
Dan Vogel - 25
Daniel Gerber - 25
Pat Foley - 25

We've now completed three years of fantasy contests at Down the Backstretch and we are always looking for new ideas and improvements to our games. Please send any comments or suggestion to the DtB fantasy mailbox: DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com or leave a comment on the Down the Backstretch site.

Complete standings can be found at DtB Fantasy Corner.

Thanks for playing Yes/No and Pick Ten on DtB!

Camp Features Olympian, Olympic Trials

2011-12-08T12:49:00.005-06:00

A running camp sponsored by Minnesota-based Life Time Fitness will feature Olympian Carrie Tollefson and front row seats at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials in Houston.

The four-day Life Time Run Camp, scheduled from January 12 to January 15 in Houston, Texas, will be a warm-weather getaway that aims to teach "the core essentials it takes to be a great runner." As an added bonus, campers will have the opportunity to watch the Olympic Trials Marathon on January 14.

"We thought watching the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials would be an awesome reason to get out of Minnesota for some warm weather training, learn more about the sport, and watch one of the best races in American history take place right in front of us," Tollefson, a 1500-meter Olympian in 2004, told DtB.

The camp also features guided workouts; yoga; seminars on nutrition, strength training, injury prevention, and race preparation; guest speakers; and professional athlete "meet-and-greets."

"We had our first camp here in Minnesota last year and it went great so we thought this year lets do it bigger and better," Tollefson said. "Running camps are fun for anyone at any age and running level. Our Life Time Run Camp will once again bring the running community together and sort of bring back the fun of what it was like when we were kids training hard and dreaming big!"

Details on the camp can be found HERE.

Ultra Roundup: Western States 100 Lottery

2011-12-08T07:38:00.001-06:00

Eighteen Minnesotans are hoping to have their names drawn in Auburn, California Saturday at the Western States 100 lottery. The drawing takes place at the Placer High School track, where the race finishes.

Among the local hopefuls: 2011 Sawtooth 100-mile winner John Horns; 2011 Black Hills 100-mile winner Adam Schwartz-Lowe; 2010 Sawtooth 100-mile winner Brian Peterson; and Christi Nowak, who has yet to attempt the 100-mile distance but is undefeated in ultras up to 100K.

A total of 1,942 applicants will vie for over 300 spots. The exact number is not set. Peterson, who broke down the odds on his blog, HERE, explained that the race aims for a five-year average of 369 starters, and that 400 are typically selected. Once automatic qualifiers – including previous top-ten men and women and Montrail Cup Series Winners – are factored in, the number of runners whose names will be drawn Friday could be closer to 310 or 320.

But those 310 won’t just be selected from the 1,942 applicants. Two-time entrants (including Peterson, who unsuccessfully entered last year) have two tickets in the lottery and three-time entrants get three tickets, bringing the total number of tickets up to 2,941.

Based on this system, and assuming 310 names are drawn, Peterson broke down the odds. A first-time entrant – like Nowak – has a roughly 10% chance of being selected to toe the starting line in Squaw Valley next June. Two time-entrants have a roughly 19% chance, and three-time entrants have a near 27% chance.

Probably the best-known of the major 100-mile races in the US, Western States has a special connection to Minnesota. Proctor native and St. Scholastica graduate Scott Jurek won the race an unprecedented 7 times from 1999-2005 and held the course record until 2010.

Award Winners Named ... The Upper Midwest Trail Runners (UMTR) announced their 2011 Ultra Series Champions at their banquet in November. Here’s the list:

Men’s Open – Craig Hertz
Men’s Masters – Rick Bothwell
Men’s Grandmasters – Gary Sheets
Men’s Overall Champion – Craig Hertz

Women’s Open – Christi Nowak
Women’s Masters – Lisa Messerer / Shelly Thompson (Tie)
Women’s Overall Champion – Christi Nowak
(There was no Women’s Grandmaster winner.)

Adam Schwartz-Lowe was also awarded the $500 “Gnarly Bandit Series” prize for completing the Zumbro, Kettle Moraine, Black Hills and Sawtooth 100-milers and the Wild Duluth 100k in 2011.

DtB's Ultramarathon Contributor Alex Kurt filed this report.

Kara Goucher Talks Training, Racing, Trials

2011-12-07T10:42:00.005-06:00

Runner's World has just published a wide-ranging interview with Duluth native Kara Goucher HERE.

Goucher, who will race the Dodge Latin Music Miami Beach Half Marathon on Sunday, talks about training under new coach Jerry Schumacher, workouts with teammate/rival Shalane Flanagan, and her preparations for January's Olympic Marathon Team Trials.

Photo by Victor Sailer/Photo Run.

Series Invites Runners to Explore Minnesota

2011-12-07T08:10:00.008-06:00

A new running series is inviting runners to explore Minnesota through their sport.

Anderson Race Management and Explore Minnesota Tourism, the travel promotion office of the State of Minnesota, recently announced the launch of a new statewide running series called the "Explore Minnesota Challenge."

The series of more than 25 races in locations around the state encourages runners and walkers to participate in at least eight of the events, including one in each of four different areas of the state.

Participants will be awarded Explore Minnesota Challenge lapel pins representing the region where they have completed a race. An Explore Minnesota Challenge medal will be awarded to those who complete a total of eight events including one in each of the four designated areas. Participants who register for the series will also receive membership in the Minnesota Distance Running Association.

"This new race series includes a variety of great events around our state," Anderson Race Management owner Mary Anderson said in a media release. "We are thrilled to partner with Explore Minnesota on the Explore Minnesota Challenge as we work to bring walkers and runners out to enjoy the unique offerings of each of the wonderful regions of this state."

Details on the series can be found HERE and a list of races in the series is available HERE.

"Minnesotans are known for their active lifestyles," John Edman, director of Explore Minnesota Tourism said. "Partnering with Anderson Race Management on this race series is a great way to promote Minnesota as a destination for runners and walkers. The series is an innovative way to let people know about the fun events Minnesota communities offer year-round."

Team USA Happy with Las Vegas Tune-Ups

2011-12-06T08:04:00.005-06:00

“All things considered, I’d qualify the race as a successful tune-up.”

That was how Team USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle summed up his third-place finish at Saturday's Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. The road racing veteran, whose current training is pointed toward January's U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials, ran 1:03:37.

“Like many of the guys in the field, I definitely felt some of the accumulated marathon training in my legs, but the goal going in was just to remind my body of the feeling of racing and getting a hard effort in," Lehmkuhle, the 5th-place finisher at the 2008 Marathon Trials, said.

Teammate Matt Gabrielson, who also has the Marathon Trials in his cross-hairs, finished 5th in the race in 1:04:19. The women's column of the Team USA Minnesota roster was successful as well, with Katie McGregor and Meghan Peyton finishing 3rd and 7th, respectively.

Sean Houseworth of Colorado won the men's race in 1:03:12; former Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Jason Hartmann, also of Colorado, was runner-up in 1:03:34.

“The race itself was a pretty amazing experience," Lehmkuhle added. "Racing down the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard at night is something I won’t soon forget.”

McGregor’s time of 1:11:45 established a new personal best for the 2010 USA Running Circuit champion. Peyton posted a 1:14:57. The two are also training for the marathon trials where Peyton will be making her debut in the distance.

“I know I still have a lot of work to do but I am satisfied with a PR,” McGregor said. “It shows me that I am moving in the right direction. Benita [Willis] took the race out hard. I never checked my splits so I am not sure what pace we were running but Amy [Hastings] and I worked our way up to her in the first mile."

Willis won the race in a course record 1:10:40; Hastings was runner-up in 1:11:22.

“I was basically keying off those two, so I didn’t really ever lead the race," McGregor said. "I stayed with them until around 7 or 8 miles. The course was a slight downhill going out, then made a bunch of turns for a few miles before heading back to the Strip. It was slightly uphill on the way back with a little headwind.”

Find complete results of the race HERE.

Stillwater Boys 10th At Nike Cross Nationals

2011-12-05T08:31:00.009-06:00

The Stillwater High School boys' cross country team finished 10th at Saturday's Nike Cross Nationals, putting a national sheen on a sparkling harrier season.

The Ponies, who were MSHSL Class AA and NXN Heartland Regional champions this fall, scored 296 points in the meet held in Portland, Oregon.

