Gopher XC: Good News and Bad News

There's good news and bad news today when it comes to University of Minnesota cross country.

Start with the good news, you say?

Mead Honored by Big Ten ... Gopher junior Hassan Mead was named the Big Ten Conference's Runner of the Week for his 5th-place performance in the White race at the Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana on Saturday.

The Minneapolis South alum clocked 23:50 over the 8000m course, which, in its 10,000m version, will host the NCAA Championships in November. He was the fastest runner from the conference at the competition.

The honor is Mead's fourth Runner of the Week award, one of which he earned earlier this season after his Griak Invitational victory.

Now for the bad news ...

Gophers Drop in Polls ... Both Golden Gopher teams took a hit in the NCAA Division I rankings after Pre-Nats.

The Gopher women fell seven places to #15 after their 6th-place finish in the White race at Pre-Nationals. The two-time defending Big Ten champions now find themselves looking up at Illinois, the top-ranked Big Ten and Midwest Regional team, currently ranked #13.

Penn State is ranked #18, Iowa State is ranked #19, Michigan is ranked #22, and Iowa is ranked #23, among conference and regional challengers.

Find the complete rankings HERE.

The news is a worse still for the Gopher men, who fell out of the national rankings of the top-30 teams in the country.

Pegged as the #30 team going into Pre-Nationals, the team's 11th-place finish at Pre-Nationals left them seven votes shy of the national cut-off -- their 20 points pegging them, essentially, at #31.

Big Ten rival Wisconsin are ranked #15; Indiana is ranked #18.

Perhaps of greatest concern to the team and coach Steve Plasencia is the squad's #5 ranking among Midwest Regional teams. The Gophers find themselves ranked behind #3 Oklahoma State, #20 Oklahoma, #23 Iowa State, and #29 Tulsa.

Two teams each from the nine NCAA D1 regionals automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. At-large teams are selected by committee to fill the remainder of the 31-team field.

Find the complete national rankings for men HERE.

The regional polls are HERE.

H.S. Polls: Steady As They Goes ...

Despite the opening of the conference championship season, the team and individual orders of the state's high school cross country polls remains largely unchanged this week.

Eden Prairie's boys and Perham's boys' and girls' squads still lord over Class AA and Class A, respectively.

(There wasn't a new poll for Class AA girls' teams and individuals this week.)

Individually, Aaron Bartnik of Eden Prairie still resides atop the Class AA individual poll, while Paul Koullick of Blake and Maddie McClellan of Perham top Class A.

Find the full Class AA boys polls below.

Find full Class A polls HERE.

Class AA Boys

Teams:
1 Eden Prairie (section 6)
2 Wayzata (6)
3 White Bear Lake (4)
4 Stillwater (4)
5 Edina (6)
6 Moorhead (8)
7 Burnsville (3)
8 Rosemount (3)
9 Lakeville North (1)
10 Eastview (3)
11 Totino Grace (5)
12 Willmar (2)

Also receiving consideration ...
Owatonna (1), Redwing (1), St. Thomas Academy (3), St. Paul Central (4), Andover (5), Osseo (5), Coon Rapids (5), Hopkins (6), Alexandria (8)

Individuals:
1 Aaron Bartnik, 11, Eden Prairie
2 Jake Sandry, 12, Bloomington Jefferson
3 Marty Joyce, 12, Woodbury
4 Chris Mueller, 12, Eden Prairie
5 Jon-Michael Brandt, 12, Winona
6 Adam Zutz, 11, St. Francis
7 Trent Lusignan, 11, Shakopee
8 Bryant Blahnik, 11, Redwing
9 Alex Johnson, 11, Maple Grove
10 Lukas Gemar, 11, Moorhead
11 Blayne Dulian, 12, Coon Rapids
12 Josh Thorson, 10, Wayzata

Also receiving consideration ...
Landon Lozano, Wayzata; Oliver Haugland, Wayzata; Mohamed Mohamed, Eden Prairie; Andy Fenske, Park Center; Steven Dado, Totino Grace; Christian Skaret, Minnetonka; Ryan Nichols, Stillwater; Michael VanVoorhis, St. Paul Central; Besufekad Shannon-Tamrat, Hopkins; Micheal Tessema, Burnsville; Kemal Jarso, St. Paul Central; Joel Reichow, White Bear Lake

Gophers Meet the Competition at Pre-Nats

The Golden Gopher cross country squads met the competition on Saturday.

At the annual Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana, hosted by NCAA Championships host Indiana State University, the #8-ranked Gopher women placed 6th in the "White" race, led by 3rd-place overall finisher Megan Duwell.

#1-ranked defending NCAA champions Washington won the White race with 59 points, the Gophers tallied 214.

The #30-ranked Gopher men finished 11th in the men's White race. Hassan Mead led the squad with a 5th place individual finish in the race. #1-ranked Stanford -- powered in part by Winona native Elliott Heath's 3rd place overall finish -- won the race with 47 points. The Gophers tallied 341.

The Gopher women needed to battle the frustrations of commercial air travel -- as well at the Pre-National competition -- at the event, arriving in Terre Haute around midnight the night before the race due to travel delays.

"I was pleased with the way our team was able to focus through adversity on this whole road trip," Gopher coach Gary Wilson said in a Gopher media release. "I think it’s going to one of those type of seasons where we are going to have to work very hard for everything we get."

"From a race standpoint," he added, "we got out a little too slow as a team. We continued to battle, but against this good of competition, any mistakes are magnified."

Behind Duwell, the Gophers were powered by Stephanie Prices' breakthrough 43rd place finish in 21:32.3, Elizabeth Yetzer who was 53rd in 21:40.2, Kayla Wagner 57th in 21:41.7, and Nikki Swenson, who placed 58th in 21:42.2.

