Down the Backstretch

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

MIAC Cross Country Awards for 2012

The MIAC Cross Country Awards were announced last Thursday. Conference champions swept the honors with St Olaf's Grant Wintheiser named most valuable men's athlete, St Thomas' Taylor Berg was awarded the women's MVA designation. St Olaf's Phil Lundin was selected as the men's coach of the year, while Gustavus coach Dale Bahr got the women's COY award.

Full listing of men's honors is HERE. The women's are HERE.

Monday, November 05, 2012

Winona State Women Second, U-Mary Third in NCAA DII Regional Champs; Mankato Men Third

Winona State finished second and U Mary third in the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships on Saturday giving both teams a spot in the National Championship meet. The Minnesota State Mankato men placed third to also qualify for the NCAA Championships set for November 17 in Joplin, Missouri.

Augustana’s men and women swept the Region championships, each placing their top five runners in the top 12. This marks the first region title for the defending national champion women’s team and the second for the men. Augustana’s men last won the region title in 1991. The Augustana men, ranked fifth in the country, scored 31 points while the women, ranked first in the nation, had 28. Winona State finished with 108 points, U Mary 149.

Other Minnesota teams were: Women: Minnesota State Mankato(seventh/193), University of Minnesota Duluth(eighth/222), MSU-Moorhead(18th/446), Bemidji State(23rd/719), and SW Minnesota State(26th/814). The St. Cloud State women had only two finishers in the 6K race: Kassandra Vaness(23rd/ 22:05.25) and Nichelle Rubash(34th/22:24.57). Concordia-St Paul had four finishers: Anna Schield(109/23:40.6), Maggie Marcus(126/24:13), MaKenna Hofer(128/24:14.08), and Erica Young(164/25:48.99)Men: UMD(12th/314), MSU-Moorhead(13th/322), U-Mary(15th/341), Winona State(16th/444), and Concordia-St. Paul(22nd/662). The St. Cloud State men did not have a full team, just three individuals in the 10K race: Gemechu Bekelcho(16th/30:50.47), Mahdi Koliso(21st/30:56.51), and Jared Hicks(109/33:16.41). SW Minnesota State also had only three finishers: Jack Derham(158/36:38.77), Demond Carter(160(36:47.21), and Andrew Feucht(161/38:19.37).

Rocky's Run; Fall Finale

The University of Minnesota cross country team hosted the 32nd annual running of Rocky's Run at Les Bolstad Golf Course on Sunday morning. Danny Docherty, brother of Gopher women's team member Laura Docherty, won the 6K race in 20:07. The Gopher's Cassy Opitz won the women's race in 22:44.

Rocky's Run was founded in 1981 to honor former Gopher runner Rochelle "Rocky" Racette, who died in a car crash that fall at age 22. Racette was a Big Ten and Drake Relays champion in the 5,000 meters at Minnesota. She was also crowned homecoming queen one fall when an injury prevented her from competing in cross country.

Racette's legacy lives on through the memory of those who knew her, the race, and the scholarship for which it raised money. Gopher junior Rachel Drake, who won the women's race at Rocky's Run last year, was awarded this year's scholarship. Full race results are HERE. Minnesota Daily story on Rocky's Run and St. John's Fall Finale is HERE. Gopher SID story on Fall Finale is HERE. Full Fall Finale results are HERE.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

MSHSL State Meet Photo Album by Gene Niemi

Matt Welch(211), Charlie Lawrence(43), Shane Streich(123),
Nick Golebiowski(171)

Matt Welch nearing the finish

Esko girls team raising the championship trophy

Clare Flanagan coming down the homestretch

Wayde Hall(655), Obsa Ali(527), Joe Klecker(551),
Kevin Docherty(535), Eric Colvin(653)

Maria Hauger on her way to a course record and fourth
State title

Saturday, November 03, 2012

Maria Hauger Profile

Former Strib reporter John Millea, who is the media specialist for the MSHSL, wrote the following on Shakopee's Maria Hauger after this year's race.