Christian Brothers Academy of New Jersey, running as the Lincroft XC Club at the meet, won the NXN boys title with 91 points.

“Top 5 would have been nice, but 10th in the nation? Everybody is pretty happy about that," Stillwater senior Tom Linner told DtB correspondent Eric Jahn after the race. "This is the only championship event in high school sports, and it’s nice to be able to prove who’s the best.”

Linner was the Ponies' #2 runner, finishing 53rd overall in 16:04, just two places behind teammate Wayde Hall who was 51st in 16:02. Eric Colvin was 89th for the squad in 16:24; Taylor Aarness was 133rd in 16:45; and Sean Bjork was 158th in 16:56.

Bjork, who closed the door on the team's top-10 finish, spent the week prior to NXN with his foot in a medical boot due to a metatarsal stress fracture, Jahn reports. “I would rather break my foot than miss this race, Bjork said afterward.

Class A individual runner-up Brandon Clark of Blake was the top Minnesota individual in the race, finishing 42nd in 15:58. Class AA champ Josh Thorson of Wayzata was 73rd in 16:15.

“I went deep today, and was hanging on the last 2K,” Clark told Jahn. “This gets me ready for college races next year, when I probably won’t be near the front. Like today’s race, I’ll go out hard, keep moving up, but I won’t be going for the win as a freshman at 8K. NXN was a great experience for me.”

Futsum Zeinasellaissie of Indianapolis won the boys' individual title in 15:03.

In girls' competition, Monticello finished 20th in the team race. The Magic scored 480 points.

Erica Seidenkranz led her squad with a 98th place finish in 19:20. Mariah Betzler was 133rd in 19:50, Amber Seidenkranz finished 139th in 19:55, Amber Stoick was 145th 20:01, and Brooke Rasmussen rounded out the scoring in 179th at 20:54.

Three-time Class AA individual champ Maria Hauger (pictured, #1)was the state's top individual, finishing 24th overall in 18:28. Jenna Truedson of Bemidji was 35th in 18:35, while
Danielle Anderson was 94th in 19:16.

Sarah Baxter of Simi Valley, California won the girls' title in 17:38.

Find complete results of the meet HERE.

Photo by Kraig Lungstrom. See his photos galleries from NXN HERE.

Minnesotans Eager for NXN Competition

2011-12-02T08:43:00.003-06:00

Minnesota's two most decorated high school cross country teams and five individual runners are set to toe the starting line at Saturday's Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon.

The competition pits the nation's top high school teams and many of the country's best individuals against one-another in a national championship-style competition.

The NXN championship races will be streamed live HERE starting at noon CDT Saturday.

The MSHSL Class AA team champion Stillwater boys and Monticello girls arrive at the meet with high hopes. Stillwater is ranked #4 in the country in the most recent XCNation rankings, while Monticello is tabbed as the #5 girls' squad in the country.

Three-time Class AA state individual champion Maria Hauger is eying a high finish for herself. The Shakopee junior, who has also qualified as an individual for next week's Footlocker Nationals, won the NXN Heartland Regional meet by nearly 25 seconds.

Joining Hauger in the girls' field are Bemidji freshman Jenna Truedson and Eagan junior Danielle Anderson.

Class AA boys' champ Josh Thorson of Wayzata and Class A runner-up Brandon Clark of Blake will race individually in boys competition.

On the Scene ... Wayzata High School boys' assistant coach Eric Jahn is on the scene in Portland and has donned the Down the Backstretch media badge for the big weekend. He offers the following insights form the meet ...

Jahn reports that Stillwater coach Scott Christensen credits team chemistry as a major factor in his undefeated team's success, saying that his team has been cohesive and focused since returning from a parent-organized nine-day training trip to Wyoming in July.

Jahn adds that Stillwater alum Brian Brochman has been coaching the team for the past month. He is said to have the team healthy with gas in the tank, ready for a run at a top-ten finish.

Jahn also reports that the Monticello squad has high hopes as well. Heather Rasmussen, mother of Magic runner Brooke Rasmussen, has been coaching the team since the State. She told Jahn that the team has developed a competitive chemistry the past six weeks that has them all on the same page. The girls think they may surprise many people with a top-ten finish.

Shakopee's Hauger told Jahn that compared to this point last year, she feels fresh and much more fit, in spite of two high level qualifying performances at Footlocker Midwest and NXN Heartland.

This year, Hauger increased her weekly mileage from the 30-40 miles she did the past two years to 60 miles per week by the end of the 2011 preseason. She also raced a 5K or 10K road race nearly every week of the summer.

Hauger did reveal that she feels her best chance of a top finish is at Footlocker in San Diego because the racing surface will probably be more dry and firm, which should suit her forefoot running style.

Course conditions in Portland, according to Jahn, are likely to be wet and slow.

Class AA boys champ Thorson returns to NXN for the fourth straight year, but for the first time is not racing as part of the Wayzata team. Jahn said Thorson feels an extra incentive to prove that he belongs in Portland as an elite athlete, and that he hopes for a top-20 finish.

What Happens in Vegas ...

2011-12-01T09:09:00.006-06:00

... could matter in Houston for Team USA Minnesota's marathoners.

Four Team USA Minnesota distance runners – Jason Lehmkuhle, Matt Gabrielson, Katie McGregor, and Meghan Peyton – will compete at the Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon on Sunday as part of their preparations for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials to be held in Houston in January.

The Sin City event is a popular destination for American marathon hopefuls looking to tune-up for the Trials The race, held in conjunctions with the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, boasts fields that include former Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Jason Hartmann, former Team USA Minnesotan Patrick Smyth, and James Carney among men and Amy Hastings, Kathy Newberry, and Alvina Begay among women.

(Britain's Kathy Butler, and former world cross country champion Benita Willis of Australia are also entered in the race.)

Team USA Minnesota's Lehmkuhle, who was fifth at the men’s marathon trials for the 2008 Olympics, has a half marathon best of 1:02:32. Earlier this fall, he placed second at the USA 20K Championships in New Haven, won the Ohme 30K in Japan last February, and posted 2:13:40 at the London Marathon in April.

Gabrielson has run 1:03:43 in the half marathon distance. During 2011, he set a personal best in the marathon of 2:13:28 at Grandma’s Marathon and was fifth at the USA 25K Championships last May. Most recently he was fourth at the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day.

McGregor has a best in the half marathon of 1:12:01. This year she finished second in the USA Running Circuit, won the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in June, was fourth at the USA Half Marathon Championships and at the USA 10 Mile Championships, and second at the USA Women’s 10K Championship.

Peyton’s half marathon best is 1:13:43 which qualified her for the trials in January where she will make her marathon debut. Her competitions this fall have included seventh at the USA 20K Championships, fifth at the USA 5K Championships, sixth at the USA 10 Mile Championships and fifth at the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K. She also was second at the Manchester Road Race.

Hauger, Schuldt Honored by USATF-Minnesota

2011-11-30T08:55:00.004-06:00

A pair high school cross country champions have been named USA Track and Field-Minnesota Athletes of the Month for November, the organization recently announced.

Maria Hauger, a junior at Shakopee High School, was honored for winning her third-straight Minnesota State High School League Class AA girls' cross country title last month. Hauger ran 14:05 over the 4-kilometer St. Olaf College course for a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Alexandria's Jamie Piepenburg.

Byron Schuldt, a senior at Nevis High School, was recognized for winning the MSHSL Class A boys' title. Schuldt, who was ranked only seventh in Class A entering the meet outran the field for his first state title. He clocked 15:56 on the boys' 5-kilometer course.

USA Track & Field Minnesota selects Athletes of the Month to honor excellence in track and field and its related sports in Minnesota.

A listing of USATF-Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for 2011 can be found HERE.

Unpacking Team USA Minnesota's Weekend

2011-11-29T08:37:00.005-06:00

As Team USA runners finish unpacking from recent travels, let's sort out how they did ...

Eleven Team USA Minnesota distance runners competed over the Thanksgiving holiday in events ranging from the local Life Time Fitness Turkey Day 5K in Minneapolis to the Manchester Road Race in Connecticut and the International Chiba Ekiden in Japan.

