Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Kara Goucher Has Hip Issue
Kara Goucher was supposed to run in London this week, but had to abandon those plans. Full story HERE.
Maxwell Leads Minnesotans to 25 Medals at US Masters Championships
Minnesotans took home 25 individual medals from the four-day USATF National Masters Championships at Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Eleven of those were gold, including the seven won by Ralph Maxwell, 91-year-old multi-eventer who spends his summers in Minnesota and winters in Texas.Maxwell broke his own world M90 pole vault record with a 1.43m/4’8.25” effort, and took the high jump (1.03m/3’4.5”), long jump (2.62m/8’7”), shot put (6.36m/20’10.5”), discus (15.83m/51’11.25”), javelin(15.44m/50’8”)and 80m hurdles (22.23). He finished third in the 100m (19.92).
Thom Weddle, Burnsville, who finished second in the M70 5000m on Thursday, came back to win the 1500m in 5:43.25 on Sunday in probably the closest race of the meet. He had a margin of three one-thousandths of a second over the fast-closing second-place finisher. Rick Kleyman, Plymouth, who set the pace for most of the race, finished third in 5:51.21.
Sherwood Sagedahl, Fairmont, won the M70 pentathlon in the rain on opening day, winning by more than a thousand points and narrowly missing the American record. He later finished second in the 800m in 2:37.39, breaking the Minnesota age group record of 2:40.47 set by Bill Andberg 29 years ago. Sagedahl also finished second in the javelin (36.68m/120’4”), took bronze in the 400m (66.47) and finished sixth in the 100m (14.87).
Other individual golds went to Tom Langenfeld, Edina, in the M75 high jump (1.35m/4’5”) and David Lindenberg, Minneapolis, in the submasters M30 pole vault (4.35m/14/3.25”).
Jim Sheehan, Ham Lake, ran as a member of three medal-winning M60-69 So Cal Track Club relay teams. The So Cal team took gold in 4X400 club relay (4:41.60) and the 4X800 (10:49.29) and was third in the 4X100 (1:00.95). Sheehan, coming back from injuries and surgery, also finished fourth in the open M60 1500m (5:07.57) and fifth in the 800m (2:27.45).
Kathy Haubrich, Shakopee took silvers in the W50 400 (1:10.58) and 800m (2:45.08) and third in the 200m (31.93).
J Schoffman comments: Even though Kathy Haubrich finished second, the first place finisher was Canadian. This being the US National's, non-U.S. citizens can complete but cannot displace an American. Kathy gets the Gold. Marie French moves to fourth.
Robert Jones, Stillwater, was second in the M45 discus (38.07m/124’11”), third in the hammer (40.29m/132’2”), fourth in the weight throw (12,65m/41’6”) and fifth in the shot (11.10m/36’5”).
Susan Loyd, Edina, took bronze in the W50 100m (15.50) and was fourth in the 200m (32.42).
Peter Haack, La Crescent, was third in the M35 400m (53.42).
Other Minnesotans in action:
Marie French, Chatfield, fourth in the W50 400m (1:14.22) and fifth in the 800m (2:53.05) and 200m (32.56).
Michael Soule, Wyoming, sixth in the M55 high jump (1.33m/4’4.25”), seventh in the triple jump (7.51m/24’7.75”) and 10th in the pole vault (2.60m/8’6.25”).
John Lund, Stillwater, seventh in the M55 pole vault (3.20/10’6”).
Haubarich, Loyd and French made up three-fourths of an ad hoc team that took second place in the W50-59 non-club 4X100 relay (59.22).
Thanks to HJ gold medallist Tom Langenfeld for this report.
USATF-Minnesota Youth Athletics Chairman Chris Dallager recaps the first three days for Minnesotans at the AAU National Junior Olympics in New Orleans at Tad Gormley Stadium in the beautiful City Park of the Crescent City. The meet runs from July 30 through August 6. No medals won by Minnesota athletes through the first three days, but some qualifiers did advance to semi-final heats. Birth years are in parentheses for the first mention of the age groups to assist in identifying the ages of athletes.Qualifiers:
100 Meter Dash: Primary Girl (2003) Tyian White (Richfield, Track Minnesota Elite) 15.53, 11th; Sub-Midget (2000) Ellie Bedingham (Woodbury) 13.79, 26th; Youth Girl (1997) Maddie Gourley (Eagan, Track Minnesota Elite) 12.64, 9th; Intermediate Boy (1996) Shaheed Hickman (Minneapolis, Track Minnesota Elite) 11.23, 10th.
The rest of the action:
3000 Meter Run: Midget Girl (1999) Essyonna Peschong (Brooklyn Park, Track Minnesota Elite) 12:05.17, 13th place; Midget Boy Parker Phillips (Plymouth, Track Minnesota Elite) 10:59.00, 10th place.
800 Meter Run: Sub-Youth Boy (1998) Daniel Palmer (Little Falls) 2:37.07, 78th place; Youth Boy Mitchell Dickerson (Maple Grove) 2:11.77, 25th place; Intermediate Boy Timothy Infinger (Little Falls) 2:16.62, 73rd place; Young Man (1994) David Afolabi (Brooklyn Center) 2:06.51, 65th place.
400 Meter Hurdles: Intermediate Girl Mia Barron (Minnetonka) 1:09.36, 38th place; Intermediate Boy Joshua Gillespie (Brooklyn Park) 1:04.58, 50th place; Young Man Rashad Cohen (Chanhassen) 56.53, 26th place.
200 Meter Hurdles: Youth Boy Alexander Klein (Stillwater) 27.95, 24th place.
100 Meter Dash: Primary Girl Rebecca Scholder (Plymouth) 15.71, 30th place; Bantam Girl Faith Robinson (St. Louis Park, Park Flyers) 14.69, 58th place; Bantam Boy Matthias Algarin (Little Falls) 14.36, 68th place; Sub-Midget Boy Marcus Guy (Plymouth) 14.04, 64th place; Midget Girl Kailynn Blanchard (Brooklyn Park) 13.67, 50th place; Sub-Youth Girl Briesha Hunter (St. Paul) 13.19, 34th place; Cori Bond (Brooklyn Park) 13.47, 59th place; Intermediate Girl Natasha Moore (St. Paul) 12.87, 69th place; Jacquelyn Bedingham (Woodbury) 12.97, 75th place; Intermediate Boy Jake Gourley (Eagan, Track Minnesota Elite) 11.59, 52nd place.
Triple Jump: Young Man Jon Osifuye (Woodbury, Track Minnesota Elite) 13.95 meters (45' 9.5"), 12th place; Deshawn Crutch (Brooklyn Park) 12.47 meters (40' 11") 47th place.
Long Jump: Young Woman Melanie Hill (Minneapolis) 5.03 meters (16' 6.25"), 53rd place.
Discus Throw: Sub-Midget Girl Beth-el Algarin (Little Falls) 15.39 meters (50' 6"), 22nd place.
Shot Put: Primary Girl Silencia Algarin (Little Falls) 2.04 meters (6' 8.5"), 70th place; Sub-Bantam Girl Grace Robinson (St. Louis Park, Park Flyers) 3.98 meters (13' 1"), 35th place.
Pentathlon: Midget Boy Manny Phoulom-Smith (St. Louis Park, Park Flyers) 1283 points, 30th place; Sub-Youth Girl Courtney Clark (Eagan, Real Track & Field) 1444 points, 40th place; Elizabeth Becker (Little Falls) 1238 points, 48th place.
Monday, August 01, 2011
Jurek, Samuel Not Scott, Wins Voyageur Ultra
For Ultra fans Kevin Pates' Duluth News Tribune story on last weekend's Voyageur Trail Ultra is HERE.
