Pick Ten: Roy Griak Invitational Races

The Roy Griak Invitational is set to be run all day on Saturday. The University of Minnesota hosts the 26th annual event featuring races with high-schoolers through all three divisions of collegiate running. With all of this racing, we felt this would be the perfect event to bring back the Pick Ten contest.

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

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

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...10th. Send your predictions by 9:00 A.M. CST on Saturday, September 24th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

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

Pick 10 ... Roy Griak Invitational:

Hassan Mead - University of Minnesota, Men's Division I Gold:
Stephanie Price - University of Minnesota, Women's Division I Gold:
University of Minnesota Gophers Team, Men's Division I Gold:
University of Minnesota Gophers Team, Women's Division I Gold:
Morgan Place - University of Minnesota-Duluth, Women's Division II Maroon:
University of Minnesota-Duluth Team, Women's Division II Maroon:
Simone Childs-Walker - Carleton, Women's Division III Maroon:
Carleton Team, Women's Division III Maroon:
Devin Monson - Hamline, Men's Division III Maroon:
Hamline Team, Men's Division III Maroon:

To Help You Make Your Picks ...

The University of Minnesota has a great deal of information about the meet HERE.

Hassan Mead is back to fight for the Griak individual championship that he won in 2009. Mead sat out last year's race due to injury but appears to be back to full strength. Stephanie Price finished second at the Griak Invitational last year. The senior All-American will battle last year's champ Laura Hoer from North Carolina State.

The Gopher men finished fifth at Griak last year and are currently ranked #24 in the nation. The two other ranked teams at the meet are Portland (#10) and North Carolina State (#11). On the women's side, the Gophers face an extremely strong field. Minnesota is ranked #30 in the nation, behind Iowa State, Arizona, Washington, Penn State, North Carolina State, BYU and Michigan State.

Morgan Place and UMD both won titles at Griak last year. Place is coming off a victory at St. Olaf while the UMD team placed third. The squad comes into the weekend ranked #10 in Division II in the nation.

Simone Childs-Walker and her Carleton team are coming off double second place finishes at St. Olaf last week. In 2010 at the Griak meet, Carleton finished eighth and Childs-Walker was second individually. Carleton will enter the Griak meet ranked #22 in the nation.

Hamline men started the season with a team victory at the Luther All-American Invite. They finished sixth in the 2010 edition of Griak and are currently ranked #19 among Division III schools. Devin Monson finished third at Luther, he was ninth at Griak in 2010 and is a returning All-American and defending MIAC champ.

Good luck!

Last week's question was: Will St. Olaf women win the team title at their home invitational on Saturday? The correct answer was yes. St. Olaf won with a low score of 46 points to beat cross-town rival and second place team Carleton by 24 points.

Mike Henderson increased his lead with a correct answer this week. He now has twenty-three points to lead by two over Patrick Eastman, Lori Anne Peterson and Rachel Karel. Eighteen players answered correctly this week.

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

Minnesotans to Race at Fifth Avenue Mile

Four Minnesotans will compete at Saturday's Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City.

Team USA Minnesota's Gabriele Anderson and Heather Kampf will compete for the women's title against world 1500m champion Jenny Simpson and USA champion Morgan Uceny.

Minnesota natives Garrett Heath and Will Leer will compete in a men's field that includes defending champion Amine Laalou of Morocco and three-time Medtronic TC 1 Mile champion David Torrence.

Anderson and Kampf both competed at the Fifth Avenue Mile in 2010 with Anderson posting 4:31.05 on the course and Kampf finishing in 4:30.95. The women’s race starts at 12:50 p.m. EDT followed by the professional men’s race at 1:05 p.m.

Last year, Leer finished 7th in the men's race in 3:55.02, while Heath finished 11th in 3:56.15.

Find the complete startlist for the races HERE.

Minnesota-Duluth Keeps #10 Ranking

Despite finishing behind two nationally ranked NCAA Division III teams last weekend at the St. Olaf Invitational, the Univeristy of Minnesota-Duluth women's cross country team maintained its #10 national ranking in Division II in the latest poll released yesterday.

The Bulldogs are the #4-ranked team in the power-packed Central Region of D2, trailing national #1 Western State (Colorado), #5 Adams State (Colorado), and #7 Augustana (South Dakota).

No Minnesota D2 men's team cracked the national top-25; Minnesota State-Mankato is ranked #7 in the Central Region.

Find the complete D2 national rankings HERE

St. Olaf Rises to #15 ... The St. Olaf women, who handily won their home intonational against cross-town rivals Carleton and Minneosta-Duluth on Saturday, rose to #15 in the NCAA Division III women's poll, up from #16 last week.

The Carleton women rose to #22 in the rankings, up from #24 a week ago.

The Hamline University men lead Minnesota colleges in the D3 men's poll at #19, down a spot form last week. St. Olaf is ranked #25.

Find the complete D3 national rankings HERE.

Griak Women's Field Packed with Ranked Teams

The women's Division I race at Saturday's 26th Roy Griak Invitational will feature eight nationally ranked teams, including #30-ranked hosts Minnesota.

The Jack Johnson Gold Race includes #9 Iowa State, #10 Arizona, the defending Griak champs, #11 Washington, #18 Penn State, coached by Minnesota native Beth Alford Sullivan, #21 North Carolina State, #25 Brigham Young, and #26 Michigan State.

In the Griak Division I men's race -- the Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Race -- the #24 ranked Gophers are likely to face their stiffest competition from #10-ranked Portland State, the only other ranked team in the men's field.

Twenty-six teams total will compete in each Division I race.

The Griak Invitational kicks off at 9:00 with a full day of cross country races for collegiate and high school runners. The Division I races start at 12:20 p.m. (men) and 1:10 (women). Find the complete Griak schedule HERE.

Find a complete listing of college and high school teams in the meet -- and lots of other Griak Invitational information -- HERE. A U of M News Service interview with Roy Griak HERE.

All Quiet on the HS Cross Rankings Front

For the second straight week, the top teams and individuals in the Minnesota high school cross county rankings remain unchanged.

In Class AA, the Stillwater boys and Monticello girls top the team poll, while Wayzata senior Josh Thorson and Shakopee junior Maria Hauger lead individuals.

In Class A, the St. Cloud Cathedral boys and Adrian High School girls lead small school teams, while the Blake School duo of Brandon Clark and Clare Flanagan lead individually.

Find full rankings below ...