At the Turkey Day 5K, Jon Grey was first across the finish line followed by teammate Jason Lehmkuhle in unofficial times of 14:18 and 14:22, respectively. (No official times were kept at the event.).

Also running were Jamie Cheever who finished third and Katie McGregor who was fourth in the women’s field -- behind former Team USA Minnesotan Carrie Tollefson and former Gopher Elizabeth Yetzer. Heather Kampf participated in the event for fun.

At the 75th running of the Manchester Road Race, Meghan Peyton finished second in the women’s field on the 4.748-mile course with a time of 25:03. Kenyan Sally Kipyego won the women's race in 24:22.

In the men’s competition, Andrew Carlson was third with a time of 21:41, Matt Gabrielson was fourth in 21:43, and Matt Llano was 12th in 22:29. Ohio's Brian Olinger won the race in 21:33.

Peyton was making her first appearance at the historic race along with Llano, who was also running his first race as a professional runner. Carlson improved upon his fourth place finish from 2008, while Gabrielson also had his best placing at the event.

In Chiba, Japan, Emily Brown was a member of the USA team that competed at the International Chiba Ekiden. Brown posted 16:25 on a 5K leg of the relay, the sixth fastest runner for the leg. The USA team finished 5th overall in the marathon distance event in 2:09:06. Kenya won the event at 2:04:40.

As an Ekiden alternate, Josh Moen competed in a separate 5K race with a time of 14:12 to finish third in the field.

Hauger Qualifies for Footlocker Nationals

2011-11-28T08:26:00.006-06:00

Three-time MSHSL Class AA cross country champion Maria Hauger earned a trip to the Footlocker National Championships with a fifth-place finish at the Footlocker Midwest Championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Saturday.

The Shakopee High School junior clocked 17:40 for 5K on the challenging UW-Parkside course. Molly Seidel, a senior from Hartland, Wisconsin, won the race in 17:04.

The top ten individual runners in the seeded girls' and boys' races advance to the Footlocker National Championships in San Diego, California on December 10.

Hauger (pictured), who qualified as an individual to compete at Nike Cross National on December 3, was the only Minnesota qualifier to Footlocker Nationals.

Jamie Piepenburg, the Alexandria High School senior who nearly won the Class AA girls' title earlier this fall, finished, finished 13th in Kenosha running 18:02. Eagen High School junior Danielle Anderson finished 31st in 18:34.

In boys' competition, the top Minnesotan in the seeded race was Foley High School junior Charlie Lawrence who finished 41st in 15:53.

Find complete Midwest Regional results HERE (girls) and HERE (boys).

File photo by Gene Niemi.

Happy Thanksgiving from Down the Backstretch!

2011-11-23T07:38:00.006-06:00

Gobble, gobble Minnesota running and track fans!

It’s once again time for the storied athletic tradition that is the Down the Backstretch Thanksgiving poll – our 5th annual contest to determine DtB readers’ preferred holiday food.

We each have our favorite portion on the plate, and over the years Stuffing (2007, 2008), Mashed Potatoes (2009), and Pumpkin Pie (the defending champ) have won our coveted Thanksgiving Championship. And, while Turkey, the holiday's signature dish, has historically made strong showings in the contest, cranberries and gravy have had little to be thankful for when it comes to late November.

There’s no clear favorite this year ... some sage observers are picking Stuffing, other think Turkey will be a real animal, there are even a handful that think Gravy might pour it on this year. In the end, of course, it will be you, the DtB readers, who will decide!

So, while DtB takes a little holiday down time, please take a moment from your own holiday festivities to vote in our poll, found on the right sidebar. Voting in the poll is open until the end of the day Sunday, November 27.

We’ll be back on Monday with the results, and, of course, the latest on the sport from Minnesota.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Team USA Runners to Join Turkey Day 5K

2011-11-22T12:30:00.000-06:00

Five Team USA Minnesota runners – Jason Lehmkuhle, Jon Grey, Katie McGregor, Jamie Cheever, and Heather Kampf – will participate in the Life Time Fitness Turkey Day 5K on November 24.

The Thanksgiving Day event, which was first held in 1989, is expected to attract over 10,000 runners and walkers.

The run in downtown Minneapolis starts at 8 a.m. near the Target Center and finishes on 1st Avenue. The event is a fun run so no official results will be kept, although there will be awards for the top three male runners and top three females. The Turkey Day 5K partners with Second Harvest Heartland to collect food for the less fortunate in the community with over 10,000 pounds of food donated in 2010.

Lehmkuhle and McGregor are preparing for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials that will be held on January 14 in Houston. Lehmkuhle has a best in the marathon of 2:12:24 and McGregor has run 2:31:01. During 2011, Lehmkuhle was fifth at the USA Half Marathon Championships, won the Ohme 30k in Japan, posted 2:13:40 at the London Marathon, and was second at the USA 20k Championships.

Also during the year, McGregor was fourth at the USA Half Marathon Championships, sixth at the USA 15K Championships, won the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, was third at the USA 20K Championships and fourth at the USA 10 Mile Championships. In addition, she finished second in the women’s division of the USA Running Circuit.

Grey and Cheever both joined Team USA Minnesota in 2011. Grey made his professional debut at the USA 10 Mile Championships in October in a time of 47:59 followed by selection to compete at the Izumo Ekiden Relay in Japan. He has run 28:44 in the 10,000 meters.

During the year Cheever ran in the USA Cross Country Championships and the USA 1 Mile Road Championships, and posted an ‘A’ qualifying time in the steeplechase to run in the event at the USA Outdoor Championships.

Kampf competed on the track and the roads during the year, beginning with a third place finish in the 800 meters at the USA Indoor Championships, second place at the USA 1 Mile Road Championships, competed at the USA Outdoor Championships in the 800 meters, and set a personal best in the 800m of 2:00.41 over the summer in Europe.

NCAA Cross Country Championships Wrap-Up

2011-11-21T18:51:00.004-06:00

Here's a little more from the NCAA Championships at Terre Haute ...

A Minnesota Champion ... For the second year in a row, a Minnesotan has played a key role on an NCAA title-winning team.

Georgetown's Claire Richardson, a Blake graduate, was the #2 runner for the women's titlists. Georgetown, with 162 points, won a close-fought victory over 2008 NCAA champions Washington (170) and two-time defending champions Villanova (181).

DtB had a semi-chaotic walk-and-talk interview with Richardson which you can listen to here ...

Johnathan Stublaski, a Sibley graduate, was a key to Oklahoma State men's title last year. This year, Stublaski finished 85th as the #5 runner for the runner-up Cowboys.

Plasencia on Mead ... Gopher men's coach Steve Plasencia had the following to say about All-American Hassan Mead:

“I am very happy for Hassan with being named an All-American. Even though he would have liked to have finished higher up, he is a four time All-American and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Plasencia also complemented his 16th-place team ...

“Coming into the season we had a few question marks looking down the line with a couple injuries that hurt our depth a little bit. We had about six guys really step in and helped pull that wagon to help get this program back to the NCAA’s. It was a good finish for us.”

Wilson on the Gopher Women ... Gopher women's coach Gary Wilson had praise for the 27th-place Gopher women

“I have said it the last couple weeks and I will say it again, we have overcome lots of obstacles near the end and I am proud of how the girls battled. We finished were I thought we were going to, but on a good day I think we could have been in the low 20’s. Maggie Bollig bounced back after sitting out last week and ran a great race. I told them hundreds of teams are sitting at home and you weren’t one of them. I am very proud of this group.”

Life on the Roads

2011-11-21T17:45:00.001-06:00

Team USA Minnesota's Matt Gabrielson writes on his blog about the realities of life as road race circuit HERE.

NCAA Championships in a Nutshell

2011-11-21T13:14:00.005-06:00

Here's a quick update on the Minnesota news from the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana ...

-- University of Minnesota senior Hassan Mead capped his harrier career with a 34th-place finish in 30:03.

-- The Gopher men finished 16th in team competition.

-- Mankato Loyola alum Dani Stack finished 30th in 20:22 for Iowa State.

-- Blake alum Claire Richardson finished 50th ... as women's team champion Georgetown's #2 runner.

-- Gopher Stephanie Price finished 61st in 20:44.

-- Gopher women finish 27th with 577 points.