The two-time defending Big Ten champion Gophers were edged 206 to 214 by Illinois in the race, foreshadowing a tight battle at the conference championships in two weeks. Big Ten rival Iowa and fellow Midwest Regional foe Iowa State ran well in the Blue race.

Team results for the Gopher women's race can be found HERE.

Individual results are HERE.

The Gopher men's coach Steve Plasencia was pleased but not elated with his team's results.

"We had a good, not great outing, today,” he said. “Our top four ran solid but we just need to move our fifth guy up. That gap between 90 and 162 is too big. It’s the difference. We have another runner up there in the mix and we would have a much better finish as a team."

Behind Mead, Ben Blankenship finished 24th in 24:11.2. Matt Barrett was 60th in 24:39.1, Pieter Gagnon placed 90th in 25:00.8, and Paul Hilsen finished 162nd in 25:51.3.

Team results for the Gopher men's race can be found HERE.

Individual results are HERE.

There's comprehensive coverage of the meet available HERE, thanks to Flotrack ... including video interviews with Hassan Mead, Elliott Heath, and Edina alum Alex Gits of Stanford.

The Pre-National Invitational in Photos

The Gophers' Megan Duwell (third from right) finished 3rd in the women's "White" race.

Winona native Elliott Heath finished 3rd in the men's "White" race for victorious, #1-ranked Stanford.

The Gophers' Hassan Mead (second from right) finished 5th in the "White" race.

Stephanie Price (839) leads the Gopher women's pack. The #8-ranked Gophers finished 6th in the "White" race.

Hopkins alum Dan Van Orsdel finished 137th in the "Blue" race.

Terry Hitchcock Featured in Book, Movie

Minnesota ultra runner tells tale of 75 in 75, 1996 marathon running odyssey Here.

Short-Cut: Results' Links for October 16-18

There's all kinds of action this weekend. Keep up with the results of it all below ...

Friday:
Cobber Invite: Women's Results * Men's Results
Update: Linda Keller of Minn.-Morris wins women's title.

Saturday:
D1 Pre-National Invitational: Results
Update: Gopher women 6th, Duwell 3rd; Heath 3rd, Mead 5th.
Drews/Neubauer Invitational: Results
Update: Augsburg is top-finishing MIAC men's team in 12th.
UW-Oshkosh Invitational: Results
Update: Greeno wins men's title; Borner 2nd, Place 3rd in women's race.
Running of the Cows: Women's Results * Men's Results
Update: Carleton women, Childs-Walker win.
Run for Oromia: 5K Results * 10K Results
Update: Josh Moen wins 5K in 14:13.

How Will the Gopher Women Fare?

On Saturday, the Gophers cross country teams will face impressive competition at the Pre-NCAA meet at Indiana State. The meet's two women's races will feature 19 nationally-ranked teams, while the two men's races will feature 20. The Gophers Men and Women, ranked #30 and #8, respectively, will both be competing in the "White" races.

Saturday's races, held on the same course where the top teams will run the NCAA Division I Championships in November, will go a long way towards establishing a national pecking order for 2009.

This week we will focus on the Gopher women and specifically their depth at Pre-NCAAs. As befitting a top 10 team, the Gophers boast the requisite front-runner (Megan Duwell) as well as a strong chase pack. The Gophers placed 6 runners in the top 15 at the Griak Meet. So we want you to let us know how the Gopher women will fare on an even bigger stage this week:

Yes/No: Will the top 5 Gophers women finish among the top 60 in the White Race at Pre-NCAA's on Saturday?

The Gopher expect the following to make up their varsity at pre-NCAAs:

-- Heather Dorniden (Sr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount): The middle distance superstar finished 81st at the 2008 Pre-NCAA Meet.

-- Megan Duwell (Sr., West Bend, Wis./West Bend West): In 2008, Duwell finished 18th at this meet and ended the year as an All-American.

-- Amy Laskowske (Sr., Palatine, Ill./Palatine): The 2009 10000 Meter All-American finished 52nd at Pre-NCAA's in 2008.

-- Nikki Swenson (Jr., Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd): Swenson is a 2:07 800 meter runner and ran in the open race at Pre-NCAA's last year. Swenson was the #2 runner for the Gophers at the Griak meet.

-- Mallory Van Ness (Sr., Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View/Missouri): Van Ness finished 46th at the Pre-NCAA's in 2008.

-- Elizabeth Yetzer (Sr., Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North): The 4:18 1500 meter runner has finished as high as 24th at the Pre-NCAA meet (2007).

-- Kayla Wagner (Fr., Baldwin, Wis./Baldwin-Woodville): The first-year star finished 13th at the Griak Meet.

2008 Pre-NCAA results are 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 11:00 A.M. CDT, Saturday, October 17th. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will continue to offer a bonus for participants making their debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for any first-time players.

My answer: Yes

Last week’s Yes/No question was: Will Andrew Carlson run faster than 1:03:30 at the World Half Marathon Championships on Sunday? The correct answer was “yes” as Carlson ran 1:02:50 for 20th place. Fourteen contestants answered correctly and Chad Bjugan moved into a tie for second place in the 2009 Yes/No standings.

You can find all of DtB's contest results and leaderboards at DtB Fantasy Corner.

Good luck and thanks for playing Yes/No on DtB!

Gophers' Wilson Covets New Home Course

Golden Gopher women's cross country coach Gary Wilson is looking for a nice piece of land. But, he's not thinking about a place to build a retirement home after his coaching days at the U of M are over.

Wilson wants to build a dedicated cross country course for the Golden Gophers, a venue he pictures would be "a home of their own" for all of the state's harriers -- from preps to post-collegians.

