Lakeville South Takes Girls AAA Team Title: Wayzata Edges Stillwater for Boys AAA Crown

Lakeville South won the girls team title at the AAA True Team Championships at Stillwater High School with 910 points. Wayzata won the boys team title with 830 points, 23 more than runner-up Stillwater.  Results by event are HERE.

Heather Kampf Sixth in 800 at Oxy; Leer Third in 1500

Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf finished sixth in the 800 at the Oxy High Performance Meet on Friday in 2:01.14, a B standard qualifying mark for the IAAF World Championships.  Will Leer finished third in the 1500 in 3:36.67, also a B standard qualifier.  Garrett Heath finished eleventh in the 1500 in 3:37.47.  Ben Blankenship was 28th in 3:39.39, and Elliott Heath was 32nd in 3:39.85.

TC Mile women's champion Sarah Brown finished fourth in 4:05.27, an A standard qualifier, and runner-up at the TC Mile, Nicole Sifuentes, was third in 4:04.65

NSIC Awards Announced: Team Summaries from Last Week

NSIC Men’s Field Athlete of the Year:
Minnesota State Mankato’s Tandy Juell (Sr., Redwood Falls, Minn.) won the NSIC Decathlon scoring 6,926 and holds the NSIC record in the event. He placed second in the javelin and sixth in the pole vault at the NSIC Outdoor Championships, for a total of 21 points, the most by an athlete in only the field events.  Juell ranks seventh in the nation in the Decathlon.  

NSIC Men’s Track Athlete of the Year:
Minnesota State’s Jerrell Hancock (Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) won two individual titles and ran two winning relay legs en route to helping lead MSU to the 2013 NSIC Championship. His winning time of 20.49 in the 200 meters was a school record and ranks 11th all-time in the event in Division II history. The performance makes him just the third since the turn of the century to dip under 20.50. Hancock won the NSIC outdoor 200m dash for the second consecutive year and bested the MSU record of 20.84 that was set by Michael Lawrence in 2004. He also claimed a title at 100 meters in 10.32 which ranks seventh in Division II this year. In addition to his individual efforts, he ran legs of the winning 4×100m and 4×400m relays.

NSIC Men’s Track & Field Newcomer of the Year:
Sioux Falls’ Scott Greenman (Fr., Clovis, Calif.) was conference champion in the pole vault with his school-record leap of 16-8.75 (5.10m) which is an NCAA provisional mark.

NSIC Outdoor Track & Field Championship High Point Performer
MSU Moorhead’s Derek Bredy (Sr., Hoffman, Minn.) earned NSIC High Point Performer honors for the sixth time in his career at the 2013 NSIC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. After winning the long jump on day one with a record-setting performance, Bredy won the triple jump with an effort of 47'6.25". It was the 15th NSIC title (including relays) of the senior’s outstanding Dragon career. Bredy was also third in the 100-meter dash (10.59) and fifth in the 200-meter dash (21.50) to score points for the Dragons in both events.

Men’s Track & Field Coach of the Year:
Minnesota State’s Mark Schuck, for the fourth time in the last five years, was voted by his peers as the NSIC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of Year after leading his Mavericks to their fourth outdoor title in the last five year.   Schuck will go out on a high note as he announced that he will retire this spring after 34 years of coaching at Minnesota State. 

NSIC Women’s Field Athlete of the Year
NSIC Outdoor Track & Field Championship High Point Performer
Minnesota Duluth ‘s Chanel Miller (So., Burnsville, Minn. / Apple Valley HS),  as she had done two months earlier at the NSIC Indoors Championships, finished as the top female point-scorer, accruing 27 points thanks to a championship performance in the heptathlon, second in the 100-meter hurdles (in a school-record time of 14.20) and fourth in the long jump. She also anchored UMD’s 4 x 100 relay team which took fifth.

NSIC Women’s Track Athlete of the Year:
University of Mary’s Melissa Agnew led the Marauders  as she won the 800 and 1500 meter races at the NSIC Championships. Agnew placed first in the 1500m with a provisional qualifying time of 4.33.77 and claimed her second win of the championship by posting a provisional qualifying time of 2:13.98 in the 800 meter run.

NSIC Women’s Track Newcomer of the Year:
University of Mary’s Brittney McKinley (Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.) won the triple jump, was fourth in the 100 meter dash, was fifth in the 100 meter hurdles, and was part of the winning 4X100 Relay at the NSIC Championships. McKinley came through with a win in the triple jump with a mark of 38'9.75", an NCAA provisional qualifying mark.

Women’s Outdoor T&F Coach of the Year:
University of Mary’s Mike Thorson was voted by his peers for the fifth time in the last seven years as NSIC Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of Year. Thorson led his Marauders to their second straight outdoor title and fifth in the last seven years.

NSIC ODTF Team NotesBemidji State
The Bemidji State University track and field team participated in the 2013 NSIC Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 10-11 in Sioux Falls, SD. BSU finished 11th as a team and was led by a trio of seniors. Tina Larson (Morris, Minn.) established a new school record in the 1,500-meter run of 4:45.30, which  trimmed more than a second off the record set in 1991 by BSU's Jayne Dusich. The time came in the preliminary race Friday qualifying her for the event final. Saturday she turned in a 5:00.52 and placed 12th overall. The BSU 4x400-meter relay team of Larson, Taylor Sautbine (Sr., Tamarack, Minn.),  Mackenzie Haupert (Jr., Andover, Minn.) and Sara Melom (Dawson, Minn.) posted a seventh-place finish in the event, while Melom, Sautbine, Ashely Larva (Sr., Floodwood) and Tia Lindberg (So., Chisholm, Minn.) also posted a seventh-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay. Individually, Larva took seventh in the 100-meter hurdles, posting a time of 14.61 in her final collegiate race. The senior earned a spot in the finals of the event after coming within .06 of a second from her own school record in the 100-meter race (14.41) in the prelims.  The NSIC Championships brings the Beavers’ 2013 outdoor season to a close.

