Pick Ten: DI/DIII Regionals

Our 2013 Down the Backstretch fantasy contests are coming to a close.  We'll wrap up the Pick Ten competition this week with a contest featuring the Division I and Division III Regional races.  Next week, the Yes/No game will conclude with a question relating to the collegiate National Cross Country Meets.

Entering the final weekend, the Pick Ten contest is tight.  Here are the current leaders:

Mike Henderson - 191

Bryan Tolcser - 178

Patrick Eastman - 174
Rich Cowles - 173
Daniel Gerber - 172

The University of Minnesota Gophers will run in the Midwest Regional on Friday, while Elk River's Emma Bates and her Boise State squad will compete in the West Regional on the same day.  Over in Division III, the MIAC and UMAC teams are all heading to Northfield, where St. Olaf will host the Central Regional on Saturday.

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

For example: If you pick Laura Docherty to place first in the Midwest Regional race, and she places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Docherty to place first and she finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Docherty to finish third in the race and she places first, second or third, you get 8 points by the scoring system above, since she placed at least as high as you predicted.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...8th. Send your predictions by 11:30 A.M. CST on Friday, November 15th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2013.

Pick 10 ... NCAA Regional Races:

Emma Bates - Boise State:
Laura Docherty - University of Minnesota:
Molly Kayfes - University of Minnesota:
University of Minnesota Men:
University of Minnesota Women:
Ailee Larson - St. Catherine
Brian Saksa - St. Olaf:
Matt Berens - Bethel:
St. Scholastica Women:
Carleton Men:

Here is some information to help you with your picks:

• 2013 Big Ten Championship (Men/Women)
• 2013 MIAC Championship (Men/Women)
• 2013 UMAC Championship (Men/Women)
• 2013 Mountain West Championship (Women)
• 2012 Division I Midwest Regional
• 2012 Division I West Regional (Women)
• 2012 Division III Central Regional (Men/Women)
• Current Division I Regional team rankings
• Current Division III Regional team ranking

The question in last week's Yes/No Contest was: Will two or more teams from Minnesota automatically qualify for the Division II National Meet?  The answer was yes -- UMD women and Winona State women both qualified for the National Meet.  UMD won the meet and Winona State finished fourth.  Ten players answered correctly this week and Dimitri Drekonja and Pat Foley joined Lori Anne Schwiesow in first place with 23 points.  Daniel Gerber, Chris Lundberg and Mary Varney have 21 points.

PHOTO ID:

Photo from the collection
of Gene Niemi

The fellow pictured here is an Olympian, a Minneapolis native, and Washburn High grad.  You might still see him at track meets in the area.  Who is he and where was the picture taken?

Eight individuals correctly identified the University of Minnesota assistant track coach Steve White in last week's Photo ID contest:  Dylan Dragswiek, Jesse Schoen, Bill Miles, Mike Henderson, Toby Hatlevig, Daniel Gerber, Pat Foley and Bryan Tolcser.  Bill Miles came through with the first correct answer.

Good luck!

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

Pick Ten: Big Ten, MIAC, and UMAC

This week's collegiate cross country conference championships are a reminder that the competitive season, along with the DtB fantasy contests, are coming to a close. This week will mark the penultimate contest of the Pick Ten in 2013.  We'll also feature two more weeks of Yes/No questions, and throw in some bonus questions to make it interesting.

This weekend will crown conference champions in the Big Ten, UMAC and MIAC.  On Saturday, the UMAC will run in New Brighton at a meet hosted by the University of Northwestern.  Also on Saturday afternoon, the MIAC's annual competition will take place at Como Park Golf Course.  On Sunday, the Gophers will travel to West Lafayette for the Big Ten Championship, hosted by Purdue.

