#22 Gopher Men Advance Seven and Relay

The University of Minnesota men's track team rose to #22 in the latest NCAA Division I track and field rankings, after qualifying seven individuals and a relay team to next weekend's NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Gophers will be represented by David Pachuta and Harun Abda at 800-meters, Nick Hutton at 1500m, Hassan Mead at 5000m, Quentin Mege and Micah Hegerle in the hammer throw, and Jack Szmanda in the decathlon.

The Gophers will also be represented by their 4 x 400m relay team of Jacob Capek, Abda, John Holton, and Kevin Bradley. The NCAA meet kicks off a week from today and runs until June 9.  All but Szmanda qualified via last weekend's NCAA West Preliminary in Austin, Texas.

"After the Big Ten meet we were a little bit down," Gopher men's coach Steve Plasencia confided in a Gopher media release.  "Coming down here our goal was to make a little noise and I think we accomplished that. Now we have to turn it around, get ready and see what we can do in Des Moines at the finals."

The Gopher women will send their school record-breaking 4 x 100m relay team of Todea-Kay Willis, Nyoka Giles, Chimerem Okoroji, and Kylie Peterson to NCAAs.

Find complete entry lists for the NCAA Championships HERE (men) and HERE (women).

The complete pre-NCAA outdoor track rankings can be found HERE.

Sandle Completes D3 Triple Jump Double; UMD's Williams Wins Surprise D2 800m Crown

Eden Prairie High School alumnus Mike Sandle won the men's triple jump title at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, completing an indoor/outdoor double in the event in his first year as a collegian.

Representing the University of Wisconsin River Falls, Sandle hopped, stepped, and jumped a personal best 51-2 1/4 at the Claremont, California meet.  At the NCAA indoor meet in Grinnell, Iowa in March, Sandle jumped 50-6 for the win.

At the NCAA Division II Championships in Pueblo, Colorado, the University of Minnesota - Duluth senior Lexi Williams won a surprise national title at 800-meters, winning the event in 2:11.46.

Williams, a Rice Lake, Wisconsin native, was only the #7-seeded runner in the D2 field. The NSIC runner-up qualified for the final she would ultimately win as the second-to-last advancer out of prelims

Find complete results of the NCAA Division III Championships HERE.

Find complete results of the NCAA Division II Championships, held in Pueblo, Colorado, HERE.

Find complete results of the NCAA Division I West preliminary meet HERE.

NCAA Action Kicks Off for Minnesotans

Action at NCAA meets in all three divisions of the organization has kicked off.  Here's our round-up ...

NCAA Division I Prelims ... The University of Minnesota men advanced three athletes to the quarter-finals of the NCAA West Prelims in Austin, Texas on Thursday. 

Nick Hutton advanced in the 1500-meters by running 3:46.10 in prelims.  David Pachuta and Haun Abda advanced from the same heat of the 800-meters by running 1:48.79 and 1:48.85, respectively.

Read the GopherSports wrap-up of the day's action HERE.

For the Gopher women, Sharyn Dahl advanced to tomorrow's quarter-final round in the 400-meter hurdles. She clocked 1:00.40.

Read the GopherSports women's wrap-up HERE.

Follow the D1 West Prelim meet for the rest of the weekend HERE.
 
Hammer Time ...Hammer throwers were the headliners at the NCAA Division II Championships in Pueblo, Colorado.  Winona State's Michelle Potter and Jenny Schuler placed fourth and fifth in women's competition with throws of 188-3 and 187-9, respectively.

In men's hammer action Minnesota State Moorhead's Christopher Heil placed fourth in the event with a mark of 209-6.

Follow all the NCAA D2 action HERE.

Monson, Culp Third ... Hamline University's Devin Monson finished third in last night's 10,000-meters at the NCAA Division III Championships in Claremont, California.  The senior clocked 30:36.73.

Fellow Piper Becky Culp finished third in discus competition, marking a throw of 147-11.

Follow D3 action HERE.

Pick Ten: NCAA D2 and D3 Championships

This weekend is the culmination of a long track and field season for NCAA Division II and Division III athletes.  Both outdoor National Meets will kick off on Thursday morning with multi-events and continue through Saturday night.  The Division II Championship is hosted by Colorado State University at Pueblo and the Division III Meet is at Claremont McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges.

There are many local athletes competing for All-American slots at these meets.  We will pick ten of them to focus on and let you predict the finishes.