Concordia-St. Paul
Men’s Track: Concordia-St. Paul men’s track finished in ninth at the 2013 NSIC Outdoor Championships paced by All-NSIC performer Nic Cass with a second place finish in the 800m and senior thrower Nate Thienes scoring points in all four throws events. Both Zach Pederson and Tyler Naumowics scored in the 110m hurdles and Nic Rudolph rounded out the scoring in the 1500m.

University of Mary
Men Track: Three outstanding performances by Tracy Lide headlined the University of Mary effort on the final day of the 2013 Northern Sun men’s outdoor track & field championships. His efforts led the Marauders to 61 team points and a fifth place finish. The U-Mary senior sprinter set one school record and met two provisional qualifying standards. The native of Las Vegas, NV, ran the 100 meter dash in 10.39 to place second. It is the 13th fastest time in the nation. Lide led the 4x100 meter relay team to a second place finish and was third in the 200 meter run. Other top finishes included third place in the discus by Travis Gavin and fourth place in the triple jump by Thomas Hartwell and the javelin by Brent Peltz.

Women Track:  After scoring just 15 points on Friday and trailing the leaders by 35, the University of Mary women’s track & field dominated championship day on Saturday to win a second straight title and the fifth in seven seasons. U-Mary exploded for 165 points on the second day, posted 180 total, and won the title by 42 points, a swing of 77 points. The Marauders won eight event titles – the 4x100 meter relay and seven individual titles. Kathryn Stewart captured three titles – the 200 and 400 meter dashes and ran a leg of the winning 4x100 meter relay – and Melissa Agnew won both the 800 and the 1,500 meter runs. Brittney McKinley won the triple jump, Jennifer Agnew the 3,000 meter steeplechase and Janet Johnson set a conference and school record in the 100 meter hurdles. McKinley and Walker placed in four events each. In seven seasons as a member of the Northern Sun, the Marauders have won titles in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.

Minnesota Duluth
Women Track & Field:  Just as she had done two months earlier at the conference indoors, UMD sophomore Chanel Miller finished as the top female point-getter, accruing 27 points on her own thanks to a championship performance in the heptathlon earlier in the week, a second in the 100-meter hurdles (in a school-record time of 14.20) today and a fourth in the long jump Friday. She also anchored UMD’s 4 x 100 relay team (seniors Kirsten Bjork and Brietta Clementson and sophomore Erin Hickey), which took fifth. Other placers for the Bulldog women on Saturday included junior Kelsi Ring (third in the 100-meter hurdles; 14.33), junior Kate Hassing (fifth in the 800 meter run; 2:17.64), sophomore Katherine Ayers (fifth in the shot put; 45’-02.50”), freshman Hannah Olson (fifth in the 1,500-meter run; 4:43.46), sophomore Hannah Jocelyn (sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase), freshman Madeline Schaeffer (sixth in the 400-meter hurdles; 1:05.79) and sophomore Alexandra Rudin (eighth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase; 11:36.32).  

In addition, Bjork, Hassing, Schaeffer and sophomore Tatum Garrity were sixth in the 4 x 400 meter relay. Collectively, the Bulldog women turned in 25 career-best performances at the NSIC outdoors and both Miller and Ring provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 100-meter hurdles. Sophomore Amelia Maher, who captured Friday’s high jump crown, joined Miller as the Bulldogs’ lone two outdoor titleholders.

Men Track: Senior Ryan Eason, who placed third in Friday’s 10,000-meter run final, had the fourth-best 5,000-meter time Saturday (16:02.58) while sophomores Chris Wilson (800-meter run; 1:56.89) and Dan Nielsen (3,000-meter steeplechase; 9:38.45) also claimed fourths on the meet’s final day. In the 1,500-meter run, Bulldog juniors Tyler Stevens (4:21.51) and Cole Toepfer (4:22.51) finished 7-8 and sophomore Nick Moran followed up a fourth-place effort in the hammer throw Friday with an eighth in the discus (134’1”) today. The quartet of  Mark Emlaw, junior Jacob Heifort, junior Jake Nelson and senior Ben Niemann wound up eighth in the 4 x 100 meter relay. Emlaw, who was making his NSIC outdoor debut, was fifth in the Friday’s long jump event. Senior Robert Kostick (10:02.40) and freshman Joey Erickson (10:08.14) also contributed points to the Bulldog cause by placing sixth and eighth, respectively, in the 3,000-meter steeplehase

Minnesota State Mankato
Men:  The Minnesota State men’s track and field team claimed its fourth Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Outdoor Track and Field title in the past five seasons and the victory for Minnesota State also marks the fourth time in the last  five years that it has swept both the indoor and outdoor crowns. Junior Chris Reed is now a three-time NSIC outdoor  champion in the shot put with a toss of of 62’ 3.25”, which is be the best throw in the nation in NCAA Division II this year and establishes a school record (Reed owned the record at 62’.5”). 

Reed also won the hammer throw title and junior Keyvan Rudd won the league outdoor high jump championship. Senior Grant Luer finished first in the discus with a toss of 176’ 5”. Junior Jerrell Hancock won the NSIC outdoor 200m dash for the second consecutive year with his time of 20.49 this year  establishing a school record. It’s also the fastest time in DII this year. Hancock also captured the NSIC 100m title with a time of 10.32. In the relays, the Mavericks won 4x100m and the 4x400m titles.