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

For example: If you pick Laura Docherty to place first in the Big Ten, and she places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Docherty to place first and she finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Docherty to finish third in the race and she places first, second or third, you get 6 points, since that's the place you picked her for.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...10th. Send your predictions by 12:00 P.M. CST on Saturday, November 2nd to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. We'll announce the winner of this Pick Ten contest next week as well as crown a grand champion for the year. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

Pick 10 ... Big Ten and MIAC Championships:University of Minnesota Women:

University of Minnesota Men:

John Simons (University of Minnesota):

Laura Docherty (University of Minnesota):

St. Thomas Men:

St. Benedict Women:

John Subialka (St. Johns):

Rebecca Hare (Gustavus):

Martin Luther (Men):

North Central University (Women):

To Help You Make Your Picks ...

The Gopher men finished fifth at Big Tens last year. Currently, there are three nationally ranked teams from the Big Ten - Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. The Gophers are ranked behind these three teams and are thirty-first overall in the National Rankings.  John Simons finished eleventh at Big Tens in 2012 and the top six runners in that meet have graduated.  He is a sub-four minute miler and All-American on the track.  

The Gopher women placed fourth at Big Tens last year. They are currently ranked fifteenth in the nation after strong showings at the Griak and Wisconsin Adidas Invitational. The competition will be fierce:  other ranked teams in the conference include Michigan State - sixth, Michigan - fourteenth, Indiana - twenty-one, Wisconsin - twenty-eighth and Penn State - twenty-ninth.  Laura Docherty ran to a ninth place finish at 2012 Big Tens and four of those runners have since graduated.

St. Thomas men finished second at MIAC in 2012. They are ranked sixth overall in the region behind St. Olaf (first), Carleton (fifth) and ahead of St. Johns (eighth). St. Ben's women finished fifth at MIAC in 2012. There are four MIAC women's teams ranked in the top ten in the regional poll. They include Carleton (second), St. Olaf (third), St. Benedict (fourth) and St. Thomas (eighth).

Rebecca Hare finished fourth at MIAC in 2012 as a sophomore.  She went on to finish thirteenth at Regions and 133rd at Nationals in 2012.  John Subialka was the tenth place finisher at the MIAC meet in 2012.  He was the conference champion in the 10,000 Meters on the track last spring.

Martin Luther men finished fourth out of eight teams at the 2012 UMAC Championships.  North Central women finished third in the same meet last year.  The only UMAC team in the regional rankings is St. Scholastica women led by prohibitive conference favorite Chelsea Johnson, and they are ranked fifth in the region.

Here are the Conference Championship Meet Websites:

- Big Ten
- MIAC
- UMAC

Good luck!

The fantasy contest question from last week was: Will 18 or more runners at the Anoka Grey Ghost run faster than Bill Andberg's (at the time) world age-best 18:33 5k as a 65 year old? The answer was no.  Five players answered correctly and Lori Anne Schwiesow is now in first place with 23 points.  Dimitri Drekonja has 22 and Pat Foley is tied with Mary Varney for third with 21.  No one answered the Photo ID question correctly last week, so there were no extra points awarded. The handsome gentleman is none other than Bill Andberg.  In one picture he is talking with Emily Lanin.

Photo ID
Guess we have to go with a younger demographic, so we have a high school photo of this week's "mystery man."  He's just won the Swain Invitational in Duluth.  He would go on to become an Olympian, among his many accomplishments, and he'll be involved in the sport this weekend in his present job.Who is he and who is he shaking hands with?  Hint on that.  The place where the meet was held is named after him.  

Photo from the collection of Gene Niemi

The 2013 Pick Ten standings are as follows: Mike Henderson leads with 152 points, followed by Jesse Schoen with 136. Patrick Eastman is third with 132 points.

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

Pick Ten: Roy Griak Invitational

The 28th annual Roy Griak Invitational is scheduled for Saturday, September 28th.  The meet, hosted by the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher cross country teams at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, features a wide variety of spectator-friendly races. These include six collegiate races (one for each sex in Division I, II and III), four High School races and even a kids race.  The meet is kicked off with the Maroon Women's III 6k at 9:00 A.M. and ends with the Maroon High School Girls 5k at 4:30 P.M.

The meet features many nationally-ranked teams, including some decorated teams from within Minnesota.  We will check out the collegiate races with the Pick Ten Contest.