Class AA

Boys' Teams:

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

Others receiving votes: Forrest Lake, Mahtomedi, Mounds View, Sartell-St Stephen

Boys' Individuals:

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

Others receiving votes: Kevin Docherty, Cretin-Derham Hall; Joel Reichow, White Bear Lake; Nathan Rock, Rosemount; Sidney Speir, Eagan; Preston Zimny, Little Falls


Girls' Teams:

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


Girls' Individuals

1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Kaelyn Williams, 12, Robbinsdale Cooper
4. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
5. Megan Hasz, 8 Alexandria
6. Erica Seidenkrantz, 12, Monticello
7. Vivian Hett, 9, Burnsville
8. Chrissy Monson, 11, Albert Lea
9. Bethany Hasz, 8, Alexandria
10. Kaytlyn Larson, 9, Lakeville South
11. Taylor Janssen, 11, Moorhead
12. Anna French, 9, Wayzata


Class A

Boys' Teams:

1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Minnehaha Academy
3. Perham
4. Blake
5. Winona Cotter
6. Esko
7. Albany
8. Waseca
9. Mora
10. LaCrescent
11. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
12. Redwood Valley Area

Boys' Individuals:

1. Brandon Clark, Blake
2. Shane Streich, Waseca
3. Nick Stoks, Canby-Minneota/LinHi
4. Byron Schuldt, Nevis
5. Charlie Lawrence, Foley
6. Jacob Siekmeier, Math & Science Academy
7. Matt Welch, Proctor
8. Jacob Burr, Glencoe-Silver Lake
9. Brady Speicher, Perham
10. Jesse Delgado, Waseca
11. Jonnathan Surber, St. James
12. Cade Eckstrom, Madelia-Truman

Girls' Teams:

1. Adrian
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. LaCrescent
4. Waseca
5. Blake
6. Esko
7. Albany
8. Luverne Area
9. Perham
10. Park Rapids
11. Fairmont
12. Warroad

Girls' Individuals:

1. Clare Flanagan, Blake
2. Jordan Kopplow, Adrian
3. Emi Trost, Cannon Falls
4. McKenzie Holt, St. Cloud Christian
5. Victoria Alexander, Lake of the Woods
6. Lauren Friese, Fairmont
7. Morgan Durbin, St. Cloud Cathedral
8. Marissa Shady, Esko
9. Elena Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral
10. Lydia Lutz, Park Rapids
11. Sally O’Brien, Waseca
12. Austin Their, Adrian

Brown, Peyton 3rd and 5th at USA 5K

Team USA Minnesota teammates Emily Brown and Meghan Peyton finished in 3rd and 5th-place, respectively at the USA 5K Championships in Providence, Rhode Island yesterday.

Brown clocked 15:56 in the race, held in conjunction with the CVS/pharmacy Downtown 5K. Peyton ran 15:59.

Julie Culley of New Jersey won the race in 15:39.

“The race went by really fast but it was a good race,” Brown said in a Team USA Minnesota media release. “I’ve had the 5K championships on my calendar for the past few years but I wasn’t able to run it because of injuries or the breathing problem I had. Everything is good now.”

Next up for Brown will be the USA 10 Mile Championships on Oct. 2 in the Twin Cities and then the USA Women’s 10K Championship in Boston on Oct. 10.

Peyton. who will also run the 10 Mile Championships, where she finished fourth in 2010, was happy with her success at a shorter distance race.

“The 10 mile is a little more my forte', but I was pleased with my race today at the 5K,” she said. “It is always great to come out and run these U.S. Championships. At the 10 mile, I hope to be on the podium in my hometown.”

Find results, race video, interviews, and more from the USA 5K HERE.

Kampf Wins In Maui ... Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf won the won the Front Street Mile in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday with a time of 4:39. Kampf beat former NCAA cross country champion Angela Bizzarri by a second on the out-and-back course.

Three-time Medtronic TC 1 Mile champion David Torrence won the men's race in Maui in 3:57. Former Winona High School star Garrett Heath finished 3rd in 4:00.

Find complete results HERE.

Other Team USA Minnesota Action ... Andrew Carlson finished sixth at the Great Cow Harbor 10K with a time of 30:14; Gabriele Anderson was seventh in the mile at the Great North City Games with a time of 4:51.

St. Olaf Invite Photos by Gene Niemi

DtB photo contributor Gene Niemi was on hand at Saturday's St. Olaf Invitational in Northfield and snapped a few shots of the action.

UMD senior Morgan Place won the women's invitational title, running 22:11 over the 6K course. Carleton's Simone Childs-Walker was runner-up in 22:18.

The St. Olaf women, the #16-ranked team in NCAA Division III, topped #24 Carleton and UMD, ranked #10 in Division II, in team competition. The Oles scored 46 points, Carleton tallied 70, UMD had 87.

Find women's results HERE. Find a St. Olaf photo gallery of the race HERE.

Individual men's champion Eli Horton of Central College, left, leads Joshua Mellman of Minnesota State-Mankato, Josiah Swanson of Minnesota State-Mankato, Brian Saska of St. Olaf and Garrett Eklof of Minnesota State. Bryan Lindquist of Winona State trails.

Minnesota State-Mankato won the team competition with 36 points; the host Oles scored 56 for second.

Find men's results HERE. Find a St. Olaf photo gallery of the race HERE.

Photos by Gene Niemi.

McGregor, Abdirahman to Return to TC 10 Mile

Some familiar faces will be racing one-another at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile this year.

Former Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Blake Russell and six-time Medtronic TC 10 Mile champ Katie McGregor headline the women’s portion of next month’s USA 10 Mile Championships to be held in conjunction with the Medtronic TC 10 Mile on October 2.

The event will host both the men’s and women’s USA 10 Mile Championships this year and feature head-to-head competition between the genders.

Russell, who won the 2003 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon with an aggressive solo effort in her debut marathon, and McGregor, a fellow frontrunner who won the USA 10 Mile title and her sixth Medtronic TC 10 Mile crown in the race last year, will race for a winner’s check of $12,000.

They and the rest of the strong women’s field -- which includes NCAA 10,000-meter record-holder Lisa Koll, the 2010 USA 7 Mile champion, three-time Grandma’s Marathon victor Mary Akor, and Serena Burla, the runner-up at the 2011 USA Half Marathon Championships -- will also be racing for a $10,000 “Equalizer Bonus” set aside first USA Champion – woman or man -- to cross the finish line in St. Paul.

The women’s field will leave the race’s downtown Minneapolis starting line ahead of the men in a unique handicapped format.

The men’s field is packed with talent as well, boasting two-time Medtronic TC 10 Mile champ and three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, 2009 Medtronic TC 10 Mile runner-up Josh Moen of Team USA Minnesota, 2008 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champ Fernando Cabada, 2010 USA 10 Mile champion Fasil Bizune, and 2011 USA Half Marathon and 15K champion Mo Trafeh.

The Medtronic TC 10 Mile kicks off the action on the Sunday morning of Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon weekend. The Medtronic TC 10 Mile will be followed by the 30th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. The marathon will feature a strong field of U.S. and international runners -- including Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson -- and again hosts the USA Masters Marathon Championships.

Yes/No: Who Will Win the St. Olaf Invitational?

The air is crisp and that can only mean one thing - cross country season is upon us. One of the first big collegiate cross meets in the area, the 41st annual St. Olaf Invitational, will take place this weekend. Many of the local NCAA Division II and III schools will appear, including the nationally ranked University of Minnesota-Duluth women (#10), St. Olaf women (#16) and Carleton women (#24).

Does the home team have an advantage? Tell us what you think with this question...

Yes/No: Will St. Olaf women win the team title at their home invitational on Saturday?

In the 2010 edition of the St. Olaf invitational, UMD women won handily, scoring a mere 27 points. St. Olaf was second (48) and Gustavus third (85). So far in 2011, St. Olaf and UMD are undefeated. They both won their first race - St. Olaf at Grinnell and UMD at the Northland Invitational. Carleton started off well also - they finished fourth in a Division I meet in Wyoming.