Women: Senior sprinter Danielle Jones turned in a pair of top-five performances Saturday in helping lead Minnesota State to an eighth-place finish at the 2013 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Jones ran 12:09 in the 100m in finishing second and then was clocked at 24.36 in finishing fifth in the 200m. Senior Annie Dahl finished third in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:04.66, while freshman Jenni Vanttinen was eighth at 1:08.83. 

Sophomore Anna Veroven was fifth in the triple jump with a leap of 37-08.75. Freshman Emily Knapczyk finished sixth in the 5000m with a time of 18:29.85) and junior Sarah Bowler checked in with a seventh-place finish in the 3000m steeple chase with a time of 11:42.23. The Maverick 4X400m relay team comprised of Annie Dahl, Alexis Dickens, Bonnie Pickford and Kate Sanft finished fifth with a time of 3:58.40. MSU’s 4X100m relay team of Zevin Carter, Annie Dahl, Rachel Lindquist and Danielle Jones finished eighth with a time of 49.85.

MSU Moorhead
Men Field: Derek Bredy (Sr., Hoffman, Minn. / West Central Area) earned High Point Performer honors for the sixth time in his career at the NSIC Outdoor Championships last weekend in Sioux Falls, S.D. Bredy won the long jump with a record-setting effort of 24'7.75" (which set school and NSIC records), and also won the triple jump. He was also third in the 100-meter dash and fifth in the 200-meter dash and also was part of the 4x400 relay that finished second. Including relays, Bredy had 15 NSIC titles during his Dragon career.

Men Track: Clayton Foster (Sr., Pequot Lakes, Minn. / Pequot Lakes HS) claimed his sixth NSIC career title (including relays) with a win in the 1,500-meter run at the NSIC Championships on Friday. Foster, battling a gusty wind, ran a time of 4:16 to win his second straight 1,500-meter title.

Women Track:  Alissa Mears (Fr., West Fargo, N.D. / West Fargo HS) earned All-NSIC honors in the 800-meter run during the outdoor championships last weekend. Mears ran a personal-best time of 2:15.34 to finish in third.

Women Field: Kara Nygaard (Jr., Jamestown, N.D. / Jamestown HS) had a strong showing in the javelin at the NSIC Outdoor Championships, taking second after firing a toss of 132'11", which was a personal best. The finish earned Nygaard all-conference honors for the second time in her Dragon career.

St. Cloud State
Junior sprinter Becky Schmidt (White Bear Lake) won the 100 meter dash to lead the Huskies in the final day of the 2013 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, SD.

The St. Cloud State University men’s team placed fifth and the women’s team eighth in the final team standings. The Husky men posted 61 points and the women collected 44 points. The top three individual place-winners and top two relay teams in each event earned All-Conference honors. In all the Huskies earned six all-conference honors on the final day of the championships.

Women’s: Schmidt ran the 100 meter dash in 12.02 and teammate Ellen Wikstrom (Huskvarna, Sweden) placed third in the event in a time of 12.25. Other top finishes for the women included a second place finish for the 4x100 meter relay of Wikstrom, Schmidt, GaBrina Cornelious (Brooklyn Park) and Alicia Evans (Melrose). The relay finished in a time of 48.69. Senior Keely Rubash (New Lisbon, Wis.) placed fourth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase in a time of 11:26.96. Evans placed fourth in the 400 meter dash in 58.58 and Wikstrom had another top finish, placing sixth in the 200 meter dash in 25.57. In the women’s field events it was Kellan Flynn finishing fifth in the women’s high jump finals posting a mark of 5-03. Schmidt posted a seventh place finish in the long jump with a mark of 17'10.75".

Men’s: Jackson Walters (Baxter) had a second place finish in the 110 meter hurdles in a time of 14.67. Teammate Rashad Cohen (Chanhassen) was seventh in the hurdles in 15.39. Junior Leon Cheneyon (Brooklyn Park) ran the 400 meter dash in 49.71 to place third. The 4x100 relay of Tendeh Brownell (Osseo), George Kawalawu (Brooklyn Park), Walters and Brady Wilkerson (Hazel Green, Wis.) placed third with a time of 42.29.The Huskies also posted three sixth place finishes as Gemechu Bekelchu  (Minneapolis) ran the 5,000 meters in 16:05.99. The 4x400 relay of Cheneyon, JaVonte Suber (St. Louis, Mo.), Cohen and Hilary Luke (Richfield) claimed sixth with a time of 3:22.95. 

In the discus, Ryan Johnson (Amery, Wis.) threw 148'7" to place sixth. Suber scored points in the 800 meter run with a seventh place finish in 1:59.45. In the men’s field events Joe Mooney finished second in the high jump finals as he posted a new personal best and national qualifying provisional mark of 6'10.25", while Dustin McColley posted a fifth place finish and national qualifying provisional mark of 6-08.75. David Braaten took fourth in the pole vault as he posted a mark of 15'11.75". In the hammer throw finals, Ryan Johnson finished in eighth place recording a mark of 153'10".

Winona State
The Warriors placed 2nd as a team to follow up their runner-up finishes in Indoor Track & Field and Cross Country last fall.  The Warriors won the 4x400 meter relay consisting of (Kelsey Bethke, Katie Bagley, Brittney Rynda, and Catherine Whitcomb) and had three runner-up finishes from Brittney Rynda (Triple Jump), Kelsey Bethke (400m), and Shanai Guider (Discus).  With a balanced team, the Warriors scored points in 18 of the 21 events contested; the most by any team.