Last week, Wilson blasted a e-mail to alumni and friends of his program asking for help finding land for such a course. Wilson hankers for a parcel that would: be within 25 miles of the University, include an area at last 800 meters by 800 meters square, be free of pavement, offer parking nearby or within shuttle distance of the course, and be donated or leased land costing the University very little.

Wilson notes that nearby Iowa, Iowa State, and Wisconsin all have dedicated courses. When Wilson's #8-ranked Gophers compete in the Pre-NCAA meet in Terre Haute, Indiana this weekend, they will race on a cross country-only course as well.

"What I would like is to find a section of someone's farm that could be donated and the we could work on as we please," Wilson told DtB. "Iowa and Wisconsin both have their own course and both of these were donated land."

"With the Griak being one of the best, if not the best cross country race in the nation, it would be awesome for us to host on our own dedicated cross country course," Wilson added. "A course that we could build into a national showcase course."

Wilson's hunt for land isn't driven by problems with the Gophers' current home course, the Les Bolstad Gold Course.

"There are no real drawbacks to Bolstad," Wilson admitted. The golf course people have been awesome to us. We have a wonderful relationship with them and we hope it continues. The only reason I want to look into our own course is that fact that so many Upper Midwest teams have their own."

Having a dedicated course, Wilson noted, would allow for a permanent finish area, a press box, and on-site storage.

"I simply feel that it would be wonderful for us to have our own cross country course that not only could we use but could be used by other colleges and high school teams," Wilson continued. "Sort of a premier state course!"

Wilson noted that the University-owned UMore Park near Rosemount is "a possibility" as the site of a course as well.

Wilson says last week's e-mail has already offered some leads.

"There seems to be a lot of interest in the idea."

Pre-Nationals ... Wilson's Gopher women and Steve Plasencia's #30-ranked Gopher men will both compete at the Pre-National Invitational hosted by Indiana State on Saturday.

The Gopher sports media folks have released THIS preview for the women and THIS one for the men.

Race assignments for the contest can be fond HERE.

The latest NCAA Division I rankings are HERE (women) and HERE (men).

Moen to Race at Saturday's Run for Oromia

Josh Moen will try to burn up the streets of the Twin Cities one more time.

The Team USA Minnesota star, who ran the 5th-fastest 10 mile time in U.S. history at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile two weekend's ago, will compete in the Run for Oromia 10K 5K on Saturday at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis.

Moen (pictured) clocked 46:38 at the TC 10, which served as the USA Championship for the distance, finishing second to four-time USA 10 Mile titleist Abdi Abdirahman who clocked 46:35.

According to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, only Greg Meyer (46;13), Thom Hunt (46:15), and Bill Reifsnyder (46:32) top Abdirahman and Moen on the U.S. list for the event. (The ARRS's not-yet-updated U.S. 10 Mile list is HERE.)

Earlier in the fall, Moen was the runaway winner of the Victory 10K in 29:30.

The Run for Oromia 5K will serve as the 27-year-old Iowa native's final competitive preparation for the ING New York City Marathon on November 1, a race that will serve as the USA Men's Marathon Championships.

Last year, the Run for Oromia gathered a remarkably strong field. (We wrote about it HERE.) Race director Mary Anderson doesn't expect the same depth among the elites this year, however, since the event's prize purse has been reduced.

In 2008, 10K champion Tadesse Tola of Ethiopia earned $5000 for his 28:21 victory, the fastest road 10K ever clocked in Minnesota. On Saturday, the 10K winners will pocket checks worth $1000, while the 5K champs will take home $500 each.

You can also read the RW online chat with Josh HERE.

Photo by Gene Niemi.

New Individuals Tops Class AA Polls

As Minnesota's high school cross country teams point to conference competition this week, two new names top the Class AA individual polls, while the top teams in the state -- according to the pollsters, anyway - remain the same.

In the updated polls released yesterday, Eden Prairie junior Aaron Bartnik and Shakopee ninth-grader Maria Hauger occupy the #1 spot in the rankings. Last week's #1s -- Adam Zutz of St. Francis and Jamie Piepenburg of Alexandria -- both suffered defeats during the last seven days.

Eden Prairie still tops both Class AA team rankings. Perham does likewise in Class A.

The top-ranked Class A individuals remains unchanged as well -- Paul Koullick of Blake tops the boys, Maddie McClellan of Perham tops the girls.

Find the Class A rankings HERE.

Find the Class AA rankings below ...

Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Wayzata
3 White Bear Lake
4 Stillwater
5 Edina
6 Moorhead
7 Burnsville
8 Lakeville North
9 Rosemount
10 Eastview
11 Totino Grace
12 Willmar

Individuals
1 Aaron Bartnik, 11, Eden Prairie
2 Jake Sandry, 12, Bloomington Jefferson
3 Marty Joyce, 12, Woodbury
4 Chris Mueller, 12, Eden Prairie
5 Jon-Michael Brandt, 12, Winona
6 Adam Zutz, 11, St. Francis
7 Trent Lusignan, 11, Shakopee
8 Bryant Blahnik, 11, Redwing
9 Alex Johnson, 11, Maple Grove
10 Lukas Gemar, 11, Moorhead
11 Blayne Dulian, 12, Coon Rapids
12 Landon Lozano, 12, Wayzata

Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Andover
3 Shakopee
4 Lakeville South
5 Prior Lake
6 Roseville
7 Elk River
8 Hopkins
9 Wayzata
10 Moorhead
11 Minnetonka
12 Rosemount

Individuals:
1 Maria Hauger, 9, Shakopee
2 Cassidy Soli, 9, Champlin Park
3 Heidi Peterson, 11, Sartell
4 Jamie Piepenburg, 10, Alexandria
5 Emma Bates, 12, Elk River
6 Abbi Asprengren, 11, Elk River
7 Megan Platner, 11, Eden Prairie
8 Sharmila Amed, 11, Burnsville
9 Erica Seidenkranz, 10, Monticello
10 Julia Harrison, 11, Mound Westonka
11 Carrie Donohue, 12, Kennedy
12 Hannah Kellerman, 12, Sartell

Tollefson Pregnant; Expecting Child in April

Carrie Tollefson has something other than workouts and races to look forward to in the coming months.