NORTHFIELD -- Maria Hauger turned back the clock Saturday. And she didn’t wait until bedtime like the rest of us. She did it in the middle of the afternoon and turned it all the way back to 1994. That’s when Dawson-Boyd’s Carrie Tollefson became the only athlete in Minnesota history to win five cross-country state championships.Hauger won the Class 2A state title for the fourth year in a row Saturday at St. Olaf College. She joined Tollefson – who went on to become an NCAA cross-country and track champion at Villanova University and run the 1,500 meters at the 2004 Olympics – as the only four-time champions. Tollefson won three Class 1A titles and two in Class 2A between 1990 and 1994. (Hauger and Tollefson are pictured above in a photo from earlier this season.)

Haugen’s other goal in her final high school race in Minnesota was to set a girl's course record. And she did that, too, finishing in 13 minutes, 42 seconds. That shattered the record of 13:54.7 set in 2005 by Bria Wetsch of Holy Family.

The second-place finisher was Anna French, a sophomore from Wayzata. Placing third was Alexandria ninth-grader Bethany Hasz, followed by Eagan senior Danielle Anderson and Bemidji sophomore Jenna Truedson.

Any time anyone mentions to Hauger that she is in the same hemisphere as Tollefson, she brushes the comparisons aside: “She’s an Olympian, I’m just a high schooler.”

Hauger says that another athlete she also looks up to is swimmer Michael Phelps, “even though he’s not a runner. He’s just amazing.”That word fits Hauger pretty well, too. Her running career began when she was in seventh grade and she broke the Shakopee school record in the mile in her very first race. She placed ninth at the state cross-country race in her first appearance, as an eighth-grader, and won every championship race since. The only race in Minnesota she didn’t win in the last four years came earlier this season at the Montgomery Invitational, when Blake junior Clare Flanagan – who captured her second Class 1A title Saturday – reached the finish line 18 seconds ahead of Hauger.

Hauger responded with a dominating victory at the Roy Griak Invitational two weeks later, and put a gold-medal cherry on her prep cross-country career Saturday.

“I’m pretty exhausted,” she said after the race. “Probably the most exhausting race, though, was the Griak. I felt like I was going to pass out. This one was good.”

She said her list of possible colleges has been narrowed to five. She wouldn’t name them, other than saying that the University of Minnesota is among the five.

Hauger Wins Fourth Individual Title as Wayzata Takes AA Girls Team Championship

Shakopee senior Maria Hauger won her fourth state title and broke the seven-year-old course record of 13:54.7 set by Holy Family's Brea Wetsch with a time of 13:42. Wayzata sophomore Anna French led the Trojans to the team title with a second place finish in 13:57.6, followed by Alexandria freshman Bethany Hasz in 14:05.5. Wayzata scored 50 points, runner up Eagan 93, and third place team Edina 129. The top 36 finishers in the girls AA race ran under 15 minutes.

Stillwater Sweep in Boys AA Race

Stillwater took the team championship and Wayde Hall won the individual crown to provide the Ponies with a sweep in the boys AA race. Almost 50 seconds separated the top five Stillwater finishers who averaged under 16:00 for the 5K course. Hall's winning time was 15:21. Edina(80) took second in the team race and Wayzata third(90). Richfield junior Obsi Ali finished second in 15:25.8, followed by Hopkins sophomore Joe Klecker who was third in 15:29.2 as the top 23 runners were under 16 minutes in the individual race.

Esko Wins Girls Class A Title, Clare Flanagan Wins Individual Crown

Esko won the Girls Class A team championship with 115 points, Annandale was second with 150, and Minnehaha Academy took third with 151, just edging Waseca with 157. Blake's Clare Flanangan won the individual title in 14:04.1, followed by Cannon Falls' Emi Trost in 14:16.5, and McKenzie Holt from St Cloud Christian in 14:29.8 All three are juniors. Full results are HERE.