Find complete results HERE (men) and HERE (women).

We'll have additional coverage on DtB later in the day ... including a post-race conversation with Richardson.

NCAA D1 Cross Country Championships Today

2011-11-21T07:06:00.007-06:00

The NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships take place today in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The men's and women's teams from the University of Minnesota will compete as will a handful of Minnesotans who race for colleges elsewhere in the country -- including Mankato Loyola grad Dani Stack (Iowa State), Blake alum Claire Richardson (Georgetown), Grand Rapids exchange student Jakub Zivec (Florida State), and Edina alum T.C. Lumbar (Georgetown).

The race will be webcast live at 11:00 a.m. CDT on NCAA.com, HERE.

Find meet previews and video interviews from GopherSports.com HERE (men) and HERE (women).

DtB is on-site in Terre Haute. Keep an eye on our Twitter sidebar for updates from the course. We'll post a wrap-up of the action later in the day.

St. Thomas' Sathre Wins D3 Harrier Title

2011-11-20T07:28:00.002-06:00

Putting the final, flourishing touches on an undefeated season, University of St. Thomas senior Ben Sathre won the NCAA Division III men's cross cross title yesterday in Winneconne, Wisconsin.

The Chaska High School alumnus, who was runner-up at the meet last year, clocked 23:45 in victory, out-pacing Lee Berube of SUNY-Geneseo, who clocked 23:50.

Sathre (pictured) earned MIAC and NCAA Division III Central Regional titles this season as well.

Sathre is only the third Minnesota collegian to win the NCAA D3 men's title, joining Carleton College's Dale Kramer, who won crowns in 1976 and 1977, and fellow Tommie Nic Manciu, the 1982 champ. (Team USA Minnesota star Josh Moen was a two-time D3 champ for Iowa's Wartburg College in 2003 and 2004.)

In men's team competition, Hamline University finished 17th in the meet with 422 points, paced by Jack Deichert who finished 20th individually. St. Olaf College placed 23rd in the meet with 505 points.

North Central College of Illinois won the men's team title with 110 points.

Find complete men's results HERE.

Top-10 for Carleton, St. Olaf ... In women's competition, the MIAC placed two teams in the Division III top-20. Carleton College finished 8th in the meet 341 points. St. Olaf finished 10th with 368 points.

Washington University of Missouri won the meet with 70 points.

Linda Keller of Minnesota - Morris was the top individual from the state, finishing 7th in 21:08.

Find complete women's results HERE.

Minnesota-Duluth 21st in D2 ... The University of Minnesota - Duluth women's team placed 21st at the NCAA Division II Championships in Spokane, Washington. Senior Morgan Place, a three-time All-American in cross country, led the Bulldogs with a 50th-place finish.

Augustana of South Dakota won the team title with 75 points. Moorhead High School alumnus Leah Hansen paced the Vikings with a 12th-place finish in 21:40. Cannon Falls High School graduate Kyle Blakeslee was the fourth runner for the tightly packed champions, finishing 18th in 21:54.

Find D2 results HERE (women's team) and HERE (women's individual), and HERE (men's team) and HERE (men's individual).

Photo courtesy of the University of St. Thomas.

Yes/No: NCAA Cross Country ... Times Three!

2011-11-18T08:38:00.001-06:00

The final week of collegiate cross country in 2012 is also the final week of Yes/No for the year. We will celebrate these conclusions with three different Yes/No questions -- all worth one point apiece. The NCAA Division II and Division III National meets will be held on Saturday, while the Division I race will be held on Monday.

The Yes/No standings going into the final week remain tight. Eight contestants are still in the running for at least a piece of the overall title. Here are the current front runners:

Mike Henderson - 26
Rachel Karel - 26
Pat Foley - 24
Patrick Eastman - 24
Jesse Schoen - 24
Dan Vogel - 24
Jim Glazer - 24
Daniel Gerber - 23

On to the contest...

Yes/No: Will Hassan Mead finish in the top fifteen at the D1 National Meet on Monday?

Yes/No: Will Morgan Place finish in the top ten at the D2 National Meet on Saturday?

Yes/No: Will Ben Sathre finish in the top two at the D3 National Meet on Saturday?

Hassan Mead is shooting for his fourth All-American award in cross country. Mead did not run cross country last fall but has returned with a vengeance in 2011. He recently won the Midwest Regional meet besting the top individuals from defending National Champ Oklahoma State. Mead finished in sixteenth place in his last National Cross Country meet in 2009.

Logic would dictate a fourth place finish for Morgan Place in the 2011 National Meet. She finished seventh as a freshman, sixth as a sophomore and fifth last year as a junior. In 2011, Place has won three of her seven meets and has finished in the top thirteen in every race. However, Place had a sub-par (for her) regional meet where she placed thirteenth leading up the National Meet.

Ben Sathre finished second at the 2010 National Meet and is the highest returnee in 2011. Sathre has had a dominating, undefeated 2011 season thus far and enters the National Meet as a two-time Central Regional champ.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject lines of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 11:00 A.M. CDT, Saturday, November 19th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.

My answers: No, No, and No.

Last week's contest was Pick Ten for the Regional Cross Country Meets. This weekly winner was Mike Henderson with forty-one points.

This was the final Pick Ten contest of the year and therefore a new champion is to be crowned. This year's winner is Bryan Tolcser with a ten point cushion over the runner-up Henderson. Henderson has now finished in the top two of each final Pick Ten results over three years.

We try to include all events and event groups in our Pick Ten and Yes/No contests. However, they tend to skew towards distance running, especially during cross country season. So it is fairly impressive that the 2011 Pick Ten champion does not count running as his main area of expertise. Bryan Tolcser is a thrower and collegiate throws coach of some renown. But in 2011, he was able to show up his scrawny peers and ace the running portion of the test as well.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

Thanksgiving in Connecticut for Team USA

2011-11-17T08:14:00.008-06:00

Four Team USA Minnesota distance runners will spend their Thanksgivings in Connecticut.

Meghan Peyton, Matt Gabrielson, Andrew Carlson, and Matt Llano (pictured) will compete in the 4.748 mile Manchester Road Race in Connecticut, on Thanksgiving Day.

Peyton will be making her first appearance at the 75th annual race. She placed fifth at the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K in New York City earlier this month. Peyton also finished fifth at the USA 5K Championships and sixth at the USA 10 Mile Championships this fall.

Gabrielson will return to Manchester for the third time, having previously run the race in 2007 and 2009. He has a best in the 8K distance of 23:08. In June, Gabrielson posted a personal best in the marathon of 2:13:28.

Carlson will make his second trip to the Thanksgiving Day race, having finished fourth in 2008 with a time of 21:59. Carlson is a two-time national champion (15K and 25K) and this year was a member of the USA World Cross Country team.

Making his professional debut at the Manchester Road Race will be Matt Llano, who joined Team USA Minnesota in September. Llano is a 2011 graduate of the University of Richmond, where the All-American posted 28:43.30 in the 10,000 meters and was a four-time NCAA qualifier with two times each in cross country and track.

Find information and results from the race HERE.

Photo by Daniel Petty, courtesy of Team USA Minnesota.

Gophers Ranked #19 and #28 Before NCAA's

2011-11-16T08:33:00.005-06:00

The University of Minnesota men's and women's cross country teams will travel to Terre Haute, Indiana for the NCAA Division I Championships ranked #19 and #28, respectively, according to the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association polls.

The Gopher men, who finished fourth at the NCAA D1 Midwest Regional, fell one spot in the rankings from the last poll. A year ago, the Gopher men finished 27th at the NCAA Championships.

The Gopher women, who finished third at the Midwest Regional, rose two spots in the NCAA pecking order. In 2010, the Gopher women also finished 27th at the NCAA Championships.

Find complete NCAA D1 rankings HERE.

Division III Rankings ... New rankings in NCAA Division III were also released this week.

The Carleton College women, runners-up at the NCAA Division III Central Regional and automatic qualifiers to nationals, will toe the starting line ranked #16 in D3, down seven places from two weeks ago.

The St. Olaf women, at-large qualifiers after finishing third in the region, are ranked #19.

The St. Olaf men, automatic qualifiers as the Central Region runner-up, are tabbed as the #21 team in D3. Hamline, third-place in the region after winning the MIAC title, is ranked #26.

