Gopher Field Eventers Earn Big Ten Awards

Two University of Minnesota field event stars earned Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors, the conference announced yesterday.

Junior Alicia Rue earned the honor -- the fourth of her career -- after winning the Sun Angel Classic pole vault last weekend. The Robbinsdale Armstrong alum cleared an outdoor season-best and NCAA regional qualifying height of 13-9 1/4 at the meet, currently the top mark in the Big Ten and the seventh-best in the NCAA this season.

Aaron Studt, also a junior, won his second Big Ten weekly award for placing third in the Sun Angel shot put competition, where he recorded an outdoor season-best and NCAA regional qualifying mark of 61-11 1/2 . Studt's throw currently tops the Big Ten and ranks #6 in the NCAA this young season.

NCAA Team Rankings ... The Gopher women fell to #15 in this week's NCAA Division I rankings. Texas A & M still tops the poll; Penn State (#7) and Michigan (#10) outpace the Gophers from the Big Ten. The Gophers were ranked #12 in the pre-season outdoor track poll.

The Gopher men entered the NCAA top-25 this week at #23. The Big Ten Indoor Champions are the only conference team in the top-25.

Find full NCAA rankings HERE.