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

For example: If you pick Molly Kayfes to place first in the Jack Johnson women's gold race, and she places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Kayfes to place first and she finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Kayfes to finish third in the event and she places first, second or third, you get 6 points by the scoring system above, since she placed at least as high as you predicted.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...8th. Send your predictions by 9:00 A.M. CST on Saturday, September 28th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2013.

Pick 10 ... Roy Griak Invitational:

Molly Kayfes, University of Minnesota (DI):
University of Minnesota Women (DI):
University of Minnesota Men (DI):
Jessica Young, Winona State (DII):
University of Minnesota - Duluth Women (DII):
Devin Allbaugh, Minnesota State, Mankato (DII):
Minnesota State, Mankato Men (DII):
St. Olaf Women (DIII):
Matt Berens, Bethel (DIII):
Bethel Men (DIII):

Here is some information to help you with your picks:

Molly Kayfes finished twelfth at the Griak Meet in 2012.  This year she finished second to teammate Laura Docherty at the Oz Memorial Run in early September.  The Gophers women are currently ranked 20th in the nation while the men are presently unranked nationally.  In 2012, the Gopher women finished third and the Gopher men won their race at the Griak Invitational.

Jessica Young finished eighth in the Griak DII race last year and was the only non-senior in the top ten.   The UMD women are ranked #16 in the nation and second in the region.  Devin Allbaugh finshed fifth in the 2012 Griak DII race and his team, Minnesota State, Mankato was ranked #22 in the country in the preseason poll.  At the 2012 Griak race, UMD women finished seventh and MSU men were second.

Matt Berens finished 20th in the 2012 DIII Griak race and seven of the top ten in that race were seniors.  Berens has been on a roll in 2013; he shattered a course record at the Les Duke Invite this year, a record that had stood since 1996.  The Bethel men finished eighth in the Griak Meet last year and are currently unranked.  The St. Olaf women finished third at this meet in 2012 and are ranked twelfth in the national polls.

There is a lot of good information provided by the Gophers HERE.  For last year's results, as well as previous years, check out Apple Raceberry Jam.

Good luck!

Last week there were four question regarding the Milaca Mega Meet for the Yes/No Contest.  Here is a summary of the questions and correct answers:

Yes/No#1: Will any of the varsity races (girls and boys, all four classes) course records be broken this weekend at the Milaca Mega Meet?  The answer was yes - Jenna Truedson and Isiah Barlow both broke course records.

Yes/No#2: Will any varsity team score fewer than 35 points at the Milaca Mega Meet?  The answer was no - Minnehaha Academy was the lowest scorer with 54 points.

Yes/No#3: Will ten or more boys break 16:00 in the Varsity Boys 5000 Meters (adding up all four classes combined) at the Milaca Mega Meet?  This was also no - seven boys broke 16:00 minutes.

Yes/No#4: In the varsity races (girls and boys, all four classes) will a runner from a Minnesota take first place individually in all eight races?  Minnesotans swept the individual races making the answer yes.

Twelve people answered correctly distributed between the four questions.  Mary Varney and Lori Anne Schwiesow are in first place with 21.  Dimitri Drekonja is now one point back at twenty points, while Pat Foley has 19.

After four Pick Ten contests, the overall leader is Mike Henderson (125 points) followed by Rachel Karel (121).  Andrew Nussbaum and Rich Cowles are next at 120 points.

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

Pick Ten: NCAA Outdoor Championships

This is a big week in the world of collegiate track and field.  Division II and Division III schools will hold their NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, starting on Thursday.  On the Division I side, this week is the NCAA prelims—one meet for the "West" and one for the "East"—that will decide who is to compete at the NCAA Finals on June 5th through June 8th in Eugene, Oregon.

As always, there are many Minnesota athletes competing at these events.  We picked ten of them, and now you can predict their finish.

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

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

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...8th. Send your predictions by 2:00 P.M. CST on Friday, May 24th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2013.