Find complete D3 rankings HERE.

UMD Women Un-Ranked ... The University of Minnesota-Duluth women, qualifiers to the NCAA Division II Championships, are un-ranked in the final D2 poll, HERE.

Stillwater, Monticello Steaming to NXN

2011-11-15T07:53:00.005-06:00

Class AA state cross country champions Stillwater and Monticello are driving toward a test on the national stage after wins over the weekend at the Nike Cross Nationals Heartland Regional in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

On the heels of the Heartland title, the Stillwater boys are ranked #5 in the nation-wide XCNation poll, while the Monticello girls hold the same position on the distaff side of the rankings.

Stillwater won the Heartland Regional with 96 points, out-distancing runner-up Heartland Arrowhead of Wisconsin which tallied 104, and third-place Bismarck, North Dakota with 136.

Burnsville finished fourth in the meet with 166; Edina was sixth at 202; Rosemount was seventh at 221; and Wayzata was eighth with 229.

The top Minnesota individual finisher in the meet was Class A runner-up Bandon Clark of Blake, who ran the 5K course in 15:36. Tony Smoragiewicz of Rapid City, South Dakota won the race in 15:20.

In girls' competition, Monticello won the Heartland with 104 points. Neenah, Wisconsin was runner-up with 106, while Dowling Catholic of Iowa was third with 123.

Lakeville South finished seventh with 196; Shakopee -- led by individual champion Maria Hauger was eighth with 210; and Eden Prairie was ninth at 220.

Hauger clocked 17:53, winning by nearly 25-seconds.

Find Nike Cross Nationals Heartland results HERE.

Find the latest XCNation Rankings HERE.

Both Gopher Teams Headed to Nationals

2011-11-14T08:08:00.005-06:00

The cross country teams from the University of Minnesota can keep their bags packed.

The women's and men's programs learned on Sunday night that they'll be included in the field of the NCAA Division I Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana a week from today.

Both teams earned at-large selections after competing at the NCAA Midwest Regional in DeKalb, Illinois on Saturday.

“We are simply thrilled to make our seventh straight trip to the NCAA Championships and our 12th in 15 years,” Gopher women's coach Gary Wilson said in a media release. “It is a real tribute to the perseverance of these kids. They have overcome so many setbacks this season and ended up on top. We could not be more proud of them.”

The Gopher women finished third at regional, behind automatic qualifiers Iowa State and Oklahoma State. The Gophers prevailed in the duel for third with Iowa, topping the Hawkeyes 136 to 146 for what turned out to be the final qualifying spot from the race.

Senior Stephanie Price led the Gopher women with a sixth-place finish in 21:09 over the 6K.
course.

Find complete women's results HERE.

The #18-ranked Gopher men punched their ticket to nationals despite finishing fourth in the meet. #2-ranked Oklahoma State and #5-ranked Oklahoma dominated the meet, scoring 42 and 45 points, respectively.

#27 Tulsa surprised the Gophers for third-place -- 120 to 129 -- despite Hassan Mead's individual victory in the race. When at-large selections for nationals were made, though, both Tulsa and Minnesota advanced to nationals.

"I'm so happy for our guys and our program," men's coach Stave Plasencia said last night. "I am very happy for Hassan Mead and for his performance yesterday. I am glad we get another chance to run."

Find complete men's results HERE.

A full listing of NCAA Division I qualifiers can be found HERE.

NCAA Division III Qualifiers ... Four Minnesota small school programs will be represented at the NCAA Division III Championships to be hosted by UW - Oshkosh in Winneconne, Wisconsin on Saturday.

The MIAC champion Carleton College women's team and the MIAC runner-up St. Olaf men earned automatic berths to national with runner-up performances at Saturday's NCAA Division III Central Regional in Waverly, Iowa.

Earning at-large selections were the St. Olaf women and Hamline men, both third in their respective races.

University of St. Thomas senior Ben Sathre, the runner-up men's individual at D3 nationals last year, won the individual men's title at the meet.

University of Minnesota - Morris' Linda Keller won the women's crown.

Find complete Central Regional results HERE (women) and HERE (men).

Pick Ten: Regional Cross Country Meets

2011-11-11T08:32:00.001-06:00

As the Cross Country season winds down, the fantasy contests at Down the Backstretch are also nearing their 2011 finales. This week will mark the final Pick Ten contest and next week will end the Yes/No contest with a three-point triple-header.

The Pick Ten contest will take a look at the NCAA Division I and Division III Regional Cross Country Meets. The Gophers will travel to Northern Illinois to try to earn NCAA Championship berths Saturday. The state's small schools are also claiming NCAA slots this weekend. The D3 schools in Minnesota will head down to Waverly, Iowa for a meet on Saturday.

Pick Ten has a simple concept: predict the finish place for each of 10 Minnesota athletes or teams at the Division I and Division III Regional Meets. You will score points for each athlete/team that scores at or above the finish place you predict for them, following the 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system.

For example: If you pick Hassan Mead to place first in the DI Regional men's race, and he places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Mead to place first and he finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Mead to finish third in the race and he places first, second or third, you get 8 points, since you that's the place you picked him for.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...10th. Send your predictions by 11:00 A.M. CST on Saturday, November 12th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2011.

Pick 10 ... D1 and D3 Regional Meets:

Hassan Mead - University of Minnesota:
Stephanie Price - University of Minnesota:
University of Minnesota Men's Team:
University of Minnesota Women's Team:
Dani Stack, Iowa State:
St. Olaf Women:
St. Thomas Women:
Rachael Klehm - Carleton:
St. Johns Men, MIAC Meet:
Tom Sederquist - Concordia:

To Help You Make Your Picks ...

Hassan Mead did not compete in cross country last year, but won the Midwest Regional title the last time he ran the race in 2009. Mead is a six-time All American and has finished in the top five in all the meets this year. Stephanie Price won the 2010 Midwest Regional race on her way to finishing the year as an All-American. She has been named the Big Ten Runner of the Week three times in 2011. Dani Stack finished fourteenth in the Midwest Regional in 2010. She had a breakthrough track campaign in 2011 finishing fourth in the NCAA 10k and then twelfth in the USA Championships.

The Gophers finished third last year at the Midwest Regional for both the men and the women. The Gopher men are currently ranked third in the region. The top two teams (Oklahoma State and Oklahoma) are ranked in the top five in the nation. On the women's side, the Gophers are ranked third in the region behind Iowa State and Oklahoma State.

The Division III Regional rankings show St. Olaf women second and St. Thomas women seventh. The St. John's squad is ranked sixth in the region.

Rachael Klehm is coming off a third place finish in the MIAC meet two weeks ago. She finished thirty-ninth in 2010 at the Central Region meet. Tom Sederquist was awarded fifth place at the 2011 MIAC meet and was sixth at the 2010 Regional meet.

Good luck!

Last week's Yes/No question was: Yes/No: Will five or more individuals and teams currently ranked #1 win State in 2011? The answer was yes. This was not a good year for the underdog. Seven of the eight #1 rankers won at the State Meet. Twenty-five contestants answered correctly this week. Mike Henderson and Rachel Karel are tied for first with twenty-six points. The Y/N season will conclude with a triple-question finale next week. There are five players tied for third with twenty-four points hoping for a slip-up by the leaders.

For full standings of both contests, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner.

Gopher Teams Eye Midwest Regional

2011-11-10T08:59:00.005-06:00

The University of Minnesota cross country teams are eying hopefully Saturday's NCAA Division I Midwest Regional. Both squads enter the contest seeded as the #3 team in the national qualifying meet hosted by Northern Illinois University.

The top two men's and women's teams in the event automatically qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 21. An additional 13 men's and women's teams nation-wide will receive at-large bids, to be announced by Sunday evening.

The Gopher men, ranked #21 nationally, would need to upset either #2-ranked Oklahoma State, the defending NCAA champs, or #5-ranked Oklahoma to earn an automatic birth to nationals. The Gopher men appear to be in good shape for an at-large bid, if they finish in the top-three at the meet.

Find the GopherSports men's preview and watch Gopher men's coach Steve Plasencia discuss his squad's prospects HERE.