Perham Wins Team Title; Matt Welch Individual Winner in Class A

Perham took the team title with 37 points, followed by St. Cloud Cathedral with 72, and Waseca with 164. Matt Welch of Proctor won the individual title in 15:34. Charlie Lawrence of Foley was second in 15:46.5, and Shane Streich of Waseca in 15:52.9 third. Full results are HERE.

Friday, November 02, 2012

Mark Nenow--The North Dakota Connection

Mark Nenow approaching the finish in 1975.
Photo by Jim Ferstle

The North Dakota connection is pretty strong in the Minnesota track and running community. Mark Nenow, Mike Slack, and most recently Amanda Smock are a few who leap to mind for me. Nenow came up during the Andrew Carlson interview because they have a similar history. Both excelled in high school and moved on to notable running careers before trying the marathon.

In looking back through some old photos, I happened upon a couple of "Mr. Nenow" as Carlson calls Mark. They are from the MSHSL championships in 1975. Nenow won the title that year and these old black and white photos I took capture him coming down the stretch. And if you're wondering: Where is he now? Just click HERE.

Mark Nenow sprinting to the finish at the 1975 State XC champs on the U of M
golf course. Photo by Jim Ferstle

Andrew Carlson Ready for the Big Apple

Photo Courtesy of Team USA Minnesota

Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson hopes to follow up on his impressive performance at the US Olympic Trials at Sunday's New York City Marathon against strong national and international competition. Reared in North Dakota where he was the state high school XC champion, Carlson continued his distance running success at the University of Minnesota where he set a school record in the 5K on the track that was broken by Hassan Mead in 2009 and finished ninth in the NCAA 10,000 in 2005. Carlson has won two national championships on the roads--15K in 2008 and 25K in 2010. At age 30 he hopes that his best years are ahead of him as he moves his focus to the marathon with his aim at the Trials for the 2016 Games and another shot at the Olympic team.

Down the Backstretch: Quite an auspicious debut in the marathon—2:11:24, sixth at the Olympic Trials. What were your thoughts going into the race? Did you have concerns about not having run the distance before? Did you have any specific goals other than to give your best performance or where you just “going with the flow’ and would see how things unfolded?

Andrew Carlson: My thoughts going into the Olympic Trials revolved around getting the best I could on that day. I had ideas in my head of what I hoped I would do, but I wanted to be flexible with my approach because I was not sure how the race would unfold. When the leaders went out at such a strong pace it made my decision to not go with the lead group easy. I had to make decisions based on giving myself the best chance I could to place high and going out on 2:06-2:07 pace was not in my best interest.

DtB: You talked afterward about the tight hamstrings, wishing you had known what the last eight miles would feel like, and that you could get through rough patches you experienced. Talk a little about what was going through your mind as the rest of you felt fine, but your hamstrings were rebelling on you. The “freaking out.”

AC: I would say that a more experienced marathoner would have been equipped to deal with the notion of hamstring cramping late in the race. I freaked out a bit, but for the most part was able to keep myself under control. Hopefully going forward I will be able to have a better understanding of what my body is going through late in a race and make adjustments from there.

DtB: You said after the race that you’d thought about a lot of stuff in preparation for the race , but some things way too little. What things do you think need more thought before the next one? Things you need to improve upon?

AC: I certainly need to improve on my nutritional intake during the race. I think I was too quick to discard my fluids and that may have had something to do with my hamstring cramping. But it may not have been either. I choose to focus on the most major parts--training and preparation--and let the other things fall into place.

DtB: You were going to debut at Twin Cities in 2011, but you tore some ligaments in your ankle in a training run before the race. How was the recovery from that? How serious an injury was it? You’ve noted that it might have been a blessing not doing the Twin Cities prior to the Trials? Why?

AC: I certainly wanted to race the marathon at Twin Cities and hope to in the future. I'm just not sure how I would have recovered between TCM and the Olympic Trials. I think the training and preparation ahead of Twin Cities really benefited me in my preparation for the Olympic Trials. I was able to have a barometer for key workouts and a better understanding of how my body would respond to the rigors of marathon training.