Pick 10 ... NCAA Outdoor Championships:

Quentin Mege - University of Minnesota - Hammer Throw  (DI):
Micah Hegerle, University of Minnesota - Hammer Throw (DI):
Keyvan Rudd, Minnesota State, Mankato - High Jump (DII):
Christopher Reed, Minnesota State, Mankato - Shot Put (DII):
Grant Luer, Minnesota State, Mankato - Discus Throw (DII):
Jerrell Hancock, Minnesota State, Mankato -200 Meters (DII):
Shanai Guider, Winona State - Discus Throw (DII):
Alissa Rausch, Winona State - Discus Throw (DII):
Eyo Ekpo, St. Thomas - Triple Jump (DIII):
Taylor Berg, St. Thomas - 5000 Meters (DIII):

Here is some information to help you with your picks:

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

Straight from the heat sheets, here are your rankings for the athletes in the Pick Ten:

Quentin Mege is ranked fifth and Micah Hegerle is seventh in the Hammer Throw in the Division I - West Preliminary Meet.

In Division II, Jerrell Hancock is the top-seeded 200 meter entrant.  His teammates are all ranked in the top five as well.  Kevyan Rudd is fifth in the High Jump, Christopher Reed is number two in the Shot Put and Grant Luer is ranked fifth in the Discus.  For the Winona State women, Shanai Guider is fourth and Alissa Rausch is seventh in the Discus.

St Thomas senior Eyo Ekpo is ranked 7th in the Triple Jump for Division III athletes.  Taylor Berg is first among 5000 meter athletes.  Berg will be busy -- she will run the 1500 meters prior to her 5000 race.

Good luck!

Last week's Yes/No question was: Will two or more team champions from 2012 win again in 2013? The answer was yes — three teams were repeat champions including Lakeville South girls, Esko girls and Totino-Grace boys.  Fourteen contestants answered correctly and Lori Anne Schwiesow leads with eleven points.  Tied for second place are Dimtri Drekonja, Dylan Dragswiek, Mike Henderson and Mary Varney with ten points each.

After three Pick Ten contests, the overall leaders is Mike Henderson (103 points) followed by Jake Marotz (100).  Bryan Tolcser and Patrick Eastman are next at 95 points.

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

Pick Ten: NCAA Indoor Championships

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

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

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

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

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...8th. Send your predictions by 6:25 P.M. CST on Friday, March 8th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2013.

Pick 10 ... NCAA Indoor Championships:

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

Here is some information to help you with your picks:

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

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

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

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

Good luck!

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

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

Pick Ten: MIAC and USA Indoor Championships

There are two big meets being held this weekend at different levels.  The USA Indoor Track and Field Championships are being held in Albuquerque while the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Indoor Championships are being run at St. Olaf College.  To highlight the two meets we will feature some of the athletes competing this weekend with our Pick Ten contest.

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

For example: If you pick Amanda Smock to place first in the triple jump, and she places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Smock to place first and she finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Smock to finish third in the race and she places first, second or third, you get 6 points by the scoring system above, since she placed at least as high as you predicted.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...8th. Send your predictions by 11:00 A.M. CST on Saturday, March 2nd to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2013.

Pick 10 ... MIAC and USA Indoor Championships:

Bucky Dixon - Weight Throw - Bethel (MIAC):
Erik Olson - Pole Vault - Concordia Moorhead (MIAC):
Stephanie Skoog - High Jump - Bethel (MIAC):
Coco Booker - Shot Put - St. Marys (MIAC):
Christian Willman - 600 Meters - Hamline (MIAC):
Ashley Carney - 200 Meters - Augsberg (MIAC):
Beth Hauer - 3000 Meters - Gustavus (MIAC):
St. Olaf Men - 4 x 400 Meters (MIAC):
Will Leer - Mile/3k (USA):
Amanda Smock - Triple Jump (USA):

Will Leer is signed up to run the mile and the 3k.  If he does run both, we will take the higher place as his official place.

Here is some information to help you with your picks:

Apple Raceberry Jam has MIAC race entries for MEN and WOMEN as well as heat sheets for MEN and WOMEN.

The USA Indoor entries are posted HERE.

Among entrants in the MIAC meet, Bucky Dixon is ranked fifth in the Weight Throw.  Erik Olson is second in the Pole Vault.  Christian Willman is the second fastest 600 meter runner in the field.  The St. Olaf men's 4x400 squad is ranked second in the heat sheets.