Iowa State, the #10-ranked team in D1, is the women's favorite heading to DeKalb. The battle for the second automatic qualifying slot could be scrum between #24 Oklahoma State, #30 Minnesota, and un-ranked Iowa, which finished just nine points behind the Gophers at the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago.

Find the GopherSports women's preview HERE.

Brown, Moen Make Chiba Ekiden Team

2011-11-09T08:07:00.007-06:00

Team USA Minnesota runners Emily Brown and Josh Moen have been selected for the USA team that will compete at the International Chiba Ekiden on November 23 in Chiba, Japan.

The squad includes three men and three women plus two alternates. The six-member USA team will run a marathon relay against teams from other nations, including host country Japan. The six legs of the relay, which alternate between male and female runners, are 5K and 10K long, with a final leg of 7.195k.

Brown’s selection is her first to the coed team, while Moen will run the event for the fourth time. Selection priority is given to athletes who have significant performances at USA Championship races.

This year, Brown was third at the USA 5K Championships and seventh at the USA 25K Championships, while Moen placed second at the USA 25K Championships and sixth at the USA 8K Championships.

Peyton 5th in NYC ... Team USA Minnesota's Meghan Peyton finished fifth against a deep field of professional athletes at Saturday's Dash to the Finish Line 5K hosted by the New York Road Runners.

Peyton ran 16:05. Defending TC 1 Mile champion Sara Hall won the race in 15:56. Find results of the race HERE.

Next up for Peyton will be the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day.

Olympic Jumps' Coach Headlines Track Clinic

2011-11-08T08:34:00.007-06:00

Boo Shexnayder, the USA jumps' coach at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, will headline the Minnesota Track Coaches Association's annual Track and Field Clinic to be held January 26-28 at the Double Tree Hilton in Bloomington.

Shexnayder, a former LSU coach and now the director of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Track and Field Academy, is part of stellar line-up of speakers that also includes Don Babbitt, the University of Georgia Throws coach, Dr. Donald Chu, a Stanford University plyometric training expert, and Holly Thompson, a noted high jump specialist.

Cost of the clinic is $90. More information on the clinic can be found HERE.

Registration details are HERE.

MSHSL State Champions Photo Gallery

2011-11-07T08:32:00.011-06:00

Shakopee's Maria Hauger (right) catches Alexandria's Jamie Piepenburg in the final strides of the Girls' Class AA race to win her 3rd-straight title.

Wayzata senior Josh Thorson was the clear winner in Boys' Class AA.

Byron Schuldt of Nevis was the shock victor in the Boys' Class A race.

Blake's Clare Flanagan (651) outran Cannan Falls' Emi Trost (551) and defending champ Marissa Shady (711) for the Girls' Class A crown.

Photos by Gene Niemi.

Boys' Class A: Cathedral Survives, Schuldt Shocks

2011-11-05T14:32:00.012-05:00

#1-ranked St. Cloud Cathedral edged defending champions Perham 72-73 to win the MSHSL Class A boys' cross country title this afternoon.

The result was the closest boys' team finish in Class A since 1985, when Elgin-Millville topped Long Prairie on a tie-breaker after both teams deadlocked with 78 points.

Minnehaha Academy was third with 132 points.

Individually, Byron Schuldt of Nevis out-ran #1-ranked Brandon Clark of Blake for the individual title. Schuldt, ranked only #7 in the latest Class A poll, came from well back in the pack -- the senior estimated he was in 50-60th place at the mile -- for the upset victory.

Schuldt clocked 15:56; Clark ran 16:00. Charlie Lawrence of Foley was third in 16:10.

Listen to a post-race interview with Shuldt here ...

Official meet results are HERE.

Girls' Class A: Cathedral, Flanagan Win Titles

2011-11-05T13:30:00.006-05:00

#1-ranked St. Cloud Cathedral, runners-up in the meet last year, won the MSHSL Class A girls' cross country title this afternoon, out-legging runner-up Annanadale.

Cathedral tallied 94 points; Annandale scored 118. Esko was third with 132.

Blake sophomore Clare Flanagan won the individual title. She clocked 14:22 to out run Cannon Falls' sophomore Emi Trost, the runner-up in 14:34. Defending champing Marissa Shady of Esko was third in 14:46

Listen to a post-race interview with Flanagan here ...

Complete results are posted HERE.

Boys' Class AA: Stillwater, Thorson Champs

2011-11-05T11:29:00.009-05:00

#1-ranked Stillwater completed a wire-to-wire run atop the Class AA boys' cross country rankings with a victory at today's State Meet.

The Ponies scored 92 points to earn the school its fourth Class AA title, and first since 1997.

Burnsville was runner-up with 115 points; Edina was third with 129.

Wayzata senior Josh Thorson won the Class AA individual title, running 15:30 on the St. Olaf College 5K course. Throson, 6th in 2010, used the same late-race downhill where Jamie Piepenburg made her move to seal his comfortable victory.

Riley Macon of Rochester Mayo was runner-up in 15:40; Troy Koivisto of Dassel-Cokato was third with 15:40 as well.

Listen to an audio interview with Thorson here ...

Official results are posted HERE.

Girls' Class AA: Hauger, Monticello Win

2011-11-05T10:29:00.008-05:00

Shakopee's Maria Hauger won an unprecedented third-straight MSHSL Class AA girls' cross country title with a come-from-behind victory over Alexandia's Jamie Piepenburg.

Hauger clocked 14:04.1 over the 4K course at St. Olaf College. Piepenburg ran 14:04.8. Jenna Truedson of Bemidji was third in 14:23.9.

Peipenburg led Hauger by some 15-meters in the final half-mile of the race after pulling away on the woodsy downhill 3200-meters into the race. The Shakopee junior, however, nipped the Alexandria senior in the final 10-meters of the race.

#1-ranked Monticello, runners-up a year ago, won the Class AA team title with 93 points. Lakeville South was second at 118; Wayzata was third with 140.

Listen to an audio interview with Hauger here ...

Official results can be found HERE.

MSHSL State Cross Country Meet Coverage!

2011-11-05T09:48:00.004-05:00

Down the Backstretch is on the scene at the MSHSL State Cross Country Championships! Action gets underway at 10:00 a.m. Join us all day for race updates on the web-site and via Twitter and Facebook.

It's shaping up to be a great day for cross country!

Yes/No: Will Five #1 Rankers Win at State?

2011-11-04T08:36:00.000-05:00

Twenty years after the State Meet was moved to Alexandria because of the Halloween Blizzard, the MSHSL State Cross Country Meet will take place this Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield. While the weather forecast doesn't promise anything exciting this year, there will almost certainly be a few surprises when the races go down.

The final cross country rankings before the State Meet were released this week, identifying the individuals and teams to beat. There are top-12 rankings in eight categories: Class A and AA, teams and individuals, boys and girls. We would like to know how many of these eight #1 seeds will actually end up being state champions.

The question is...

Yes/No: Will five or more individuals and teams currently ranked #1 win State in 2011?

Five seems to be the magic number as that was the number of top seeds that triumphed at State in both 2010 and 2009. Last year, the list of favorites that ended up winning included: Eden Prairie and Adrian girls, Wayzata and Perham boys and Marie Hauger of Shakopee.

Here are the current rankings through five places:

Class AA

Boys' Teams:
1 Stillwater
2 Edina
3 Eden Prairie
4 Wayzata
5 Rosemount

Boys' Individuals:
1 Josh Thorson, Wayzata
2 Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
3 Jan Ketterson, Jefferson
4 Glen Ellingson, Moorhead
5 Connor Olson, Wayzata

Girls' Teams:
1. Monticello
2. Lakeville South
3. Eagan
4. Shakopee
5. Wayzata

Girls' Individuals:
1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
4. Jenna Truedson, 9, Bemidji
5. Megan Hasz, 8 Alexandria

Class A

Boys' Teams:
1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Perham
3. Blake
4. Minnehaha Academy
5. Mesabi East

Boys' Individuals:
1. Brandon Clark, Blake
2. Charlie Lawrence, Foley
3. Shane Streich, Waseca
4. Romeo Benish, Proctor
5. Matt Welch, Proctor

Girls' Teams:
1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Blake
3. Esko
4. LaCrescent
5. Waseca

Girls' Individuals:
1. Clare Flanagan, Blake
2. McKenzie Holt, St. Cloud Christian
3. Marissa Shady, Esko
4. Emi Trost, Cannon Falls
5. Elena Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral

Find complete rankings HERE.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 10:00 A.M. CDT, Saturday, November 5th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will offer our usual bonus for participants making their 2011 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My answer: Yes

Last week's contest was Pick 10 for the Big Ten and MIAC Cross Country Meets. The winner was Andrew Nussbaum with thirty-two points, followed by Laura Roach with thirty. The overall leader remains Bryan Tolcser with 170. With only one more Pick 10 contest in 2011, Tolcser has an eleven point cushion for the overall title.