Pick Ten has a simple concept: predict the finish place for each of 10 Minnesota athletes at this weekends competitions. You will score points for each athlete who scores at or above the finish place you predict for them, following the 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system for track and field events.

For example: If you pick Mike Hutton to place first in the 800 meter race, and he places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Hutton to place first and he finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Hutton to finish third in the race and he places first, second or third, you get 6 points by the scoring system above, since he placed at least as high as you predicted.

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...8th. Send your predictions by 6:00 P.M. CST on Friday, May 25th 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 ... Division II and III Outdoor Track and Field National Meets:

Jerrell Hancock - Minnesota State, Mankato - 200 Meters:
Christopher Reed - Minnesota State, Mankato -  Shot Put:
Lexi Williams - UMD - 800 Meters:
Alissa Rausch - Winona State - Shot Put:
Shanai Guider - Winona State - Discus Throw:
Ashley Magelssen - Bethel - 100 Meters:
Mike Hutton - St. Thomas - 800 Meters:
Devin Monson - Hamline - 5000 Meters:
Eyo Ekpo - St. Thomas - High Jump:
Josh Owens - Gustavus - Pole Vault:

Here is some information to help you with your picks:

Information including entries and heat sheets can be found at the following sites:
Division II
Division III

Here are the rankings of the Pick Ten athletes in their event based on the entries/heat sheets:

Hancock - fourth, Reed - fourth, Williams - seventh, Rausch - seventh, Guider - fourth, Magelssen - seventh, Hutton - second, Monson - fifth, Ekpo - third, Owens - fifth.

Some of these athletes are competing in multiple events:  Rausch is also competing in the Discus.  Magelssen is in the 200 and 4x400.  Monson will run the 10,000 meters prior to the 5000 meters.

Good luck!

Last week's question was Will Garrett Heath and/or Will Leer run an Olympic "A" standard of 3:35.50 at the Oxy High Performance Meet on Friday night?  The correct answer was no.  Heath came close - 3:36.24 while Leer ran 3:39.31.  Twenty two players answered correctly this week and Jim Glazer and Ryan Aylesworth are tied for first with eleven points.  A pack of five are one point behind with ten points.

Bill Atkins continues to lead Pick Ten with 110 points.  But the race is tight as there are eight other contestants within ten points.

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

Ultra Great Jurek to Run and Read in Minnesota

Ultramarathon superstar Scott Jurek, a Proctor, Minnesota native, will lead a group fun run and talk about his forthcoming book Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness on Tuesday, June 19th at Gear West Ski and Run in Long Lake.

Jurek's memoir of his  ultramarathoning career and his veganism will be released on June 5.

Jurek is a seven-time winner of the Western States 100 race, a two-time champion of the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon across Death Valley, and a three-time champion of Europe's most heralded ultra, the 153-mile Spartathlon in Greece.

 The event costs $10, but the admission fee can be put toward a copy of Jurek's book or Brooks merchandise at the stores. More information on the event can be found HERE.

Previously, the same businesses brought Christopher McDougall to Minnesota for a run and reading of his book Born to Run, in which Jurek was profiled.

Round-Up: Rankings, Quotes, Speaker

It's the busy season in track and field nowadays, so we'll try to get ourselves caught up with a round-up of recent news ...

Collegiate Rankings ... As NCAA Division II and III teams head to their national championship meets and the Gophers travel to their Division I Prelim, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association released the latest college rankings.

In Division I, the University of Minnesota men fell out of the top-25, after being ranked #21 last week.  They are currently tabbed as the #26 team in D1.  The Gopher women are ranked #111.

In D2 rankings, the Winona State women are ranked #16, up one spot from a week ago.  The Minnesota State - Mankato men are ranked #23.

In Division III, the MIAC champion programs from St. Thomas both make the top-25 -- the Tommie men are ranked #16 while the Tommie women are ranked #17.  Hamline's men are also ranked, at #17.

Team USA Talks Oxy ... A pair of Team USA Minnesota runners won their sections at the Oxy High Performance Meet in Los Angeles on Friday.  Gabriele Anderson won her 1500m section in a PR 4:06.46, while Jamie Cheever took her steeplechase race in 9:52.15.

Anderson just missed the Olympic Games A standard of 4:06.00; Cheever attained the Olympic Trials A standard of 9:55.00.

"I am a little speechless," Anderson said via a Team USA Minnesota media release.  "This was my season debut so I just came here to get the wheels turning.  I didn't know what to expect and was not thinking about getting the win.  I was just trying to finish strong.  This race shows me that the Olympic 'A' standard  is within reach."