The 2004 Olympian is pregnant, and, along with her husband Charlie Peterson, expecting her first child in April.

What had been a semi-open secret in the Minnesota running community for the last few weeks became public in THIS Runner's World Online interview Tollefson.

Tollefson told RW's Peter Gambaccini:

"I said to Charlie 'you know, I feel like I've been trying to play God with my life for three years. And it's not quite working out the way I wanted it to.' I said 'maybe we just need to see what's in His plan and go for it.' And the next month, we found out that his plan was right on and it didn't take us any time (to get pregnant). I thought it would take six months, maybe eight, but we were thrilled to hear that we were pregnant."

The happy news doesn't mean the Team USA Minnesota star is retiring from competition. Tollefson notes that her April 2010 due date should allow her to bet back on the roads by the fall of that year. Making the 2011 World Championships -- ahead of the 2012 Olympics -- would be Tollefson's goal on the track in the following years.

Photo by Victor Sailor/Photo Run.

Short Cut: Results' Links for October 10-12

Keep up with results from all the weekend's action here ...

Saturday:
St. Kate's Quad: Women's Results * Men's Results
Update: Luther women, Tommie men win; Hamline's Branigan, Bauer medalists.

MSU-Mankato Invite: Results
Update: Lang, Krajsa win individual titles.

Wartburg Dan Huston Invite: Women's Results * Men's Results
Update: Carleton women 3rd w/o Childs-Walker; Carleton men 4th.

UW-Parkside Lucien Rosa Invite: Results
Update: Augsburg men second; Haglund 3rd overall.

Sunday:
IAAF World Half Marathon Championships: Results
Update: Carlson 20th in 1:02:50; USA men 4th in team competition.

Monday:
USA Women's 10K Championships: Team USA Minn Preview * Results
Update: McGregor 6th in 32:44, Armstrong 17th in 33:58

Photo by Gene Niemi: Brian Sames (left), Ian Bauer (center), and Ben Sathre (right) at the St. Kate's Quad.

Will Carlson Break 1:03:30 at the World Half?

The United States is sending a strong contingent to Birmingham, UK for the World Half Marathon Championship on Sunday. Dathan Ritzenhein leads the way as a formidable contender following his American record at 5k and unofficial U.S. record time for 10 mile during a workout. The other male U.S. team members include: Brett Gotcher, Scott Bauhs, Andrew Carlson and James Carney

The Minnesota link to this group, of course, is Andrew Carlson, the former University of Minnesota Gopher stand-out. While Ritz got the headlines, Carlson has had a solid year in his own right. We want you to let us know how well you think Carlson will run in Birmingham:

Yes/No: Will Andrew Carlson run faster than 1:03:30 at the World Half Marathon Championships on Sunday?

Andrew Carlson recently finished 4th at the U.S. 20K Championships. Carlson running 59:26 to finish right behind former Team USA Minnesota teammate Jason Lehmkuhle. Carlson also ran 1:02:21 to finish 4th in the U.S. 1/2 Marathon Championship back in January.

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 11:59 P.M. CDT, Saturday, October 10th. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will continue to offer a bonus for participants making their debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for any first-time players.

My answer: Yes

Last week’s Yes/No question was: Will more than 40 runners in the USA 10 Mile Championship run faster than 52:01, Charlie Mahler's winning time of the first TC 10 Mile in 1999? The correct answer was “no” as only 31 runners finished under 52 minutes. 14 contestants answered correctly this week.

You can find the all of DtB's contest results and leaderboards at DtB Fantasy Corner.

Good luck and thanks for playing Yes/No on DtB!

TCM Highlight Show Tonight on FSN

Olympian Carrie Tollefson and, yours truly, DtB editor/publisher Charlie Mahler will host tonight's Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Race Weekend Highlight Show.

The show will air at 7:00 p.m. tonight on Fox Sports North.

I haven't seen the final cut, but Carrie and I talked with Jason Hartmann and Ilsa Paulson, the men's and women's marathon winners, as well as Abdi Abdirahman and Josh Moen who waged a stirring battle for the USA title in the TC 10 Mile.

There should be race footage as well. And, you can also expect features on Team USA Minnesota and a package on TCM's storied 28-year history.

TCM Changes Name, but Keeps Initials; Adds Summer Half-Marathon to Line-Up

Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. has changed its name to Twin Cities In Motion.

The non-profit entity that organizes the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and its related events, says the name change better reflects the full scope of its activities. Twin Cities in Motion's tagline is “Plan. Organize. Manage. Run.”

“The running community recognizes the importance of quality running events, and the history of our brand promises to deliver a top notch experience at any distance,” Twin Cities in Motion executive director Virginia Brophy Achman said in a media release. “The name Twin Cities Marathon has dually represented our world class running event and the group of dedicated staff and volunteers who have made each marathon spectacular for the past 28 years."

"Over this time, the organization behind the event has changed," she continued. "We’ve grown in size, added new events, and built a solid reputation as fitness event planners. Our new name is a positive reflection of our past and a foundation for our future, as we continue to serve our community by promoting health and fitness through the inspiration and achievements of people of all ages and abilities."