Medtronic TC Marathon 2012 Winner Named to US Team for IAAF World Championships

USATF today announced that Jeannette Faber, the 2012 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion, was named to the US team for the Moscow IAAF World Championships in August.  Faber joins 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Deena Kastor and Hansons-Brooks' Dot McMahan on the squad.

St Thomas' Taylor Berg/ Concordia-Moorhead's Kaari Jensen Given National Awards; MIAC Honors Announced

Taylor Berg

St. Thomas middle distance runner Taylor Berg was named USTFCCCA Women's Athlete of the Year for the Central Region.  They listed Berg's accomplishments: "A senior from Eagan, MN., Berg ran the division’s fastest time at 5000 meters in 16:34.51 at the Mt. SAC Relays, where she also recorded the No. 5 1500 in the division in 4:28.49. She claimed MIAC titles at 1500 and 5000 meters and anchored the runner-up 4×800 relay to boost St. Thomas to its ninth consecutive MIAC team title."

Concordia Moorhead's Kaari Jensen was named USTFCCCA Women's Field Athlete of the Year for the Central Region. Her stats are listed as: "Jensen, a senior from Pierz, Minn., is the second-ranked heptathlete in the division with a score of 4,760 to finish 10th in the Drake Relays heptathlon competition. She claimed the MIAC heptathlon title with a score of 4,754 and won the javelin title with a throw of 127-3 (38.80m). She also finished third in the 400 hurdles, fourth in the 400 hurdles and sixth in the long jump. Jensen is ranked No. 39 in the javelin in DIII at 128-11 (39.30m)."

Kaari Jensen

Berg was also among those listed for MIAC track Awards for 2013.  Full women's listing is HERE. The men's award list is HERE.  A feature on another of the MIAC Award winners, Hamline's Becky Culp, is HERE.  

Becky Culp

St Thomas Assistant Coach Erik Diley Named USTFCCCA Assistant Coach of Year

Erik Diley

St. Thomas assistant coach Erik Diley was named USTFCCCA Men's Assistant Coach of the Year for 2013.  His resume is listed as: "Diley is a former multiple All-American and MIAC champ while competing for St. John’s. The Prescott, WI, native, is finishing his fourth season with the Tommies.

"Since he joined the St. Thomas program and began coaching male and female jumpers and multi-event athletes, UST has won all eight MIAC women’s team titles and seven of the eight men’s crowns. With Diley’s guidance, St. Thomas has produced multiple All-MIAC selections, conference champions and national qualifiers from the horizontal jumps and the multi-events. 

"In 2013 alone, St. Thomas had six conference champions in the horizontal jumps and multi-events, Eyo Ekpo (indoor triple jump, indoor long jump), Emily VanHeel (indoor triple jump, outdoor triple jump), Gavin Yseth (heptathlon), and Maxwell Dunne (decathlon). All of these athletes went on to compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Eyo Ekpo was the national runner-up in the triple jump with a distance of 15.29m (50-2).  Ekpo, Van Heel, Dunne and Yseth are expected to compete in next week’s national meet."

Gabriele Anderson Talks About Doha

Gabriele Anderson.  Photo by David Monti

Gabriele Anderson finished tenth in the IAAF Diamond League Meet in Doha on May 10 in 4:05.41, an A standard qualifying mark for the IAAF World Championships.  Below she talks about the experience and her plans for the 2013 outdoor track season.

Down the Backstretch:  You achieved the primary goal to get the World Championships A standard.  How did having that as the number one priority influence how you ran the race?

Gabriele Anderson: I really did go to Doha to have a good chance to run the A standard, and therefore I did run with a high awareness of the clock. When I heard before the race that the pace being asked for was 2:07 through 800 (I think they might have even gone  2:06 in the race), I knew I couldn't expect to find myself at the front of the race. 

Dennis (Barker) didn't necessarily give me a 'green light' to go through 800 in much faster than 2:10, so that is what I tried to do. I thought I would be more in the middle of the pack rather than the back running the A standard pace, so I was a little surprised to be just hanging on the back running that pace! 

DtB:  How did you get an invitation to the Doha race?  Why pick this one to go for the qualifying time?

GA: I chose to try to race at Doha for a few different reasons. First of all, I am working with a new agent this year, Paul Doyle, and he suggested I try to get into Doha for the experience and for a chance to get the A standard out of the way. Two of his athletes, Molly Beckwith (800) and Russell Brown (1500), raced there last year with the intention of getting the standard and were successful, so I knew other people in a similar situation had gone there and got the job done.

I also knew that Doha would have a high-quality field with good pacemaking, which is important when you're trying to get an A standard this early in the year. And ultimately, I just thought it would be a good experience for me to get out of my comfort zone earlier this season. I don't want to race the exact same races every year.  I feel that the new stimulus is necessary to keep learning and keep things fresh. 

Getting to travel to Qatar and race with the world's best is an amazing experience that no athlete can take for granted, so I wanted to take this opportunity to see a new part of the world and learn more about racing on the international scene.

DtB:   How did you cope with the travel and radically different climate than what you had at home?

GA: I think I did OK with the travel, but there is always some trepidation going into situations like this. It's hard to sit on a plane for 13+ hours, skip a few time zones, and arrive feeling ready to perform at your very best. Sleeping is the tough part on these trips, but I did my best to manage the jet lag. I arrived in Doha just after dark and went for a run along the Corniche Promenade, which was full of people walking and jogging. 

After that, I just tried to keep a similar schedule and adjust to the local time as best as I could -- even if that meant being a little groggy on race day! I was glad the heat didn't feel as oppressive as I was expecting.  I think there may have been a little cold front going through Doha while I was there (thankfully).

