Emily Covert and Max Manley are USATF Minnesota’s September Athletes of the Month

Emily Covert
Photo by Gene Niemi

Emily Covert and Max Manley are USATF Minnesota’s September Athletes of the Month HERE

Max Manley(3871)
Photo by Gene Niemi

USATF Minnesota August Athletes of the Month

Mason Ferlic

Laura Utke

MENDOTA HEIGHTS – In his Falmouth debut, Minnesotan Mason Ferlic put together two great performances on back-to-back days, earning him USATF Minnesota’s Athlete of the Month Award for the month of August. First, on Saturday, August 19th Ferlic placed 7th in a very deep field at the Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile with a time of 4:05.82. Then on Sunday the 20th, the next day, Ferlic placed 6th at the legendary Falmouth Road Race in a time of 34:14 for the 7-mile distance. Over the years few athletes have been bold enough to attempt this double, let alone see the success Ferlic did with two top seven finishes.
 
Ferlic is a 2011 graduate of Mounds Park Academy in St. Paul, and was a 3-time Minnesota State Champion and 5-time All-State honoree in track & field, as well as a State Champion and 2-time All-State honoree in cross country. Ferlic was also the 2011 Minnesota Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year. While competing collegiately at the University of Michigan, Ferlic was a 5-time All-American in cross country and track & field, and was also the 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Champion in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. More recently, Ferlic finished 9th at the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, and was 5th at last year’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 3,000 meter steeplechase as well.
 
On August 5th-6th, Laura Utke, a 1999 graduate of Concordia College in Moorehead, Minnesota, won the Masters National Title for the Throws Pentathlon in the Women’s 40-44 age group at the 2017 USATF Masters Throws Championships in Worcester, Massachusetts, earning her the honor of USATF Minnesota’s August Athlete of the Month. A lifelong thrower and competitor, Utke is currently ranked #1 in the world in the Ultra Weight Pentathlon and #4 in the world in the Throws Pentathlon.
 
While competing as a Cobber, Utke was a two-time Division III All-American thrower in the hammer throw and the weight throw and was Concordia’s first MIAC Outdoor Track & Field Champion ever. She is also still the Cobber school record holder in the weight throw. Additionally, she was a 2-time Academic All-American while carrying a 3.85 GPA in Physical Education and Psychology.

Congratulations to Mason and Laura! 
 
We welcome your nominations!
To nominate an athlete for USATF Minnesota’s Athlete of the Month award, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to mskuzara@csbsju.edu with the subject line “Athlete of the Month Nomination”.

Fans can follow along with USATF Minnesota on Facebook, Twitter, and online at www.minnesota.usatf.org.

USATF Minnesota June and July AOM

June and July Athletes of the Month

8/9/2017

Hassan Mead

MENDOTA HEIGHTS – Minneapolis native and former Gopher Track & Field/Cross Country star Hassan Mead won the U.S. title in the men’s 10,000 meters at June’s USATF Outdoor Championships in Sacramento California, earning him the honor of USATF Minnesota’s June Athlete of the Month. Mead, an 8x All-American and 9x Big Ten Champion for the Gophers, won the race with a time of 29:01.44 breaking Galen Rupp’s streak of eight consecutive USA 10,000 meter titles and in the process earned his ticket to represent the United States at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London this summer.

A 2007 graduate of Minneapolis South High School, Mead was the 2006 Minnesota State Cross Country Champion, as well as the 2006 Foot Locker Midwest Regional Champion, eventually going on to finish 4th at the Foot Locker National meet only 8 seconds behind the winner.

Gabriele Grunewald, a native of Perham, Minnesota and another University of Minnesota alumna, has had an inspiring and eventful summer. In March, only seven months after she had surgery to remove half of her liver, she was diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time in eight years. Choosing to put the cancer on hold and continue with her racing schedule this summer, Grunewald has garnered national attention and provided inspiration to thousands of runners across the U.S— and for that, she is USATF Minnesota’s June Athlete of the Month. Despite her recent diagnosis, Gabe qualified for and competed at the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships in Sacramento in the 1500 meters in June.

While at the University of Minnesota, Grunewald got 2nd place in the 1500 meters at the 2010 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning her All-American status. During her time at Perham High School, Grunewald was a four time All-State performer in cross country and was the 2004 Minnesota State Champion in the 800 meters.