Read the full media release HERE.

New Half Marathon ... In a separate announcement, TCM announced that it will host an inaugural half marathon event -- the "Red, White, and Boom TC Half Marathon" -- on July 4, 2010.

The event was created to meet the growing interest in that distance and to offer runners a major event that can be included in holiday weekend plans surrounding July 4th, the organization said.

A four-mile race as well as kids events, will be part of the event, allowing walkers and runners of all ages and abilities to join in the festivities. The half-marathon is planned for the Minneapolis area surrounding Boom Island.

Read the full media release HERE.

Gopher Teams #8 and #30 in Latest Polls

The University of Minnesota women's cross country team rose one place to #8 in the latest NCAA Division I rankings, while the Golden Gopher men dropped one spot to #30 in the poll.

You can find the the full national rankings, released yesterday, HERE (women) and HERE (men).

The defending champion University of Washington Huskies lead the women's poll. Stanford Univeristy, where Winona High School graduate Elliott Heath competes and where his older brother Garrett is an assistant coach, tops the men's poll.

The Gopher women are the #2-ranked team in the Midwest Regional, behind Griak Invitational champions Iowa State. The Gopher men are ranked #4 in the Midwest behind, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Oklahoma.

Winner's at SDSU ... The Gopher women raced at the SDSU Classic in Brookings, South Dakota last weekend. Minnesota, competing for the fourth time this season, topped Kansas State 24-50. North Dakota State tallied 112 in the 10-team meet.

Megan Duwell led the team with the 2nd place finish in the race, behind K-State's Beverly Ramos.

Results of the meet are HERE.

The Gopher men, who've raced only once as a full varsity squad, were idle last week. Both Gopher teams will race again on October 17 at the Pre-NCAA meet in Terre Haute, Indiana.

St. Francis' Zutz Tops Class AA Boys' Poll

Adam Zutz, the top-finishing Minnesotan in the Gold Division of the Griak Inviational two weekends ago, is the new #1-ranked Class AA boys harrier in Minnesota.

The St. Francis junior (pictured) assumed the top spot in the latest coaches poll, replacing Red Wing's Bryant Blahnik, who fell to #9 after a third place finish at his home invitational last week.
Eden Prairie junior Aaron Bartnik and Bloomington Jefferson senior Jake Sandry round out the top-three.

The top spots in the rankings remained unchanged this week: Eden Prairie's boys and girls' squads top Class AA; the Perham teams top Class A; and Jamie Piepenburg of Alexandria (Class AA girls), Paul Koullick of Blake (Class A boys), and Maddie McClellan of Perham (Class A girls), still rule their respective divisions.

Full Class A rankings are HERE.

Full Class AA rankings are below.

Boys

Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Wayzata
3 White Bear Lake
4 Stillwater
5 Edina
6 Moorhead
7 Burnsville
8 Lakeville North
9 Rosemount
11 Eastview
10 Willmar
12 Alexandria

Individuals:
1 Adam Zutz, 11, St. Francis
2 Aaron Bartnik, 11, Eden Prairie
3 Jake Sandry, 12, Bloomington Jefferson
4 Besufekad Shannon-Tamrat, 12, Hopkins
5 Jon-Michael Brandt, 12, Winona
6 Marty Joyce, 12, Woodbury
7 Chris Mueller, 12, Eden Prairie
8 Trent Lusignan, 11, Shakopee
9 Bryant Blahnik, 11, Redwing
10 Alex Johnson, 11, Maple Grove
11 Lukas Gemar, 11, Moorhead
12 Andy Fenske, 12, Park Center
12 Landon Lozano, 12, Wayzata


Girls

Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Andover
3 Shakopee
4 Lakeville South
5 Prior Lake
6 Roseville
7 Monticello
8 Wayzata
9 Elk River
10 Moorhead
11 Hopkins
12 Lakeville North

Individuals:
1 Jamie Piepenburg, 10 Alexandria
2 Maria Hauger, 9 Shakopee
3 Cassidy Soli, 9, Champlin Park
4 Heidi Peterson, 11, Sartell
5 Emma Bates, 12 Elk River
6 Abbi Asprengren, 11, Elk River
7 Megan Platner, 11, Eden Prairie
8 Allison Cordes, 9, Roseville
9 Sharmila Amed, 11, Burnsville
10 Erica Seidenkranz, 10 Monticello
11 Julia Harrison, 11, Mound Westonka
12 Carrie Donohue, 12, Bloomington Kennedy

Photo by Gene Niemi.

A Dozen Views of Twin Cities Marathon Sunday

Here's our comprehensive collection of stories, photos, and impressions from a scintillating Sunday of Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and TC 10 Mile action.

(Top: Josh Moen leads the USA 10 Mile up the Franklin Bridge hill, photo by Paul Phillips/Competitive Image.)

-- You can read my Running USA Wire story on the USA 10 Mile Championship -- one of the most exciting races I've ever witnessed! -- HERE.

-- You can read my Running USA Wire story on the USA Women's Marathon Championship and Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon HERE.

-- The StarTribune's coverage of the men's marathon race is HERE.

-- Their coverage of the women's marathon is HERE.

-- The Pioneer Press' marathon coverage is HERE.

-- Find details and quotes from Team USA Minnesota athletes -- who had a huge day at Twin Cities! -- HERE.

Finally, enjoy these race-day photos ...

The men's lead pack during early-going to the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. (Photo by Paul Phillips/Competitive Image.)

Patrick Smyth (right) and Jason Lehmkuhle going 3-4 in the TC 10 Mile.

Luke Watson, 7th in his marathon debut, exhorts the finish-line crowd.

Antonio Vega en route to an 8th place finish at TCM.

Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle finishing 3rd in her marathon debut.