DtB:  To run 4:05 off of what has been less than ideal training conditions this winter has to be satisfying.  Were you confident going into the race that if all went to plan you could get the time or was this just an experiment with hope for the best result?

GA: Yes, it was definitely a tough winter/spring for all of us in Minnesota! I got a late start to my base training this year due to a minor foot injury in the fall. I was able to get rolling in January, but I expected to be playing catch-up fitness-wise well into spring. In March I was surprised that my training was progressing faster than expected, and that's when I started to think I might be in better shape in May than I originally thought. 

Not having too many outdoor track workouts under my belt going into Drake and Doha made me a little worried, but my workouts indicated I was ready to run something close to the A standard. I also know we can 'chase' the standard this year post-USAs. So even though the A was the goal, I knew there would be more chances this year if it didn't happen.

DtB:  Athletes competing at big meets in exotic locations, such as Doha, know that you really don’t get much chance to absorb much as you go from airports to hotel and back with the rest of the time pretty much getting ready to and running the race.  Are there any things that stand out about Doha.  Memories that you have or things you’d like to do when you get the chance to go back?

GA: It is unfortunate to travel all the way to such a cool place and not get a chance to explore! All of the locals I met said it was such a shame I couldn't stay a day or two to go on a 'desert safari' outside of Doha or go fishing in the Persian Gulf. 

If I went back, I would absolutely try to get out and go on one of those adventures! I've also read about the Aspire athletics complex and some of the stadiums they've built to host World Championships, which I would have loved to visit. It is clear that the people of Qatar are advocates of global sport, and I am happy I was able to experience their hospitality and be a part of such a special event.

DtB:   You said on your Twitter posting that you had coffee with sprinter Kim Collins prior to your races.  Kim won the 2002 Commonwealth Games 100 as a young man, yet he’s still going at the top level.  Were you trying to pick up sprinting tips?

GA:  Ha ha, yes, I had pre-race coffee with Kim Collins! I was feeling a little sleepy before I needed to get on the bus to my race, so I stopped in the hotel lobby area to get an espresso. Kim Collins walked in behind me and asked if he could join me!

I, of course, knew who he was and was excited to meet such a big star of track and field. That is one of the coolest parts of competing in the Diamond League -- you are hanging out with the biggest and brightest stars all weekend! Kim is a world-class veteran with tons of experience, so I was happy to hear some of his stories and try to get some advice on how to be successful in this sport.

It was fun to hear about his six kids and that his wife is his coach. It's pretty cool to see that he is still out here competing at such a high-level -- that kind of longevity in a track career seems so rare. And yes, I did also get some sprinting tips, but I'm not sure how well they will transfer into 1500 training!

DtB:  You told David Monti in an interview prior to Doha that you learned a lot from your Olympic Trials experience in 2012.  What did you learn from the Doha race?  What sort of adjustments, changes will you be making from that experience.

GA: Lots of learning going on for me -- always! Last year I had a tough time hitting that Olympic A standard, which might have changed how I approached the Trials, and I how I viewed my chances of making the team. So I learned that I have to get more comfortable committing to the pace earlier in races and rely on my fitness to finish the race, rather than just hanging back and waiting to kick every time. 

Doha was a place for me to practice that again. Even though I was on the back of the pack, I was still getting out faster through 800 than I ever have. That's important for me to do, even if it isn't necessary in every single race. 

It was incredibly humbling to be nine seconds off of the winner in Doha, so I was reminded that I have a lot of work to do to truly compete with the best in the world. But standing on that starting line and competing with those women is part of how I will get there eventually. I don't expect things to fall into place overnight, so I'm just working every day to try to be the best in the USA and then hopefully one of the best in the world.

DtB:  Has having the A standard altered your racing plans, training plans for the lead up to the US Championships?  What are your racing plans from now until then?

GA:  Having the A standard is nice but it hasn't changed what I was planning to do too much. Going to Doha meant that I was going to skip Oxy this year and really focus my training on being ready to go at the USA Championships. 

I am hoping to race in the Adidas Grand Prix 1500 in New York on May 25 and then the National 800 at the Prefontaine Classic on May 31. Beyond those two races, I'm not sure if/what I'll race prior to the US Champs. But I'm really looking forward to getting back to Drake Stadium for the US Championships -- I do consider it somewhat of a 'home track'!

Como Park Hosts Saturday’s Medtronic TC Kids Cross Country Fun Run

More than a thousand active youngsters will participate in Saturday’s Medtronic TC Kids Cross Country Fun Run. Kids from kindergarten through eighth grade will compete in half-mile, mile and two-mile events on the rolling, grassy terrain of Como Park.  The event serves as the capstone achievement for kids participating in the Medtronic TC Kids Marathon, an online training program designed to get families and classrooms exercising.

The racing is all in good, healthy fun.  Harry and Shelly, Twin Cities in Motion’s tortoise and hare mascots, will get in on the fun along with the Radio Disney’s Prize Patrol. Professional runners from Team USA Minnesota--Jon Peterson, Jon Grey, Chris Rombough, Meghan Peyton, McKenzie Melander,  and Ladia Albertson-Junkans--will lead warm-ups!

What:              TC Kids Cross Country Fun Run

Who:               1000+ active kids grade K-8

Where:            Como Park

                         1225 Estabrook Drive

                        St Paul, MN 55103

When:             Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 9:00 AM

NCAA Championship qualifiers

NCAA Division I listing of declarations, start lists for East and West Regional meets to be held on May 23-25 in Greensboro, NC(East) and Austin, TX(West) is HERE.  Athletes advance from these competitions to compete in the NCAA DI Championships in Eugene, Oregon June 5-8.