DtB: You have a degree in kinesiology, has that scientific background been a help, a hindrance, or somewhere in between in approaching your running, training, racing?

AC: Though I have a degree in kinesiology I don't believe I think with a very scientific mind. I didn't graduate with honors or anything like that. I believe I have a very keen understanding of the amount of work it takes to run fast, but I don't think I derive much of that from science. I leave that part up to Dennis Barker and just train hard.

DtB: You have a geographic connection to another runner with Minnesota ties, a contemporary of your college coach Steve Plasencia--Mark Nenow, who was born in North Dakota but moved to Minnesota for high school in Anoka . He was the American recordholder for 10K. Ever meet him or had a chance to compare notes?

AC: I have never met Mr. Nenow, but have certainly heard a lot about him. I have a strong interest in the history of distance running in Minnesota and North Dakota. Though I don't put myself in the category of Plasencia, Beardsley, Bjorklund, Nenow, Kempainen, etc, it is fun to aspire to be at that level and maybe one day be in that category.

DtB: You’ve got a lot of range, having been successful on the track, on the roads at intermediate distances, but everyone is probably going to be pushing you for the marathon after your trials performance. What are your thoughts on future plans? A mix of track and marathon, somewhere in between, or total focus on the marathon?

AC: My future plans are in the marathon, beginning on November 4th in NYC. I think I will compete at a variety of distances until my career is over though. I believe that being a well rounded athlete is very important to having success in the Marathon.

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Rocky's Run and Fall Finale This Weekend

Minnesota Daily story on Rocky's Run and the Fall Finale at St. John's is HERE. The Fall Finale is scheduled for 5 PM on Friday at Collegeville. Rocky's Run 6K begins at 10:30 AM on Sunday at the Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights.

Yes/No: Twenty girls under fifteen minutes at Minnesota State Meet?

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) cross country meet will be held Saturday at St. Olaf College. The races start at 10:00 A.M. with Class A and continue into the afternoon with the big schools.

The girls races will feature some major star power at the front of the pack. Both individual defending champions return - Clare Flanagan from Blake and three-time defending AA champ Maria Hauger. These two also boast two of the top five 3200 times (or equivalent) in Minnesota high school history. Flanagan is third with a 10:17:17 (conversion from 2mile) and Hauger is fifth - 10:24:78 (also conversion).

We know about the superior talent of the favorites in these races. But how is the depth in girls cross country in Minnesota? Let us know what you think with this question...

Yes/No: Will twenty or more girls break 15:00.00 at the Minnesota State High School Meet (class A and AA combined)?

Some recent results show that in 2011, 32 girls broke 15 minutes:
Class AA
Class A

In 2010, there were 19 girls under 15:00:
Class AA
Class A

In 2009, 7 girls broke 15 minutes:
Class AA
Class A

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 11:00 A.M. CDT, Saturday, November 3rd. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.

My Answer: No

Last week's question was: Will both the University of Minnesota Gopher Mens AND Womens cross country teams finish in the top four at the Big Ten Championships? The answer was no. The women finished fourth while the men were fifth. First place is now Heather Jelen with twenty-six points. There is a four-way tie for second: Mike Mason, Gloria Jansen, Mike Henderson and Jesse Schoen, all with twenty-five points.

No one answered all four questions correctly this month. A group of four answered three questions correctly in October including Schoen, Henderson, Dylan Dragswiek and Sam Rush.

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

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

HS State XC Championship Preview: Final Section HS XC Results

MSHSL preview of the State Meet:
Two team champions return this Saturday, Nov. 3, when the Minnesota State High School League’s 2012 State Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country Running Meet is conducted at St. Olaf College in Northfield. The St. Cloud Cathedral boys (Class A) and the Stillwater Area boys (Class AA) are both in the hunt for their second consecutive titles.

Three individual champions also return in search of more gold. Senior Maria Hauger of
Shakopee is looking to become the first Class AA runner to win four consecutive titles, while junior
Clare Flanagan is seeking her second consecutive Class A crown. Esko senior Marisa Shady, who took
top honors in Class A in 2010, also returns. She is looking to improve on last year’s third-place
showing.

