HS Boys 2012 and All-Time Lists: 200 Meters

 Installment number two from  brother duo of Bill and Tim Miles -- coaches at Wayzata High School and St. John's University, respectively, is here with the 200 Meters.

2012 BESTS
21.84    Elvis Barclay    11    Roseville Area
21.88    David Shadduck    12    Spring Lake Park / St. Anthony         
21.89    Keelon Brookins    11    Tartan
21.94    Cole Boughner    12    Anoka
22.00    D’Monte Farley    12    Park
22.01    Akeem Sirleaf    9    North St. Paul
22.08    Tyler Beehler    10    Foley
22.10    Emmanuel Egbujor    11    Champlin Park
22.10    Patrick Mendin    11    Blaine
22.10    Alex Wagner    12    Totino-Grace
[10]
22.11    Nate Roese    11    East Ridge
22.11    Joe Sando    11    Champlin Park
22.13    Riwan Alowonle    12    Park
21.9    Dominic Jones    12    Fergus Falls
22.16    Tyler Olson    11    Buffalo
22.17    Quentin Mann    12    North St. Paul
22.21    Travion Clark    11    Winona
22.23    Jared Schmit    11    Totino-Grace
22.25    Travis Griffin    12    North St. Paul
22.25    Jeffrey Borchardt    11    Wayzata
[20]
22.28    Thomas Tyson    12    Forest Lake
22.29    Adam Drenckhahn    12    Caledonia / Spring Grove / M-C
22.30    Shaheed Hickman    10    Hopkins
22.31    Michael Whitney    11    Breckenridge / Campbell-Tintah
22.33    Ben Nyers    12    Mankato East
22.33    Quinton Coleman    12    Duluth East
22.35    Rich Carr    11    Forest Lake
22.37    LeAndre Kennedy    12    Eastview
22.38    Wesley DeLong    12    Pillager
22.40     Ayuk Tambe    12    Blaine
[30]
22.43    Jake Disterhaupt    11    Moose Lake / Willow River
22.2    Ryan Queenan    11    Robbinsdale Armstrong
22.44    Blake Johnson    12    Kenyon-Wanamingo
22.45    Kendall Strandlund    11    Christ’s Household of Faith
22.47    James Kruse    11    Irondale
22.48    Michael Smith    10    Wayzata
22.49    Brandon Bell    11    Bloomington Kennedy
22.50    Odell Howard    10    Fridley
22.53    Bo Biever    11    Luverne
22.54    Trevor Simanski    11    White Bear Lake
[40]
22.54    Kweku Kwabi    12    Champlin Park
22.56    Jacob Kearin    12    Owatonna
22.56    Javon Snelson    12    Benilde-St. Margaret
22.60    David Paynotta    12    Hinckley-Finlayson
22.64    Paul Akintade    11    St. Paul Highland Park
22.64    James McFarlin    12    Minnetonka
22.68    Ben Schreiner    12    Chisholm
22.71    Zachary Shetka    12    New Prague
22.71    Ralph Welwean    12    Hopkins
22.72    Derek Toso    12    Little Falls
[50]
22.73    Rashawn Fountain    12    Eden Prairie
22.5    Jacob Olson    12    Blue Earth Area
22.75    Jonah Remker    11    Owatonna
22.75    Nate Ricci    11    Stillwater Area
22.75    Chris Larson    10    Andover
22.75    Mitch Sella    11    Virginia
22.76    Met Hines    12    Eden Prairie
22.77    Festus Lamin    11    Roseville Area
22.78    Josh Cisar    12    Moose Lake / Willow Rive   
22.82    Brian Huber    11    Staples-Motley
[60]
22.6    Nick Beattie    11    Blue Earth Area
22.84    Jack Thony    11    Murray County Central
22.86    KeAndre Singleton    11    Minnetonka
22.86    Brady Anderson    10    Moorhead
22.86    Ryan Hutton    12    Thief River Falls
22.87    Rodney Smith    12    Stewartville
22.88    Quinn Hooks    11    Apple Valley
22.89    Austin Salargo    12    Hopkins
22.89    Kane Carstens    10    Rochester Lourdes
22.90    Karl Olsen    10    Bloomington Jefferson
[70]
22.90    Bennett Celichowski    11    Minnetonka
22.92    Andrew Anyaogu    10    Lakeville North
22.92    Zach Roy    12    Andover
22.92    Frank DeLuca    10    Proctor
22.93    Jordan Charles    12    Apple Valley
22.94    Tristan Lawrence    12    Tartan
22.94    Daireus Mock    9    Columbia Heights
22.7    Kevin Salveson    12    Maple Lake
22.95    Eric Karsten    11    Rochester Mayo
22.95    D.J. Cline    12    Ottertail Central
 [80]
2012 STATE MEET CLASS AA
Wind: +4.4 m/s (aided)
1 Keelon Brookins, 11, Tartan                          21.90
2 Cole Boughner, 12, Anoka                             22.06
3 Patrick Mendin, 11, Blaine                           22.10
4 Nathan Roese, 11, East Ridge                         22.15
5 Alex Wagner, 12, Totino-Grace                       22.17
6 Tyler Olson, 11, Buffalo                             22.25
7 Quentin Mann, 12, North                              22.34
8 Dmonte Farley, 12, Park Cottage Grove                22.47
   Elvis Barclay, 11, Roseville Area                       DQ

2012 STATE MEET CLASS A
Wind: +2.0 m/s
1 Michael Whitney, 11, Breckenrdge/Camp-Tint       22.31
2 Tyler Beehler, 10, Foley                              22.40
3 Adam Drenckhahn, 12, Caledonia/SpringGrove    22.54
4 Wesley DeLong, 12, Pillager                           22.65 
5 Blake Johnson, 12, Kenyon-Wanamingo              22.73
6 Jake Disterhaupt, 11, Moose Lk/Willow River       22.76
7 Kendall Strandlund, 11, Christ's Hhold Faith          22.79
8 Mitchell Sella, 11, Virginia                          22.85
9 David Paynotta, 12, Hinckley-Finlayson                23.12

200 METER ALL TIME BESTS
20.92    Jon Boyd, Mankato East  2004
20.96    Ibrahim Kabia, Champlin Park  2004
21.22    Jerry Burch, Cretin-Derham Hall 1998
21.0    Mark Lutz, Rochester Mayo  1969 (21.1y)
21.24    Devin Crawford-Tufts, Edina  2010
21.27    Robb Merritt, Hopkins  2001
21.30    Tim Whitney, St. Paul Arlington 1998
21.42    B.J. Otto, Hill-Murray  2007
21.43    Jerrell Hancock, Anoka  2007
21.49    Jay Thomas, Tartan  2004
[10]
21.54    Cameron Boy, Jordan  2009
21.56    Richard Wilhite, Robbinsdale Cooper  2009
21.57    Jason Bruce, Burnsville  1984
21.57    Emmanuel Matadi, St. Paul Johnson  2009
21.59    Antwon Simmons, Minneapolis North  2003
21.64    Lee Dhein, St. Cloud Tech  2009
21.65    Bob Ewings, Forest Lake  1993
21.66    Lamonta Bronaugh, Burnsville 1999
21.66    Trent Holewa, Maple Grove  2010
21.70    Jeff Tarnowski, Wayzata  1995
[20]
21.72    Joe Hemberger, Park  1988
21.72    Melvin Carter, St. Paul Central  1997
21.5    Billy Nadeau, Hibbing  1927 (21.6y)
21.5    Randy Melbourne, Minneapolis Washburn  1993
21.74    Sean King, St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall  2007
21.75    Tim VanVoorhis, Apple Valley  1993
21.75    Jeremy Heckman, Centennial  1997
21.76    Josh Wilske, Lakeville  1997
21.76    Jacob Capek, Rochester John Marshall  2009
21.77    Adam Freed, Duluth Marshall  1996
[30]
21.77    Rolando Peco, Duluth Central  2000
21.77    Shayne Shaw, Eastview  2003
21.77    Brock Keaton, Hopkins  2007
21.77    ChiChi Ojika, Irondale  2009
21.79    Demetre Martin, Minneapolis Henry  1987
21.79    Richard Lewis, St. Paul Highland Park 1998
21.79    Joshua Jackson, Farmington  2009
21.80    Matt Schroeder, Totino-Grace  2010
21.82    Jeff Byrd, Minneapolis Central  1979
21.82    Nick Herold, North St. Paul  2006
[40]
21.83    Jason Erickson, Alexandria  2001
21.6    Paul Bearman, St Louis Park  1967 (21.7y)
21.6    Mike Keenan, Glencoe  1976 (21.7y)
21.6    Paul Otto, Edina East  1977 (21.7y)
21.6    Ryan Lamppa, Benson  1977 (21.7y)
21.6    Bob Sobieck, Alexander Ramsey  1981
21.6    Tracy Martin, Brooklyn Center  1983
21.6    Jason Crocker, Minnehaha Academy  1985
21.6    Todd Haferman, Prior Lake  1988
21.84    Pat Schottel, Roseville Area 1999
[50]
21.6    Brandon Smith, New London-Spicer  2000
21.6    Jerald Burton, Osseo  2003
21.6    Cory Johnson, Moorhead  2004
21.84    Andrew Lewis, St. Paul Central/Open  2010
21.84    Elvis Barclay, Roseville Area  2012
21.85    Lorenzo Martin, Minneapolis Roosevelt  1984
21.85    Rhashidi VanLeer, Woodbury  1995
21.86    Stan McClure, Hopkins  1986
21.88    Andre Billups, St. Paul Central  1979
21.85    Calvin Clark, St. Paul Humboldt  2011
[60]