List of the NCAA DII qualifiers from NSIC teams for the Outdoor champs May 23-25 in Pueblo, CO is HERE. Full listing of DII qualifiers is HERE.

DIII NAA Championships will be May 23-25 in LaCrosse, WI.  Participant lists not finalized yet.

Gopher Features

Article in Spring 2013 issue of Ski-U-Mah features Caribbean Gopher track athletes HERE.

A May 9 story on Gopher women's coach Gary Wilson is HERE.

Minnesota Daily story on Alena Brooks is HERE.

Minnesota Daily feature on Quentin Mege, who has been competing with a broken hand, is HERE.

Yes/No: Will the True Team champions repeat in 2013?

The Minnesota High School True Team Track and Field Championships will be held on Friday and Saturday this week.  The event has a relatively unique goal;  to crown the very best teams in the state, and not just the team with a few outstanding individuals.  The top teams have talent spread throughout the many Track and Field events and True Team rewards this depth.

There are three classes in True Team Competition, AAA, AA and A, based on a school's enrollment.  The State Meet is contested by the 8 Section winners and 1 Wild Card.  In True Team meets, each team is allowed two entries in an individual event for AA and A and three entries per event in AAA.  Relay races have one entry per team.

Five of the team champions will return to defend their crown in 2013.  Let us know how many repeat champions will celebrate this weekend...

Yes/No: Will two or more team champions from 2012 win again in 2013?

The team champions in 2012 included Maple Lake boys, Esko girls, Totino Grace boys and girls, Minnetonka boys and Lakeville South girls.  All these team qualified for the 2013 True Team Championship except Minnetonka boys.

Here is some information to help with your pick:
- 2013 True Team Section Results
- 2012 State True Team Results
- True Team FAQ's
- Live State True Team Results
- History of Minnesota True Team

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 4:00 P.M. CDT, Friday, May 17th.  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 a bonus for participants making their 2013 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My Answer:  No

Last week's question was: Will five or more women vault twelve feet or higher at the NSIC Meet on Friday? The answer was yes — exactly five women vaulted over twelve feet.  Fourteen contestants answered correctly and Lori Anne Schwiesow leads with eleven points.  Tied for second place are Mike Henderson and Mary Varney with ten points each.

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

Boys HS All Time List: 4 by 200 Relay

2012 BESTS
1:27.23 North St. Paul
1:27.98 Wayzata
1:28.24 Apple Valley
1:28.42 Hopkins
1:28.54 Spring Lake Park / St. Anthony
1:28.78 Minnetonka
1:29.00 White Bear Lake
1:29.32 Forest Lake
1:29.46 Anoka
1:30.12 Rosemount
[10]
1:30.41 Rochester Lourdes
1:30.45 Waseca
1:30.52 Rochester Mayo
1:30.56 East Ridge
1:30.59 Winona
1:30.59 Sauk Rapids-Rice
1:30.60 Park
1:30.77 Roseville Area
1:30.83 Woodbury
1:30.85 Andover
[20]
1:30.87 Hutchinson
1:30.90 Totino-Grace
1:30.94 Stillwater Area
1:31.25 Brainerd
1:31.26 Osseo
1:31.29 Centennial
1:31.30 Duluth Denfeld
1:31.33 Blaine
1:31.40 Robbinsdale Armstrong
1:31.40 Sartell-St. Stephen
[30]
1:31.60 Tartan
1:31.61 Moose Lake / Willow River
1:31.82 Maple Lake
1:31.88 Champlin Park
1:31.99 Caledonia / Spring Grove / Mabel-Can
1:32.00 Northfield
1:32.00 Minneapolis South
1:32.06 Red Wing
1:32.08 Willmar
1:32.09 Buffalo
[40]
1:32.17 Rogers
1:32.19 Watertown-Mayer
1:32.21 Grand Rapids
1:32.22 Chisago Lake
1:32.33 St. Croix Lutheran
1:32.39 Montevideo
1:32.43 Irondale
1:32.48 St. Peter
1:32.54 Mounds View
1:32.3 Blue Earth Area
[50]
1:32.61 Elk River
1:32.62 Farmington
1:32.64 Eagan
1:32.65 Worthington
1:32.71 New Ulm / New Ulm Cathedral
1:32.88 Chaska
1;32.89 Fairmont
1:32.95 Pillager
1:32.98 Alexandria
1:33.01 Park Center
[60]
1:33.26 Luverne
1:33.27 Glencoe-Silver Lake
1:33.29 Mora
1:33.31 Byron
1:33.33 Prior Lake
1:33.34 Virginia
1:33.50 Eden Prairie
1:33.56 Plainview-Elgin-Millville
1:33.69 Lakeville North
1:33.71 Thief River Falls
[70]
1:33.76 Rocori
1:33.83 New Prague
1:33.90 St. Paul Central
1:33.90 Bemidji
1:33.96 Albert Lea
1:33.96 Maple Grove
1:33.97 Brooklyn Center
1:33.98 Grand Meadow-LeRoy-Ostrander-South
1:34.01 Academy of Holy Angels
1:34.09 Cambridge-Isanti
[80]

2012 STATE MEET CLASS AA
1 North (Andy Giovinazzo, Quentin Mann, Akeem  
   Sirleaf, Travis Griffin)         1:27.23
2 Wayzata                   1:28.09
3 Apple Valley                                     1:28.24
4 Minnetonka                                       1:28.78
5 Forest Lake                                     1:29.63
6 Anoka                                           1:29.86
7 White Bear Lake Area                   1:29.89
8 SpringLkPk/St Anthony                   1:29.92
   Hopkins                                               DQ