Ben Blankenship, from Stillwater, Minnesota, has had a series of great performances in the month of July, making him our July Athlete of the Month. During the TrackTown Summer Series, Blankenship placed 1st in the 1500 meters at the Portland meet and 3rd in the New York City Championship meet in the 1500 meters in a time of 3:35.29. Blankenship was also 10th in the London Diamond League 1500 meters and more recently won the 2017 GNC Live Well Liberty Mile Championship for the second year in a row.

Ben Blankenship
Photo by Gene Niemi

While in college at the University of Minnesota, Blankenship was the first Golden Gopher to break the 4-minute-mile barrier when he ran 3:57.83 at the University of Washington’s in 2010. Blankenship was also a 2x Big Ten Indoor Champion in the Mile and 1x Champion in the Distance Medley Relay, as well as the 2011 NCAA Indoor Runner-Up in the 3,000 meters and a 3x All-American during his collegiate career. Additionally, Blankenship was a 2x Minnesota State Champion at 1600 meters for Stillwater High School and led the Ponies to a 2nd place finish at the 2006 Minnesota State Cross Country Championships as well.

Heather Kampf, a 2009 graduate of the University of Minnesota, was injured and unable to compete in the early stages of the 2017 track & field season, but since then has been on quite the upswing with several notable performances in the month of July, making her the USATF Minnesota July Athlete of the Month. Kampf was 1st at the Ryan Shay Women’s Mile in a time of 4:30.83 on July 22nd, and later went on to place 4th in the 2017 GNC Live Well Liberty Mile on July 28th in a very deep field.

Heather Kampf

Kampf graduated from the University of Minnesota as the most decorated women’s track athlete in Gopher history as she was a 9x All-American. She is also the only Gopher to compete at every NCAA Championship meet in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track during their time at the University. Additionally, she was the 2006 NCAA Indoor Champion over 800 meters and holds nine Gopher school records. Originally from Inver Grove Heights, Kampf was a Minnesota State Champion in both the 800 meters and 400 meters while attending Rosemount High School.

We welcome your nominations!
To nominate an athlete for USATF Minnesota’s Athlete of the Month award, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to mskuzara@csbsju.edu with the subject line “Athlete of the Month Nomination”.

Fans can follow along with USATF Minnesota on Facebook, Twitter, and online at www.usatfmn.org


Maxwell Kuzara
Athlete of the Month Committee Chair
USA Track & Field Minnesota
e-mail

Anthony Fleischfresser and Maggie Ewen are USATFMN Athletes of the Month for May.

Anthony Fleischfresser and Maggie Ewen named USATF Minnesota Athletes of the Month for May 2017. https://t.co/ulRkU0BsUn

— USATF Minnesota (@USATFMN) June 20, 2017

USATF MN AOM

USATF MN Athletes of the Month for May HERE

MSU Mankato's Michael Sandle USATF-MN Male AOM

MSU Mankato's Michael Sandle USATF-MN  Male Athlete of the Month  HERE.

Maggie Ewen USATF MN AOM

Congrats to @MagdalynMaeEwen on being named the @USATFMN Female Athlete of the Month for April! #Pac12Champ pic.twitter.com/FQJ81MRDu0

— SunDevilTFXC (@SunDevilTFXC) May 19, 2016

Myles Hunter and Jess Lehman are February USATF MN AOM

Men's TF | Hunter Selected USA Track & Field Athlete of the Month for state of Minnesota https://t.co/irCVa3RAnt

— Minn. St. Athletics (@msumavericks) March 4, 2016

Kaitlyn Long Named USATF MN Female AOM for January

Kaitlyn Long named USATF MN female athlete of the month for January HERE.

Gopher's Luke Johnson USATF MN Male January Athlete of the Month

#Gophers senior captain Luke Johnson is your @USATFMN
Men's Athlete of the Month.https://t.co/TH0men3Aea pic.twitter.com/Bo08yGb2Vz

— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) February 9, 2016

Gophers Adam Zutz Male USATF MN AOW

#Gophers Adam Zutz has been named the Athlete of the Month by @USATFMN | https://t.co/e3PdibIUw3 pic.twitter.com/lbRTVWMlP8

— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) November 19, 2015

Gophers Liz Berkholtz is USATF MN AOM

Congrats to #Gophers senior @LizBERK on being the @USATFMN October Athlete of the Month! https://t.co/1gAzJocRkc pic.twitter.com/HxASEE24jf

— Minnesota W TrackCC (@GopherWCCTF) November 19, 2015

Matt Berens USATF MN Athlete of the Month

Matt Berens USATF MN Athlete of the Month HERE

USATF Minnesota Athletes of the Month for March thru June

USATF Minnesota selections for Athletes of the Month for March through June are HERE.