21.88    David Shadduck, Spring Lake Park / St. Anthony  2012
21.89    Rich Kleber, Northfield  1983
21.89    Victor Oseko, Hopkins  2010
21.89    Keelon Brookins, Tartan  2012
21.90    Scott Beadle, Moorhead  1992
21.90    Greg VanLeer, Woodbury  1993
21.90    Tom Gerding, Waconia  1997
21.90    Jamar Stromberg, Minneapolis Henry  2000
21.91    John Shevlin, Eastview  2002
21.91    Tyler Key, Apple Valley  2007
[70]
21.92    Matt Skulborstad, Rosemount  1995
21.92    Austin Eliason, Rosemount  2009
21.93    Jordan Wilkie, Eagan  2001
21.93    Joe Rancourt, Faribault  2007
21.7    Elwin Burditte, Minnetonka  1976 (21.8y)
21.7    Steve Makie, Eden Prairie  1977 (21.8y)
21.7    Bob Galle, Rosemount  1983
21.7    Garrett Veal, Buffalo  1991
21.94    Justin Suss, Lakeville   2005
21.7    Joe Clark, Rochester Century   2005
[80]
21.7    Clarence Suttle, St. Paul Johnson  2007
21.94    Cole Boughner, Anoka  2012
21.95    Matt Taylor, Duluth East 1998
21.95    Matthew Shannon, Minneapolis Washburn  2000
21.95    Wade Lescault, Minneapolis Roosevelt  2003
21.95    Jeff Brunette, Mounds View  2007
21.95    Chris Anderson, Duluth Central  2007
21.96    Venus Griffin, North St. Paul  2002
21.97    Neuby Ras, Alexandria 1998
21.97    George Dudley, Hopkins  2007
[90]
21.98    Dave Guinn, Bloom Jefferson  1978 (22.11y)
21.98    Frank Falzone, Stillwater  2009
21.98    Nichola Pfeifle, Southwest Minnesota Christian  2009
21.99    Kamiba Polk, Champlin Park  1998
21.99    Patrick Menden, Blaine  2010
22.00    Cassidy Glad, Rocori  2001
22.00    Jonathan Thompson, St. Louis Park  2002
22.00    Andrew Hausmann, Rosemount  2011
22.00    D’Monte Farley, Park  2012
22.01    Carl McCullough, Cretin-DH  1992
[100]
22.01    James Butler, Tartan  2009
22.01    Christian Scapanski, Foley  2010
22.01    Akeem Sirleaf, North St. Paul  2012

220 yards on straight:  
20.7  Mark Lutz, Roch Mayo 1970

JUNIOR BESTS
21.0    Mark Lutz, Rochester Mayo  1969 (21.1y)
21.24    Devin Crawford-Tufts, Edina  2010
21.30    Tim Whitney, St Paul Arlington  1998
21.49    Jay Thomas, Tartan  2004
21.52    Jon Boyd, Mankato East  2005
21.56    Richard Wilhite, Robbinsdale Cooper  2009
21.63    Jerry Burch, Cretin-DH  1997
21.65    Ibrahim Kabia, Champlin Park 2003
21.66    Lamonta Bronaugh, Burnsville  1999
21.70    Jeff Tarnowski, Wayzata  1995

SOPHOMORE BESTS
20.92    Jon Boyd, Mankato East  2004
21.77    Rolando Peco, Duluth Central  2000
21.83    Jason Erickson, Alexandria  2001
21.84    Jerry Burch, Cretin-Derham Hall  1996
21.86    Joe Hemberger, Park  1987
22.00    Jonathan Thompson, St. Louis Park  2002
21.8    Leo Bond, Faribault Schl for the Deaf  1971 (21.9y)
21.8    Jeff Byrd, Minneapolis Central  1978 (21.9y)
22.04    Andrew Lewis, St. Paul Central  2009
22.06    Calvin Clark, Henry Sibley  2009

FRESHMAN BESTS
21.60    Jon Boyd, Mankato East  2003
21.88    Calvin Clark, Henry Sibley  2008
21.99    Patrick Mendin, Blaine  2010
22.01    Akeem Sirleaf, North St. Paul  2012
22.29    Jason Williams, Minneapolis Washburn  2010
22.40    Jason Miller, Mahnomen  1990
22.43    Chuck Harris, Minnetonka  1992
22.2    Jeff Byrd, Minneapolis Central  1977 (22.3y)
22.63    Adrian Perryman, St. Paul Central  2000
22.64    Charlie Lenn, Pine Island  1996
22.5    Andrew Lewis, St. Paul Central  2008

NCAA DIII Results

The St. Thomas women finished 18th  with 11 points on Saturday at the NCAA Diviison III Indoor Track and Field Championships in Naperville, IL.  Hamline was tied for 23rd with eight points, and Concordia-Moorhead finished 37th with five points.  For the men Gustavus and St. Thomas tied for 21st with eight points.  Bethel was 45th with three points.

St. Thomas' Taylor Berg placed fourth in the 5K in 17:03.43 with temamate Erin Statz finishing 12th in 17:31.19.   The Tommie women's  4x400 relay of  Angela and Erica Timm, Kayla Goeman, and Emily Van Heel was eighth in 3:52.16.  For the men, St. Thomas' Maxwell Dunne took fourth in the heptathlon in 5,051 points, while Gustavus' Cameron Clause in fifth in 4912 points, and the Tommies Gavin Yseth finished 12th with 4.605 points. Bethel's Zach Haskins was sixth in the Mile in 4:12.07. The Tommies Eyo Ekpo placed sixth in the triple jump with a leap of  48' 4.75".  Full results are HERE. 

MSU Mankato Men Finish Fifth in NCAA DII Indoor Track Champs; U-Mary Women are Ninth

The MSU Mankato men scored 31 points to finish fifth in the NCAA DII Indoor Track Championships this weekend in Birmingham, AL.  MSU Moorhead finished 28th with seven points.   U- Mary was ninth with 25 points in the women's competition with UM Duluth scoring three points to finish 39th and the MSU Mankato women with two points in 45th.

U-Mary's Melissa Agnew won the mile in 4:46.94.  MSU Mankato's Jerrell Hancock was runner-up in the 200 in 21.17, while MSU Moorhead's Derek Bredy finished fourth in the 200 in 21.39 and seventh in the 400 in 47.86.  Bredy also led off the Moorehead 4 by 400 relay team that finished 11th.  Christopher Reed of MSU Mankato was second in the shot with a toss of 18.41m(60' 5"), and the Winona State women's 4 by 400 relay team finished 12th in 3:48.73.  Full Results are available for all three days of the competition at the main results page HERE.

USA 15K Championship Results

Team USA Minnesota's Ladia Albertson-Junkans finished 11th in 51:23 in the wormen's race in at the USATF 15K Championships in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday. Katie McGregor was 14th in 51:37. Team USA Minnesota's Meghan Peyton was 16th in 52:05, Jamie Cheever was 17th in 52:11, and McKenzie Melander was 20th in 52:26.