2012 STATE MEET CLASS A
1 Rochester Lourdes (Brian Williamson, Adam Wade,  
   Kane Carstens, McKay Carstens) 1:30.64
2 Waseca                                           1:30.92
3 Moose Lk/Willow River           1:31.87
4 St. Peter                                       1:32.48
5 Maple Lake                                       1:32.49
6 St. Croix Lutheran                     1:33.42
7 Montevideo                                       1:33.80
8 Caledonia/SpringGrove               1:33.90
9 Virginia                                         1:35.19

800 METER RELAY ALL TIME BESTS
1:27.23 North St. Paul  2012
Andy Giovinazzo, Quentin Mann,
Akeem Sirleaf, Travis Griffin
1:27.63 White Bear Lake  2010
1:27.73 Mankato East  2004
1:27.77 Mounds View  2007
1:27.86 Lakeville  2005
1:27.98 Wayzata  2012
1:27.9 Moorhead  1972  (1:28.4y)
1:28.23 Hopkins  2001
1:28.0 St Louis Park  1970  (1:28.5y)
1:28.24 Apple Valley  2012
[10]
1:28.29 White Bear Lake 2011
1:28.35 Eastview  2002
1:28.36 Robbinsdale Armstrong  2006
1:28.39 Hopkins  2010
1:28.42 Hopkins  2007
1:28.46 Hopkins  2008
1:28.48 Stillwater Area  2011
1:28.50 Hopkins  2011
1:28.52 Eden Prairie  2010
1:28.3 Moorhead  1969  (1:28.8y)
[20]
1:28.3 Edina  1970  (1:28.8y)
1:28.54 North St. Paul  2011
1:28.54 Spring Lake Park / St. Anthony  2012
1:28.57 Rosemount  2009
1:28.61 Blaine  2011
1:28.62 Mounds View  2000
1:28.65 North St Paul  2000
1:28.66 Bloomington Jefferson  1999
1:28.70 North St. Paul  2005
1:28.73 Stillwater Area  2000
[30]
1:28.5 Minneapolis North  1965  (1:29.0y)
1:28.5 Moorhead  1968  (1:29.0y)
1:28.74 Park-Cottage Grove  2004
1:28.78 Minnetonka  2012
1:28.79 White Bear Lake  2009
1:28.81 Roseville Area  2005
1:28.81 Totino-Grace  2011
1:28.6 Minneapolis North  1966  (1:29.1y)
1:28.6 Moorhead  1967  (1:29.1y)
1:28.90 Robbinsdale Cooper  2006
[40]
1:28.91 Park  2010
1:28.93 Minnetonka  1977  (1:29.44y)
1:28.93 Hermantown  2004
1:28.7 Moorhead  1966  (1:29.2y)
1:28.7 Minneapolis Central  1968  (1:29.2y)
1:28.94 Irondale  2007
1:28.94 Robbinsdale Armstrong  2007
1:28.98 St. Louis Park  2002
1:28.98 Wayzata  2011
1:29.00 White Bear Lake  2012
[50]
1:28.8 Edina  1969  (1:29.3y)
1:28.8 Moorhead  1970  (1:29.3y)
1:29.10 Buffalo  2009
1:29.10 Totino-Grace  2009
1:29.12 Robbinsdale Armstrong  2001
1:29.12 Glencoe-Silver Lake  2008
1:28.9 Robb Armstrong  1977  (1:29.4y)
1:29.14 Brainerd  2000
1:29.17 Anoka  2008
1:29.18 Roseville Area  2002
[60]
1:29.23 Forest Lake
1:29.0 Minneapolis Central  1972  (1:29.5y)
1:29.0 Moorhead  1973  (1:29.5y)
1:29.24 Osseo  2007
1:29.25 Rocori  2000
1:29.25 Anoka  2009
1:29.26 Hopkins  2009
1:29.26 Apple Valley  2011
1:29.28 Woodbury  2004
1:29.32 Forest Lake  2012
[70]
1:29.1 Richfield  1971  (1:29.6y)
1:29.37 Park Center  2000
1:29.37 DeLaSalle  2004
1:29.39 St. Louis Park  2001
1:29.39 Minneapolis Washburn  2005
1:29.40 Anoka  2006
1:29.41 Mounds View  2001
1:29.42 Mankato West  2008
1:29.42 Austin  2010
1:29.2 Rochester Mayo  1969  (1:29.7y)
[80]
1:29.2 Minneapolis Washburn  1972  (1:29.7y)
1:29.2 Edina East  1974  (1:29.7y)
1:29.44 Woodbury  2005
1:29.45 Woodbury  2008
1:29.46 Anoka  2012
1:29.50 Rocori  2001
1:29.51 Brainerd  2009
1:29.54 Eagan  2000
1:29.55 Champlin Park  2008
1:29.57 Rosemount  2008
[90]
1:29.58 Lakeville  2003
1:29.59 Farmington  2007
1:29.59 Farmington  2009
1:29.62 Annandale  2005
1:29.62 Eagan  2006
1:29.62 Mounds View  2006
1:29.63 Mankato East  2007
1:29.4 Mankato  1967  (1:29.9y)
1:29.4 Robbinsdale  1968  (1:29.9y)
1:29.4 Rochester Mayo  1969  (1:29.9y)
[100]
1:29.4 Minneapolis North  1974  (1:29.9y)
1:29.4 Mounds View  1975  (1:29.9y)
1:29.4 Hopkins Lindbergh  1977  (1:29.9y)