The individual battle will be intense as well as ten-time All-American Simone Childs-Walker (Carleton) squares off against the nearly indomitable eight-time All-American Morgan Place (UMD). Emma Lee from St. Olaf will certainly be in the mix as well.

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

My answer: Yes

Last week's question was: Will the winning times be sub-4:35 for women AND sub-4:00 for men at the Minnesota Mile on Sunday? The correct answer was no. Races were slowed due to a headwind and hot weather this year. Craig Miller won in 4:03 for the men while Brenda Martinez took first in 4:44 for the women.

Mike Henderson is in first place as he accumulated his twenty-second point this year. Three players are one point behind. Twenty-four players answered correctly this week.

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

Team USA Minnesota Adds Two Athletes

Team USA Minnesota has added two recent college graduates to its stable of professional distance runners: Jon Grey and Matt Llano.

Grey is a 2011 graduate of William and Mary with a personal best of 28:40.33 in the 10,000-meters. Llano graduated in 2011 from the University of Richmond where he posted 28:43.30 for the distance.

Grey is from Lancaster, Penn., where he ran cross country and track at Kennard Dale High School setting school records of 4:18 in the 1600m, 9:11 in the 3200m, and 15:41 for a cross country 5K. At William and Mary, he posted times of 8:07.79 in the 3000m, 13:46 in the 5000m, along with his 10,000m best which he set in winning the 2010 Mt. SAC Relays. The three-time All American finished fifth at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships 5000m and 17th at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Llano went to Broadneck High School in Annapolis, Maryland, where he posted prep times of 4:24 in the 1600m and 9:44 in the 3200m, and helped lead his cross country team to a first place finish in both 2004 and 2005 at the Maryland State Cross Country Meet. At the University of Richmond, the All-American was ninth at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10,000m, a four-time NCAA qualifier with two showings each in cross country and track, and he posted 14:00 in the 5000m. Llano was also a four-time Academic All-American and the Atlantic 10 Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

“Jon and Matt are two of the top long distance runners to come out of college in 2011,” Dennis Barker, Team USA Minnesota coach said. “They both have great potential as professional runners. They have good range and will be able to compete well on the track, road, and cross country.”

Grey and Llano join a men's squad at Team USA Minnesota that includes Jason Lehmkuhle, Matt Gabrielson, Antonio Vega, Josh Moen, Andrew Carlson, and Chris Rombough.

Team USA Minnesota is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis andSt. Paul. Formed in 2001, the training center strives to improve the competitiveness of post-collegiate American distance running and to develop Olympians. The athletes are coached by Dennis Barker, head cross country and track coach at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

Team USA Minnesota Plans Active Weekend

Team USA Minnesota isn't going to be sitting around the house this weekend.

Six Team USA Minnesota distance runners will be competing this weekend at venues as far flung as New York, Providence, Hawaii, and Great Britain.

Jason Lehmkuhle and Andrew Carlson are heading to the Great Cow Harbor 10K in Northport, New York. Heather Kampf will compete at the Front Street Mile in Hawaii, and Gabriele Anderson will represent the United States in the mile run at the Great North City Games in Newcastle-Gateshead, England. And, Emily Brown and Meghan Peyton will be among the competitors at the USA 5K Championships in Providence, Rhode Island.

Lehmkuhle will be making his sixth appearance at the Cow Harbor 10K on Saturday, having won the race in 2003 and 2007, placing second in 2006 and 2009, and finishing fourth in 2008. His best time on the scenic and challenging course on the Long Island Sound is 29:95.

Carlson will make his second appearance at the event, having finished third in 2010 with a time of 29:56.

For her tropical mile on Saturday, Kampf will travel to Maui, Hawaii. She recently finished third in Grandma's Minnesota Mile in Duluth last Sunday.

Anderson will head in the opposite direction, to Great Britain to run the mile, having placed fifth at the Minnesota Mile. She will be a member of the U.S. team that will compete on Saturday against Great Britain and Northern Ireland in five track events for men and four events for women.

On Sunday, Brown and Peyton will race the USA 5K Championships hosted by the CVS Caremark Downtown 5K. Brown will be making her first appearance at the 5K championships. She most recently finished sixth in the Minnesota Mile.. Last year Peyton was fourth at the USA 5K Championships last year with a time of 16:25.

Top of High School Rankings Unchanged

The top-ranked Minnesota high school cross country teams and individuals remained unchanged in the latest polls, released yesterday.

In Class AA, the Stillwater boys and Monticello girls still top the team rankings, with Wayzata's Josh Thorson and Shakopee's Marie Hauger leading the individual polls.

In Class A, the St. Cloud Cathedral boys and Adrian girls return to the top of the small school ranks, with a pair of Blake runners -- Brandon Clark and Clare Flanagan -- leading the individual rankings.

Find complete rankings below ...

Class AA

Boys' Teams

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

Others receiving votes: Forest Lake, Mounds View, Rochester Centry, Rochester Mayo

Boys' Individuals:

1 Josh Thorson, Wayzata
2 Glen Ellingson, Moorhead
3 Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
4 Wayde Hall, Stillwater
5 Joey Duerr, Chaska
6 Tom Linner, Stillwater
7 Jan Ketterson, Bloomington Jefferson
8 Zach Roozen, Mounds View
9 Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo
10 Nathan Rock, Rosemount
11 Connor Olson, Wayzata
12 Joel Reichow, White Bear Lake

Others receiving votes: Will Burke, Edina; Kevin Docherty, Cretin-Derham Hall; Mubarik Musa, Worthington; Sidney Speir, Eagan

Girls' Teams

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

Girls' Individuals
1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Kaelyn Williams, 12, Robbinsdale Cooper
4. Erica Seidenkrantz, 12, Monticello
5. Emily Knapczyk, 12, Robbinsdale Armstrong
6. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
7. Chrissy Monson, 11, Albert Lea
8. Jenna Truedson, 9, Bemidji
9. Amber Seidenkratz, 10, Monticello
10. Madeline McKeefry, 10, Andover
11. Kaytlyn Larson, 9, Lakeville South
12. Piper Bain, 12, Edina


Class A

Boys' Teams

1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Minnehaha Academy
3. Blake
4. Perham
5. Winona Cotter
6. Esko
7. Waseca
8. Albany
9. Mora
10. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
11. LaCrescent
12. St.James

Boys' Individuals

1. Brandon Clark, Blake
2. Shane Streich, Waseca
3. Byron Schuldt, Nevis
4. Matt Welch, Proctor
5. Nick Stoks, Canby-Minneota/LinHi
6. Jacob Siekmeier, Math & Science Academy
7. Charlie Lawrence, Foley
8. Jesse Delgado, Waseca
9. Jacob Burr, Glencoe-Silver Lake
10. Jonnathan Surber, St. James
11. Ricki Fenske, Madelia-Truman
12. Jacob Johnson, Winona Cotter

Girls' Teams

1. Adrian
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. Blake
4. LaCrescent
5. Waseca
6. Esko
7. Albany
8. Perham
9. Park Rapids
10. Annandale
11. Fairmont
12. International Falls

Girls' Individuals

1. Clare Flanagan, Blake
2. Jordan Kopplow, Adrian
3. Emi Trost, Cannon Falls
4. McKenzie Holt, St. Cloud Christian
5. Victoria Alexander, Lake of the Woods
6. Cheyanne Bower, St. James
7. Paige Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral
8. Marissa Shady, Esko
9. Lydia Lutz, Park Rapids
10. Janessa Meulener, Belle Plaine
11. Lauren Friese, Fairmont
12. Austin Their, Adrian

Gopher Teams Open Season Perfectly

The University of Minnesota men's and women's cross country teams opened their 2011 seasons with perfect 15-points victories in their respective meets over the weekend.