Torchlight 5K Rescheduled for August 25
The Lifetime Fitness Torchlight 5K has been rescheduled for Thursday, August 25 at 8 PM. Originally planned for July 20, the event, which is also the USATF-MN 5K Championships, was postponed because of the oppressive weather.
Karen Leinberger, spokesperson for the event, said that race officials gathered information on the weather from a variety of sources. They were in touch with meteorologists and were watching how other events were coping with the heat. While the Minnesota Twins played their games during the heat wave, Leinberger noted that fans had a hard time, many having to be treated for heat illness.The international youth soccer tournament being held in Blaine almost cancelled some of their games as the heat index reached 105, within a degree of the 106 limit they set where they would have not merely rescheduled the games to the morning, but would have cancelled or postponed them, she said. Since the Torchlight Run is an evening race and most of the participants are not elite runners, the decision was made to move it and hope for better weather.
"Most do (the Torchlight Run) as a fun run," Leinberger said. "And many of them may not know when to back off, how far they can push it (in such extreme weather)."
Since the race's objective is to provide the participants with a fun, healthy experience, and a lot of emphasis is on the post-race festivities, it was determined that the conditions were not conducive to reaching these goals, she said. She said that the after the event celebration was supposed to be a "big lawn party, a healthy alternative to happy hour."
So, while they had increased their cooling controls at aid stations and pre and post race, they ultimately realized that in such oppressive conditions, most runners were not going to be in the mood for celebrating. "My only regret is that we didn't make the decision (to postpone) sooner."
Another advantage of moving the date is that participants will have a better chance of being acclimated to hot, humid weather. A person can gain or lose acclimation to climate extremes within a few weeks, said Dr. Bill Roberts, a past president of ACSM who also writes a medical column for Runner's World's website. Thus if the participants have been exercising outside during July and there isn't a several week cold snap prior to August 25, their bodies will be better equipped to handle the conditions than they may have been on July 20.
Karen Leinberger, spokesperson for the event, said that race officials gathered information on the weather from a variety of sources. They were in touch with meteorologists and were watching how other events were coping with the heat. While the Minnesota Twins played their games during the heat wave, Leinberger noted that fans had a hard time, many having to be treated for heat illness.The international youth soccer tournament being held in Blaine almost cancelled some of their games as the heat index reached 105, within a degree of the 106 limit they set where they would have not merely rescheduled the games to the morning, but would have cancelled or postponed them, she said. Since the Torchlight Run is an evening race and most of the participants are not elite runners, the decision was made to move it and hope for better weather.
"Most do (the Torchlight Run) as a fun run," Leinberger said. "And many of them may not know when to back off, how far they can push it (in such extreme weather)."
Since the race's objective is to provide the participants with a fun, healthy experience, and a lot of emphasis is on the post-race festivities, it was determined that the conditions were not conducive to reaching these goals, she said. She said that the after the event celebration was supposed to be a "big lawn party, a healthy alternative to happy hour."
So, while they had increased their cooling controls at aid stations and pre and post race, they ultimately realized that in such oppressive conditions, most runners were not going to be in the mood for celebrating. "My only regret is that we didn't make the decision (to postpone) sooner."
Another advantage of moving the date is that participants will have a better chance of being acclimated to hot, humid weather. A person can gain or lose acclimation to climate extremes within a few weeks, said Dr. Bill Roberts, a past president of ACSM who also writes a medical column for Runner's World's website. Thus if the participants have been exercising outside during July and there isn't a several week cold snap prior to August 25, their bodies will be better equipped to handle the conditions than they may have been on July 20.
USATF-Minnesota Youth Athletics Chairman Chris Dallager recaps the Day 6 action for Minnesotans at the USATF Junior Olympic National Championships in Wichita, Kansas. Thanks to Chris for providing the coverage.National Champion
Mark Braun (Irondale HS) won the Disabled 800 Meter (wheelchair division) in a time of 2:05.58. While still an exhibition event for the Junior Olympics, the Athletics for the Disabled committee of USATF named the event their national championship. Braun had to miss the inaugural MSHSL championships due to a mission trip to Jamaica.
National Medalists
80 Meter Hurdles: Team Woodbury athletes Maria Versaguis and Evan El-Halawani each captured 5th place in the Midget age division. Versaguis ran 13.31 and El-Halawani finished in 12.90.
100 Meter Dash: J'ianna Cager(ICAA Breeze) now has a pair of 2nd place medals with her 13.29 time in the Bantam division to go with her 200 meter medal. Jia Lewis (Eagles Wings) captured 5th place in the Midget Girls group in a time of 13.05. Wensia Johnson(unattached, Alexandria) received her second medal by running 12.02 for 2nd place in the Youth Girls division.
400 Meter Dash: J'ianna Cager(ICAA Breeze) received her third medal with a 5th place 1:05.96 effort in the Bantam Girls 400. Tylan Brooks(ICAA Breeze) received 8th place among Bantam Boys with his 1:5.54 time. Youth Boy Jakobi Jackson(ICAA Breeze) showed the club strength in the event with his 52.95 run for 6th place.
800 Meters: Results that were posted too late from Saturday to be included previously showed Youth Girl Jenna Truedson(unattached, Bemidji) receiving 5th place in 2:19.73. Intermedaite Girl Samantha Nielsen(ICAA Breeze, Roseville) earned 3rd place in 2:15.08.
Disabled 800 Meter(wheelchair division): Rose Hollerman(Waterville-Elysian-Morristown) earned 3rd place in a time of 2:21.66.
1500 Meter Run: Bantam Girl Tessa Laskaunattached, South St. Paul) earned her 2nd medal of the meet with her 6th place 5:34.04 effort. Midget Boy Jackson Sokolowski(Park Flyers) also received 6th place with his 4:50.43 time. Youth Girl Jenna Truedson (unattached, Bemidji) ran 4:52.69, good enough for 5th place. Intermediate Girl Samantha Nielsen(ICAA Breeze, Roseville) takes home another 3rd place medal with her time of 4:48.42. Intermediate Boy Shane Streich(unattached, Waseca) ran 4:08.30 for 3rd place. Young Woman Maria Hauger(unattached, Shakopee) also placed 3rd with a run of 4:40.09.
Long Jump: 14 year old Wensia Johnson(unattached, Alexandria) jumped 5.54 meters (18' 2.25") to take her third medal of the meet.
Pole Vault: Young Man Grant Krieger(unattached, The Blake School) cleared 4.60 meters (15' 1") to share a tie for 6th place.
High Jump: Intermediate Boy Denzell Oats(Park Flyers, St. Louis Park) sailed over the bar at 1.85 meters (6' 0.75 inches) to share a tie for 8th place.
The rest of the action:
Pole Vault: Jake Zebedee(Fuzion Athletics, Blue Earth Area) shared a tie for 19th in the Young Men's division after clearing 4.30 meters (14' 1.25").
1500 Meters: Bantam Girl Sarah Olson(unattached, Coon Rapids) ran 5:45.21 for 11th place. Sara's brother Benjamin Olson finished one spot out of the medals in 9th place with his time of 5:00.09 in the Midget Boys group. Bantam Boy Russell Gokemeijer(unattached) finished in 33rd place with his time of 6:28.47.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
USATF-Minnesota Youth Athletics Chairman Chris Dallager recaps the Day 5 action for Minnesotans at the USATF Junior Olympic National Championships in Wichita, Kansas.National Medalists
3000 Meter Run: Maria Hauger (unattached, Shakopee) is the national champion in the Young Women's division after a convincing victory in 10:09.96, 30 seconds ahead of the runner-up. McKenzie Holt (unattached, St. Cloud Christian School) finished in 10:39.56 to take the 3rd place medal in the Intermediate Girls age group. Benjamin Olson (unattached, Coon Rapids) earned 5th place in the Midget Boys group with his 10:34.94 effort.