HS Girls All Time List: 4 by 200 Relay

1:40.08	Hopkins	2010
1:40.22	Osseo	2012
1:40.25	Hopkins	2011
1:40.76	Mpls Washburn	2004
1:40.87	Mounds View	2010
1:40.98	Roseville Area	2010
1:41.00	Osseo	2009
1:41.33	Mankato East	2005
1:41.34	Moorhead	1994
1:41.41	Mounds View	2008
1:41.47	Armstrong	2010
1:41.62	Hopkins	2009
1:41.66	Coon Rapids	2002
1:41.67	Mounds View	2009
1:41.71	Osseo	2011
1:41.76	Stillwater	2012
1:41.86	Mankato West	1998
1:41.87	Hopkins	2007
1:41.98	Prior Lake	2010
1:42.03	Armstrong	2009
1:42.10	St. Paul Central	1994
1:42.11	Robbinsdale Armstrong	2011
1:42.16	Eastview	2010
1:42.19	Hopkins	2008
1:42.25	Eastview	2008
1:42.30	Apple Valley	2001
1:42.36	St. Paul Central	1993
1:42.39	Coon Rapids	1994
1:42.40	Grand Rapids	2010
1:42.44	Farmington	2010
1:42.50	Anoka	1975
1:42.52	Park Center	2009
1:42.53	Prior Lake	2009
1:42.55	Mounds View	2007
1:42.57	Anoka	1981
1:42.59	Coon Rapids	1986
1:42.61	Roseville Area	2008
1:42.67	Roseville Area	2009
1:42.70	Owatonna	1976
1:42.73	Apple Valley	1997
1:42.75	Mpls Central	1981
1:42.77	Woodbury	2010
1:42.82	Mankato West	1999
1:42.86	Blaine	2012
1:42.90	Robbinsdale Armstrong	2004
1:42.92	Burnsville	2005
1:42.97	Eagan	2006
1:42.97	Hopkins Lindbergh	1978
1:43.00	Robbinsdale Armstrong	2007
1:43.04	Stillwater	2001
1:43.06	Mounds View	2011
1:43.07	Elk River	2011
1:43.14	Moorhead	1998
1:43.15	Woodbury	2005
1:43.20	Mpls North	1981
1:43.20	Hopkins Lindbergh	1975
1:43.21	Lakeville	2005
1:43.21	Mpls Henry	1989
1:43.21	Rochester Mayo	2011
1:43.24	South St. Pal	2012
1:43.27	Lakeville North	2008
1:43.27	Armstrong	2008
1:43.30	Providence Academy	2008
1:43.30	Mankato West	1997
1:43.30	Hopkins Lindbergh	1976
1:43.32	Robbinsdale Armstrong	2005
1:43.34	Mpls Washburn	2005
1:43.34	Stillwater	1986
1:43.34	Apple Valley	1996
1:43.40	South St. Pal	1979
1:43.41	Prior Lake	2011
1:43.42	Roseville Area	1991
1:43.43	Anoka	2003
1:43.44	Robbinsdale Armstrong	2006
1:43.44	Anoka	2004
1:43.45	Apple Valley	2011
1:43.49	Owatonna	2007
1:43.50	Mpls Henry	1990
1:43.51	Bloomington Kennedy	2004
1:43.53	Bemidji	1986
1:43.54	Hopkins	2006
1:43.55	Apple Valley	2012
1:43.57	Mankato East	2007
1:43.58	Woodbury	2003
1:43.58	Roseville Area	2011
1:43.60	Minnetonka	1988
1:43.60	Mpls North	1981
1:43.60	Stillwater	1981
1:43.61	Little Falls	1990
1:43.62	Blue Earth	1985
1:43.64	Burnsville	2006
1:43.66	Elk River	2010
1:43.66	Anoka	2005
1:43.70	Alexander Ramsey	1980
1:43.71	Lakeville North	2007
1:43.77	Burnsville	2008
1:43.78	Apple Valley	1989
1:43.79	Rocori	2003
1:43.85	Eden Prairie	2005
1:43.86	Champlin Park	1994

USTFCCCA Rankings, Honors

The Gopher men fell three spots to 39th in the NCAA DI rankings despite a second place finish in the Big Ten meet, which once again illuminates that these national rankings are based on NCAA qualifying individuals who, based on their performances thus far in the season, would theoretically place at the NCAA Championships.  So, you can have a great dual meet or conference team, but not score as well at NCAAs.

Minnesota State Mankato rose two spots to eighth in the DII men's rankings.  U-Mary fell four spots to 20th in the women's DII rankings while Winona State again maintained its 25th place ranking. Full list is HERE.

In DIII, the St. Thomas women rose six spots to 16th.

Minnesota State Mankato's Jerrell Hancock was selected USTFCCCA DII male Athlete of the Week. Hancock (St. Louis, Mo.) won in two individual titles and was a member of two winning relay legs en route to helping his team to an NSIC team championship. His winning time of 20.49 (+1.1m/s) at 200 meters was a school record, also putting him the No. 11 performer in the event in DII history. The MSU record of 20.84 that was set by Michael Lawrence in 2004.  

The performance makes him just the third since the turn of the century to dip under 20.50. He also claimed a title at 100 meters in 10.32w (+3.5m/s), placing him seventh among DII qualifiers. In addition to his individual efforts he ran legs of the winning 4×100 and 4×400 relays. He made up approximately 15 meters on the final leg of the 4×400 relay to edge out a photo-finish victory.

A USTFCCCA DII women's Athlete of the Week Honorable Mention was awarded to U-Mary's Melissa Agnew(Onamia, MN), who helped her team win the NSIC Championship with wins at 800 (2:13.98) and 1500 (4:33.77) meters.