Ben Sathre finished 23rd in the men's race in 45:12.  Team USA Minnesota's Jon Peterson was 31st in 45:49. 53-year-old Masters runner Paul Giannobile finished 111th overall in 54:09.  Full results are HERE.

Gopher Men Finish tied for Twelvth at NCAAs

The University of Minnesota men's team finished 12th at the NCAA DI Indoor Track Championships. Miler John Simons, Weight Thrower Jon Lehman, and 800 runner Harun Abda all placed fifth in their events to vault the Gopher men into seventh place after fourteen events at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track Championships Saturday in Fayetteville, AK.  Simons ran his second sub four minute mile in two weeks to finish in 3:59.74(Final results with splits are HERE).  Lehman  threw 21.35m(70' .5") on his second throw(full results are HERE..  Teammate Micah Hegerle threw 20.19m(66' 3") on his second throw, but only the top nine throwers advanced to the final round and Hegerle was 12th. Abda ran 1:48.24(Full results and splits are HERE.). The Gopher 4 by 400 relay finished 12th in 3:08.65. Relay results are HERE.

Minnesota Daily pre-meet story on Harun Abda is HERE.

NCAA DIII Day One Results

The St. Thomas women finished fourth in the Distance Medley Relay on Friday at the NCAA DIII Indoor Track Championships in Napville, IL in 11:37.96.  Hamline's Shawny Kramer finished fifth in the weight throw with a season's best toss of 17.60m(57' 9").  Concordia Moorhead's Kaari Jensen was 13th in the Penthalon with 3,246 points.

For the men, St. Thomas' Maxwell Dunne is second in the Heptathlon after the first day of competition with 2,817 points,  Cameron Clause of Gustavus is 11th with 2530, and St. Thomas' Gavin Yseth is 12th with 2511. Gustavus' Josh Owens finished fourth in the pole vault with a height of 4.89m(16' .5")Bethel's Zach Haskins qualified for the mile finals on time, running 4:14.32 in the second heat.

Full Day One results are HERE.

MIAC Indoor Track Awards for 2013

St. Thomas' Eyo Ekpo closed his  MIAC Indoor career by claiming his fourth-straight Outstanding Men's Field Athlete honor thanks to his three first-place finishes in the jumping events. Teammate Gavin Yseth was honored with the Men's Outstanding Performance-of-the-Meet award for his win in the heptathlon. Bethel distance runner Zack Haskins was selected for the Outstanding Men's Track Athlete award and St. Olaf Head Coach Phil Lundin received the Men's Coach-of-the-Year award.

In addition, the top three individuals in each event and the first-place relay team automatically received All-Conference honors, and the fourth- through sixth-place finishers in each open event and second- through sixth-place relay teams were named All-Conference Honorable Mention. They can be viewed in the final results from the 2013 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships.

As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC selected the seventh annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for Men's Indoor Track & Field. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.

2013 MIAC Men's Indoor Track and Field Awards

Outstanding Men's Track Athlete - Zach Haskins, Bethel
- Haskins (Jr., Maple Grove, Minn.) won two events at the conference championships and was second in another.  Haskins will compete in the mile this weekend at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships.

Outstanding Men's Field Athlete - Eyo Ekpo, St. Thomas
- Ekpo (Sr., Andover, Minn.) made it a clean sweep of the league's top indoor field honor, winning Outstanding Men's Field Athlete honors for the fourth season in a row. This weekend, Ekpo will compete in the triple jump in the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships.

Men's Outstanding Performance-of-the-Meet - Gavin Yseth, St. Thomas, Heptathlon
- Yseth (Sr., St. Francis, Minn.) earned the Men's Outstanding Performance-of-the-Meet award thanks to the combination of his performances in seven different events. Yseth's won his second-straight MIAC Indoor title in the heptathlon, and he will compete in the event this weekend at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships.

Men's Coach-of-the-Year - Phil Lundin, St. Olaf
- Lundin (Fifth season) received his second MIAC Coach-of-the-Year honor after also earning the award following the cross country season in the fall. Lundin has now won three MIAC coaching honors in his five years leading the Oles in addition to the numerous Big Ten honors he received while coaching the University of Minnesota. Lundin's team turned it its best MIAC Indoor performance of his five-year tenure on its home track last weekend with a second-place showing behind St. Thomas. Lundin coached five individual MIAC Indoor champions last weekend, as well as eight All-Conference selections and seven All-Conference Honorable Mention honorees.

2013 Men's Indoor Track All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team
Augsburg - Luke Iverson (So., Maple Grove, Minn.)
Bethel - Gavin Woodland (Sr., Waconia, Minn.)
Carleton - C.J. Dale (Jr., Fox Island, Wash./Charles Wright Academy)
Concordia - Erik Olson (Sr., Buffalo, Minn.)
Gustavus - Jeffrey Dubose (Jr., St. Paul, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran)
Hamline - Steve Ducatelli (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview)
Macalester - Tom Eich (So., Walkerton, Ind./John Glenn)
Saint John's - Jack Hedlund (Sr., St. Augusta, Minn./St. Cloud Tech)
Saint Mary's - Ryan Winegardner (Sr., Northfield, Minn.)
St. Olaf - Aron Block (Sr., Greenbay, Wis./East)
St. Thomas - Devin Dirth (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.)

NCAA DII Day One Results

Thanks to a 4:43 anchor leg by Melissa Agnew, U-Mary won the women's Distance Medley Relay at the NCAA DII Indoor Championships on Friday.  The U-Mary team of Dakota Wold, Kathryn Stewart, Brienna Lynch and Agnew were timed in 11:28.92.  Full DMR results are HERE. U-Mary's Jennifer Agnew was fifth in the 5K in 16:45.71.  Full 5K results are HERE. MS Mankato's Faryn Wirkus finished seventh in the NCAA Division II  indoor pole vault clearing  3.85m(12' 7.5"). Full PV results are HERE. Winona State's Alissa Rausch was seventh in the shot with a  toss of 14.36m(47' 1.5"), and MSU Moorehead's Heather Schultz was 17th in 13.09(42' 11.5").  Full shot results are HERE. University of Minnesota Duluth's Chanel Miller finished 14th in the long jump with a leap of 5.57m(18' 3.25").  U-Mary's Melissa Walker was 11th with 5.75m(18' 10.5").  Full LJ results are HERE. U-Mary is fourth in the team standings after 6 of 17 events.

In men's events MS Mankato's Keyvnn Rudd no heighted in the high jump.

Gopher DMR takes Third; Simons Makes NCAA Mile Final; Abda Qualifies in the 800

The University of Minnesota Distance Medley Relay finished third in the NCAA DI Indoor Track Championshps on Friday in 9:34.3.  Full results for the DMR is HERE. Slits are HERE.

John Simons made the final of the men's mile running 4:00.47 to finish six in the first heat. Simons qualified on time as the top four in each heat advanced with the two fastest remaining grabbing the last two spots. Results including splits for Simons' heat are HERE.

Arizona's Lawi Lalang led the entire way, winning the heat in 3:58.52.  Simons was in fourth until the final lap when he was outkicked by Stanford's Tyler Stutzman and Wisconsin's Christopher Fallon, but Simons' time got him into the final as the second heat was won in 4:01.67 with fifth, the first non-automatic qualifying spot,  was 4:02.18.  Second heat splits are HERE.

Harun Abda finished third in the first heat of the 800 prelims in 1:48.65 to automatically qualify for the final. Heat one splits are HERE.

Five Team USA Minnesota Runners Will Participate in the US 15K Championships This Weekend

Defending champions Janet Bawcom and Mohamed  Trafeh lead strong fields chasing after $53,000 in prize money at the US 15K Championships hosted by the Gate River Run this Saturday in Jacksonville, FL. The event is the second stop on the USA Running Circuit, which will conclude this fall with the US National Road Racing Championships. The top ten finishers at each race on the circuit qualify to compete in the .US National Road Racing Championships. Bawcom and Trafeh won their gender divisions in  first race in the series, the Medtronic Twin Cities 10-Mile in October of 2012.