On the women's side, Stephanie Skoog is the top ranked high jumper in the MIAC field.  Coco Booker is number three among shot put entrants.  Ashley Carney currently has the second fastest 200 meter time in the race and Beth Hauer is sixth among 3000 meter runners.

In the USA Championship entries - Amanda Smock has the best jump among the entrants in the Triple Jump.  Will Leer is ranked second in the mile and first in the 3k.  Stay tuned to the entry list/heat sheets as it is very possible that athletes will add/scratch before the meet starts.

Here are some additional links:
- MIAC-online previews and live results
- USA Indoor Champs information

Good luck!

Last week's Pick Ten contest on the Big Ten Indoor Champs was won by Jake Marotz with 30 points followed by Patrick Eastman with 27.  This was the first Pick Ten contest of the year, so those are the overall leaders as well.  Over at the Yes/No contest, there are three tied for the lead with five points:  Dylan Dragswiek, Lori Anne Schwiesow, and Dimitri Drekonja.

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

Pick Ten: Big Ten Indoor Championships

The University of Minnesota Gophers will travel to Geneva, Ohio, for the Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday.  The men will be vying for the team title again this year, having placed second to Indiana University by four points last year.  The women's squad had a disappointing 2012 Big Ten Indoor Meet, finishing last with eleven points, but are positioned to finish higher this year.

With all the great athletes competing at this meet, we decided to choose ten of them and attempt to pick final places at the meet.  With this, we will hold the first Pick Ten contest of 2013.

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

For example: If you pick Todea-Kay Willis to place first in the long jump, and she places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Willis to place first and she finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Willis to finish third in the race and she places first, second or third, you get 6 points by the scoring system above, since she placed at least as high as you predicted.

To play Pick Ten, cut and paste the list of names/events below into an e-mail and add your place predictions -- 1st or 2nd or 3rd...8th. Send your predictions by 11:30 A.M. CST on Friday, February 22nd to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. As with our Yes/No contests, we don't offer any prizes, so no one needs to fear running afoul of NCAA or other anti-gambling regulations.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2013.

Pick 10 ... Big Ten Indoor Chmpionship:

University of Minnesota Women (Team):
Alena Brooks (600 OR 800 Meters):
Todea-Kay Willis (Long Jump):
Cami Gilson (Pole Vault):
Kylie Peterson (60 Meter Dash):
University of Minnesota Men (Team):
Jon Lehman (Weight Throw)
Sean King (60 Meter Dash)
Oladipo Fagbemi (Triple Jump)
Harun Abda (600 OR 800 Meters)

For Harun Abda and Alena Brooks, it is very unlikely that either will run the 600 and the 800, so you will be picking the place of whichever race they decide to run.  If they do happen to run both, we will take the higher place as their official place.

Here is some information to help you with your picks:

The Big Ten Performance Lists are HERE.  The rankings below are based on the performance lists, not on heat sheets.

Alena Brooks is currently ranked second in the 600 and third in the 800 in the Big Ten.  Todea-Kay Willis has the second best long jump in the Big Ten in 2013.  Cami Gilson is eighth on the list of female pole vaulters  and Kylie Peterson is tied for fifth in the 60 meter dash.

On the men's side, Jon Lehman is ranked third in the weight throw.  Sean King is currently first in the 60 meter dash.  Oladipo Fagbemi is fifth among Big Ten triple jumpers.  Harun Abda is second in the 800 and unranked in the 600.

Here are some additional links:
- 2013 Live Results - Big Ten Championships
- Division I Team Rankings
- Big Ten Championship Site
- 2012 Big Ten Indoor Results

Good luck!

Last week's Yes/No question was:  Will Garrett Heath finish in the top five at the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games on Saturday?  The answer was no.  Heath ran a very solid 3:55.55 for seventh.  It was a tough question this week as only five players answered correctly.  Fourteen contestants answered correctly this week including the three tied for the lead:  Dylan Dragswiek, Lori Anne Schwiesow, and Dimitri Drekonja.

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