Class A Boys Highlights

The Crusaders of St. Cloud Cathedral return to defend their 2011 title. They have six runners
with previous state meet experience. Eleven other teams also return from last year’s field: Cotter of
Winona, Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Martin County West of Sherburn, Waseca, Redwood Valley of
Redwood Falls, Luverne, Minnehaha Academy of Minneapolis, The Blake School of Minneapolis,
Mora, Albany, and Perham. Cotter includes students from Hope Lutheran of Winona.

The other teams qualified this year are Pelican Rapids, Proctor, Esko, and Park Rapids Area.

The final rankings from the state coaches association for the qualified teams are: 1. Perham; 2.
St. Cloud Cathedral; 3.Minnehaha Academy; 4. Waseca; 5. The Blake School; 6. Esko; 7. Cotter; 8.
Plainview-Elgin-Millville; 9. Redwood Valley; 11. Martin County West; and 12. Pelican Rapids.
Senior Charlie Lawrence of Foley is the highest returning individual medal-winner; he placed
third in 2011. Two other Top 10 finishers also return: sophomore Shane Streich of Waseca, fifth, and
junior Nick Golebiowski of St. Cloud Cathedral, eighth.

Lawrence was ranked No. 2 in the final coaches poll followed by Streich at No. 4 and
Golebiowski at No. 5.

Class A Girls Highlights
Ten of last year’s 16 teams are back. The Annandale Cardinals, who earned runner-up honors
last year, are the highest returning qualifiers. They return with six runners from last year’s roster. Other
teams that are returning are Rochester Lourdes, Waseca, Adrian, The Blake School of Minneapolis,
Holdingford, Albany, Esko, International Falls, and Perham. The other qualified teams are Dover-Eyota,
Martin County West of Sherburn, Canby/Minneota/Lincoln H I, Minnehaha Academy of Minneapolis,
Spectrum/Legacy, and Warroad. Spectrum/Legacy is a co-op between Spectrum High School of Elk
River and Legacy Christian Academy of Andover.

The final rankings from the state coaches association for the qualified teams are: 1. Esko; 2.
Waseca; 3. Rochester Lourdes; 5. Dover-Eyota; 8. Annandale; 9. The Blake School; and 10. Minnehaha
Academy.

Defending champion Clare Flanagan, a junior from The Blake School, is the highest returning
qualifier. She will face tough competition from junior Emi Trost of Cannon Falls and senior Marisa
Shady of Esko. Trost placed second last year and Shady followed in third. Shady also took top honors in
2010.

Three additional Top 10 finishers also return: junior McKenzie Holt of St. Cloud Christian,
fourth; senior Kayla Woltz of Chatfield, fifth; and junior Courtney Alama of Annandale, seventh.
Flanagan was No. 1 in the final rankings from the state coaches association, followed by Trost at
No. 2, Holt at No. 4, Shady at No. 5, and Woltz at No. 7.

Class AA Boys Highlights
Eight of last year’s 16 teams will be back, including the defending champions from Stillwater
Area. The Ponies have five runners with previous state meet experience. Other teams returning from last
year’s meet are Owatonna, Rosemount, White Bear Lake Area, Centennial of Circle Pines, Mounds
View, Edina, and Moorhead. The other teams in the field are Rochester Century, Orono, Chaska,
Eastview of Apple Valley, Wayzata, Elk River, Chisago Lakes Area of Lindstrom, and Bemidji.

The final rankings from the state coaches association for the qualified teams are: 1. Stillwater
Area; 2. Wayzata; 3. Edina; 7. Owatonna; 8. Rosemount; 9. Centennial; and 10. Bemidji.

In the individual competition, senior Kevin Docherty of Cretin-Derham Hall of St. Paul is the
highest returning qualifier. He is looking to improve on last year’s sixth-place showing.