The #27-ranked Gopher men swept the top five places at the Hornet Jamboree hosted by Sacramento State University in California.

Junior Pieter Gagnon, senior Hassan Mead, and sophomore Andrew Larsen, took the top spots, finishing together at 19:28 on the 4 mile course. Sophomore Erik Truedson was fourth at 19:33 and red shirt freshman Marcus Paulson ran 19:34 for fifth.

Fresno State finished runner-up with 91 points; host Sacramento State was third with 93.

"I thought overall we had a pretty good performance," Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia said. "I wanted the guys to stay in a pack for the first two and half miles and they did just that. The guys have worked hard all summer long and they certainly showed that today. I think we are in good shape to have a good season as long as we can stay healthy."

The #30 Gopher women swept the first 12 places at the Oz Memorial Run they hosted at the Les Bolstad Golf Course. Senior All-American Stephanie Price won the 6K race for the second consecutive year, clocking 21:18.

Sophomore Ashlie Decker crossed the finish line in second at 22:22, sophomore Katie Moracewski took third with 22:30, freshman Molly Kayfes finished fourth at 22:35 in her first collegiate race, and sophomore Kelli Budd ran 22:36 to round out the top five.

Northern Iowa finished runner-up in the meet with 76 points. North Dakota State edged South Dakota State for third 83-84.

Hot racing conditions were the bigget challenge to the Gophers.

"Today was so hot," head coach Gary Wilson said. "It was about 15 degrees warmer than normal, it was about 90 out there and that is a little bit much for cross country. Overall it was a good start and the Griak [Invittional] will be another level."

Find men's complete results HERE and women's results HERE.

Miller, Martinez Win Minnesota Mile Titles

Former University of Wisconsin All-American Craig Miller and former California-Riverside standout Brenda Martinez won the professional races at the Minnesota Mile in Duluth on Sunday.

Headwinds slowed the pace of the elites in the road mile down Duluth's Superior Street -- Miller won in 4:04, Martinez in 4:44.

Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf was the top Minnesota finisher in the professional races. The University of Minnesota alumnus was third in 4:47, a place and a second behind Amy Mortimer of Kansas, the runner-up.

Christian Hesch of California was the men's runner-up in 4:06; Kevin Chelimo of Kenya was third with the same time.

Defending men's champ Aron Rono of Kenya, suffering from a hip injury, was 11th in 4:21.

The Duluth News-Tribune's Kevin Pates has a comprehensive story on the race HERE.

Complete results of the event can be found HERE.

Smock Reflects on World Championships

Upon returning from Daegu, South Korea where she competed in the IAAF World Track and field Championships, USA triple jump champion Amanda Smock took some time to reflect the experience in this exclusive Down the Backstretch interview. Smock (pictured) didn't advance to the finals in Daegu but is already looking ahead to 2012, an Olympic year.

Down the Backstretch: Can you set the scene of the competition and walk us through your jumps at the World Championships?

Amanda Smock: The competition took place during a morning session on the 4th day (of nine) of the meet. The stadium was enormous, the largest I have ever competed in. There were two flights of 17 jumpers, both flights competed at the same time in side by side pits. We had three attempts and the top 12 jumpers would advance to the finals held two days later.

I felt really good and as you can imagine, had a lot of adrenaline. My 1st jump was the best attempt of the day but I fouled - it would not have been enough to make the finals so not a huge deal except mentally, it would've been nice to start off with a good mark. My second and third attempts were pretty similar in technique. In both jumps I made the mistake of rushing through the take off board and getting too high on my hop. Pretty frustrating competition, but keeping in mind the big picture, it was pretty amazing to be competing on that stage … in the World Championships.

DtB: In the end, did the result seem like a near-miss -- i.e., a performance similar to Eugene or Chula Vista could have put you in the finals -- or that there's a gulf you need to bridge to be a finalist at this level?

Smock: Had I completed jumps that were technically better – or equal to those I jumped at US nationals or in Chula Vista, I would’ve made the finals. Instead I had really poor attempts. After watching the video of my jumps I was able to see the mistakes I was making and of course now I would like a re-do! All I can do is learn from it, move on and not make the same mistake in the future. If I can get more consistency in my jumps, I can be in a position to make finals.

DtB: I'm curious to know your impressions of jumping with the best triple jumpers world. Did it seem similar to jumping, say, at a USA Championships or did Worlds feel like clearly another level?

Smock: Competing at Worlds brought back to memories of my first year at the US championships. I remember the feeling of being so happy just to be competing at the meet, a little bit star-struck and a little bit intimidated by the call room procedures. In that sense, it was similar to Worlds. Thankfully, each experience makes being in the position more comfortable than the time before. At my next major competition, I suspect I’ll be a lot more comfortable than I was this time around.

DtB: Did you watch the finals?

Smock: I did watch the finals and was really happy I had the opportunity to do so.

DtB: This was your first time representing the USA internationally. Can you describe what it's like wearing the USA uniform and being part of the USA contingent at the meet?

Smock: In a few words, I was honored and very proud to be competing for the US and to be wearing the US uniform. The USA is definitely recognized as the best track team in the world so to be a member of the team was pretty incredible. The fans got pretty excited to see and meet US athletes so there were plenty of "photo ops" to be had.

DtB: What was the city of Daegu like? Did you have any opportunities to see more of the city than just the stadium and the hotel?

Smock: Daegu definitely had a big city feel to it. It felt a lot like New York to me but was surrounded by beautiful green mountains. I was able to venture outside the athlete village a few times and ate at some cute restaurants where we sat on the floor and ate Korean cuisine. Inside the village, the organizing committee arranged for daily cultural events with traditional dance performances, games, and art displays, a convenient way to be a part of the Korean culture without having to travel outside of the village.

DtB: Next year, of course, is an Olympic year. With the 2011 season in the books, do you find yourself already looking ahead to the next season, the Trials, and the Olympic Games?

Smock: I gets me pretty excited to know the Olympic year is finally here. I have been thinking a lot about the upcoming season, specifically about training plans - things to keep in place, changes to make to improve my performances and how to plan out my competition schedule. In a few weeks I'll be attending a "jumps summit" hosted by USA track and field where a lot of time will be spent doing these things. Come October 1st, I'll be ready to start training.

DtB: If there's one key for you for making the Olympic team, what do you think that is?