800 Meter Run: Tessa Laska (unattached, South St. Paul) ran the best ever 800 meter time for a Bantam girl from Minnesota (just bettering Danielle Berndt's effort from the 2000 National Junior Olympics in Buffalo, NY) by running 2:37.70 to cross the line in 6th place.
200 Meter Dash: J'ianna Cager (ICAA Breeze) placed 2nd in the Bantam Girls division in a time of 27.74.
In the Intermediate Girls group, Wensia Johnson (unattached, Alexandria) placed 5th with a time of 24.53 and Maddie Gourley (unattached, Eagan) crossed the line in a time of 24.95 to earn 7th place.
Pole Vault: Lee Bares (Fuzion Athletics, Lakeville South) cleared 4.20 meters (13' 9.25") for 4th place in the Intermediate Boys category.
Qualifiers
80 Meter Hurdles: Team Woodbury athletes Maria Versaguis and Evan El-Halawani advance to finals of Midget 80 Meter Hurdles. Versaguis' time of 13.55 is the 5th fastest among the girls and El-Halawani sits in 2nd position for the boys.
100 Meter Dash: In a late posted result from Friday, J'ianna Cager maintained the 2nd best time during the Bantam Girls' semifinal in 13.54 and advances to Sunday's final.
The rest of the action:
High Jump: Matt Anderson (unattached, Eagan) cleared 1.80 meters (5' 10.75") for 20th place for Young Men.
Pole Vault: Mitchell Valli (Zero Gravity, Buffalo) earned 17th place after clearing 3.90 meters (12' 9.5").
100 Meter Hurdles: Shaina Burns (Real Track & Field, Lakeville South) ran 15.60 for 20th place in the Intermediate Girls group. Shakeela Wells-Johnson (ICAA Breeze, St. Paul Harding) ran 16.59 for 31st place and Alanna Lopez (Real Track & Field, Eagan) finished in 19.66 for 44th place.
110 Meter Hurdles: Intermediate Boy James Kruse (Team Woodbury, Irondale) was timed in 16.46 for 35th place.
400 Meter Run: Young Man Calvin Clark (ICAA Breeze, St. Paul Humboldt) ran 49.06 in the semi-final finishing 14th.
3000 Meter Run: Youth Girl Lauren Smith (Team Woodbury, Woodbury) ran 11:06.15 for 10th place. Youth Boy Nick Wareham (Team Woodbury, Woodbury) finished in 27th place in a time of 10:30.78. Midget Boy Willem Gokemeijer (unattached, Edina) earned 19th place with his time of 11:36.28.
4 x 100 Meter Relay: In a late result posting, the Park Flyers (St. Louis Park) Bantam Girls foursome of Grace Robinson, Madison McIntosh, Grace Snyders and Tea Turner ran 1:05.51 for 23rd place.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Smock Wins, Short of Qualifying Mark
Amanda Smock won the triple jump at the Flanders Cup Gentse Feesten Meet in Gent, Belgium. Her longest jump was her second when she landed 13.84 meters/45'4.8". Smock still has until August 15 to reach the WC B qualifying standard of 46'3".
Jim Dilling won the men's high jump with a clearence of 2.20m/7'2.6". Team USA MN's Gabriele Anderson won the second heat of the women's 800 in 2:03.03. She had the eighth fastest time of the day as the first heat was won the the US's Latavia Thomas in 2:01.52. Garrett Heath was seventh in the 1,500 in 4:43.74, and Laura Januszewski was tenth in the women's 1,500 in 4:15:13.
Jim Dilling won the men's high jump with a clearence of 2.20m/7'2.6". Team USA MN's Gabriele Anderson won the second heat of the women's 800 in 2:03.03. She had the eighth fastest time of the day as the first heat was won the the US's Latavia Thomas in 2:01.52. Garrett Heath was seventh in the 1,500 in 4:43.74, and Laura Januszewski was tenth in the women's 1,500 in 4:15:13.
Fast on His Feet: Afton's John Storkamp
30 hours before the 2011 Afton Trail Run, the race venue closed due to the Minnesota state government shutdown. Veteran Afton Race Director John Storkamp moved the entire race – in one day.
Freelance writer Alex Kurt tells the story.
Fast on His Feet
By Alex Kurt
John Storkamp knows well the challenges that face any race director. The four-time director of Minnesota’s Afton Trail Run spends many months each year finalizing the course, overseeing vendor arrangements, and even designing the t-shirts and hand-crafting finisher’s medals, enlisting the help of many family members and volunteers along the way.
“Putting on a trail race, big or small, is a huge time commitment for the race director, and typically the race director’s significant other,” Storkamp said. “Throughout the year I am continually working on the race even though it culminates into just one day of racing.”
Afton includes a 25k and a 50k and is held annually outside the Twin Cities. The 25k serves as the USATF Minnesota Trail Championship.
But this year, as the July 2 race date drew near and the final logistics began piling up, Storkamp found himself faced with a challenge unique even among RDs: due to a budget impasse between Minnesota’s Governor and legislature, the state government was set to shut down July 1. Along with the Capitol doors, Minnesota’s state parks – including Afton State Park, where the Afton Trail Run had been held all 17 of its previous runnings – would be closed.
Storkamp said he first caught word of the budget dispute and potential shutdown six weeks ahead of time. “Even though I was holding out hope, about a month prior, I started brainstorming…and quickly came to the realization that moving 500 runners and 85 volunteers to a new venue would be a challenge,” he said. “In 2005 there was the threat of a state government shutdown as well, but it never happened and we never had to plan a backup.” This year, however, the signs were more ominous and the rhetoric was more heated. Storkamp began to prepare for the worst.
“I never considered canceling the event,” he emphasized. “Trail running and ultrarunning is not for quitters. We would have had it on a track, in a parking lot, or in my backyard if we had no other choice.”
It didn’t quite come to that. Storkamp contacted Jon Reents, a manager at Afton Alps ski area – located next to Afton State Park – and essentially began planning a second race at that venue. As the gridlock in St. Paul showed no signs of progressing, Storkamp balanced the likelihood that the race could be held at either location, meticulously plotting a new course in the weeks leading up to race day and keeping runners and volunteers up-to-date with current developments. In a series of e-mails and posts on the event’s facebook page, he assured everyone that they would know the location when he did, even if it wasn’t until the last minute.
As it happened, the last minute was precisely when word came in. “The race was Saturday, the state legislature’s deadline was midnight Friday, and we got the preliminary word midnight Thursday that the parks were ordered to close,” he said. “As a result we could not give Afton Alps a definite answer, even though they would have preferred one. I listened to the radio Friday morning and still no changes, so we showed up to Afton Alps with our crew and trailers on Friday at noon.”
Luckily for Storkamp, Reents and the staff of Afton Alps took it in stride.
“I saw Reents [on Friday] and said ‘John, by the way, we are going to hold our race here if you don’t mind,’” he continued. “He laughed and said ‘Great, glad to have you.’”
Yet the work was far from done. There was a race to be run, and the new course had its own set of challenges. As its name suggests, Afton Alps provided for plenty of hills; 50k runners covered over 8700 feet of elevation change. And the heat – which had relented since nearing 100 degrees while Storkamp was marking the course – still hit a humid 85 degrees during the race. Storkamp noted that many of this year’s times were slower than those on the original course, and that many accomplished runners dropped out of the race early on.
“The course was extremely tough,” Ben Kampf, who holds the 25k course record at the old site, said. “There was hardly any flat, a lot of up and down switch-back hills…and plenty of mountain bike trails to maneuver.”
That didn’t stop Kampf from charging to his third-straight Afton 25k title in 1:46:44. 50k overall winner Patrick Russell led the entire way, despite slowing considerably in the second half, to win in 4:30:18. Storkamp noted that the 97 50k finishers, compared to 164 entrants, was a higher finishing rate than normal. “It looks like a few people did not show up because of the change in course, most notably in the 50k” Storkamp said. “Out of those who chose to run, they were prepared.” Of 329 entered in the 25k, 235 finished.