Photos by Gene Niemi except where noted.

Twin Cities in a Nutshell ...

Our other duties today will keep us from posting at length before Monday morning, but here's the scoop on the Sunday races at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon ... in 100 words or less (not that we have time to actually count):

TC Ten Mile ... Team USA Minnesota's Josh Moen gave three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman (pictured leading Moen) all he could handle in this morning's TC 10 Mile/USA Championship. Moen withstood Abdirahman's surges, surged on the six-time USA champion himself, and held the lead in the race's final mile ... but ultimately finished second -- 46:35 to 46:38 -- to the defending USA 10 Mile champ.

Kicking off a banner day for Team USA Minnesota, Patrick Smyth finished 3rd and Jason Lehmkuhle was 4th.

Rachel Booth of Mountain View, California won the women's TC-10 Mile (not a USA Championship for women) in 57:33.

Photo by Gene Niemi.

Men's Marathon ... At the 22-mile mark, 2004 Twin Cities Marathon Champion Augustus Kavutu of Kenya looked like he was in good position to win a second TCM title. But Jason Hartmann of Grand Rapids, Michigan (pictured) came off the pace to catch Kavutu and countryman John Njoroge, a Coon Rapids resident, and pull away for the win in 2:12:09.

Stillwater native Luke Watson finished 7th with a 2:15:29 debut; Team USA Minnesota's Antonio Vega was a place behind in 2:15:45.

Photo by Paul Phillips/Competitive Image.

Women's Marathon ... On a day many expected TCM to crown it's oldest champion -- 45-year-old Colleen De Reuck -- the race saw it's youngest winner ever as 20-year-old Ilsa Paulson (pictured) stole the show. De Reuck had a 1:40 lead on Paulson at 20 miles, but the elfin New York City resident motored by De Reuck on Summit Avenue and cruised to victory -- and a USA title -- in 2:31:49. De Reuck won the USA Masters title and finished second overall in 2:32:37.

Putting the exclamation point on the Team USA Minnesota effort was Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle who finished third with 2:35:06 debut..

Photo by Gene Niemi.

Sunday Twin Cities Marathon Links ...

Keep up with the runners -- from right in front of your computer -- with the links below:

Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Mile Results will be posted HERE.

Update: Abdirahman beats Moen 46:35 to 46:38 ... Smyth 3rd, Lehmkuhle 4th!

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Results will be posted HERE.

Update: Hartmann wins men's title in 2:12:09 ... Ilsa Paulson wins USA women's title in 2:31:49.

Also, WCCO 830 AM will have live "cut-in" coverage of both races starting at 7:00 a.m.

We'll post news and updates on DtB sometime Sunday afternoon ... after our other TCM duties are completed.

Team USA Minn's Armstrong Wins TC 5K

Team USA Minnesota's Meghan Armstrong won the women's title at this morning's TC 5K.

The University of Iowa alum clocked 16:45 for a runaway victory. Matthew Chesang of Olathe, Kansas, the 2008 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon champ, won the men's race in 15:30, just ahead of the University of Minnesota's Andy Richardson who clocked 15:32.

"It's a hilly course and it was very windy coming downhill toward the finish line but it was a good tune-up for me," Armstrong said in a Team USA Minnesota media release. "This is my first race back after taking some time off this summer."

Armstrong will race again next week and the USA Women's 10K Championships in Boston.

Evgeny Beletskiy of Minneapolis won men's division of the inaugural TC 10K in 33:59; Ariella Gottfried, also of Minneapolis won the women's race in 36:43.

Nearly 2000 runners participated in the inaugural TC 10K. More than 3000 people participated in the TC 5K.

Find full results HERE.

Twin Cities Marathon Grab-Bag III

The 2016 Olympics monopolized our afternoon coverage yesterday, so we'll use this morning's post to bring you up-to-date on the 2009 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon news being made at the yesterday's media events ...

De Reuck Could Make History ... 45-year-old, Four-time Olympian Colleen De Reuck made late entrance to the marathon media event, but not because she's a prima donna. Her travel, like that of many elite athletes making their way to Minneapolis/St. Paul, was delayed by the rainy weather.

Upon arrival, we learned from the affable former South African that here longevity in the sport is powered mainly by a love of running and racing.

"I'm just enjoying running, and I think that's why I'm still running races," De Reuck, who won the USA 20K Championship in September, said. "I like the racing aspect of it. Sometimes the training gets a bit hard to do, squashing it in and everything. But it's just great going out there."

A win by de Reuck on Sunday would make easily make her the oldest USA Women's Marathon champion and the oldest winner of the Twin Cities Marathon. She coud pocket a cool $34,000 with an Open, USA Championship, and USA Masters Championship victory on Sunday.

"I just go to a race to run as hard as I can," the mother of two said. "Every race I go to, I just give it everything I have. Some days I have a great race, other days you don't."

Abdirahman is 100% Fit ... You can be forgiven for thinking otherwise, but when Abdi Abdirahman won the 2007 USA 10 Mile Championship at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile in record-setting fashion he was only 60% fit.

That's what the three-time Olympian said yesterday, adding that he's 100% fit this year and look to smash the 47:34 record he established on that muggy day in 2007.

"Being 100%, I think I can run 46 [minutes]," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm fit and I'm ready to go."

Abdirahman recalled that a hip injury slowed him down in 2007, but that his training this summer, pointed ultimately for the New York City Marathon in November, is on target.

"I've been training well, everything's been going well," the Somali-born Abdirahman said. "I was injured in the beginning of the year, which I think was a blessing, because I didn't train as hard as I normally do."

Lehmkuhle on Target ... Team USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle, who finished second to Abdirahman in 2007, said he's "similarly fit" this year.