Smock: Good question. If I could boil it down to one key piece, I would say improving the hop (1st phase) of my jump including everything from the takeoff to the arm action, as well as the hop landing. Much of the jump success is determined in this phase - if you don't execute the technique well, things go downhill pretty quickly. Sounds pretty simple on paper, fix the hop - make the Olympic team. I'll give it a shot!

Photo by Randy Miyazaki/TrackandFieldPhoto.com.

Yes/No: Sub 4:00 & 4:35 at Minnesota Mile?

Duluth has justifiably earned a name for itself in the running community, thanks to Grandma's Marathon weekend in June of every year. The fantastic field running the Minnesota Mile this weekend further solidifies Duluth's reputation as a running mecca.

A few prolific Team USA Minnesota runners will join other elite Minnesotans and even some top national middle distance runner for this edition of Grandma's Minnesota Mile

Let us know how fast you think they will run by answering this question...

Yes/No: Will the winning times be sub-4:35 for women AND sub-4:00 for men at the Minnesota Mile on Sunday?

The winning men's time was under 4:00 in both 2009 and 2010. In fact, there were four runners under 4 minutes last year. On the women's side, no one has ever run sub-4:35. The course record is Carmen Duoma Hussar's 4:35.60 from 2010.

The men's start list looks especially tough with seven runners sporting seed times below 4 minutes. The winner and course record holder Aron Rono returns to defend his title. He ran 3:58.18 last year.

The women's race will feature Team USA Minnesota stars Heather Kampf and Gabriele Anderson . The two finished third and fourth respectively last year. One runner that beat them last year - second place finisher Amy Mortimer - will return to the Minnesota Mile in 2011 as well.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 10:00 A.M. CDT, Sunday, September 11th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will offer our usual bonus for participants making their 2011 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My answer: Yes

Last week's question was: Will at least three of the four Team USA Minnesota runners (Andrew Carlson, Jason Lehmkuhle, Katie McGregor, and Meghan Peyton) finish in the top five in their respective USA 20K Championship races? The correct answer was no. Lehmkuhle led the charge with a second place finish followed by McGregor as the third woman. Carlson finished sixth for the men and Peyton was seventh on the women's side. Peyton missed the top five by nine seconds while Carlson was only nineteen seconds off fifth.

Mike Henderson answered correctly to move into a tie for first with Patrick Eastman at twenty-one points. Twenty-two players answered correctly this week.

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

Strong Girls' Teams to Tangle at Bauman/Rovn

Four of the seven top-ranked Class AA girls' cross country teams will race one-another this afternoon at then Bauman/Rovn Invitational hosted by Hopkins High School at Gale Woods Farm in Minnetrista.

Squaring off in the early-season clash are #2-ranked Lakeville South, winners of last week's Dakota Classic, #3 Eden Prairie, the defending Class AA State champions, #5 Prior Lake, the Irish Invite winners, and #7 Roseville.

In boys' competition, #8 Eastview, winners at St. Olaf's Rolf Melby Invitational, is expected to battle for top placing with #9 Mounds View, led by the state's #2-ranked individual Zack Roozen, and #10 Eden Prairie, winners of the Matterhorn Invite last week.

(#2-ranked Wayzata and #4 Edina will attend the meet but are not running their varsity teams, race officials said.)

Racing on the rolling hills of Gale Woods -- the venuel later this fall for the always-epic 6AA Section Championship -- begins at 3:30 p.m. The boys' varsity race commences at 4:30 p.m. followed by the girl's varsity at 4:55 p.m.

Look to the Down the Backstretch Facebook page, HERE, for results of the meet.

Team USA Minn. Pleased with 20K Results

After placing all four of its participating athletes in the top-seven of the men's and women's races at the USA 20K Championships held in conjunction with the Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race in Connecticut, Team USA Minnesota athletes are happy with their performances and eager for the upcoming competitions on their schedules.

Team USA veteran Jason Lehmkuhle led the team with a runner-up finish in the men's race, running 1:00:36 to winner Abdi Abdirahman's 1:00:12. Teammate Andrew Carlson was 6th in 1:02:03.

In women's competition, seven-time USA champion Katie McGregor finished 3rd in 1:09:56. Teammate Meghan Peyton was 7th in 1:10:28.

Lehmkuhle, who is pointing for the Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston in January, entered the race hoping to improve his standing versus some of the athletes he competed against earlier in the season at the Falmouth Road Race in Massachusetts.

He succeeded, hitting the chute ahead of former Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champ Fernando Cabada, former Team USA Minnesota teammate Patrick Smyth, and Arizona-based Brett Gotcher, who had each bettered him on Cape Cod.

McGregor ran a largely solo race in New Haven.

“I was in no man’s land,” the University of Michigan alumnus said afterward, “but it was a good race. I’m just starting up after a couple of months of good training so I wanted to do this race to see where I was at. I still have a lot of work to do but I feel this was a step in the right direction.”

Lehmkuhle, McGregor, and Peyton are scheduled to compete at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile in October. The race will serve as the USA 10 Mile Championship for both men and women this year.

Carlson said training for his marathon debut at the Medtronic Twin Cities Maraton this fall impacted his performance.

“I have marathon legs right now and basically one gear,” the University of Minnesota alumnus said. “On a day like today, with the humidity, you race for place. I’ve run 59:26 in New Haven before so it was a slow day for everyone given the conditions."

Find complete results HERE. Watch race videos HERE.

Gene Niemi Photos: MDRA Victory 10K

Team USA Minnesota's Josh Moen wins the men's race in 29:39.

Kristen Nicolini wins the women's race in 34:41.

Photos by Gene Niemi.

Thorson Climbs to Top of Class AA Boys' Ranks

Wayzata senior Josh Thorson, who won the Columbus Catholic Invitational in Marshfield, Wisconsin on Saturday, has vaulted to the top of the MSHSL Class AA boys' individual cross country rankings this week.

At the meet, Thorson beat #6-ranked Tom Linner Stillwater, who finished third and Cole O'Brien of Burnsville, the State Meet runner-up in 2010 and the #1-ranked runner in the Class AA preseason poll, who finished fourth.

(The runner-up at Marshfield was Hudson, Wisconsin junior Ryan Kromer, the son of former University of Minnesota stand-out John Kromer.)

The top of the rest of the Class AA ranks remained unchanged: Stillwater and Monticello still lead the team rankings and Shakopee junior Maria Hauger -- who romped at the Rolf Melby Invitational at St. Olaf on Saturday -- still tops the girls' individual rankings.

In Class A, the top team spot remain unchanged: the St. Cloud Cathedral boys and Adrian girls still pace the division and Blake's Brandon Clark still tops the boys' individuals.

The top-ranked Class A girl this week is now Clare Flanagan of Blake who moved from #7 to #1 in the latest poll.

Find complete rankings below ...