The theme of the day for Storkamp and the runners who finished was perseverance. Kampf, for one, didn’t mind the switch. “I enjoyed the challenge of a much tougher course and tried to…stay positive knowing everyone else out there was running the same thing I was,” he said.
As for Storkamp, it was a reminder that though running is usually void of the division and sourness that accompany politics, we run in a world governed by political circumstance. Occasionally, sport and politics are inextricable, but he emphasized that running, by its better nature, prevailed.
“[The shutdown] did sour things for people…but overall, people made the best of it,” Storkamp said. “It made things a little inconvenient but we still ran and had fun. Trail running and ultrarunning is all about perseverance through difficult conditions, and that’s what we did.”
Moreover, Storkamp continued, the sport offered a solution in and of itself. “I think everyone is frustrated with the political situation here,” he said. “Running is typically an apolitical activity, and in times of great stress, we need it more than ever to stay sane and maintain balance in our lives.”
Though he defers credit, Storkamp himself is much of the reason the event was pulled off. Compliments from runners have since flooded the event’s facebook page.
“I was blown away at how great this event [was] set up,” Kampf said.
Next year, Storkamp said, he hopes to be back home at Afton State Park, for which the Afton Trail Run has raised nearly $30,000 in its 18 years. The lesson will stick, though. “If a situation like this ever arises in the future, we will roll with the punches and get through it,” he said.
Find Zach Pierce's photo gallery form the event HERE.
Alex Kurt is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities and a 2009 graduate of St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota.
Freelance writer Alex Kurt tells the story.
Fast on His Feet
By Alex Kurt
John Storkamp knows well the challenges that face any race director. The four-time director of Minnesota’s Afton Trail Run spends many months each year finalizing the course, overseeing vendor arrangements, and even designing the t-shirts and hand-crafting finisher’s medals, enlisting the help of many family members and volunteers along the way.
“Putting on a trail race, big or small, is a huge time commitment for the race director, and typically the race director’s significant other,” Storkamp said. “Throughout the year I am continually working on the race even though it culminates into just one day of racing.”
Afton includes a 25k and a 50k and is held annually outside the Twin Cities. The 25k serves as the USATF Minnesota Trail Championship.
But this year, as the July 2 race date drew near and the final logistics began piling up, Storkamp found himself faced with a challenge unique even among RDs: due to a budget impasse between Minnesota’s Governor and legislature, the state government was set to shut down July 1. Along with the Capitol doors, Minnesota’s state parks – including Afton State Park, where the Afton Trail Run had been held all 17 of its previous runnings – would be closed.
Storkamp said he first caught word of the budget dispute and potential shutdown six weeks ahead of time. “Even though I was holding out hope, about a month prior, I started brainstorming…and quickly came to the realization that moving 500 runners and 85 volunteers to a new venue would be a challenge,” he said. “In 2005 there was the threat of a state government shutdown as well, but it never happened and we never had to plan a backup.” This year, however, the signs were more ominous and the rhetoric was more heated. Storkamp began to prepare for the worst.
“I never considered canceling the event,” he emphasized. “Trail running and ultrarunning is not for quitters. We would have had it on a track, in a parking lot, or in my backyard if we had no other choice.”
It didn’t quite come to that. Storkamp contacted Jon Reents, a manager at Afton Alps ski area – located next to Afton State Park – and essentially began planning a second race at that venue. As the gridlock in St. Paul showed no signs of progressing, Storkamp balanced the likelihood that the race could be held at either location, meticulously plotting a new course in the weeks leading up to race day and keeping runners and volunteers up-to-date with current developments. In a series of e-mails and posts on the event’s facebook page, he assured everyone that they would know the location when he did, even if it wasn’t until the last minute.
As it happened, the last minute was precisely when word came in. “The race was Saturday, the state legislature’s deadline was midnight Friday, and we got the preliminary word midnight Thursday that the parks were ordered to close,” he said. “As a result we could not give Afton Alps a definite answer, even though they would have preferred one. I listened to the radio Friday morning and still no changes, so we showed up to Afton Alps with our crew and trailers on Friday at noon.”
Luckily for Storkamp, Reents and the staff of Afton Alps took it in stride.
“I saw Reents [on Friday] and said ‘John, by the way, we are going to hold our race here if you don’t mind,’” he continued. “He laughed and said ‘Great, glad to have you.’”
Yet the work was far from done. There was a race to be run, and the new course had its own set of challenges. As its name suggests, Afton Alps provided for plenty of hills; 50k runners covered over 8700 feet of elevation change. And the heat – which had relented since nearing 100 degrees while Storkamp was marking the course – still hit a humid 85 degrees during the race. Storkamp noted that many of this year’s times were slower than those on the original course, and that many accomplished runners dropped out of the race early on.
“The course was extremely tough,” Ben Kampf, who holds the 25k course record at the old site, said. “There was hardly any flat, a lot of up and down switch-back hills…and plenty of mountain bike trails to maneuver.”
That didn’t stop Kampf from charging to his third-straight Afton 25k title in 1:46:44. 50k overall winner Patrick Russell led the entire way, despite slowing considerably in the second half, to win in 4:30:18. Storkamp noted that the 97 50k finishers, compared to 164 entrants, was a higher finishing rate than normal. “It looks like a few people did not show up because of the change in course, most notably in the 50k” Storkamp said. “Out of those who chose to run, they were prepared.” Of 329 entered in the 25k, 235 finished.
The theme of the day for Storkamp and the runners who finished was perseverance. Kampf, for one, didn’t mind the switch. “I enjoyed the challenge of a much tougher course and tried to…stay positive knowing everyone else out there was running the same thing I was,” he said.
As for Storkamp, it was a reminder that though running is usually void of the division and sourness that accompany politics, we run in a world governed by political circumstance. Occasionally, sport and politics are inextricable, but he emphasized that running, by its better nature, prevailed.
“[The shutdown] did sour things for people…but overall, people made the best of it,” Storkamp said. “It made things a little inconvenient but we still ran and had fun. Trail running and ultrarunning is all about perseverance through difficult conditions, and that’s what we did.”
Moreover, Storkamp continued, the sport offered a solution in and of itself. “I think everyone is frustrated with the political situation here,” he said. “Running is typically an apolitical activity, and in times of great stress, we need it more than ever to stay sane and maintain balance in our lives.”
Though he defers credit, Storkamp himself is much of the reason the event was pulled off. Compliments from runners have since flooded the event’s facebook page.
“I was blown away at how great this event [was] set up,” Kampf said.
Next year, Storkamp said, he hopes to be back home at Afton State Park, for which the Afton Trail Run has raised nearly $30,000 in its 18 years. The lesson will stick, though. “If a situation like this ever arises in the future, we will roll with the punches and get through it,” he said.
Find Zach Pierce's photo gallery form the event HERE.
Alex Kurt is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities and a 2009 graduate of St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota.
Minnesotans Continue to Shine at JOs
USATF-Minnesota Youth Athletics Chairman Chris Dallager recaps the Day 4 action for Minnesotans at the USATF Junior Olympic National Championships in Wichita, Kansas.Qualifiers
100 Meter Dash: Bantam Girl J'ianna Cager (ICAA Breeze) 13.45, 2nd fastest time; Midget Girl Jia Lewis (Eagles Wings) 13.07, tied for 5th fastest time; Wensia Johnson (unattached, Alexandria) 12.15, tied for fastest time.