Next up for Anderson will be the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on June 2 where she will again run the 1500 meters. 

Read what Cheever thought of her race, HERE.

Tollefson Gives Back ... Olympian Carrie Tollefson will be the featured speaker in Duluth today at the Essentia Health Fit-n-Fun Middle School Assemblies, organized by Grandma's Marathon.

A 2004 Olympian in the 1500-meters, Tollefson will give presentations to Duluth students at Morgan Park Middle School and at Woodland Middle School.

As most Minnesota track fans well know, Tollefson, 35, grew up in Dawson, Minn., and won 13 Minnesota high school championships in cross country and track. While in college at Villanova, she was a 12-time All-American and five-time NCAA national champion.

The St. Paul, Minn., resident will be back in Duluth next month for Grandma’s Marathon weekend and will be a part of the team producing live radio coverage of the USA Half Marathon Championships. She has provided television and radio commentary for many racing events throughout the nation.

 Since December 2010, she has hosted a weekly show about running and fitness called C Tolle Run. The show features training tips, interviews with athletes and experts, as well as highlights from races and events.

More information is available at www.ctollerun.com.

Lundstrom, George Win Superior 50K Titles

By Alex Kurt

Former Team USA Minnesota runner and Olympic Trials marathoner Chris Lundstrom of Minneapolis overcame a five-minute deficit to defend his title in the Superior 50K in Lutsen Saturday.

Lundstrom trailed 2011 Voyageur 50 Mile champion Samuel Jurek of Boston, Massachusetts at the halfway point but took the lead at the final aid station as Jurek was suffering from the affects of soaring temperatures. (He would fade to seventh.)

Lundstrom finished in 3:56:04, the third-fastest time in race history. (He owns the top two as well.)

“I managed to drop and spill my water bottle leaving the last aid station, so I went that last hour without any fluids,” Lundstrom said. “I really should have gone back and refilled, as I'm sure the lack of fluids cost me more time than it would have taken to go back. But hindsight is 20/20.”

In the women’s race, Rebecca George of Baxter won in 4:45:38, also third-fastest in race history and good for 12^th overall. Duluth’s Christi Nowak, the defending champion, finished second in 4:57:43.

Race Director John Storkamp said Lundstrom’s and George’s times were more impressive given the course was lengthened to include a summit of Carlton Peak this year. “Reports are that it was worth it for the great view,” Storkamp said.

Full 50K results can be found HERE.

Duluth took top spots in the men’s and women’s 25K race. Eric Hartmark set a course record of 1:39:09, over six minutes ahead of the nearest competitor. Elaine Wilson finished first among women (15^th overall) in 2:11:31, just three seconds off Leslie Semler’s 2010 course record. Semler of Hermantown was second in 2:19:58.

Full 25K results can be found HERE. 

Alex Kurt is Down the Backstretch's new ultra-running contributor.

Fast Running for Minnesotans at Oxy

If you were an Olympic Trials aspirant looking to run fast last night, Occidental College in Los Angles was the place to be.

Many of the country's top distance runners chased Olympic qualifiers and fast times at the meet.

Minnesotans got in on the fast running as well, including section victories by Jamie Cheever, Justin Tyner, and Gabriele Anderson and load of personal bests.

Find full results of the meet HERE. 

Watch video of the action and interviews HERE.

Heather Kampf Wins USA Road Mile Title

Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf won last night's USA Championship women's race at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile in downtown Minneapolis, running 4:36.9 against a headwind made for tactical racing and a half-miler's speed.

The win earned Kampf, a former NCAA 800-meter champion, her first USA title and a $4000 winner's check.

“I feel like a road mile is a little bit to my advantage,” Kampf (pictured below) said at the finish line. “If I can stay in the race, then have a good shot to kick at the end, my closing speed is a lot better than some milers.”

Photo by Paul Phillips/Competitive Image

Listen to my post-race interview with the happy champion here ...



Craig Miller (in the black New Balance kit, below), a former University of Wisconsin star, won the USA men's title, clocking 4:04.3

Photo by Paul Phillips/Competitive Image.

Find results HERE.

Watch the women's race below ...



Watch the men's race below ...

Yes/No: Olympic A for Heath or Leer at Oxy?