Class AA

Boys' Teams

1. Stillwater
2. Wayzata
3. Rosemount
4. Edina
5. Moorhead
6. Andover
7. White Bear Lake
8. Eastview
9. Mounds View
10. Eden Prairie
11. Owatonna
12. Sartell – St Stephen

Others receiving votes: Burnsville, Forrest Lake, Mahtomedi, Monticello

Boys' Individuals:

1. Josh Thorson, Wayzata
2. Zach Roozen, Mounds View
3. Glen Ellingson, Moorhead
4. Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
5. Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo
6. Tom Linner, Stillwater
7. Nathan Rock, Rosemount
8. Mubarik Musa, Worthington
9. Jan Ketterson, Bloomington Jefferson
10. Joel Reichow, White Bear Lake
11. Joey Duerr, Chaska
12. Connor Olson, Wayzata

Others receiving votes: Tyler Broadwell, Sartell - St Stephen; Ahmed Bule, St Paul Central; Will Burke, Edina; Wayde Hall, Stillwater; Sidney Speir, Eagan; Parker Wharram, Mound Westonka


Girls' Teams:

1. Monticello
2. Lakeville South
3. Eden Prairie
4. Andover
5. Prior Lake
6. Wayzata
7. Roseville
8. Eagan
9. East Ridge
10. Sartell
11. Alexandria
12. Stillwater

Girls' Individuals
1. Maria Hauger, 11, Shakopee
2. Jamie Piepenburg, 12, Alexandria
3. Erica Seidenkrantz, 12, Monticello
4. Nicole Heitzman, 11, Andover
5. Amber Seidenkratz, 10, Monticello
6. Kaelyn Williams, 12, Robbinsdale Cooper
7. Jenna Truedson, 9, Bemidji
8. Danielle Anderson, 11, Eagan
9. Emily Knapczyk, 12, Robbinsdale Armstrong
10. Chrissy Monson, 11, Albert Lea
11. Taylor Scholl, 12, Prior Lake
12. Piper Bain, 12, Edina


Class A

Boys' Teams:

1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Minnehaha Academy
3. Perham
4. Esko
5. Winona Cotter
6. Waseca
7. Blake
8. Albany
9. Mora
10. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
11. LaCrescent
12. St.James

Boys' Individuals:

1. Brandon Clark Blake
2. Jonnathan Surber St. James
3. Shane Streich Waseca
4. Byron Schuldt Nevis
5. Matt Welch Proctor
6. Nick Stoks Canby-Minneota/LinHi
7. Jacob Siekmeier Math&Science Acad
8. Cade Ekstrom Madelia/Truman
9. Charlie Lawrence Foley
10. Jesse Delgado Waseca
11. Matt Schrupp Winona Cotter
12. Micheal Wagner Eveleth-Gilbert

Girls' Teams:

1. Adrian
2. St. Cloud Cathedral
3. Blake
4. LaCrescent
5. Waseca
6. Albany
7. Annandale
8. Park Rapids
9. Perham
10. United South Central/AC
11. Trinity at River Ridge
12. Esko

Girls' Individuals:

1. Clare Flanagan Blake
2. Jordan Kopplow Adrian
3. Cheyanne Bower S., James
4. Victoria Alexander Lake of the Woods
5. Emi Trost Cannon Falls
6. Greta Danielson St. Cloud Cath.
7. Jordan Chancellor Blake
8. Sally O”Brien Waseca
9. Kallyn Knutson Esko
10. Lydia Lutz Park Rapids
11. McKenzie Holt St. Cloud Christian
12. Megan Sauer Adrian

#1 Stillwater Tops #2 Wayzata 45 - 60

In a season-opening contest between Minnesota's #1 and #2-ranked boys' Class AA high school teams, #1 Stillwater topped defending MSHSL Class AA champions Wayzata, ranked #2, to win the Columbus Catholic Invitational in Marshfield, Wisconsin on Saturday.

Stillwater scored 45 points in the 26-team invitational, Wayzata finished second with 60, La Crosse Logan was third with 110.

Wayzata's Josh Thorson won the individual race, clocking 15:53 over the 5k course where 10,000-meter American Record-holder Chris Solinsky holds the course record with the 15:36 he ran in 2001 as a Stevens Point Area Senior High student.

Stillwater earned its victory with a well-knit top-5, led by Tom Linner, which placed 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, and 17th in the race. Wayzata's scorers finished 1st, 5th, 14th, 16th, and 25th.

The #7-ranked Wayzata girls' won their division of the meet, scoring 57 points to top runner-up River Falls which tallied 90. Un-ranked White Bear Lake was 5th in the meet with 165.

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

Other Season-Opening Action ... Earlier in the week, Class AA's #1-ranked Monticello girls ran away with the Milaca-More Early Bird Invitational. (See results HERE.)

On Friday, Class AA's #2-ranked Lakeville South girls' won the Dakota Classic, HERE.

Also on Friday, Rosemount, Class AA's #3-ranked boys squad, won its own Irish Invitational 45-74 over runner-up #12 White Bear Lake. In girls' action at the meet, #6 Prior Lake topped un-ranked Stillwater 60-107.

Find complete Irish Invite results HERE. Watch video highlights of the meet HERE.

Špotáková Earns Silver in Daegu Javelin

Czech javelin star Barbora Špotáková, who briefly wore the colors of the University of Minnesota, earned a silver medal in the women's javelin at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea today.

Špotáková, who led early in the competition, threw her implement a season-best 234-10 in the competition's fifth round to regain the gold medal position. Russia's Maria Abakumova, however, responded with a launch of 236-2 later in the round to retake the lead and, ultimately, claim the gold medal from the world record-holder.

"How can I describe this competition - it was just crazy and amazing, there are not many competitions like this in the athletic history," Špotáková said afterward. "Who would even imagine such long throws before this final? To be honest, in a few moments I was a bit afraid of my world record."

Špotáková, the reigning Olympic champion whose world record is 237-2, had to content herself with an impressive six-throw series: three marks over 225-0, five beyond 220-0, and a sixth throw that still would have earned her a bronze medal in the championship.

"I always believe I can throw very far, it is my optimistic attitude to the competition. I expected 70 meters, but 71 is a great result. Abakumova surprised a lot and it seems I need to start my training for 73 meters," Špotáková added, smiling.

Find a recap of the pulsating competition HERE. Find complete results HERE.

A French language YouTube video of the competition is HERE. Nearly 15 minutes long it captures the drama of the competition and some nice dance moves by Abakumova after she knew she had the gold and was feeling the crowd on her last throw. Also some reaction shots of the coaches. Špotáková's coach being none other than the men's javelin legend, Jan Železný.

Yes/No: Three Team USA-ers in Top-5 at 20K?

Like many of us, a few members of the Team USA Minnesota crew will take a break over the Labor Day weekend. The four subjects of this week's question, however, will travel to Connecticut for what we hope will be a blazing fast tour of the Yale campus (and beyond) for the USA 20k Championships.

Andrew Carlson, Jason Lehmkuhle, Katie McGregor, and Meghan Peyton will compete against some top American runners for this Labor Day race in New Haven. The start list contains notables such as Lisa Koll, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, and Abdi Abdirahman.

How will the Minnesotans stack up? Let us know what you think with this question...

Yes/No: Will at least three of the four Team USA Minnesota runners (Andrew Carlson, Jason Lehmkuhle, Katie McGregor, and Meghan Peyton) finish in the top five in their respective USA 20K Championship races?

Last year's results show Sean Quigley (59:21) and Magdalena Lewy Boulet (1:07:41) winning.