Five Team USA Minnesota distance runners will be running. Meghan Peyton will be making her fifth appearance at Gate River.  She has a best in the 15K of 51:18 and has finished as high as fifth in the championships.  She will lead her teammates – Jamie Cheever,McKenzie Melander, Ladia Albertson-Junkans and Jon Peterson – who will each be making their first trip to Jacksonville.

Live text updates of the race will be available at www.USARunningCircuit.com  beginning at 8:20 a.m. ET.  Video of the race, post-race interviews and photos will be available shortly after the race in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com. Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #USARC

John Simons Joins the Sub-Four Club

John Simons(9) running in the 2012 Griak Invitational XC meet
Photo by Gene Niemi

Last weekend at Notre Dame, the Gophers' John Simmons joined an exclusive club by running a sub four minute mile(Simons is the 397th US runner to break 4 minutes in the mile).  As an added bonus the result qualified him for this weekend's NCAA DI championships.  Below Simons talks about high school, his route to the University of Minnesota, and the magical sub-four.

Down the Backstretch:  In a Minnesota Daily story during XC season said that you didn’t believe you were good enough to run at the “Big Ten level” when you graduated from high school.  Why was that?  What was your high school career like?  When did you begin to believe you could compete at a higher level?

John Simons: My high school career was a lot like my current college career, I was a developmental athlete that improved my times and placements every season.  It wasn’t until the end of my senior year in track that I finally performed well at a State meet (1:57/4:17/9:15).  Unfortunately for me, I made a name for myself a little too late.  

Most Division I schools had already signed their incoming classes and were out of room.  Before the State  meet, I was 99% sure I was going to run at UW-Oshkosh, and after that meet I found myself signing the dotted line with UW-Milwaukee, a mid-major Division I school.  It was good for me, I wasn’t ready to sit out a year and double my mileage at a Big Ten school right away.  

Milwaukee gave me a second chance to audition for a Big Ten school, and I really took advantage of that.  I knew I was Big Ten ready after I ran a very strong 5K/3K double at the Horizon League Indoor Championships, which finally gave me the resume to step up to Minnesota.

DtB:  In the Daily interview you also said: “I came to this university because I wanted to make a national team. That was the specific goal — running against the best in the country. It’s been a goal that’s eluded me for three years, so it has had its ups and downs. But I feel like this is finally the year where it’s the breakout, and I get to make nationals.” You did that last weekend.  How does it feel to achieve that long term goal?

JS: It just feels so amazing, I couldn’t be happier!  It’s been a long time coming, but it’s been worth the wait.   Of all the events I could qualify for the national meet in, I never expected that I would make my first meet in the mile, because I haven’t even been focusing on it this year.  Hopefully this means Coach Plaz won’t move me up to the 10K now!

DtB:  There was a photo of you—I wasn’t sure if it was from last weekend—where you were crossing the finish line and had the “Jenny Simpson look,” sort of shock and happiness in the same expression.  Was that from last weekend, and if so were you reacting to the fact you had just run sub-4?  Did you know you had to run sub-4 to make nationals in the event?  What did you think you were capable of running?

JS: Yes, that photo was from my race this past weekend.  I was just in total shock from having broken 4-minutes in the mile!  Originally, the goal of this last chance mile was to get a PR and work on some speed for the outdoor season.  I have been exclusively training for the 3K and 5K this spring, so I was just hoping I could run 4:02 or 4:03.  

For me, going sub-4 was unlikely and making it to the national meet wasn’t even a rational thought, so you can imagine the excitement I was experiencing as I crossed the line, having successfully broken the 4-minute barrier.  It was unbelievable!!

DtB:  The top three qualifiers in the mile have qualifying times about three seconds faster than the rest of the field, which is pretty closely matched within two seconds of one another.  What sort of expectations do you have going into NCAAs?  Now that you’ve made it to “the dance,” what sort of impact do you hope to make?

JS: I am a very goal oriented and competitive guy, so now that I’ve made it to “the dance” I expect myself to compete for a spot in the finals.  At this point, I’ve got nothing to lose, so I’m going to stick my nose in there and see what I’m made of.  I think I have a legitimate shot at making the final, if I do, I would love to come away from Fayetteville with a First-Team All-American honor.

DtB:  You’ve had injuries and setbacks that kept you from your goals, how did you cope with the roadblocks?  Why did you feel you were ready for “the breakout” this year?

JS: Yes, I’ve had some stops in training due to injuries, but I’ve been able to bounce back quickly from most of them because I have stayed focused on my goals and diligent with my rehab exercises.  It’s hard to point at just one factor that showed me I was ready for a breakout year.  It was the culmination of some maturing factors like:  age, experience, staying healthy, and adding more volume, that told me I could make a serious jump, and right now it feels really good to see all my hard work paying off!

Gopher Men's Recruits for 2013-14

The Minnesota men’s track and field has signed 12 prep student-athletes including seven state champions to National Letters of Intent this season.  Joining the Gophers next season will be  Bryan Bjerk, Jordan Charles, Eric Colvin, Trenton Daniels, Wayde Hall, Bradley Johnson, Charles Lawrence, Brad Neumann, Nathan Roese, Luca Weiland, Matthew Welch and Bradley Woodford.

“We’re very pleased with this recruiting class, and we have high expectations for what they can achieve at the college level,” Minnesota director of track and field and cross country Steve Plasencia said. “Each member of this class had an outstanding high school career, and we are excited to have them join us at the University of Minnesota.”

Bryan Bjerk

Grand Forks, N.D. | Red River High School | Throws

A native of Grand Forks, N.D., Bryan Bjerk entered the season as the top- ranked returning discus thrower in the nation and holds the North Dakota all-time state record in the event at 198-01 ft. Bjerk won the 2012 North Dakota State Track and Field title in the discus with a throw of 192-08 – setting a meet record with the winning throw – and also won the 2011 USA Track and Field Junior Olympics national title in the discus. Currently enrolled at Red River High School and competing for head track and field coach Bob Zimney, Bjerk was also a First Team All-State lineman in 2012 and won a state title as the No. 1 ranked heavyweight wrestler in the state of North Dakota this year.

Jordan Charles

Apple Valley, Minn. | Apple Valley High School | Jumps

A native of Apple Valley, Minn., Jordan Charles is slated to focus on jumps with the Gophers starting in 2013-14. Charles set a personal record at the 2012 Minnesota State Track and Field Meet with a triple jump of 46-01 ft., placing second in the event and later went on to win the event at the USA Track and Field Region 8 Junior Olympics with a leap of 46-00 ft. Charles also set a personal record in the 200 meters at the event with a time of 22.52. Currently enrolled at Apple Valley High School and competing for head coach Rodney Dirth, Charles won the 2012 Minnesota Section AAA triple jump at 43-09 ft. and also set a personal record in the meet’s long jump at 20-04 1/2 ft. Charles also competed in hockey and soccer for Apple Valley and helped the soccer program capture the 2012 Minnesota Class AA state title.

Eric Colvin

Stillwater, Minn. | Stillwater Area High School | Distance

A native of Stillwater, Minn., Eric Colvin joins the Gophers after helping Stillwater Area High School to back-to-back  Minnesota Class AA cross country state titles in 2011-12. The Ponies distance runner posted back-to-back top-10 finishes at the state cross country meet in his junior and senior season including a ninth-place finish as a senior in 2012. Following his prep season, Colvin qualified for the Nike National Cross Country Championships in Portland – his second-straight season in the event after competing with Stillwater in 2011. As a junior on the track, Colvin won the Suburban East Conference 3,200 meter championship with a personal record of 9:16.67 after winning the event at the 2012 True Team State Meet six days earlier. Stillwater would go on to capture the 2011 Minnesota State AA State Championship. The future Gopher competed for head coach Scott Christensen while with the Ponies and was high school teammates with fellow signee Wayde Hall.

Trenton Daniels

Brookfield, Wis. | Brookfield East High School | Mid-Distance

A native of Brookfield, Wis., Trenton Daniels helped Brookfield East High School to back-to-back Wisconsin state track and field titles in 2011 and 2012. Daniels placed fifth in 2011 and fourth in 2012 in the 400-meter dash at the state meet. He also was a state place-winner in both the 1,600 and 3,200 relays at the 2012 state meet. Daniels ran a personal-best time last year of 1:53.59 in the 800-meter run.  Daniels ran under head track and field coach Mike Steiner. The future Gopher also helped Brookfield East to its third-straight Wisconsin state soccer appearance and earned second team all-conference honors.