In addition to Docherty, three other 2011 Top 10 finishers also return: senior Wayde Hall of
Stillwater Area, seventh; sophomore Joey Duerr of Chaska, eighth; and senior Eric Colvin of Stillwater
Area, 10th.

Hall was ranked No. 2 in the final coaches poll. Docherty was No. 3, Duerr was No. 7, and
Colvin came in at No. 10.

Class AA Girls Highlights
Lakeville South, which placed second in 2011, is this year’s highest returning qualifier. The
Cougars have six runners with previous state meet experience. Ten additional teams also return from last
year’s field: Lakeville North, Chanhassen, Eagan, Prior Lake, East Ridge of Woodbury, Roseville Area,
Totino-Grace of Fridley, Wayzata, Edina, and Forest Lake.

Teams from Chaska, Mounds View, Elk River, Moorhead, and Willmar round out this year’s
Class AA field.

The final rankings from the state coaches association for the qualified teams are: 1. Eagan; 2.
Wayzata; 3. East Ridge; 4. Edina; 5. Chanhassen; 6. Lakeville South; 9. Willmar; and 10. Moorhead.
Three-time defending champion Maria Hauger of Shakopee, a senior, leads the field of eight
returning Top 10 finishers. The others are: Bemidji sophomore Jenna Truedson, third; Alexandria ninthgrader
Megan Hasz, fourth; Alexandria ninth-grader Bethany Hasz, fifth; Lakeville South sophomore
Kaytlyn Larson, sixth; Andover senior Nicole Heitzman, seventh; Eagan senior Danielle Anderson,
eighth; and Wayzata sophomore Anna French, 10th.

Hauger, who became the first Class AA competitor to win three consecutive titles last year, was
ranked No. 1 in the final coaches poll. The others were: Anderson at No. 2; Truedson at No. 3; Bethany
Hasz at No. 4; Megan Hasz at No. 5; and French at No. 7.

The Schedule
The Class A boys’ race will start at 10 a.m., followed by the Class A girls’ race at 11 a.m. The
Class AA boys’ race will start at 1 p.m., followed by the Class AA girls’ race at 2 p.m. A combined
awards ceremony will take place approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the girls’ race in each
class.

State Meet Parking
School teams, meet officials, media, and vehicles displaying handicapped passes will be allowed
to park on the St. Olaf campus near the race course at Skoglund Athletic Center.
Spectator parking is available at four remote parking lots at the southeast end of St. Olaf campus.
Large red signs will direct spectators to these lots. Shuttle service to and from campus will be provided
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The pick-up and drop-off points will be posted with large red “Bus Stop”
signs.

GrandStadium Webcast
A composite highlight video will be produced at the meet and will be available for free viewing
for seven days at www.Prep45.com sometime the following week.

Directions

To find St. Olaf College, take I-35 to the Highway 19/Northfield exit and drive east to the campus. Follow the signs toward the Skoglund Athletic Center.

Meet results will be posted on the League’s Web site. The League’s Web site address is
www.MSHSL.org.

Section 3A boys results are HERE. Girls results are HERE

Other Sectional results are HERE and HERE.

Interview With Dennis Barker

Runner's Space interview with Augsburg/Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker done at the Olympic Track Trials in Eugene this summer is HERE. Covers the history of Team USA Minnesota, history of MN distance runners, training, coaching.

ING New York City Marathon in the News, Ready to Make More News

A couple of weeks ago Richard Finn, New York Road Runners director of media relations, did a three-stop tour across the country to promote the fact that Sunday's ING New York City Marathon would be televised live on ESPN 2. Two of his stops involved Minnesotans.

Before he came to Minneapolis on October 11 to do a joint press conference with participants in this year's race, Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson and Melissa Fry, Finn was in Arkansas with Armstrong High grad, Leah Thorvilson. There he presented a ceremonial race bib to Thorvilson, the four-time champion of the Little Rock Marathon(video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PNzl-pcqR0Q). He did the same for Fry and Carlson in Minneapolis as well as a segment for Carrie Tollefson's CTolleRun web site as Tollefson will be part of the ESPN broadcast team for the race.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy that coverage has an even more compelling back story as the city recovers from unprecedented flooding and power outages due to the storm. While the ESPN coverage will mainly focus on the elite races, no doubt there will be segments dealing with a marathon recovery of sorts from the storm that will only be in its early miles by the time the race begins.