Katie McGregor has not run New Haven since 2003 when she finished third, running sub sixty eight minutes. She has seven national championships at various distances to her name. Meghan Peyton will run New Haven for the first time this year. Peyton has finished in the top five in the 2010 USA 5k Championships and 10 mile Championships as well as the 2011 15k Champs.

Jason Lehmkuhle and Andrew Carlson are both old pros at the New Haven 20k race. They have finished in the top five multiple times at this race. The two recently ran the Lifetime Fitness Torchlight 5k and finished together in 14:22.

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 7:15 A.M. CDT, Monday, September 5th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will offer our usual bonus for participants making their 2011 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My answer: Yes

Last week's question was: Yes/No: Will Kara Goucher finish in the top ten in the 10,000 meters at the World Championships in Daegu? The correct answer was no. Goucher battled through her injuries to finish thirteenth. Fourteen people answered correctly this week. It was a good week for the masses - in a strange turn of events, the top ten in the overall standings all answered incorrectly. The monthly winners were Dimitri Drekonja and Andrea Yesnes. Both scored four points and answered correctly every week in August.

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

Round-Up: Špotáková, Mead, and Dilling

We've got a news round-up triple-header today ...

Špotáková Advances ... The University of Minnesota's most decorated track and field athlete, Barbora Špotáková, qualified for the finals of the women's javelin at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea this morning.

The Olympic gold medalist and world record-holder from the Czech Republic who had a brief career as a heptathlete at Minnesota marked a 208-0 on her first and only throw of the qualifying competition. The mark surpassed the automatic finals-qualifying standard of 200-1.

Špotáková, who tops the 2011 world list in the event with at 227-10, was the 4th-best qualifier in the competition. Christina Obergföll of Germany was the day's top thrower at 225-7.

Find complete results of the competition HERE.

Mead Talks ... University of Minnesota distance running star Hassan Mead was interviewed by Carrie Tollefson on the Olympian's weekly weekly video podcast "C Tolle Run."

Mead talks about his family's move from Somalia to the United States when he was a child as well as about his post-collegiate future as a distance runner. You can watch the video below.



Find more "C Tolle Run" podcasts HERE.

Dilling Returns ... Former Minnesota State, Mankato high jump star Jim Dilling was back in Minnesota recently after competing for six weeks in Europe. Dilling, who finished sixth at the USA Outdoor Championships in Eugene this summer, will be a member of the USA squad at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico in late October.

While at his alma mater, Dilling gave an extensive interview to the MSU's MavBlog. You can read the interview HERE.

Gophers Open Season Ranked #27 and #30

The University of Minnesota cross country teams will open the 2011 season ranked in the top-30 of NCAA Division I. The Gopher men are ranked #27 in the recently released U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll; the Gopher women are ranked #30.

Both teams finished 27th at last year's NCAA Championships.

In the men's rankings, defending NCAA champion Oklahoma State leads the poll, followed by Stanford and Wisconsin. The Gopher men are ranked 4th among Big Ten teams, trailing the Badgers, #8 Indiana, and #25 Ohio State.

In women's rankings, Georgetown, 4th at NCAAs last year, tops the list, followed by New Mexico and Providence. The Gopher women are ranked 5th among Big Ten teams, trailing #13 Michigan, #18 Penn State, #28 Iowa, and #29 Michigan State.

In Midwest Region rankings, the Gopher men are ranked #3, behind Oklahoma State and last year's 5th-place NCAA team, Oklahoma.

The Gopher women are ranked #4 in the Midwest, trailing Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Iowa, respectively.

Find complete D1 national rankings HERE. Find full regional rankings HERE.

No Triple Jump Finals for Amanda Smock

USA triple jump champion Amanda Smock did not qualify for finals in her event at the World Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea last night. The Melrose native jumped 44-2 3/4 to finish 17th in her qualifying flight and 31st overall.

Smock (pictured) needed to better 46-5 1/4 in order to advance, a mark just short of her personal best of 46-6 1/4

After fouling her opening attempt, Smock marked the 44-2 3/4, and ended her competition with a 43-10 1/2.

“Unfortunately, I just wasn’t able to put it together which was obviously very frustrating to me," Smock told USA Track and Field afterward. "But I felt physically like I was ready to get a big jump in there, but it just didn’t happen for me today. I haven’t had a ton of time to hash it over yet, but right now at this point I am just a little bit mystified by it all."

Smock only made her first USA team after marking the IAAF "B" qualifying standard late in the summer.

"It was a great feeling to make the team, when I wasn’t expecting to just a few months ago," she said. "I have a lot to take away from it all as an experience.”

Two-time defending world champion Yargeris Savigne of Cuba was the top qualifier with a 47-11 3/4.

Find complete results of the event HERE.

Photo by Randy Miyazaki/TrackandFieldPhoto.com

Tall Order for Smock in World's TJ Qualifying

USA triple jump champion Amanda Smock faces a tall challenge as she tries to advance to finals from tonight's women's triple jump qualifying round at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The Melrose native is one of 34 athletes jumping at 9:45 p.m. CDT for one of twelve spots in event's final, slated for Thursday.

Smock's season and personal best mark of 46-6 1/4, recorded late this summer, ranks her #30 among the qualifying round jumpers. A top-twelve finish in the qualifying round or a mark of 47-5 would advance Smock to the finals.

The United States hasn't had a women's triple jump finalist at the World Championships since 1997, when Cynthea Rhodes placed 11th in Athens. The USA has never medaled in the event at the World Championships.

Two-time defending world champion Yargelis Savigne of Cuba is the favorite in the event. She has jumped 49-2 1/2 this year to co-lead the 2011 world list. Caterine Ibargüen of Columbia has an identical mark, made at altitude.

Track & Field News has an event preview HERE. Track statistician K. Ken Nakamura has an extensive historical reference for the event, HERE.

Live results for today's events in Daegu can be found HERE.

Goucher 13th in World Championships 10,000m

Duluth native Kara Goucher finished 13th in the 10,000-meters at the IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea this morning.

A bronze medalist in the event at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, Goucher clocked 32:29.58 in today's 25-lap event.

Vivian Cheruiyot lead a 1-2-3-4 Kenya sweep in the event, running a personal best 30:48.98. Three-time NCAA cross country champion Sally Kipyego was runner-up in 30:50.04.

Shalane Flanagan was the top American finisher, 7th in 31:25.57. Jen Rhines was 9th in 31:47.59.

Goucher was challenged this season by a stress reaction in the neck of her femur, an injury which caused her to skip the London Diamond League meet earlier this summer and, for a time, put the World Championships in doubt.

Find complete results HERE.

Update: USA Track and Field provided the following post-race quotes from Goucher ...

“I’ve been battling an injury and I kept thinking if my workouts go to the crapper I’ll just give up my spot, and even though I’ve been in a lot of pain, my workouts have just progressed and progressed, So I just knew I would have so much regret if I didn’t try... You only get so many chances ... When I was warming-up it was the best I’ve felt in weeks ... I fought all the way to the end.”

Maxwell, Hauger Named Athletes of the Month

Masters track and field phenomenon Ralph Maxwell and prep distance star Maria Hauger have been named USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for August, the organization announced yesterday.