400 Meter Dash: Bantam Girl J'ianna Cager (ICAA Breeze) 1:07.51, 7th fastest time; Bantam Boy Tylan Brooks (ICAA Breeze) 1:01.60, 4th fastest time; Youth Boy Jakobi Jackson (ICAA Breeze) 52.39, 3rd fastest time; Young Man Calvin Clark (ICAA Breeze, St. Paul Humboldt) 48.97, tied for 8th.
800 Meter Run: Bantam Girl Tessa Laska (unattached, South St. Paul) 2:39.73, 8th fastest time.
1500 Meter Run: Youth Girl Jenna Truedson (unattached, Bemidji) 4:52.25, 4th fastest time; Intermediate Girl Samantha Nielsen (ICAA Breeze, Roseville) 4:53.04, 3rd fastest time; Intermediate Boy Shane Streich (unattached, Waseca) 4:14.26, 4th fastest time; Young Woman Maria Hauger (unattached, Shakopee) 4:47.81, 3rd fastest time.
Other Track Results
100 Meter Dash: Sub-Bantam Girl Trinity Belmares (ICAA Breeze) 17.09, 37th place; Bantam Boy Tylan Brooks (ICAA Breeze) 13.84, 13th place; Midget Girl Jada Lewis (Eagles Wings) 13.26, 14th place; Midget Boy Dominik London (Team Woodbury) 12.67, 11th place; Youth Girl Maddie Gourley (unattached, Eagan) 12.69, 15th place; Youth Boy Jakobi Jackson (ICAA Breeze) 11.71, 12th place; Tucker Trettel (unattached) 11.76, 13th place; Intermediate Girl Aimee Rice-Strand (Team Woodbury, Osceola, WI) 12.77, 34th place; Intermediate Boy Jake Gourley (unattached, Eagan) 11.64, 38th; Young Man Darkabolu Gbarbea (Eagles Wings, Champlin Park) 10.98, 29th place; Calvin Clark (ICAA Breeze, St. Paul Humboldt) 11.08, 35th place; Herschel Brazell (Fuzion Athletics, Apple Valley) 11.28, 46th place.
400 Meter Dash: Sub-Bantam Girl Trinity Belmares (ICAA Breeze) 1:19.05, 15th place; Midget Boy Dominik London (Team Woodbury) 59.33, 14th place; Keylan Jackson (ICAA Breeze) 1:00.17, 17th place; Youth Girl Maddie Gourley (unattached, Eagan) 59.00, 11th place; Gina Versaguis (Team Woodbury) 1:03.26, 33rd place; Intermediate Girl Megan Linder (unattached, Cretin Derham Hall) 57.81, 14th place.
1500 Meter Run: Youth Girl Lauren Smith (Team Woodbury, Woodbury) 5:08.50, 17th place; Intermediate Girl McKenzie Holt (unattached, St. Cloud Christian School) 4:58.77, 13th place.
4 x 100 Meter Relay: Young Men Eagles Wings (Emmanuel Dixon, Darkabolu Gbarbea, Arrnytt Jacox-Mann, Prince Miamen) 47.16, 35th place.
Other Field Results
Triple Jump: Young Woman Julia Stedman (unattached, North St. Paul) 10.47 meters (34' 4.25"), 35th place.
Shot Put: Intermediate Boy Jonathan Sutton (Eagles Wings, Benilde St. Margaret's) 11.11 meters (36' 5.5"), 28th place.
Discus Throw: Young Man Tom Anderson (unattached, Andover) 47.18 meters (154' 9"), 15th place.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Lawrence Earns JO Bronze Medal
USATF-Minnesota Youth Athletics Chairman Chris Dallager recaps the Day 3 action for Minnesotans at the USATF Junior Olympic National Championships in Wichita, Kansas ... including Charlie Lawrence's bronze medal in the 3000-meter.
National Medalists
In the Intermediate Boys 3000 meter run, Minnesota was well represented with Charlie Lawrence of Foley in 3rd place and Shane Streich of Waseca in 6th place. Each ran 5 second personal bests with Lawrence posting a time of 9:04.37 and Streich finishing in 9:13.66.
In the Young Men's Shot Put, Tom Anderson of Andover earned the 4th place medal with a mark of 18.97 meters (62' 3").
Qualifiers
In the 200 meter Dash, J'ianna Cager (ICAA Breeze) moves on to the Bantam Girls final with the second fastest time of 27.88. Wensia Johnson (unattached; Alexandria) and Maddie Gourley (unattached; Eagan) advance to the Youth Girls final. Johnson posted the 4th fastest time in 24.75 and Gourley had the 8th fastest time in 25.45. Intermediate Girl Aimee Rice-Strand (Team Woodbury; Osceola, WI), although not a Minnesotan, has approval to compete with Team Woodbury. Rice-Strand advanced to the semifinal with a time of 25.69. In the semifinal later in the day, her time of 26.55 left her in 22nd place overall, failing to advance to the final.
In the 800 meter run, Tessa Laska (Unattached; South St. Paul) posted a 2:42.15 to advance to the Bantam Girls semi-final. Jenna Truedson (unattached; Bemidji) advanced to the Youth Girls final, sitting in 7th place. Intermediate Girl Samantha Nielsen (ICAA Breeze; Roseville H.S.) advanced to the final with the second fastest time of 2:18.92.
The Rest of the Action
In the 200 meter dash, Sub-Bantam Girl Trinity Belmares (ICAA Breeze) finished with a time of 34.38 and 24th place. Bantam Boy Tylan Brooks (ICAA Breeze) narrowly missed qualifying with an 11th place 28.00. Janier Harris (Park Flyers) ran 29.93 for 31st place. An even closer call was in the Midget Girls division with Jada Lewis (Eagles Wings) finishing with the 9th place time of 27.02 and sister Jia Lewis in 12th place in a time of 27.09. Midget Boy Dominik London (Team Woodbury) was also left one spot shy of the finals with a 25.57 time and 9th place. Youth Boy Tucker Trettel (unattached) ran 24.19 and was in 25th place. Intermediate Girl Megan Linder (unattached; Cretin Derham Hall HS) finished in 47th place with a time of 26.92. Intermediate Boy James Kruse (Team Woodbury; Irondale HS) ran 22.99, good enough for 32nd place. Jake Gourley (unattached; Eagan HS) finished in 40th place with a time of 23.41.
In the 800 meter run, Bantam Boy Dakari Saunders (ICAA Breeze) ran 2:59.20 for 41st place. Midget Boy Jackson Sokolowski (Park Flyers) was one place shy of qualifying for the final with a 9th place time of 2:23.85. Youth Boy Trayton Brooks (ICAA Breeze) finished in 41st place in 2:27.23. Intermediate Girl Julia Voss (Team Woodbury) ran 2:28.99 for 26th place. Intermediate Boy Matthew Rosen (unattached; Bloomington Jefferson HS), national champion last year as a Youth Boy, finished in 22nd place in a time of 2:05.44.
In the 400 meter Hurdles, Intermediate Girl Shaina Burns (Real Track & Field; Lakeville South HS) finished in 18th place with a time of 1:08.31. In the Young Men's division, Isaac Bimberg (unattached; Fairbault HS) managed a 38th place with a time of 1:02.24.
In the 4 x 400 meter Relay, the Team Woodbury Midget Girls team of Cassandra Colbjornsen, Ali Grinde, Molly Smith and Maria Versaguis ran 4:48.66 for 25th place. Park Flyers Midget Boys Brett Duncan, Mckein Keys, Jackson Sokolowski and Brendon Snyders ran 4:49.50 for 20th place. Team Woodbury Youth Girls Cat Henning, Johnna Patterson, Lauren Smith and Gina Versaguis finished in 15th place in 4:18.18. Eagles Wings Youth Girls Mariana Cress, Siona Fitzhugh, Judaisha Jackson and Chanelle Waters finished in 26th place in a time of 4:43.67. The Young Men of Emmanuel Dixon, Darkabolu Gbarbea, Arrnytt Jacox-Mann and Prince Miamen from Eagles Wings finished in 11th place in 3:22.91.