Wayde Hall

Stillwater, Minn. | Stillwater Area High School | Distance

The Gophers have signed the 2012 Minnesota Class 2AA State Individual Champion in Stillwater, Minn., native Wayde Hall. The distance runner helped Stillwater to back-to-back state titles after pacing the 2012 meet with a winning time of 15:21.00. The senior earned a total seven individual titles in 2012 including top honors at the 2012 Suburban East Conference Championships and the 2012 Minnesota Section 4AA Championships. Hall set a personal record in the 5,000 meters as a senior with a time of 15:14.70 in a first-place performance at the Faribault Invitational. As a junior on the track, Hall set personal records in the 3,200-meter run (9:19.68) and the 1,600-meter run (4:14.58) at the 2012 Minnesota State Track and Field Meet, placing third in both events. A runner for Stillwater head coach Scott Christensen, Hall also competed in wrestling for the Ponies. Hall prepped with fellow Gopher signee Eric Colvin.

Bradley Johnson

Brookfield, Wis. | Brookfield East High School | Mid-Distance

A native of Brookfield, Wis., Bradley Johnson will joins the Gophers after a prep career at Brookfield East High School under head cross country coach Randy Bucheger and head track and field coach Mike Steiner. With the Spartans, Johnson won the 2012 Wisconsin state title in the 800-meter run and was also a state place winner last year in both the 1,600 and 3,200 relays. His time of 1:51.43 in the 800-meter run currently stands as the fourth best all-time in Wisconsin history. The four-year letter winner helped Brookfield East to back-to-back track and field state titles in 2011 and 2012.  Johnson prepped with fellow Gopher signee Trenton Daniels at Brookfield East.

Charles Lawrence

Foley, Minn. | Foley High School | Distance

A native of Foley, Minn., Charles Lawrence joins the Gophers after concluding his prep career with a back-to-back top-five finishes at the state championships including the 2012 Minnesota State Class A 3,200 Meter State title. Lawrence was a two-time all-state honoree at Foley High School. With the Falcons, Lawrence has been guided by head track and field coach David Dahlstrom and head cross country coach Mona Bommersbach.

Brad Neumann

Peshtigo, Wis. | Peshtigo High School | Mid-Distance

The 2012 Wisconsin state champion in the 100-meters joins the Gophers next season as Peshtigo, Wis., native Brad Neumann has signed a National Letter of Intent and will enroll at the University of Minnesota. Neumann set a personal record (10.76) in the 100-meters in the prelims at the 2012 WIAA D2 State Meet before coming back to win the event in the finals at 10.88. Neumann has collected a total of four top-five finishes at the state meet level with fifth-place finishes in the 100-meters and the 200-meters as a junior in 2011 and a fifth-place finish in the 100-meters in 2010. The senior competed under Peshtigo head track and field coach Rick Neumann.

Nathan Roese

Woodbury, Minn. | East Ridge High School | Mid-Distance

A native of Woodbury, Minn., Nathan Roese is set to join the Maroon and Gold after earning the 2012 Minnesota Class AA State Title in the 400-meter dash (47.79) for East Ridge High School. Roese also added a fourth-place finish at the state track and field meet in the 200-meter run with a time of 22.15. Both times were season records for the Raptors runner. Roese’s prep career, which includes a pair of all-state honors, was guided by East Ridge head track and field coach and former Gopher runner Lloyd Ness and sprinting coach Shannon Rainey. Roese also competed in cross country for the Raptors under head coach Chad Cronin.

Luca Weiland

Berlin, Germany | Gymnasium Rotenbuhl Saarbrucken | Multi-Events

The Gophers’ lone non-North American signee this season, Weiland joins the Gophers after competing with Gymnasium Rotenbuhl Saarbrucken in Berlin, Germany. A decathlete with personal-best score of 7,090 in the event, Weiland’s personal records include a long jump of 7.38 meters, a high jump of 1.93 meters, a pole vault of 4.10 meters, a javelin of 49.67 meters, a shot put of 13.82 meters and a discus throw of 42.32 meters. On the track, Weiland’s personal bests include a 100-meters of 10.95, a 400-meters of 52.14, and 110-meter hurdles time of 15.15 and a 1,500-meters of 5:04.00.

Matthew Welch

Duluth, Minn. | Proctor High School | Distance

A two-time First Team All-State honoree and the 2012 Minnesota State Cross Country champion, Matthew Welch has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete for the University of Minnesota starting in 2013-14 after completing his prep career at Proctor High School. Welch was named the 2012-13 Gatorade Minnesota Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year while also posting a pair of top-10 finishes at the 2012 Minnesota State Track and Field Meet including a second-place finish in the 3,200-meters. The senior also finished sixth in the 1,600-meters at the state meet last year after winning both the 1,600-meters and the 3,200-meters in the Minnesota Section 7A finals.  . Welch was guided in his prep career by head track and field coach Lowell Harnell at Proctor.

Bradley Woodford

Waukesha, Wis. | Waukesha South High School | Distance

A native of Waukesha, Wis., Bradley Woodford joins the Gophers after prepping for head cross country coach Darrell Gramdorf and head track and field coach Ken Sumbry. As a senior in 2012, Woodford posted a tenth-place finish at the Wisconsin State Cross Country Championships and has a personal record in the 5,000 meters of 15:39.79. In his final year of high school cross country competition, Woodford posted top-10 finishes in each of the six meets he raced in, including top honors at the Matt Hadler Memorial Invitational in his season debut. Woodford also posted a sixth-place finish at the Wisconsin state meet as a junior in 2011. On the track, Woodford set personal records in the 1,600-meter run (4:10.89) and the 3,200-meter run (9:20.29) at the 2012 WIAA Track and Field State Championships, finishing third and sixth, respectively. 

Pick Ten: NCAA Indoor Championships

National Meet weekend has arrived for the collegiate ranks.  The action starts on Thursday for NCAA DII athletes, with the Weight Throw competitions kicking off the events in Birmingham, Alabama.  NCAA DI and DIII Indoor Track and Field Championships will follow on Friday and Saturday, in Fayetteville, Arkansas (hosted by the University of Arkansas) and Naperville, Illinois, respectively.

For the third straight week, we will use the Pick Ten contest to break down the Indoor Championship meets.

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

For example: If you pick Becky Culp to place first in the shot put, and she places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Culp to place first and she finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Culp to finish third in the event and she places first, second or third, you get 6 points by the scoring system above, since she placed at least as high as you predicted.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...8th. Send your predictions by 6:25 P.M. CST on Friday, March 8th 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 2013.

Pick 10 ... NCAA Indoor Championships:

University of Minnesota Men - Distance Medley Relay (DI):
Micah Hegerle, University of Minnesota - Weight Throw (DI):
Jon Lehman, University of Minnesota - Weight Throw (DI):
University of Minnesota Men - 4 x 400 Meter Relay (DI):
Derek Bredy, MSU-Moorhead - 200 Meters (DII):
Jerrell Hancock, Minnesota State,Mankato -200 Meters (DII):
Christopher Reed, Minnesota State, Mankato - Shot Put (DII):
Becky Culp, Hamline - Shot Put (DIII):
Taylor Berg, St. Thomas - 5000 Meters (DIII):
University of St. Thomas Women - 4 x  400 Meter Relay (DIII):

Here is some information to help you with your picks:

Your one-stop shop for all the National Meet information is at the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Championships Central.  Here you will find entries, start lists, schedules, live results, history and more.

Straight from the heat sheets, here are your rankings for the athletes and teams in the Pick Ten:  Gopher DMR is 5th and Micah Hegerle - 6th and Jon Lehman 7th in the Weight Throw.  The Gopher 4x400 relay is ranked 6th.

In Division II, Derek Bredy and Jerrell Hancock are ranked 1st and 2nd in the 200 meters.  Hancock's teammate, Christopher Reed is ranked 3rd in the Shot Put.

Hamline's Becky Culp is ranked 5th in the Shot Put for Division III athletes.  Taylor Berg is 6th among 5000 meter athletes and her teammates at St. Thomas are in the 2nd slot in the 4x400 meter relay.