In 2007, Lehmkuhle clocked a PR 47:48 at the TC-10 and then went on to finish 5th in 2:12:54 at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trails a month later.

"The build-up has been a little bit different, " Lehmkuhle explained. "I haven't done the exact same workouts, the exact same series, so it's hard to say exactly where I compare, but I'd say, generally, the training's similarly good to what turned out to be a good race for me in 2007."

Like Abdirahman, Lehmkuhle will race the NYC Marathon next month.

Akor is Cold ... Three-time defending Grandma's Marathon champion Mary Akor wasn't part of the media conference line-up yesterday, but we ran into her in the lobby of the TCM headquarters hotel Friday evening.

Her first words: "It's so cold!"

Akor, who has used her ability to race well in warm weather to dominate Grandma's, would prefer race-day weather warmer than Sunday's predicted mid-40 degree temperatures.

Akor was the Twin Cities Marathon runner-up in 2006 and, perhaps, missed her best chance to win Twin Cities in 2007 when the weather was hot but she was battling a cold.

Ahead ... Later today, look to DtB for news and results from today's TC 5K and TC 10K.

On Sunday morning, we'll post links directly to TCM's results pages. (Your editor will be busy doing radio and TV work Sunday morning -- WCCO radio will have live cut-ins beginning at 6:30 a.m., FSN will air a highlight package hosted by Carrie Tollefson and me on Thursday night.) Look for updates and photos to appear on DtB in the afternoon or early evening.

We'll have complete coverage of the event on Monday moring.

Logan: Rio Pick Costs USATF $10 Million

USA Track and Field CEO Doug Logan, in St. Paul today ahead of Sunday's Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, said the International Olympic Committee's choice of Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Summer Olympics will cost USA Track and Field $10 Million in revenue from partnerships based on the Games coming to Chicago.

Chicago was the first of the four finalist cities eliminated in voting this morning.

Logan (pictured) told a small group of media, USATF officials, and TCM organizers, however, that this morning's decision not to award the Games to Chicago wasn't a "death blow" to the sport he directs.

Logan, who will leave the Twin Cities prior to Sunday's race to participate in USA Track and Field law and legislation meetings in Indianapolis over the weekend, discussed the politics behind the IOC vote, the ramifications of the Olympic decision for USA Track and Field, and the future of the track and field during a wide-ranging forty-minute conversation.

A full audio recording of the event is here ...





Photo courtesy of USA Track & Field.

Samba Anybody?

Perhaps it was prescient that at Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion block party last Saturday, they had a samba dancing contest. It's Rio. The International Olympic Committee announced today that they had chosen Rio de Janeiro as host for the Summer Olympics in 2016. It's the right choice.

It was not my choice. For sentimental reasons, I had hoped that Chicago would win the vote among the four finalists--Rio, Madrid, Tokyo, and Chicago. I grew up in Ohio and my first plane ride was to visit my aunt in the Windy City. She lived in an apartment and worked at Michael Reese Hospital. That area was my "second home" in Chicago and would have been the site of the Olympic Village had Chicago's bid been successful. My son also lives in Chicago. I have friends who worked for the bid.

In retrospect, I believe Chicago's bid failed because it was marketed and sold on money. The US, the most powerful nation in the world, wanted to welcome those less economically fortunate to its core for a lucrative opportunity to enrich the city, the US, and the IOC. The President and First Lady lobbied in person, along with Oprah, for Chicago. Their message was that we are a diverse nation that wanted to welcome the world to visit us for the 2016 Games. We're rich. We're powerful. We'll be good for the IOC.

Rio countered with a message that has won the day in the last three Games bid contests, not what we are, but what we can do for you. It's widely believed that London's message of a Games that would leave a lasting legacy of promoting sport among all carried the day for the 2012 bid. The opening up of the world to China for 2008 triumphed. Rio combined those messages in selling their bid. Come to South America, Pele said. Be international. Be Olympian.

As a representative from the sports marketing firm IMG, David Abrutyn, said the Games in South America can be good for business as well. Just like Beijing, it is an opportunity for companies to have high profile access to an emerging market economy. But that was not the leading pitch by the boys from Brazil. Their president did not fly in at the last minute or send letters, he had traveled to Africa and elsewhere long before to lobby in person for votes.

As in most political processes, it's personal. Most of the countries voting and part of the "Olympic family" are more like Brazil than the US. They are not super powers. They don't have lucrative TV deals from corporate operations that pitch the financial rewards of their relationships. They don't have the albatross of what is viewed as the "Ugly American" syndrome of revenue sharing on those television contracts. If anything, Chicago's, and New York's before that in the last bid process, is another wake up call that, despite inroads made by the Obama administration, the US still has a lot of work to do to repair damaged relations with the rest of the world.

And, as Team USA Minnesota's Chris Lundstrom discovered when he competed in the Pan Am Games in Rio, the Brazilians can deliver on putting on an international sporting event. There will be a lot of analysis and aftershocks reverberating from today's vote. Those very different "games" will continue. But Rio is the right choice for the right reasons and has the potential of enhancing the Olympic "brand." With all it's other baggage, that brand survives because the underpinning of the Olympics is that it was created as an opportunity for the youth of the world to come together.

In 2016 the Olympic "party"/gathering will be in Rio. And, as the revelers at every year's Carnival can tell you, Rio knows how to party.

Charlie vs. Abdi and the Rest of the 10M Field

What do Olympian Abdi Abdiraham and Down the Backstretch editor/publisher Charlie Mahler have in common? (Don't worry, that's not this week's Yes/No question.)