In field events, Jonathan Sutton (Eagles Wings; Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) managed 23rd place in the Intermediate Boys Discus Throw with a mark of 35.51 meters (116' 6"). Sub-Bantam Girl Zaria Smith (Eagles Wings) placed 19th in the Javelin Throw with a distance of 7.04 meters (23' 1"). In the Young Women's Shot Put, Hanna Steele (Southwest Minnesota Throws; Windom Area HS) placed 11th with a put of 11.84 meters (38' 10.25") while Desiree Richardson (Eagles Wings; Minneapolis Roosevelt HS) finished 15th with a mark of 11.64 meters (38' 2.25"). In the Bantam Girls High Jump, Arianna Passerri (Real Track & Field; Rosemount) finished in a tie for 10th place with a jump of 1.15 meters (3' 9.25").
Find complete USATF Junior Olympic Results HERE.
National Medalists
In the Intermediate Boys 3000 meter run, Minnesota was well represented with Charlie Lawrence of Foley in 3rd place and Shane Streich of Waseca in 6th place. Each ran 5 second personal bests with Lawrence posting a time of 9:04.37 and Streich finishing in 9:13.66.
In the Young Men's Shot Put, Tom Anderson of Andover earned the 4th place medal with a mark of 18.97 meters (62' 3").
Qualifiers
In the 200 meter Dash, J'ianna Cager (ICAA Breeze) moves on to the Bantam Girls final with the second fastest time of 27.88. Wensia Johnson (unattached; Alexandria) and Maddie Gourley (unattached; Eagan) advance to the Youth Girls final. Johnson posted the 4th fastest time in 24.75 and Gourley had the 8th fastest time in 25.45. Intermediate Girl Aimee Rice-Strand (Team Woodbury; Osceola, WI), although not a Minnesotan, has approval to compete with Team Woodbury. Rice-Strand advanced to the semifinal with a time of 25.69. In the semifinal later in the day, her time of 26.55 left her in 22nd place overall, failing to advance to the final.
In the 800 meter run, Tessa Laska (Unattached; South St. Paul) posted a 2:42.15 to advance to the Bantam Girls semi-final. Jenna Truedson (unattached; Bemidji) advanced to the Youth Girls final, sitting in 7th place. Intermediate Girl Samantha Nielsen (ICAA Breeze; Roseville H.S.) advanced to the final with the second fastest time of 2:18.92.
The Rest of the Action
In the 200 meter dash, Sub-Bantam Girl Trinity Belmares (ICAA Breeze) finished with a time of 34.38 and 24th place. Bantam Boy Tylan Brooks (ICAA Breeze) narrowly missed qualifying with an 11th place 28.00. Janier Harris (Park Flyers) ran 29.93 for 31st place. An even closer call was in the Midget Girls division with Jada Lewis (Eagles Wings) finishing with the 9th place time of 27.02 and sister Jia Lewis in 12th place in a time of 27.09. Midget Boy Dominik London (Team Woodbury) was also left one spot shy of the finals with a 25.57 time and 9th place. Youth Boy Tucker Trettel (unattached) ran 24.19 and was in 25th place. Intermediate Girl Megan Linder (unattached; Cretin Derham Hall HS) finished in 47th place with a time of 26.92. Intermediate Boy James Kruse (Team Woodbury; Irondale HS) ran 22.99, good enough for 32nd place. Jake Gourley (unattached; Eagan HS) finished in 40th place with a time of 23.41.
In the 800 meter run, Bantam Boy Dakari Saunders (ICAA Breeze) ran 2:59.20 for 41st place. Midget Boy Jackson Sokolowski (Park Flyers) was one place shy of qualifying for the final with a 9th place time of 2:23.85. Youth Boy Trayton Brooks (ICAA Breeze) finished in 41st place in 2:27.23. Intermediate Girl Julia Voss (Team Woodbury) ran 2:28.99 for 26th place. Intermediate Boy Matthew Rosen (unattached; Bloomington Jefferson HS), national champion last year as a Youth Boy, finished in 22nd place in a time of 2:05.44.
In the 400 meter Hurdles, Intermediate Girl Shaina Burns (Real Track & Field; Lakeville South HS) finished in 18th place with a time of 1:08.31. In the Young Men's division, Isaac Bimberg (unattached; Fairbault HS) managed a 38th place with a time of 1:02.24.
In the 4 x 400 meter Relay, the Team Woodbury Midget Girls team of Cassandra Colbjornsen, Ali Grinde, Molly Smith and Maria Versaguis ran 4:48.66 for 25th place. Park Flyers Midget Boys Brett Duncan, Mckein Keys, Jackson Sokolowski and Brendon Snyders ran 4:49.50 for 20th place. Team Woodbury Youth Girls Cat Henning, Johnna Patterson, Lauren Smith and Gina Versaguis finished in 15th place in 4:18.18. Eagles Wings Youth Girls Mariana Cress, Siona Fitzhugh, Judaisha Jackson and Chanelle Waters finished in 26th place in a time of 4:43.67. The Young Men of Emmanuel Dixon, Darkabolu Gbarbea, Arrnytt Jacox-Mann and Prince Miamen from Eagles Wings finished in 11th place in 3:22.91.
In field events, Jonathan Sutton (Eagles Wings; Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) managed 23rd place in the Intermediate Boys Discus Throw with a mark of 35.51 meters (116' 6"). Sub-Bantam Girl Zaria Smith (Eagles Wings) placed 19th in the Javelin Throw with a distance of 7.04 meters (23' 1"). In the Young Women's Shot Put, Hanna Steele (Southwest Minnesota Throws; Windom Area HS) placed 11th with a put of 11.84 meters (38' 10.25") while Desiree Richardson (Eagles Wings; Minneapolis Roosevelt HS) finished 15th with a mark of 11.64 meters (38' 2.25"). In the Bantam Girls High Jump, Arianna Passerri (Real Track & Field; Rosemount) finished in a tie for 10th place with a jump of 1.15 meters (3' 9.25").
Find complete USATF Junior Olympic Results HERE.
Maxwell, Sagedahl Winners at USA Masters
While the future of Minnesota track and field is competing in Wichita at the Junior Olympics, the veterans of the sport have gotten underway in Berea, Ohio at the USA Masters Outdoor Championships.
USATF- Minnesota masters track and field chairman Tom Langenfeld generously sent DtB his roster of Minnesota entrants and offered a update on those who competed yesterday, including USA titlists Sherwood Sagedahl and Ralph Maxwell.
Sherwood Sagedahl, Fairmont, ran away with the M70 pentathlon , scoring 3581 points, just 79 points short of the American record. He beat the runner-up by 1,126 points competing in the long jump, javelin, 200m, discus and 1500m. His 29.93 in the 200m is a shade better than his listed Minnesota age group record.
He’s is also entered in the open 100m, 400m and javelin.
Ralph Maxwell, Richville, opened with the shot put, unopposed, in M90 competition -- 6.36m (20-10 1/2) -- better than he did in the World meet decathlon, but short of his PR. He’s also entered in the 100m, 200m, short hurdles, high jump, pole vault, long jump, discus and javelin – and will have some competition in the running events, at least.
Thom Weddle, Burnsville, was second in the M70 5000m in 22:11.36. He’s also entered in the 800m, 1500m, and 10000m, though I’m not sure he’ll attempt all three.
Jim Sheehan, Ham Lake, qualified for the finals in the M60 800m with 2:30.77 in his heat. He’s on the mend from injuries and surgery, but will also run in the 1500m.
Robert Jones, White Bear Lake, finished fifth in the MJ45 shot put with 11.18m/36-8 1/4. He’s also entered in the discus, hammer and weight throw.