Good luck!

Last week's Pick Ten contest on the MIAC/USA Indoor Champs was won by Mike Henderson with 57 points followed by Dan Vogel with 54.  After two Pick Ten contests, the overall leaders are Jake Marotz and Mike Henderson tied with 78.  Over at the Yes/No contest, there are three tied for the lead with five points:  Dylan Dragswiek, Lori Anne Schwiesow and Dimitri Drekonja.

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

Sequestration Could Impact Grandma's Marathon

Sequestration impacts Grandma's. The story is HERE.

USTFCCCA Rankings; Regional Awards

The Gopher men rose from 18th to 13th in the final USTFCCCA Division I rankings this week. Full listing is HERE.

In DII MSU Mankato's men fell one spot to sixth, while MSU Moorhead dropped seven places to 24th.  In the women's rankings, U-Mary stayed at seventh. Full listing is HERE.

In DIII St. Thomas' men's team fell one place to 16th.  St. Thomas' women dropped five spots to 17th.  Full listing is HERE.

St. Olaf's Brian Saska was named the USTFCCCA Central Region men's indoor athlete of the year.  Saska's 4:09.64 time for the mile is the second fastest time in DIII. St. Thomas' Maxwell Dunne was selected as the 2013 Central Region male field athlete of the year. Dunne's 5,025 score in the heptathlon also ranks second in DIII. St. Thomas head coach Steve Mahre received the men's indoor coach of the year award as the Tommies won their 29th straight MIAC indoor title this year. The Tommies horizontal jumps and multi-events assistant coach Erik Diley was named men's indoor assistant coach of the year

St. Thomas' Taylor Berg won the DIII women's indoor track athlete of the year award. She won the mile and 1,000 to help the Tommie women win their 14th MIAC title and will be running in two events at the NCAA DIII championships.  Hamline's assistant coach for throws is the women's assistant coach of the year. Jones mentored two conference champions who will also be competing in the DIII nationals this weekend.

In Division I, former Gopher Beth Alford Sullivan, who is the Director and Head Coach for track and XC at Penn State, was named men's coach of the year.

Minnesota regional winners in DII are listed in another story HERE.

Gearing Up for Grandma's Seminar

Gearing Up for Grandma's, a pre-race seminar is set for  Saturday, March 23. This free event from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Essentia Health’s First Street Building features Michelle Frey, who finished third in the USA Half Marathon Championships held in Duluth last year. This personal best performance (1 hour, 11 minutes, 45 seconds) earned her a spot on the US team for the 2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Bulgaria.

Frey, 30, has a marathon best of 2:35:51 (2006 USA Marathon Championships) and is a two-time participant in the US Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials in (Boston – 2008, Houston – 2012). A seven-time state champion in track and cross-country at Iowa City High School, Frey attended the University of Wisconsin, where she earned All-Big Ten honors.

Other Gearing Up for Grandma’s presenters include:

Ben Nelson, MD – Grandma’s Marathon Medical Director and Essentia Health Orthopaedic/Sports Medicine Physician

Heather Pitschka, RD – Essentia Health Registered Dietitian

Jim and Mary Stukel – Owners of Tortoise and Hare Footwear

Following the individual presentations, a question and answer session will be held with all of the presenters. A prize drawing will conclude the event, which also includes Duluth News Tribune sports writer Kevin Pates serving as the emcee. For more information, call (218) 727-0947 or visit GrandmasMarathon.com.

NCAA DIII Qualifiers

The NCAA Division III qualifiers for the indoor nationals were announced on Tuesday.  Men's qualifiers, listed by event, are HERE.  Women HERE.

NCAA DII Qualifiers

NCAA Division II indoor championship qualifiers listed by team were announced yesterday.  Men's teams are listed HERE.  Women's HERE.  U-Mary has the most individuals entered in the women's competition with eight and one relay.  Winona State is next with three individuals and one relay, followed by UM Duluth with two entries, and MSU-Mankato and MSU Moorhead with one individual entrant each.  For the men, MSU Mankato has nine individuals entered.  MSU Moorhead has five individuals and one relay, and St. Cloud State has one individual entered.

NCAA DI Men's Qualifiers Announced

Nine members of the Minnesota men’s indoor track and field team have earned qualifying bids to this weekend’s 2013 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Complex in Fayetteville, AK.  Among Minnesota’s representatives for this year’s indoor championships is senior All-American Harun Abda, who will compete in three events this weekend – the distance medley relay, the 4x400 relay and the 800. Abda, Minnesota’s school record holder in the 800, earned a qualifying bid for the event with his winning time of 1:49.68 (adjusted to 1:48.14 for track size) at the Snowshoe Open earlier this season.

Minnesota’s distance medley relay team of Abda, Travis Burkstrand, Cameron Boy and Nick Hutton set a new Minnesota record of 9:29.22 last weekend at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, IN. The mark, which earned the Gophers’ foursome a trip to Fayetteville, ranks fifth in the nation this season.

Abda and Boy also make up half of the Gophers’ 4x400 relay team along with Goaner Deng and Jacob Capek. The relay team earned All-Big Ten honors and qualified for the national championship with a time of 3:07.19 at this year’s Big Ten indoor championships. Minnesota’s 4x400 relay mark ranks seventh in the nation.

John Simons ran just the second sub-four minute mile in Minnesota men’s indoor track and field history at the meet to qualify for this weekend’s event. Minnesota will also send a pair of throwers to Fayetteville--Jon Lehman and Micah Hegerle. The duo battled throughout the indoor season in the weight throw with Hegerle narrowly besting his teammate for Minnesota’s top performance in 2013. Hegerle’s throw of 21.84 meters (71' 8 ") at the Snowshoe Open marks the sixth best throw in the nation and just missed the senior’s school record. Lehman’s best of the season was not far behind, as the junior’s throw of 21.79 meters (71' 6") at the 2013 Big Ten Indoor Championships ranks seventh in the nation.

Full list of men's qualifiers is HERE. List of women's accepted qualifiers is HERE. No Gopher women made the list.  The Minnesota Daily story on the last chance qualifying attempts over the weekend is HERE. An interesting article on FloTrack about the impact of qualifying by time and the last weekend of "last chance" meets where teams went for broke to get an NCAA qualifying time is HERE. ESPN3 will stream the meet live on March 8 from 6:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. ET and March 9 from 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. ET. A tape delay of the championship will air Sunday, March 17 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

St. Scholastica, UM Morris Take One, Two in UMAC Men's and Women's Team Competition

A bit late on this one as the meet was February 23, but St. Scholastica swept both titles and all of the post-meet honors for the UMAC Indoor Championships.

Male Track Athlete of the Meet: Samora Johnson (St. Scholastica)	Female Track Athlete of the Meet: Laurel Ohaju (St. Scholastica)
Male Field Athlete of the Meet: Corey Anderson (St. Scholastica)	Female Field Athlete of the Meet: Becky Huberty (St. Scholastica)
Male Coach of the Year: Kirk Nauman (St. Scholastica)	Female Coach of the Year: Kirk Nauman (St. Scholastica)

Full results are HERE. 

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Seeking Global Heroes

 Medtronic, Inc. announced today it is recruiting runners from around the world who benefit from medical technology to participate in the eighth annual Medtronic Global Heroes program.  Up to 25 runners will be selected to receive a paid entry for themselves and a guest to the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon or the Medtronic TC 10 Mile and a travel package that includes airfare and accommodations for the Global Hero and guest.  The 31st Annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon weekend will take place October 4-6, 2013.

To apply or recommend someone to be a 2013 Medtronic Global Hero, visit medtronic.com/globalheroes.  The deadline for Global Hero applications is April 26, 2013. 

A cooperative effort between Twin Cities in Motion (organizers of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon) and Medtronic, the Global Heroes program recognizes runners from around the world who have a medical device.  All runners with eligible medical devices are welcome to apply, regardless of device manufacturer.

To qualify as a Global Hero, runners must currently be using a medical device therapy to treat the following disease categories: heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, spinal disorders, or neurological, gastroenterology and urological disorders. Eligible medical devices include any pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), any spinal device, any neurological device, any insulin pump, or any heart valve.

Runners will be chosen by a committee of Twin Cities in Motion. Certain conditions may apply and applicants must certify that they have discussed race participation with their physician.  