For Frey, who was just returning from finishing 32nd at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Bulgaria, this year's New York race presents an opportunity to race against a world class field and tick off an item on her "bucket list"-- running the NYC Marathon. With her elite running career winding down, Frey said she wanted to run in New York while she was still competitive, not merely as part of the 47,000 who enter the event.

"I'm excited to be there and to see how fast I can run," said Frey. She received advice from Katie McGregor and her coach, Chris Lundstrom, both of whom have run New York, on how to navigate the race on the Big Apple's unique tour of the Five Boroughs. At points, she said they told her, "you have to hold back," because the crowd and the competition might induce you to run too fast. Managing your energy, while crucial to any marathon, is even more so in New York as the atmosphere can get you out of your race plan. Frey says she runs better when she is concentrating on her own goals, not getting sucked into others' pace or distractions, but it's not easy.

Carlson told the story of his experience in his first marathon--the Olympic Trials in Houston in January where he placed sixth. About seven miles into the race there was a turn where nobody was sure which way to go. Nervous and revved up about being in the Olympic Trials, Carlson "just started shouting at a police officer," who was standing in the area as a course monitor. Just as quickly as the urge hit him to begin yelling, Carlson realized, one, that the policeman probably had no more knowledge of which way to go than he did, and, two, that he was unnecessarily wasting energy. "You need to calm down," he remembers saying to himself.

He did, and through mile 20 he felt fine, was beginning to feel that this marathon thing was going pretty well, then reality set in. "First one hamstring started cramping, then another, and it goes from 'this is easy' to the hardest thing I've ever done." Carlson was still able to hold it together and get to the finish in 2:11:24. Then he went from the usual first time marathoner thoughts of "I'm never going to do this again," to sitting alone in his hotel room for four hours going over the race, picking out those things that he could have done better. Three spots from an Olympic berth. So close, but yet so far.

Demonstrating an impressive knowledge of the history of Minnesotans in New York, Carlson noted that his goals this weekend are to try and live up to the standards of those before him--Garry Bjorklund(5th in the 1977 NYCM), Bob Kempainen(2nd in the 1993 NYCM), Jason Lehmkuhle(fifth in the Olympic Trials in New York in 2007). Those are pretty high standards, but Carlson has never been one to aim low. He noted that's he's 50/50 on the success/failure ratio in New York having two good races and two bad ones in his four attempts at shorter distances in the Big Apple.

So, the main goal is to get above .500 on the success ratio and see where that places him. For Frey, if conditions allow it, her hopes are a time in the low 2:30s and "trying to be open to having the best day of my life." The training is done, said Frey, noting that she and some of her teammates on the US team in Bulgaria who were also preparing for Fall marathons went on a run at one in the morning before they left to fly home because their training schedules called for two runs that day at that was the only time they could get one of them done.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Class A Coaches XC Final Rankings; Odds and Ends

Highland Park junior Elana Breitenbucher named one of the Pioneer Press prep Athletes of the Week HERE.

Across the river in Hudson, Ryan Kromer became the first Hudson High schooler to win the Wisconsin state Division 1 XC title. Read the story from the Hudson Star-Observer HERE. For that he was also on the Pioneer Press Athletes of the Week list HERE.