Over at the Yes/No contest, the leaders are Mike Henderson and Rachel Karel with twenty-five points. The winners of the monthly award in October are four people who were perfect in the month: Rachel Karel, Kurt Decker, Bryan Tolcser and Mike Mason.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

Jen Houck Seeks Another PR at New York City

2011-11-03T08:04:00.007-05:00

Cromwell native Jen Houck, who has a knack for setting new personal records in the marathon, will seek another on Sunday at the ING New York City Marathon.

Houck (pictured), whose current PR is the 2:33:01 she ran to finish fifth at Grandma's Marathon in June, plans to follow up her New York City effort in 10 weeks at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston.

Who knows what her PR will be after all that!

The StarTribune's Rachel Blount has a nice profile of Houck, HERE, which outlines the St. Scholastica grad's accomplishments and plans.

Houck has run five marathons in her career -- each one an improvement on the one that preceded it.

Houck is part of a diverse American elite field at New York that also includes three-time Olympian Jen Rhines, two-time USA 5000-meter champion Lauren Fleshman, and former USA 25K champion Molly Pritz, among the women.

Read more about the USA field HERE.

Photo by Gene Niemi.

Team USA's Peyton to Race 5K in New York City

2011-11-02T08:41:00.006-05:00

Team USA Minnesota’s Meghan Peyton will be among the professional field at the inaugural New York Road Runners Dash to the Finish Line 5K on Saturday in New York City.

The Dash to the Finish Line 5K starts near the United Nations building, goes through the heart of Midtown Manhattan, enters Central Park at the 2 mile mark, and ends at the same finish line as the ING New York City Marathon, which will be held on Sunday.

The marathon setting of the race is fitting for Peyton, who will make her marathon debut at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston on Jan. 14. Peyton qualified for the marathon trials with a half marathon time of 1:13:56, which she set in 2010.

Peyton has a best in the 5000 meters of 15:41. During 2011 on the roads, she has finished fifth at both the USA 5K Championships and the 15K Championships, sixth at the USA 10 Mile Championships, and seventh at the USA 20K Championships.

Also competing in the event are Olympic marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor, U.S. Olympic marathoner Magdalena Lewy Boulet, and three-time NCAA cross country champion Sally Kipyego of Kenya.

Read more about the event HERE. Read Peyton's blog entry that looks ahead to the race HERE.

Final Harrier Rankings Preview State Meet

2011-11-01T08:41:00.002-05:00

The final high school cross country rankings of the 2011 season, released yesterday, serve to preview the top teams and individuals heading to Northfield on Saturday for the MSHSL State Cross Country Meet.

The Stillwater boys and Monticello girls continue their season-long lordship over the Class AA polls, while St. Cloud Cathedral tops the Class A rankings for both genders.

Individually, Josh Thorson of Wayzata and two-time Class AA champ Maria Hauger of Shakopee remain the top-ranked individuals in Class AA, while Blake's Brandon Clark and Clare Flanagan topping the Class A rankings.

Find the full final rankings below.

Class AA

Boys' Teams:
1 Stillwater
2 Edina
3 Eden Prairie
4 Wayzata
5 Rosemount
6 Burnsville
7 Andover
8 Moorhead
9 Eastview
10 Hopkins
11 White Bear Lake
12 Owatonna

Others receiving votes: Rochester Mayo

Boys' Individuals:
1 Josh Thorson, Wayzata
2 Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
3 Jan Ketterson, Jefferson
4 Glen Ellingson, Moorhead
5 Connor Olson, Wayzata
6 Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo
7 Joey Duerr, Chaska
8 Jensen Orlow, Holy Family
9 John Klecker, Hopkins
10 Mubarik Musa, Worthington
11 Will Burke, Edina
12 Tom Linner, Stillwater

Others receiving votes: Luke McKenzie, Chisago Lakes Area; Joel Reichow, White Bear Lake; Nick Oelke, Eastview

Girls' Teams:
1. Monticello
2. Lakeville South
3. Eagan
4. Shakopee
5. Wayzata
6. Edina
7. Roseville
8. East Ridge
9. Alexandria
10. Prior Lake
11. Forest Lake
12. Eden Prairie

Girls' Individuals:
1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
4. Jenna Truedson, 9, Bemidji
5. Megan Hasz, 8 Alexandria
6. Kaytlyn Larson, 9, Lakeville South
7. Bethany Hasz, 8, Alexandria
8. Vivian Hett, 10, Burnsville
9. Nicole Heitzman, 11, Andover
10. Anna French, 9, Wayzata
11. Erin Baker, 10, Grand Rapids
12. Taylor Perkins, 11, Lakeville North

Class A

Boys' Teams:
1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Perham
3. Blake
4. Minnehaha Academy
5. Mesabi East
6. Waseca
7 Winona Cotter
8. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
9. Crosby Ironton
10. Redwood Valley Area
11. Luverne Area
12 Albany

Boys' Individuals:
1. Brandon Clark, Blake
2. Charlie Lawrence, Foley
3. Shane Streich, Waseca
4. Romeo Benish, Proctor
5. Matt Welch, Proctor
6. Nick Stoks, Canby-Minneota/LinHi
7 Byron Schuldt, Nevis
8. Nick Golebiowski, St. Cloud Cathedral
9. Pat Reinschmidt, Plainview-E-M
10. Mike Destache, St. Paul Academy
11. Jacob Gerhartz, Sauk Centre
12 Dan Borash, Royalton

Girls' Teams:
1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Blake
3. Esko
4. LaCrescent
5. Waseca
6. United South Central
7. Annandale
8. Trinity of River Ridge
9. Adrian
10. Park Rapids
11. Rochester Lourdes
12. Perham

Girls' Individuals:
1. Clare Flanagan Blake
2. McKenzie Holt St. Cloud Christian
3. Marissa Shady Esko
4. Emi Trost Cannon Falls
5. Elena Danielson St. Cloud Cathedral
6. Kayla Woltz Chatfield
7. Lydia Lutz Park Rapids
8. Meghan Henriksen Mankato Loyola
9. Jenessa Meuleners Belle Plaine
10. Jordan Chancellor Blake
11. Tierney Winter WEMJWP
12. Austyn Their Adrian

Gopher Men Tie for 3rd, Women 5th at Big Tens

2011-10-31T08:09:00.006-05:00

The University of Minnesota men's cross country team tied for 3rd-place at Sunday's Big Ten Cross Country Championships, while the Gopher women finished 5th in the contest hosted by the University of Illinois.

Hassan Mead led #12-ranked Minnesota with a 4th-place individual finish, running the 8K course in 23:29. Mead, a two-time Big Ten champion in cross country, was the only runner to break up #2-ranked Wisconsin's domination of the meet -- the Badgers took five of the top six places in the race to score 17 points.

Indiana, ranked #7 in the most recent NCAA D1 poll, was the runner-up with 60 points. The Gophers deadlocked with #21 Michigan for 3rd-place with 104 points. Wisconsin's victory was its 13th-straight Big Ten title.

Behind Mead, Pieter Gagnon and Andrew Larsen finished 16th and 17th, respectively, both clocking 24:17. Marcus Paulson ran 24:31 for 29th place and Erik Truedson ran 24:40 for 38th place.

Mohammed Ahmed of Wisconsin won the race with 23:18.

Find men's results HERE (individuals) and HERE (teams).

Gopher Women ... Senior All-American Stephanie Price led the 5th-place Gophers with a matching 5th-place individual finish at the meet, running the 6K course in 20:30.

#15-ranked Michigan State won the meet with 55 points, #19 Michigan was runner-up with 61, #26 Penn State was third with 71, and un-ranked Wisconsin was 4th with 89.