March

Jerrell Hancock

Amelia Campbell

April

Heather Kampf

Trent Lusignan

May

Mason Ferlic
Photo by Becky Miller

Emma Bates
Photo by Becky Miller

June

Shaina Burns. Photo by Gene Niemi

Terrence Bowers

Francis and Grunewald USATF Minnesota Athletes of the Month

US 3K national champ Gabe Grunewald of Team USA Minnesota and pole vaulter Shawn Francis were selected as USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for February 2014.

Grunewald won her first US title in the USA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque and represented the US at the IAAF Indoor Championships in Sopot.  Francis finished second in the pole vault at the US Championships with a PR of 18' 2.5".  Francis won the MSHSL Class AA pole vault title while at Hastings.  In college he vaulted for NDSU, won several conference titles, and was known for his "lucky socks, " striped knee high tube socks during his sophomore year. His younger brother Kyle also vaulted for Hastings and NDSU.

Hasz and Ali November USATF Minnesota Athletes of the Month

The Minnesota Association of USA Track & Field selected Bethany Hasz and Obsa Ali as USATF Minnesota’s Athletes of the Month for November 2013.

Bethany Hasz
Photo by
Gene Niemi

Hasz, a sophomore at Alexandria High School, won the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) AA cross-country title November 2 at St. Olaf College in Northfield. Her time in the 4K race was 13:53.1, 20 seconds ahead of the runner-up and the fastest time overall from both the AA and A races. Hasz then won the Nike Cross-Country Nationals (NXN) Heartland Regional race is Sioux Falls, South Dakota, clocking a 5K time of 17:17.5. She was followed by her twin sister Megan, who finished second at both races.

Shoeless Obsa
Photo by
Gene Niemi

Ali, a senior at Richfield High School, won the MSHSL AA cross-country title November 2, running 15:15.2 for 5K. He finished  two seconds ahead of runner-up Connor Olson of Wayzata despite losing his shoe partway through the race. Ali then placed second at the NXN Heartland Regional November 10, finishing in 15:11.  Both will be participating in the NXN Nationals this weekend in Portland, OR.

Bersagel, Peterson USATF MN Athletes of the Month for October

USATF Minnesota named Annie Bersagel and Jonathan Peterson as Athletes of the Month for October 2013.

Bersagel, who grew up in Apple Valley and whose parents live in Victoria (where she claimed residence for the race), won the Twin Cities Marathon and captured the US Marathon Championship October 6. Bersagel, a former member of Team USA Minnesota, ran a PR of 2:30:52 and qualified for the 2016 US Olympic Trials. She currently lives and trains in Norway.

Peterson, of St. Paul, led from the gun to win the Twin Cities 10 Mile, also on October 6. The Team USA Minnesota member ran 49:02.

Peyton, Berens USATF MN September 2013 Athletes of the Month

The Minnesota Association of USA Track & Field selected Meghan Peyton and Matt Berens as USATF Minnesota’s Athletes of the Month for September 2013. Peyton, of Richfield, won the USA Track & Field 20K title on Labor Day in New Haven, Connecticut. The Team USA Minnesota member finished in 1:09:57, over 27 seconds ahead of runner-up Mattie Suver.

Berens, a Bethel College junior (Oakdale, Minnesota/North Saint Paul High School), won the Maroon III race at the Roy Griak Invitational September 28. Berens’ time of 25:45 was ten seconds ahead of second place and led Bethel to a 17^th-place finish out of 26 teams.

Heather Kampf and Wally Ellenson USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for August

The Minnesota Association of USA Track & Field is proud to announce that Heather Kampf and Wally Ellenson are USATF Minnesota’s Athletes of the Month for August 2013.

Kampf, a former Gopher now training with Team USA Minnesota, scored two major road mile victories in August. On August 9 in Pittsburgh, she won the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile in an event-record 4:32; on August 23, she won the Crim Michigan Mile in Flint in 4:46.7. On August 10 she took runner-up honors at the Falmouth mile, which takes place on the track at Falmouth High School in Falmouth, Massachusetts in 4:42:94.

Ellenson, a high jumper and basketball player for the Gophers (Rice Lake, Wisconsin), won gold at the Pan American Junior Games in Medellin, Colombia in August. He recorded his winning jump of 2.16 meters on his first attempt.