FINAL POLL

BOYS’ TEAMS: INDIVIDUALS:

1. Perham Matt Welch Proctor

2. St. Cloud Cathedral Charlie Lawrence Foley

3. Minnehaha Academy Keeghan Hurley Perham

4. Blake Shane Streich Waseca

5. Martin County West Nick Golebiowski St. Cloud Cath.

6. Redwood Valley Area Mike Destache St. Paul Acad.

7 Cotter Brady Speicher Perham

8. Waseca Billy Beseman Perham

9. Proctor Ian Torchia Roch. Lourdes

10. Esko Ethan Wagner Minnehaha Acad.

11. Plainview-Elgin-Millville Nick Stoks Canby-Minneota/LinHI

12 Albany Pat Reinschmidt Plainview-Elgin-M

GIRLS’ TEAMS: INDIVIDUALS:

1. Waseca Clare Flanagan Blake

2. Esko Emi Trost Cannon Falls

3. Blake Emily Mantor United South Central

4. Dover-Eyota McKenzie Holt St. Cloud Christian

5. Annandale Marisa Shady Esko

6. Rochester Lourdes Kayla Woltz Chatfield

7. Minnehaha Academy Mary Naas St. Paul Acad

8. Holdingford Sadie Klug Waseca

9. Perham Kayla Huhnerkoch Redwood Valley Area

10. Martin County West Savannah Ramirez Litchfield

11. Canby/Minneota/LinHI Madeline Huglen Roseau

12. Adrian Elizabeth Schlafke Annandale

MIAC Spotlight Interviews

Rachel Dean, St. Olaf College
Senior, Track and cross-country
Fort Collins, Colo./ Poudre High School
Major: Nursing

What do you like most about competing in the MIAC?
It’s a very strong region, with impressive individual and team competitors. It’s great to run against such strong women, and to know that they are smart, too.

What has been the greatest part of your collegiate athletic career thus far?
My team has become my family, and over four years we’ve matured as runners together. We perform better as a unit now – and that’s brought results that are really gratifying to experience.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned from being a student-athlete?
I used to be very shy. I had to learn to recognize when to speak up for myself, and when to reach out to others. I’m a much stronger person now – as a self-advocate and a team leader. I train better and feel better when I communicate with my coach and my teammates.

What is your most embarrassing sports moment?
I sprinted and hurdled in junior high and high school, and didn’t find my niche as a distance runner until junior year. I thought I just sucked at running. There was one terrible race when I hit every single hurdle coming down the back stretch and fell over most of them. I kept hauling myself up and over, only to go down again. It was mortifying.

Do you have any pregame/pre-event rituals? If so, what are they?
I stretch obsessively the night before and in the hours leading up to a race. Right before we get on the starting line, I like to do a handstand. It helps me remember to run joyfully, which is more fun than running nervous – and faster too!

Nicola Franta, College of Saint Benedict
Senior, Cross Country and Track and Field
La Crescent, Minn./ La Crescent
Major: Dietetics with a minor in Hispanic Studies

What has been the greatest part of your collegiate athletic career thus far?
I’ve seen a great amount of self-growth through hardships from my teammates and myself. Those experiences helped shape my perspective as an athlete, student, and person of the community. I’ve grown to really appreciate the simple aspects of being on a team such as an easy weekend run with my teammates.

Who has been the most influential person in your athletic career?
My older brother, Dustin, has been the most influential person in my athletic career. He has been my guiding light through both my high school and college athletic careers. He has always been someone I can look up to and admire. When I think of someone who shows true dedication to a sport such as running, it’s Dustin.

What is your most embarrassing sports moment?
This actually occurred in high school. I ended up winning my first race and crossed the finish line with a huge smile. I stumbled up to the volunteer who rips off the bottom of the number and puts them all in order on a string. As we all know, there is always a large hole on the left side that reads “Do Not Pin.” Yes, I pinned there. And yes I was so embarrassed. The meet champ didn’t’ look the smartest.

Do you have any pregame/pre-event rituals? If so, what are they?
I always have to have a cup of coffee about a little over an hour before I race. I also write positive, inspirational words on my hands.

If you have been involved in community service projects, which project has been the most rewarding and why?
During the 2012 spring semester, I was abroad in Guatemala and volunteered for a reforestation project. I saw firsthand the deforestation in the mountains and pueblos where I was staying. Expending my time and energy to give back to Guatemala and the Earth was very rewarding.

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