The heat sheets for Friday night's Occidental High Performance Meet promise quality and quantity for the distance events from 800 to 5000.  Many athletes are already chasing qualifying times this Olympic year (trials or A and B standards), while others are grabbing the opportunity to sharpen their fitness against top competition.

Many local athletes will heading to California to partake this Friday, including Gabriele Anderson, Jamie Cheever, Laura Januszewski and Elliot Heath.

But we will check out the men's 1500 with this question...

Yes/No: Will Garrett Heath and/or Will Leer run an Olympic "A" standard of 3:35.50 at the Oxy High Performance Meet on Friday night?

Garrett Heath has run 3:37.12 for his fastest 1500 meters and just ran a huge personal record 13:27 for 5000 meters.  Will Leer has a best 1500 of 3:36.33.

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 10:55 P.M. CDT, Friday, May 18th. 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

In last week's Pick Ten contest, Rich Cowles finished in first with thirty-three points, followed by Mike Mason and Mitch VanBruggen with thirty-two and thirty respectively.  Bill Atkins leads the overall Pick Ten standings with one hundred ten points.

In the Yes/No contest, Jim Glazer and Ryan Aylesworth are tied for first with ten points.

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

Kampf a Favorite for USA 1 Mile Title

Two new USA 1 Mile Road Champions will be crowned tonight in downtown Minneapolis at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile held on the Nicollet Mall ... and one of them could be Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf.

The former University of Minnesota star and a field of aspiring athletes will race for $22,500 in prize money, plus a pair of $10,000 course record bonuses.

The Medtronic TC 1 Mile, which features an evening of races for runners of all ages and abilities, hosts the USA 1 Mile Road Championship for the fourth-straight year. Racing kicks off at 6:50 p.m. and culminates with the USA Championships races at 7:53 p.m. (women) and 8:03 p.m. (men).

Kampf of Minneapolis, the runner-up in last year’s women’s championship race, aims to become the first Minnesotan to win a USA 1 Mile Road title. The former NCAA 800-meter champion and nine-time Gopher All-American will tangle with a deep field that includes steeplechaser Mason Cathey of Indianapolis, Indiana, Olympic Trials marathoner Alisha Williams of Denver, Colorado, and nine-time NCAA All-American Nicole Blood of Annandale, New Jersey.

Also populating the women’s field are Kampf’s Team USA Minnesota teammate Meghan Peyton of Minneapolis, the seventh-place finisher in the race last year, former University of Michigan star Danielle Tauro of Detroit, former Villanova All-American Frances Koons of Annandale, New Jersey recent Loyola Marymount graduate Tara Erdman of Tucson, Arizona, and Kellyn Johnson of Flagstaff, Arizona. Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Gwen Jorgensen, a member of this summer’s U.S. Olympic Team in the triathlon and a former Big Ten track champion, offers additional spice to the race.

In all, fourteen women will race down Nicollet Mall in pursuit of the $4000 champion’s prize and a shot at the $10,000 on offer, if the winner breaks Sara Hall’s Medtronic TC 1 Mile course record of 4:30.8 set last year.

In men’s competition, a dozen men will race for their own $4000 winner’s check and the chance to earn $10,000 for breaking three-time champion David Torrence’s 2011 course record of 3:58.4. Last year’s runner-up Aaron Braun of Flagstaff, Arizona, will vie with 2011 third-place finisher Craig Miller of Madison, Wisconsin and the rest of the well-balanced men’s championship field. Braun is known for his success over a wide range of racing distances; Miller won the Grandma’s Minnesota Mile in Duluth last fall and recently ran a PR 3:37.13 1500m on Monday in Philadelphia.

Joining last year’s medal-winners on the starting line this year are Ben Bruce of Flagstaff, Arizona, one of the country’s top steeplechasers, Jordan Horn, Bruce’s and Braun’s teammate with the McMillan Elite program and the third-place finisher in Medtronic TC 1 Mile in 2010, and veteran road racer Christian Hesch of Hollywood, California, the runner-up at the 2011 Grandma’s Minnesota Mile. Team USA

Minnesota’s Chris Rombough of Minneapolis, a former Golden Gopher All-American, is the local favorite – he finished seventh in the race a year ago – and Darren Brown of Knoxville, Tennessee, fourth at the TC 1 Mile in 2009, Bobby Mack of Raleigh, North Carolina are likely contenders as well.

Down the Backstretch will be on the scene at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile tonight.  We'll post finish line updates via our Twitter feed and have a full wrap-up of the championship races on Friday morning.