Other Minnesotans entered:
W50
Susan Loyd, Edina – 100m, 200m
Kathy Haubich, Shakopee – 200m, 400m, 800m
Marie French, Chatfield – 400m, 800m
M75
Tom Langenfeld, Edina – high jump
M70
Rick Kleyman, Plymouth – 1500m
M65
Michael Burns, Milan – 100m, short hurdles, long hurdles
M55
John Lund, Stillwater – pole vault
Michael Soule, Wyoming –pole vault primarily, but also high jump, long jump and triple jump According to Ken Stone's Master's Track blog, HERE, Soule also plans a musical performance at nationals.
M35
Peter Haack, La Crescent – 200m, 400m
M30
David Lindenberg, Minneapolis – pole vault
USATF- Minnesota masters track and field chairman Tom Langenfeld generously sent DtB his roster of Minnesota entrants and offered a update on those who competed yesterday, including USA titlists Sherwood Sagedahl and Ralph Maxwell.
Sherwood Sagedahl, Fairmont, ran away with the M70 pentathlon , scoring 3581 points, just 79 points short of the American record. He beat the runner-up by 1,126 points competing in the long jump, javelin, 200m, discus and 1500m. His 29.93 in the 200m is a shade better than his listed Minnesota age group record.
He’s is also entered in the open 100m, 400m and javelin.
Ralph Maxwell, Richville, opened with the shot put, unopposed, in M90 competition -- 6.36m (20-10 1/2) -- better than he did in the World meet decathlon, but short of his PR. He’s also entered in the 100m, 200m, short hurdles, high jump, pole vault, long jump, discus and javelin – and will have some competition in the running events, at least.
Thom Weddle, Burnsville, was second in the M70 5000m in 22:11.36. He’s also entered in the 800m, 1500m, and 10000m, though I’m not sure he’ll attempt all three.
Jim Sheehan, Ham Lake, qualified for the finals in the M60 800m with 2:30.77 in his heat. He’s on the mend from injuries and surgery, but will also run in the 1500m.
Robert Jones, White Bear Lake, finished fifth in the MJ45 shot put with 11.18m/36-8 1/4. He’s also entered in the discus, hammer and weight throw.
Other Minnesotans entered:
W50
Susan Loyd, Edina – 100m, 200m
Kathy Haubich, Shakopee – 200m, 400m, 800m
Marie French, Chatfield – 400m, 800m
M75
Tom Langenfeld, Edina – high jump
M70
Rick Kleyman, Plymouth – 1500m
M65
Michael Burns, Milan – 100m, short hurdles, long hurdles
M55
John Lund, Stillwater – pole vault
Michael Soule, Wyoming –pole vault primarily, but also high jump, long jump and triple jump According to Ken Stone's Master's Track blog, HERE, Soule also plans a musical performance at nationals.
M35
Peter Haack, La Crescent – 200m, 400m
M30
David Lindenberg, Minneapolis – pole vault
Yes/No: Will Smock Jump "B" Standard in Gent?
Track and field can be a cruel sport of numbers. Athletes seem to be competing against the watch or tape measure as often as against other competitors. Amanda Smock has the competition part down - she is the reigning USA Triple Jump Outdoor Track champion. But she has not conquered the tape measure... yet.Smock won the USA Outdoor Championships with a leap of 46-2. To compete in the World Championships, she needs to jump 46-3 1/4 by August 15th. This weekend she will attempt to master the numbers game and gain a qualifier in Gent, Belgium. (Other Minnesotans competing in Gent include Gabriele Anderson [800m], Garrett Heath [1500], and Jim Dilling [high jump]).
Is she a match for the unyielding measuring tape?
Yes/No: Will Amanda Smock obtain the World Championships "B" standard by triple jumping 46-3 1/4 or further in Belgium on Saturday?
Prior to this season, Amanda Smock's personal record in the triple jump was 45-5. She has reached new heights this year, capped by her personal record 46-2 at the Outdoor Championships. Smock jumped at Melrose High School and North Dakota State University.
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 8:30 A.M. CDT, Saturday, July 30rd. 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: No
Last week's question was: Will more than four women break 35:00 at the Heart of Summer 10k on Saturday morning? The correct answer was no. The top four runners all finished in the 34s: Katie McGregor, Emily Brown, Stephanie Herbst-Lucke and Emily Harrison. The near misses included Ladia Albertson-Junkans, fifth in 35:05 and Michelle Frey, sixth in 35:12.
My answer: No
Last week's question was: Will more than four women break 35:00 at the Heart of Summer 10k on Saturday morning? The correct answer was no. The top four runners all finished in the 34s: Katie McGregor, Emily Brown, Stephanie Herbst-Lucke and Emily Harrison. The near misses included Ladia Albertson-Junkans, fifth in 35:05 and Michelle Frey, sixth in 35:12.
It was tough question -- only eleven players answered it correctly. Two of them were Jim Glazer and Jesse Schoen who both moved into a tie for seventh place with sixteen points. The leaders are still Lori Anne Peterson and Mike Henderson.
For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Minnesotans in Action at Junior Olympics
The 45th edition of USATF's National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships is underway Wichita, Kansas. More than a hundred athletes from the North Star State are making the trip south for the meet that concludes on Sunday.USATF-Minnesota Youth Athletics Chairman Chris Dallager has graciously offered to report on the Minnesota exploits at the meet. Below are his reports from the opening day of action on Tuesday and for yesterday's performances.
Tuesday Action ... Shaina Burns (Real Track & Field; Lakeville South HS) is in 3rd after the first day of the Intermediate Girls Heptathlon. She had a solid showing and is only 63 points off of her region points.
James Kruse (Team Woodbury; Irondale HS) is sitting 14th in the middle of a very large pack in the Intermediate Boys Decathlon after day one with 2915 points. His Day 1 points were only 35 points off of his region pace. While stronger in Day 1 events typically, Kruse will look to a strong 110 Hurdle race to start Day 2 off well.
Randy Juell (unattached; Redwood Valley HS) is in 17th place after the first day in the Young Men's Decathlon with 2832 points. 76 points shy of his region points after five events. Juell can look to the Javelin and Discus Throws as strong events on Day 2 to gain ground.
Hannah Steele (Southwest Minnesota Throws Club; Windom Area HS) finished 12th in the Young Women's Hammer Throw with a mark of 35.50 meters (116-6).
Wednesday Action ... In the Intermediate (ages 15-16) Girls Heptathlon, Shaina Burns had an off day at the long jump, pulling her out of contention for 2nd or 3rd place. Her strong finish in the 800 meters in 2:26 secured a 4th place finish for her with a total of 4089 points.
In the Intermediate (ages 15-16) Boys Decathlon, James Kruse finished in 15th place with a total of 5133 points.
In the Young (ages 17-18) Mens Decathlon, Randy Juell finished in 17th with 5116 points.
Natalie Windels (Real Track & Field; Eagan) earned a 6th place national medal in the Midget (ages 11-12) Girls Pentathlon after beating all competitors in the 800 meter final event in a time of 2:34, pushing her from 10th to 6th and a total of 2205 points.
Arianna Passerri (Real Track & Field; Rosemount) performed well in the Bantam (ages 9-10) Girls Triathlon. Unlike the triathlon with bike riding and swimming, this triathlon combines the shot put, high jump and 200 meter dash for girls (400 meter for boys) and scores points for finishes in each event.
Passerri's total of 842 points was 5 points more than her region championship total and she finished in the top third of athletes with a 10th place finish.
Find complete USATF Junior Olympic results HERE.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Smock, Yedoni Honored by USATF-Minnesota
USA Track & Field Minnesota has announced that Amanda Smock and Trevor Yedoni are its Athletes of the Month for July 2011.