Smock, Leer Win National Championships

Amanda Smock in full flight winning the
triple jump. Photo by Randy Miyazaki

Amanda Smock hop, step, and jumped to another national championship in the triple jump on Sunday in the USATF Indoor Championships in New Mexico.  Smock dominated the competition, as any of her six jumps would have won the competition.  She went the furthest on her fifth jump, sailing 44' 9.5" to seal the win.

Smock was defending champion in the event, and was runner-up in 2011. She is the second athlete with Minnesota ties to win a 2013 USATF Indoor title, as Minnetonka High standout Will Leer won the men's 3K on Saturday and then doubled back on Sunday to win his second national title, this time in the mile in 3:58.79. Mile results are HERE. Triple jump results are HERE. AP story on Leer is HERE.

Will Leer(left) edges Craig Miller(lane 2) and Cory Leslie(lane 1) in the mile
to win his second USATF title. Photo by Randy Miyazaki

Simons Runs Sub-4

Junior John Simons ran the second sub-four minute mile in Minnesota men’s indoor track and field history on Saturday in the final day of competition at the Alex Wilson Invite in South Bend, IN. The Hartland, WI native finished first in his heat and third overall in 3:59.32 for the second –fastest performance in school history. Only Ben Blankenship’s time of 3:57.87 in 2010 ranks higher. Simons’ time ranks third in the Big Ten this season and 21st in the nation.

Simmons' performance followed a school record Friday night when Minnesota’s distance medley relay team of Harun Abda, Travis Burkstrand, Cameron Boy, and Nick Hutton finished fifth in 9:29.22.

A group of Gophers were in competition at the Iowa State University Qualifier in Ames, IA on Saturday. Justin Barber(67' 1.5".) and Micah Hegerle(67' .5") finished first and second, respectively, in the weight throw. Senior Sean King finished second in the 60 with a time of 6.78.

Gopher women  Alena Brooks, Kylie Peterson and Todea-Kay Willis all competed at the Alex Wilson last chance meet at Notre Dame this weekend in hopes of setting new season bests and improving their chances of getting a spot in next weekend's NCAA DI Championships.  While none did record a new top mark, there is still a chance of being invited to the NCAA Championships. The top 16 individuals who declare their intention of competing in an event will qualify. 

If competitors with better marks, possibly those who are eligible for multiple events, decline to compete, there could be an opportunity for the Maroon and Gold to be represented at the NCAA meet in Fayetteville, AK. Willis ranks 18th in the long jump after her school-record leap of 20' 7.75"(6.29m) at the Big Ten Championships. Alena Brooks (2:06.24) and Te’Shon Adderley (2:06.42) are 22nd and 25th, respectively, in the 800 meters. Accepted entries will be announced Monday, March 4.Full Alex Wilson Invite results are HERE; Results from the Iowa State U Qualifier are HERE. 

St Thomas Sweeps MIAC Titles

St. Thomas men's track team continued an unprecedented reign atop  MIAC Indoor Track and Field scoring 204 points to win their 29th-straight championship. The Tommies won by 90 points over runner-up St. Olaf.  

The host Oles had 114 points. Bethel finished third with 88, and Hamline (74.5)  edged Saint John's (73)  for fourth. Concordia (59) won a three-team battle for sixth place, with Gustavus (57.5) and Carleton (50) finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Ninth thru eleventh were Macalester (29), Augsburg (20) and Saint Mary's (5).


UST senior Eyo Ekpo finished  an impressive sweep of the 2013 indoor jumping events. A day after winning his second-straight high jump and long jump title, Ekpo completed the trifecta by claiming his fourth-straight title in the triple jump. Ekpo - who is the three-time reigning MIAC Indoor Field Athlete-of-the-Year - hop, skipped and jumped  47' 6.5". to complete a career sweep in the event. and a two-year sweep of the indoor jumping titles.

The Tommies Doug Thoreson  added the 600 (1:21.61)to his earlier win in the 400 in  a new Tostrud Center record. UST also got a win in the weight throw from Abajemo Omot,(56' 4.75") who finished third in the event last year. St. Thomas won nine event titles.  

Bethel won both relays and added an individual title to its haul. The Royal tandem of Nate Sayler, Gavin Woodland, Rob LeMay and Jordan Anderson defended Bethel's title in the 4x200-meter relay with a winning time of 1:29.32. Woodland, LeMay, Mark Rice and Matt Davis also claimed victory in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:22.66. Zach Haskins added another Royal win with his time of 2:31.55 in the 1,000..

Gustavus'  highlight Saturday was a second-straight pole vault championship for Josh Owens. The Gustie star cleared the bar at 15' 4.25". St. Olaf's faithful were delighted when Grant Wintheiser captured the 3K title in 8:39.51 a day after leading the distance medley relay to victory. Macalester sophomore Konnor Fleming turned in the Scots' top performance, winning the 200 in 22.70. 

 Men's  FINAL RESULTS

The Tommie women won their 14th-straight MIAC Indoor Championship by claiming victories in four more individual events (for a total of ten) and won by nearly 100 points with a total score of 180. The battle behind UST was between five teams finishing within 10 points of one another. St. Olaf was the runner-up, edging Saint Benedict, 83 to 81.

Gustavus, Carleton, and Bethel all finished within two points of one another, with the Gusties claiming fourth place with  75 points. The Knights were next  with 74 points, and the Royals finished sixth at 73. Concordia (58) finished atop another closely-grouped trio, edging Macalester (52) and Hamline (51) for seventh place. Augsburg was tenth with 45 points, followed by Saint Mary's (7) and St. Catherine (0) Full women's  FINAL RESULTS

St. Thomas' Taylor Berg, after winning the MIAC cross country title in the fall and the mile title Friday, added another championship, and a meet record ,to her resume. Berg won the 1,000- in 2:52.37 to break St. Olaf's Megan Daymont's record of 2:54.28, which had stood for ten years. Berg's win cameagainst a talented field, as the 2012 1,000 champ (Carleton's Haley Johnson) and 2011 champ (St. Olaf's Moriah Novacinski) finished second and third, respectively.

Another Tommie - junior Emily Van Heel - also added another win. Van Heel claimed her third-straight title in the 200- with a time of 25.85 to go along with the two titles she won Friday, her third-straight in the triple jump and second 400 title in three years. The 200 race was her closest, as she edged 60 champ Ashley Carney of Augsburg (25.87) by .02 seconds for the title.

The Tommies also added a win in the 4x400-meter relay - their fourth-straight in an in event in which they're ranked number  one in the nation this season. The foursome of Erika Tipp, Aimee Junget, Van Heel and Kayla Goeman were the only team to break four minutes, winning in 3:57.87. St. Thomas junior Erin Statz added a win in the 3K in 10:19.01.

Hamline continued their success in the throwing events with a meet-record performance from Senior Becky Culp who won her second-straight shot put title with a new record distance of 47' 3.5", breaking a 15-year old record in the process. Culp, who was second in Friday's weight throw, took down the old record, which was set by fellow Piper Misty Bahr in 1998.

St. Olaf's Emily Stets won the 600 in 1:36.09. Carney led the Augsburg 4x200-meter relay team to a narrow win over Macalester, as the two times (1:45.311 to 1:45.315) needed to go to a third decimal point. Joining Carney on the winning Auggie team were Molly Allen, Kai Mason and Morgan Bialke.

The Scots Kate Rochat's won  the long jump with a leap of 17' 2". Bethel's Stephanie Skoog(5' 4.25") edged Chelsea Klemetson from Concordia, who also cleared 5-4.25, on fewer misses. Defending champion Dani Larson of St. Olaf cleared 5' 3" to finish third. 
 
The top three individuals in each event and the first-place relay team will automatically earn All-Conference honors, and the fourth- through sixth-place finishers in each open event and second- through sixth-place relay teams will all be named All-Conference Honorable Mention. The MIAC Indoor Track and Field awards - including Track Athlete, Field Athlete, Performance and Coach of the Year - will be announced later this week.

Relive the 2013 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on the event's Web page which features complete results, recaps, and multimedia coverage of the championships.

Leer Wins USATF 3K

Will Leer won the USATF 3K national title on Saturday in Albuquerque, NM with a time of 8:07.84.  It was Leer's first USATF championship win. Full result is HERE.