Maxwell, a 91-year-old who splits his time between Richville, Minnesota and Alamo, Texas, is honored for setting a new age-group world record in the decathlon for athletes over 90-years-old at the World Masters Track & Field Championships held in Sacramento, California last month. Maxwell scored 7069 points in the two-day, ten-event contest, overwhelming the previous world record of 3190 points set by Australia's Vic younger in 2003.

On the first day of competition, Maxwell ran 19.69 seconds in the 100-meters, long jumped 8-7 1/2, put the shot 20-3, cleared 3-4 1/2 in the high jump, and ran 1:49.24 in the 400-meters. On day two, Maxwell ran a 21.62 in the 80-meter hurdles, threw the discus 45-10, pole vaulted 4-7, marked a javelin throw of 60-0, and ran 11:30.51 in the 1500-meters.

Hauger, who will be a junior at Shakopee High School this fall, is recognized for winning the national title at 3000-meters in the Young Women's division of the USATF Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships held in Wichita, Kansas last month. Hauger clocked 10:09.96 to win the event by 30 seconds.

Find a comprehensive listing of USATF- Minnesota Athletes of the Month HERE.

Amanda Smock Profiled in Star-Tribune

Reigning USA triple jump champion Amanda Smock is profiled by Rachel Blount in today's Star-Tribune, HERE.

Smock, who competes in women's triple jump qualifying on Tuesday at the IAAF world championships in Daegu, South Korea, talks about the role her late father Glen Thieschafer played in her athletic career.

Yes/No: Goucher Top-10 in World 10,000m?

In case you have not heard, the World Championships will kick off in Daegu South Korea this weekend. The nine-day event will crown the best in the world in each event and establish the favorites for next year's London Olympics.

Kara Goucher finished third in the 10,000 meters of the 2007 World Championships and she has been gearing up for a return to the same race following the birth of her son last September. Unfortunately, she was dealt a setback recently with a diagnosis of a stress reaction of the femur.

Goucher reports that her fitness remains very strong but she seems unsure exactly how everything will unfold. Let us know how you think she will run by answering this question...

Yes/No: Will Kara Goucher finish in the top ten in the 10,000 meters at the World Championships in Daegu?

Goucher's major race this year was the Boston Marathon where she finished fifth in a personal best 2:24:52. To qualify for the World Championship team, Goucher ran the 10,000 meters at the USA Championships and placed second in 31:16.

You can click your way to a preliminary listing of runners in Saturday's race HERE.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 6:45 A.M. CDT, Saturday, August 27th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will offer our usual bonus for participants making their 2011 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My answer: Yes

Last week's question was: Will six or more runners break 20:00 at the Buttered Corn Day 5K? The correct answer was no. Two people finished under 20 minutes and Duane Otfedahl took the victory in 18:02. Eighteen people answered correctly this week but that number included only one of the previous week's co-leaders. Therefore we have a new sole leader - Patrick Eastman with 21 points. The chase pack is ready to pounce; three contestants have 20 points, three have 19 and three have 18.

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

Hamline Men Top Preseason Regional Ranks

According to the pollsters, Hamline University is the men's cross country team to beat in the NCAA's Central Region this fall.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released its first regional rankings for 2011 in NCAA Division II and III. The poll-topping Pipers are the top-ranked squad in Minnesota across the small college divisions.

Following Hamline in the D3 Central Region men's poll are St. John's at #3 and St. Thomas at #4. Northfield rivals St. Olaf and Carleton are ranked #8 and #9, respectively.

On the women's side of the D3 region, St. Olaf tops Minnesota schools with its #4 ranking. Carleton, St. Thomas, and Gustavus Adolphus follow at #5, #6, and #7, respectively. St. Benedict at #9 and Bethel at #10 round out the poll.

Nebraska Wesleyan is ranked #1 aong women in the Central Region.

Find complete D3 regional rankings HERE.

In NCAA Division II, the University of Minnesota Duluth women pace the state with a #4 ranking. St. Cloud State is ranked #8. Western State of Colorado leads the poll.

Among D2 men, UMD is ranked #8 and Minnesota State, Mankato is ranked #10. Adams State of Colorado tops the poll.

Find complete D2 regional rankings HERE.

National rankings in Division II and III will be released later today.

Few Answers in Death of Duluth's Matt Kero

The Duluth News-Tribune's Kevin Pates reports today that an autopsy of Matt Kero gave few answers to why the 18-year-old distance runner died in his sleep, other than that the death was from natural causes.

The full story is HERE.

Kero's Duluth News-Tribune obituary can be found HERE.

A visitation is planned from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. today at Williams Lobermeier Funeral Home, 3208 West Third Street, in Duluth. It will resume at 10:00 a.m. Thursday until an 11:00 a.m. A Mass of Christian Burial in Mitchell Auditorium on the St. Scholastica campus.

Kero is being remembered fondly on his Facebook page HERE.

18-Year-Old Duluth Runner Dies in Sleep

Matt Kero, a 2011 high school graduate who represented Duluth Denfeld and Duluth Central in track, cross country, and hockey was found dead yesterday morning after apparently dying in his sleep.

Kevin Pates of the Duluth News-Tribune has the full story HERE.

Kero, 18, was a finalist at 1600-meters at the MSHSL Class AA State Meet last spring, running 4:29.96 for 13th place. Kero was planing to attend St. Scholastica this fall and continue his running career.

In the Duluth News-Tribune story, Kero is described by one of his high school coaches as a fearless competitor with a strong work ethic.

According to the story, funeral arrangements are still pending.

Goucher to Run Worlds

The Duluth News Tribune's Kevin Pates updates what's happening with Kara Goucher and her attempts to run the 10K in the IAAF World Championships HERE.

Team USA-ers in Action at Torchlight 5K

Team USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle, Andrew Carlson, Josh Moen, and Meghan Peyton will participate in the Life Time Fitness Torchlight 5K on Thursday in downtown Minneapolis.

The run, which was originally scheduled for July 20, was rescheduled due to extreme heat conditions.

The Torchlight 5k starts and finishes at St. Anthony Main and covers a loop course along the Mississippi River including over the Stone Arch Bridge. The run begins at 8:00 p.m.

Lehmkuhle, Carlson, and Peyton will use the run as a tune-up for the USA 20K Championships which will be held in New Haven, Connecticut on Labor Day. Moen will also be racing on Labor Day, but will stay local to run in the Victory 10K in Minneapolis.

Waweru, McGregor Win at 13.1 Minneapolis

Moses Waweru and Katie McGregor earned victories -- and $1000 paychecks -- at the 13.1 Minneapolis Half Marathon on Sunday in Minneapolis.

Waweru, a Kenyan who once made his home in Minnesota, clocked an event record 1:05:44 to best Duluth's Eric Hartmark (1:06:32) and countryman Richand Kandie (1:08:16) for the men's title.

Team USA Minnesota's McGregor ran a women's record-setting 1:15:00 on the course that started at St Anthony Main and followed the Mississippi River and Minnehaha Creek to the finish at Lake Nokomis.

Former teammate Michelle Frey finished runner-up in 1:15:54. St. Olaf College alumnus Jenna Boren clocked 1:17:11 for third.

Find complete results of the race HERE.