Smock, a Melrose native, is recognized for winning the triple jump at the USA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon last month. The North Dakota State University alumnus marked a personal-best jump of 46-2 to win her first national title.
Yedoni, a senior at Benilde-St. Margaret's High School, is honored for his double victory at the MSHSL Class AA State Track Meet last month. Yedoni won the long jump with a leap of 23-0 and defended his high jump title with a clearance of 6-10.
USATF-Minnesota selects Athletes of the Month to honor excellence in track and field and its related sports in Minnesota.
Smock, a Melrose native, is recognized for winning the triple jump at the USA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon last month. The North Dakota State University alumnus marked a personal-best jump of 46-2 to win her first national title.
Yedoni, a senior at Benilde-St. Margaret's High School, is honored for his double victory at the MSHSL Class AA State Track Meet last month. Yedoni won the long jump with a leap of 23-0 and defended his high jump title with a clearance of 6-10.
USATF-Minnesota selects Athletes of the Month to honor excellence in track and field and its related sports in Minnesota.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Smock Still Seeking Worlds Qualifier
USA triple jump champion Amanda Smock continues to seek a qualifying mark for this summer's IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
On Sunday, the Melrose native jumped 45-5 for second place at the Savo Games in Lapinlahti, Finland, short of the 46-3 1/4 World Championships "B" standard she needs.
After opening the Finnish competition with back-to-back fouls, Smock's best jump of the day came on her third attempt of the competition.
Columbia's Catherine Ibarquen won the competition with a mark of 47-10 1/2. Find results of the competition HERE.
Smock has until August 15 to qualify for the World Championships.
Smock missed the "B" standard by a scant inch and a quarter when she won her first national title in Eugene, Oregon earlier this summer with a personal best of 46-2.
On Sunday, the Melrose native jumped 45-5 for second place at the Savo Games in Lapinlahti, Finland, short of the 46-3 1/4 World Championships "B" standard she needs.
After opening the Finnish competition with back-to-back fouls, Smock's best jump of the day came on her third attempt of the competition.
Columbia's Catherine Ibarquen won the competition with a mark of 47-10 1/2. Find results of the competition HERE.
Smock has until August 15 to qualify for the World Championships.
Smock missed the "B" standard by a scant inch and a quarter when she won her first national title in Eugene, Oregon earlier this summer with a personal best of 46-2.
Monday, July 25, 2011
McGregor Wins Third Heart of Summer 10K
Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor won the Boston Scientific Heart of the Summer 10K for he third time in here in her stellar career, with a 34:22 win over teammate Emily Brown who ran 34:29.
Chaska High School alumnus Stephanie Herbst-Lucke continued her remarkable second career as a masters runner, finishing third in 34:38. Emily Harrison of Flagstaff, Arizona was fourth in 34:51.
McGregor also won the race in 2005 and 2006, establishing the course and Minnesota state record with her 32:17 clocking in 2005. In 2008, she was the runner-up.
Complete results of the race can be found HERE.
St. John's University alumnus Chris Erichsen won the event's men's race in 30:51. Erichsen won $1000 for his effort; McGregor won $2000 for her title.
Photo by Gene Niemi. From left: Brown, McGregor, Herbst-Lucke, and Harrison.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Blankenship Edges Leer in Lucerne 3000m
The University of Minnesota's Ben Blankenship ran a 7:49.70 3000-meters yesterday in Lucerne, Switzerland to finish runner-up in the race and edge fellow Minnesotan Will Leer, who was third in 7:50.54.
Juan Luis Barrios of Mexico won the race in 7:42.82.
Winona native Garrett Heath finished 7th in the event in 7:58.58.
Former Minnesota State, Mankato high jumper Jim Dilling finished 3rd in the meet's high jump competition at 7-2 1/2.
Find complete results from the meet HERE.
Juan Luis Barrios of Mexico won the race in 7:42.82.
Winona native Garrett Heath finished 7th in the event in 7:58.58.
Former Minnesota State, Mankato high jumper Jim Dilling finished 3rd in the meet's high jump competition at 7-2 1/2.
Find complete results from the meet HERE.
Yes/No: More Than Four Under 35:00 at "Heart?"
The Boston Scientific Heart of Summer 10k has gathered a strong group of elite women to run circles around Lake Nokomis on Saturday morning. The pack will include many Minnesota-based runners but also some elite females from all over the United States.
The top names this year include 2009 winner Emily Brown, 2005 and 2006 victor Katie McGregor, and ex-Minnesota resident and current masters champion Stephanie Herbst-Lucke. Going for the quality AND quantity prize for the 2011 season is Jennifer Houck who has already placed among the leaders in USA championships at half marathon, 15k, and 25k as well as the Boston Marathon and Grandma's Marathon.
The top names this year include 2009 winner Emily Brown, 2005 and 2006 victor Katie McGregor, and ex-Minnesota resident and current masters champion Stephanie Herbst-Lucke. Going for the quality AND quantity prize for the 2011 season is Jennifer Houck who has already placed among the leaders in USA championships at half marathon, 15k, and 25k as well as the Boston Marathon and Grandma's Marathon.
The women will compete against the elements as well as each other, although (thankfully) the summer heat wave has abated slightly. With that in mind, here is this week's question...
Yes/No: Will more than four women break 35:00 at the Heart of Summer 10k on Saturday morning?
Along with the aforementioned McGregor, Brown, Herbst-Lucke and Houck, here are some other top names in the race:
Atalelch Asfaw - 10k PR - 32:45
Wendy Thomas - 11th at USA 10k Champs in 2010
Pasca Cheruyiot - 2-Time All-American at Florida State
Emily Harrison - 10k PR - 33:40
Jamie Cheever - 5th at Heart of Summer in 2010
Jenna Boren - 35:19 at Get In Gear 2011
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 7:30 A.M. CDT, Saturday, July 23rd. 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 Ben Blankenship run sub-3:38:00 at Heusden on Saturday? The answer was yes - Blankenship continued his great running, winning his heat and just sneaking under 3:38. Twenty five players answered correctly this week.
My answer: Yes
Last week's question was: Will Ben Blankenship run sub-3:38:00 at Heusden on Saturday? The answer was yes - Blankenship continued his great running, winning his heat and just sneaking under 3:38. Twenty five players answered correctly this week.
Mike Henderson and Lori Anne Peterson now occupy the top spot with 18 points. Four players are just behind with seventeen points: Chris Rivers, Daniel Gerber, Patrick Eastman and Rachel Karel.
For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Gophers Ink Thrower Luke Johnson
The University of Minnesota men's track and field team just got a little bigger and stronger.
The team recently announced the signing of Red Wing's Luke Johnson, the reigning MSHSL Class AA discus champion. Johnson was also the runner-up in the Class AA shot put this season. In 2011, Johnson marked a 190-3 discus throw and a 64-2 shot put.
“We're very excited to add Luke Johnson to an already strong recruiting class,” said Minnesota assistant coach Lyden Reder, the team's throwing coach.
“We certainly believe Luke is capable of following in the strong tradition we've had here at Minnesota of developing our in-state talent into Big Ten and NCAA caliber throwers,” said Reder. “We're glad he's a Gopher.”
The team recently announced the signing of Red Wing's Luke Johnson, the reigning MSHSL Class AA discus champion. Johnson was also the runner-up in the Class AA shot put this season. In 2011, Johnson marked a 190-3 discus throw and a 64-2 shot put.
“We're very excited to add Luke Johnson to an already strong recruiting class,” said Minnesota assistant coach Lyden Reder, the team's throwing coach.
“We certainly believe Luke is capable of following in the strong tradition we've had here at Minnesota of developing our in-state talent into Big Ten and NCAA caliber throwers,” said Reder. “We're glad he's a Gopher.”
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