Penn State's Caitlin Lane won the individual race in 19:58.

Freshman Molly Kayfes was the #2-runner for Minnesota, finishing 19th in 20:49. Ashlie Decker ran 20:59 for 26th place, Maggie Bollig ran 21:16, for 42nd. Rounding out the top five was Katie Moraczewski, who clocked 21:17 for 48th place.

Find women's results HERE (individuals) and HERE (teams).

Pick 10: Big Ten and MIAC Cross Country

2011-10-29T14:28:00.000-05:00

This is a big weekend for collegiate cross country meets. The Gophers are off to Illinois to run in the Big Ten Championships on Sunday. But first, right here at Como Golf Course, the MIAC Championship will be held on Saturday afternoon. There are many good angles in both of these meets and we will concentrate on ten of them with our Pick Ten contest.

Pick Ten has a simple concept: predict the finish place for each of 10 Minnesota athletes or teams at the Big Ten and MIAC Meet. You will score points for each athlete/team that scores at or above the finish place you predict for them, following the 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system.

For example: If you pick Hassan Mead to place first in the Big Ten men's race, and he places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Mead to place first and he finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Mead to finish third in the race and he places first, second or third, you get 8 points, since you that's the place you picked him for.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...10th. Send your predictions by 2:15 P.M. CST on Saturday, October 29th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2011.

Pick 10 ... Big Ten/MIAC Meet:

Hassan Mead - University of Minnesota, Big Ten Meet:
Stephanie Price - University of Minnesota, Big Ten Meet:
University of Minnesota Gophers Team, Men's Big Ten Meet:
University of Minnesota Gophers Team, Women's Big Ten Meet:
Macalester Women, MIAC Meet:
Hamline Women, MIAC Meet:
Alison Smyth - Carleton, MIAC Meet:
Gustavus Men, MIAC Meet:
Brian Saksa - St. Olaf, MIAC Meet:
Jack Diechart - Hamline, MIAC Meet:

To Help You Make Your Picks ...

Hassan Mead did not compete in cross country last year, but has won two Big Ten cross country titles in his career. Mead is a six-time All American and has finished in the top five in all the meets this year. Stephanie Price finished second at Big Tens in 2010. Price was an cross country All American in 2010 and has been named the Big Ten Runner of the Week three times in 2011.

The Gophers finished third last year at the Big Ten Championships for both the men and the women. The Gopher men are currently ranked twelfth in the nation. Other ranked teams in the race include #2 Wisconsin, #7 Indiana and #21 Michigan. On the women's side, the Gophers are not ranked, but there are four Big Ten teams in the top thirty in the nation.

Results from the 2010 MIAC meet show Macalester women in ninth, Hamline women in seventh and Gustavus men in eighth. On the individual side, Alison Smyth was eighth, Jack Deichert was fourth and Brian Saksa finished thirty-fifth as a freshman.

Here are some conference meet previews for additional information:
Gopher Men
Gopher Women
MIAC Men
MIAC Women

Good luck!

Last week's Yes/No question was: Will Minnesota State - Mankato men's team finish in the top two at the NSIC Championship on Saturday? The answer was yes. Augustana won the team title at NSIC followed by Mankato and UMD. Thirty-two contestants answered correctly this week. Mike Henderson and Rachel Karel are tied for first with twenty-five points.

For full standings of both contests, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner.

Section 6AA Eliminates Four Ranked Teams

2011-10-27T08:13:00.004-05:00

At the always hyper-competitive MSHSL Section 6AA cross country championships held yesterday at Gale Woods Farm in Minnetrista, #3-ranked Edina and #5 Edan Prairie advanced to the State Meet in boys' competition, while #7 Wayzata and #8 Edina advanced among girls.

Not advancing to State from the boys' meet are the #4-ranked Wayzata, the defending MSHSL Class AA champions, and #7 Hopkins.

The Edina boys won the meet with 53 points, Eden Prairie scored 56 points, Wayzata tallied 60, and Hopkins was fourth with 84 points.

The girls' competition left #6 Eden Priarie and #11 Hopkins outside of qualifying for the State Meet, which will be held in Northfield on November 5.

Wayzata won the meet with 60 points, Edina scored 69, Eden Prairie scored 97, and Hopkins had 119.

MSHSL qualifying procedures advance two teams from each of eight sections to State in boys' and girls' Class AA and Class A competition.

Find complete Section 6AA results HERE (boys) and HERE (girls).

In the two other section meets held yesterday, #1-ranked Stillwater won the boys title at the Section 4AA meet at the U of M's Les Bolstad Golf Course. The Ponies scored 28 points in victory; #11 White Bear Lake tallied 81 for second place.

In the 4AA girls' race, unranked Roseville Area won with 61 points, #4-ranked East Ridge was second with 65.

Find Section 4AA results HERE (boys) and HERE (girls).

In Section 3AA, #2-ranked Rosemount boys topped #10 Burnsville 58 to 66. Eastview, the #9-ranked team in boys Class AA was a non-advancing third.

In girls' competition at the meet, #4-ranked Eagan won with 44 points, #12 Prior Lake was runner-up with 69 points.

Find Section 3AA results HERE (boys) and HERE (girls).

Section championship races continue today and Friday across the state. Find a full listing of the meets HERE.

Team USA's Kampf 6th in Pan Am 800m

2011-10-26T08:08:00.006-05:00

Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf finished 6th in yesterday's Pan American Games 800-meter run, clocking 2:07.11.

Cuba's Adriana Munoz, a former IAAF World Championships finalist, won the event in 2:04.08.

Find complete results of the event HERE.

The XVI Pan American Games are being held in Guadalajara, Mexico. Track and field competition, which began on October 23, continues until Sunday.

Former Minnesota State Mankato star Jim Dilling is scheduled to compete in the high jump on Thursday.

Follow the meet HERE.

Stillwater, Monticello Lead Class AA to Sections

2011-10-25T07:57:00.003-05:00

The nationally ranked Stillwater boys and Monticello girls' cross country teams will lead Minnesota's Class AA schools into Sectional competition this week as they continue their season-long ride atop the large-school cross country rankings.

The Ponies, the #5-ranked high school boys' team in the country according to National High School Coaches Association's XCNation poll, remain atop the Minnesota Class rankings, ahead of #2 Rosemount and #3 Edina.

The Magic, ranked #6 in the XCNation girls' poll, continues to pace the Minnesota Class AA girls' rankings, in front of #2 Lakeville South and #3 Eagan.

Individually, Wayzata's Josh Thorson and Shakopee's Maria Hauger are still the top-ranked large-school rankings.

Find complete Class AA rankings below. The full XCNation poll is HERE.

Boys' Teams:

1. Stillwater
2. Rosemount
3. Edina
4. Wayzata
5. Eden Prairie
6. Andover
7. Hopkins
8. Moorhead
9. Eastview
10. Burnsville
11. White Bear Lake
12. Owatonna

Others receiving votes: Rochester Mayo

Boys' Individuals:

1. Josh Thorson, Wayzata
2. Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
3. Jan Ketterson, Jefferson
4. Joey Duerr, Chaska
5. Glen Ellingson, Moorhead
6. Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo
7. Connor Olson, Wayzata
8. Mubarik Musa, Worthington
9. Will Burke, Edina
10. Eric Colvin, Stillwater
11. Zach Roozen, Mounds View
12. Sidney Speir, Eagan

Others receiving votes: Luke McKenzie, Chisago Lakes Area

Girls' Teams:

1. Monticello
2. Lakeville South
3. Eagan
4. East Ridge
5. Shakopee
6. Eden Prairie
7. Wayzata
8. Edina
9. Moorhead
10. Andover
11. Hopkins
12. Prior Lake

Girls' Individuals
1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
4. Jenna Truedson, 9, Bemidji
5. Megan Hasz, 8 Alexandria
6. Kaytlyn Larson,9, Lakeville South
7. Bethany Hasz, 8, Alexandria
8. Vivian Hett, 10, Burnsville
9. Madison Overby, 8, Austin
10. Erica Seidenkrantz, 12, Monticello
11. Nicole Heitzman, 11, Andover
12. Chrissy Monson, 11, Albert Lea