MIAC Day Two Summary

One meet record fell, ten defending champions repeated as St. Thomas won six men's and six women's events to surge ahead in both MIAC team competitions at the conference championships at St. Olaf. 

The Tommies surged to the leadin the women's standings with 106 points.  Behind them six  teams are vying  for second place. Carleton is second with at the end of day two with 47 points, but Bethel (45), Gustavus (44), Saint Benedict (41), St. Olaf (40) and Hamline (34) are all lurking within 13 points of the Knights. Concordia(29) is eighth, with Macalester and Augsburg  tied for ninth, each with 20 points.  Saint Mary's (2) and St. Catherine (0) round out the women's standings.

For the men, St. Thomas and host St. Olaf won every event but one Friday, and the Tommies lead the Oles - 108 to 82 - going into the final day of competition. Bethel (43) is currently holding off  Hamline (40) for third and Gustavus (33), Carleton (30), Saint John's (30) and Concordia (27) are all competing for a spot in the top five. Augsburg(21) is ninth, Macalester(10 points) tenth, followed by and Saint Mary's (5).|

Gustavus senior Allison Voss won her second-straight MIAC title in the pole vault, setting a new meet record of 12' 4.5". The previous record of 12'2" set by  Gustavus grad Janna Castellano in 2007.

The St. Thomas' women were led by Emily Van Heel, who won a pair of individual events Friday. The junior claimed her third-straight title in the triple jump with a distance of 37' 3.25", and she added her second 400 title in three years with a winning time of 58.58. Van Heel won the 400 as a freshman in 2011.

Taylor Berg, Mallory Burnham, and Kayla Goeman also successfully defended their titles. Berg set a new Tostrud Center record in the mile with a time of 4:55.6. Burnham also set a venue record with a time of 9.15 to win the 60-meter hurdles. Goeman won the 800(2:16.47) by edging Concordia's Morgan Christian (2:16.59) and Carleton's Haley Johnson (2:16.93).  The Tommies also won the distance medley relay, as Annie Joslyn, Aimee Junget, Annie Keller and Erin Statz combined to produce a winning time of 12:26.08.

Augsburg senior Ashley Carney sprinted to her second-straight title in the 60 with in 7.84 to nip St. Thomas' Erika Tipp (7.89). Hamline weight throwers dominated, as sophomore Shawny Kramer (56'2") and teammate Becky Culp (54'.5") finished one-two. St. Olaf's Emma Lee won the 5K with a time of 17:14.31.

The men's mile was among the events Friday at the 2013 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. (Photo by Matt Higgins, MIAC)

The St. Thomas men took a giant step towards a 29th-straight team title with a dominant showing. Senior Eyo Ekpo - the reigning three-time MIAC Indoor Field Athlete-of-the-Year - set his sights on a fourth-straight honor by claiming two individual titles. Ekpo cleared 6'7" to win the high jump and lept 22' 11.75" to  win the long jump. 

UST had two other individuals successfully defend MIAC titles as Gavin Yseth scored 4,068 points to  edge Gustavus' Cameron Clause (4,004) for the heptathlon title. Tommie senior Joe Wistrcill won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.52 seconds. 

UST's Bryan Thell won in the shot put with a toss of 50' 8.25", and teamamte Doug Thoreson edged defending 400 champ  Rob LeMay of Bethel 49.933 to 49.939.

St. Olaf 's Reggie Woods won the 60 in 6.96, then helped the Oles' distance medley relay team finish first with a time of 10:23.79. Woods teamed up with Michael Roth, Kevin Skrip, and Grant Wintheiser. St. Olaf added two more distance-event victories with Tim Lillehaugen (14:55.67) defeating Augsburg's Michaele Tesema (14:55.90) in the 5K and Brian Saksa, who  won in the mile (4:14.43).  Saska was runner-up in the event a year ago.

The only men's event not won by either St. Thomas or St. Olaf was the 800, which was won by Zach Haskins of Bethel in 1:55.16.  

FRIDAY'S 2013 MIAC INDOOR T&F RESULTS  and a photo gallery are at the following links| MEN | WOMEN | Photo Gallery |

Agnew, Newell Earn USTFCCCA Central Region Women's Awards

U-Mary senior Melissa Agnew from Onamia, MN was given the USTFCCCA Central Region DII Women's Track Athlete of the Year Award.  Agnew will compete in  the NCAA DII Championships as the only woman to have met the automatic qualifying standard in the mile with a converted mark of 4:44.59, and as a leg of the number one-ranked U-Mary distance medley relay team with a time of 11:37.43. She was named the 2013 NSIC Track Athlete of the Year after breaking conference records in the mile and 1000.

U-Mary assistant coach for the distance events, Dennis Newell was selected as Central Region DII Assistant Coach of the Year.  In his seventh-year at U-Mary Newell helped the team win a third straight NSIC title. Seven Marauders coached by Newell combined to win the 1000, mile, 3000, 5000 and the DMR and score 80 team points. Four NSIC and three school records were broken by his student-athletes, and he coached four entries to the NCAA Championships. Nationally, 2013 USTFCCCA Central Region Track Athlete of the Year and NSIC Athlete of the Year Melissa Agnew is DII’s top miler and  ranked 13 in 800. Jennifer Agnew is ranked second in 3000 and ninth in 5000.

MSU Moorhead's Bredy, Schuck, Sanger Earn USTFCCCA Central Region Men's Awards

MSU Moorhead senior Derek Bredy from Hoffman, MN was named the USTFCCCA NCAA DII Central Region Indoor Track Men's Track Athlete of the Year.  Bredy  won the NSIC’s High Point Scorer Award for the third-straight year for his performance in that league’s championships. He was the conference champion and broke the meet record in the 60 meters while also take the league title in the long jump. He enters the NCAA Championships as the number one seed in the 200 meters with a converted time of 21.06.

Bredy's coach, Mark Schuck was selected as the Central Region Coach of the Year.  Schuck, 34-year veteran at Minnesota State, led his squad to the NSIC title with 207.5 points. His team broke or tied six conference records this season. The Mavericks, with nine NCAA entries, are ranked fifth the nation and finished the season as the top-ranked team in the Central Region.

Kevin Sanger, in his second year as assistant coach/throws for  MSU Mankato, was awarded the Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year honor.  The team has three entries into the NCAA DII Championships in the throws.

MIAC First Day Summary

The women's heptathlon featured a  battle between youth and experience, as Concordia senior Kaari Jensen and Carleton freshman Ameila Campbell finished in the top five in each of the five events, with Jensen edging Campbell for the title by less than 100 points. Jensen scored 3,352 points, while Campbell finished with 3,261. Third place and the final All-Conference spot went to Saint Benedict's Mandy Witschen with 3,143 points.
 
Jensen's winning performance featured even-number symmetry as she finished either second or fourth in all four events. She was the runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles (9.38 seconds), high jump (5' 1.75") and long jump (16' 5.25") and finished fourth in the shot put (34' 25") and the 800 (2:29.19). Campbell won the 60 hurdles (9.33), finished second in the shot put (36'), fourth in the high jump (5' .5") and fifth in the long jump (15' 5") and fifth in the 800 (2:30.93).
 
Witschen, a junior,  won two events--the long jump (16' 9.75") and the 800 (2:42.41). St. Olaf freshman Ann Govig won the high jump (5' 3") and Gustavus freshman Sarah Swanson's finished first in shot with a toss of 38' 11.5".  Full results are HERE. 
 
After four events, defending champ Gavin Yseth of St. Thomas has the lead as he attempts to repeat. Gustavus' Cameron Clause - who came in third a year ago - is in second.  Yseth scored  2,631 through four events thanks to top-four finishes in each of Thursday's events. The Tommie senior was second in the shot put (38'7") and high jump (6' 2"), third in the 60 (7.55 seconds) and fourth in the long jump (20' 1.75"). Clause had the top performance in both the 60 (7.37 seconds) and long jump (21' 6.25") and was fifth in the high jump (5' 10.5") and 11th in the shot put (31' 11.25").
 
St. Thomas senior Patrick Ecklund won the high jump (6' 3.25") and sits in third with 2,531 points and Tommie senior Devin Dirth was first in the shot put of 47' 5.75". Day one Heptathlon results are HERE.