The answer relates to the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Mile, however, which is taking place this Sunday. In 1999, the race's inaugural year, Mahler climbed to the top of the proverbial podium, running 52:01 to earn a hard-fought TC-10 victory over Sean Mulheron. Our theory is that Abdiraham was so inspired by that race that he toed the line in 2007 -- the first time the race hosted the USA Men's 10 mile championship -- to follow in the DtB founder's footsteps.

Since the TC-10 is again hosting the USA Men's 10 Mile Championships, we would like to know how you think Charlie's 1999 race time will hold up against the 2009 competition. So ...

Yes/No: Will more than 40 runners in the USA 10 Mile Championship run faster than 52:01, Charlie Mahler's winning time of the first TC 10 Mile in 1999?

Abdirahman is back to defend his 2007 TC 10 Mile/USA Championship on Sunday. He'll be challenged by 8:17 steeplechaser Anthony Famiglietti and 2007 TC-10 runner-up Jason Lehmkuhle of Team USA Minnesota. Because it's a USA Championship, the race has attracted a great field and large purse including $10,000 for the winner and $25,000 overall. (Mahler won only a trophy in 1999, we're told.)

Other top runners include Scott Bauhs, Thomas Morgan, Josh Eberly, Team USA Minnesota members Patrick Smyth, and Josh Moen, as well as recent U of M graduate Chris Rombough. Top local elites include Jeremy Polson, Chris Erichsen, Michael Reneau, and Chris Lundstrom.

The full elite list can be found HERE.

The last time the TC 10 Miler was a USA Championship was in 2007. In that race, Abdirahman ran 47:34 and 31 athletes ran faster than 52 minutes.

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 7:00 A.M. CDT, Sunday, October 4th. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will continue to offer a bonus for participants making their debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for any first-time players.

My answer: Yes

The Roy Griak Invitational Pick 10 contest was won by -- there he is again! -- Charlie Mahler with 70 points in a tight battle over Jake Marotz who tallied 68 points.

You can find the all of DtB's contest results and leaderboards at DtB Fantasy Corner.

Good luck and thanks for playing Yes/No on DtB!

Twin Cities Marathon Grab-Bag II

There's no stopping the 2009 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon now!

Things really start heating up today with media conferences and the final preparation for TCM's Saturday events -- the 5K, the new 10K, and the kids' races -- and then it's on to Sunday's marathon and ten mile races.

Before DtB makes the drive to St. Paul to get in on all the media action today, here's another collection of Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon notes and news items.

The USA Championships ... USA Track & Field put THIS succinct race preview together for all of the USA Championships being contested at TCM this weekend. The event will host the USA Women's Marathon Championship, the USA Men's 10 Mile Championship, and the USA Masters Marathon Championships for men and women.

Note: The USATF preview incorrectly lists Mohamed Trafeh in the USA 10 Mile field; he is a late scratch.

The Local Men's Marathon ... The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon men's race, which isn't a USA Championship this year, still features an uniquely local elite field. Along with Stillwater native Luke Watson and Team USA Minnesota's Antonio Vega, the Coon Rapids-based Duma Runners' Club has five runners in the elite mix.

Duma, a team of Kenyan-born athletes led by William Segei, features 2008 Grandma's Marathon runner-up David Tuwei. Tuwei was third at Grandma's earlier this year. Also competing for the squad are 2:10 marathoner and Bahrainian Olympian Stephan Lorou, Armen Kemei, Jacob Kendagor, and John Njoroge.

Advice from Team USA Minnesota ... Team USA Minnesota athletes Katie McGregor, Emily Brown, and Patrick Smyth will answer questions and discuss training, race strategy, nutrition, goal setting and injuries at a panel discussion starting at 4:00 p.m. today at the Target Health & Fitness Expo in the St. Paul River Centre.

McGregor is a five-time winner of the Medtronic TC 10 Mile. Brown, the reigning USA Cross Country champion, won the 2007 TC 5K. Smyth makes his Twin Cities 10 Mile debut on Sunday.

Facebook Film Festival ... If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out DtB's Facebook Film Festival, HERE. DtB co-founder Pete Miller has been posting his favorite running videos on DtB's Facebook page for some marathon-week inspiration and entertainment.

Watch the films and then become a Facebook fan of DtB! (All the kids are doing it!)

Weekend Coverage ... Stay tuned to DtB throughout marathon weekend for the latest on all the Twin Cities action. We'll post more news by Saturday morning off of today's media conferences. Later in the day, we'll have news and results from the TC 5K and 10K races.

On Sunday, we'll post top results and news about marathon and 10 mile.

And, by Monday morning, have our complete wrap-up of Minnesota's busiest weekend of racing.

UMD Women Surge in Division II Poll

The University of Minnesota - Duluth cross country team jumped up four spots in the latest NCAA Division II women's cross country rankings released yesterday.

The Bulldog women (pictured) won the Maroon II division of the Griak Invitational, topping then-#3-ranked Augustana, the defending NSIC champions. Augustana dropped to #10 this week.

In the newly released D2 men's poll, Minnesota State - Mankato fell nine places to #20 after their 4th place finish at Griak in the Maroon II division.

The complete Division II women's poll is HERE, the men's poll is HERE.

In Division III rankings, the Bethel University women, the top-ranked MIAC team in the D3 rankings, fell two spots to #12 in rankings also released yesterday. Carleton rose three places to #16, leap-frogging St. Thomas which fell five spots to #19.

Bethel finished 4th in the Griak Maroon III race with 136 points; Carleton was 6th with 174; St. Thomas was 7th with 176.

Among D3 men, St. John's remained #23 in the latest poll. St. Thomas entered the rankings for the first time this season at #35. Neither sqaud raced at Griak.

Complete Division III women's poll is HERE, the men's poll is HERE.

Photo by Taylor Marble.