Short Cut: Results' Links for September 5-7

See updates below ...

There's lots of great action this weekend -- on the roads and over the hills and dales of cross country. As we will throughout the fall, we've collected links to the important results in order to help you keep up with the action as the weekend rolls along.

We're very eager to see how the cross country clash between the top three boys teams in Class AA turns out, when #1 Wayzata, #2 Edina, and #3 Eden Prairie meet at the Hopkins Invitational at Gale Woods on Saturday. The three Section 6AA teams will get a good look at one-another ... and the Section Meet course where they'll race for the Section's two spots on the State Meet starting line.

We'll be looking north, too, where 2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson will race in the Grandma's Minnesota Mile - Duluth. The Team USA Minnesota star expects to receive a challenge from Meskerem Lagesse of Ethiopia and Zeddy Chepkoech of Kenya. Richard Kandie, the winner of the Minnesota Mile - St. Paul, will race in Duluth to duplicate the feat.

Enjoy the action ...

Friday:
Faribault Invite -- Girls' Results * Boys' Results
Update: Girls' ...#11 Guidinger beats #2 Hewes; #2 Lakeville North wins.
Update: Boys' ... #2 Kebede wins; #10 White Bear nips #8 Owatonna on tie-break

Bison Invitational (@NDSU) -- Women's Results * Men's Results
Update: Burnsville grad Hermanson leads Bison women.

Saturday:
BSM Red Knight Invitational -- Results
Update: Visitation girls, St. Thomas Academy boys win.

Hopkins Invitational -- Boys' Results * Girls' Results
Update: Boys ... #1 Wayzata 38, #2Eden Prairie 42, #3Edina DNC; #8 Drenckhahn wins, #1 Hassan 5th.
Update: Girls ... #11 Lakeville South 59, #3 Minnetonka 79, #1 Eden Prairie 98, #4 Chaska 110; #12 Bates wins.

Sunday:
City of Lakes 25K -- Results
Update: Chris Lundstrom wins men's race in 1:20:39; Sheena Dauer women's champ in 1:31:45.

Grandma's Minnesota Mile-Duluth -- Results
Update: Carrie Messner-Vickers wins in 4:43, Tollefson 4th with 5:08; Hesch wins men's race in 4:08.

Speculation: Goucher to Run NYC in November

ING New York City Marathon officials are holding a media event next Wednesday to announce that a 2008 U.S. Olympian and World Championships medalist will debut in their marathon on November 2.

We're willing to speculate that it's Duluth native Kara Goucher.

Goucher fits the U.S Olympian, Worlds' medalist, marathon debutante definition, and has made no secret of her desire to run a 26.2 mile event in the near future. Plus, the New York Road Runners, who host the marathon, took the time to send the announcement to a little Minnesota-based running web-site way out here in fly-over country.

It's got to be Goucher ... we're pretty sure.

We should note that Goucher isn't the only person with the Olympian, medalist, debutante resume items the NYRR lists. Bernard Lagat sports all of that, too. So do sprinters Tyson Gay and Alison Felix, for example, and it would be news if they were running NYC!

We're still checking to see if 293-pound shot putter Reese Hoffa -- Olympian, check; Worlds' medalist, check -- has run a marathon yet.

If we're right, and Kara Goucher does make her marathon debut in the Big Apple this November, you can say you read it here first.

If we're wrong, well, it's not exactly a blunder like "Dewey Defeats Truman," right?

It's only the ING New York City Marathon!

Reminder: City of Lakes 25K Closes Tonight

MDRA's Heidi Keller Miler reminded DtB this morning that the City of Lakes 25K will close registration tonight at midnight.

Until then, register HERE.

Team USA Adds Two More Athletes

Add Meghan Armstrong and Mike Hanlon to Team USA Minnesota's refreshed roster. Armstrong, a recent University of Iowa graduate, and Hanlon, a Colgate University alum, joined the elite training group on September 1, it was announced yesterday.

The pair, along with fellow recent additions Josh Moen and Macharia Yuot, fill out the program's roster after the departures of Andrew Carlson, Brad Lowery, and Mandi Zemba.

Armstrong, 22, (pictured left) who attended high school in Tualatin, Oregon before running for the Hawkeyes, has qualified for nine NCAA championships -- three each in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. She is the Iowa school record holder in the 1500 meters at 4:17.41, a two-time All-American in the mile, and an All-American in cross country who finished 16th at NCAAs last year.

In addition, Armstrong is the 2008 Big 10 3000 meter champion (with a PR of 9:17) and the 2008 Big 10 10,000 meter champion (with a PR of 33:28). She finished sixth in the 10,000 at NCAA's in June. Since graduation, Armstrong competed in Mexico as a member of the NACAC under-23 team, winning the 10,000 meter race.

Hanlon, 23, (pictured right) a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, was an individual qualifier to NCAAs in cross country and track (in the 5000m) while at Colgate. He was a three-time Patriot League champion on the track and a three-time Patriot League top-five finisher in cross country. His collegiate bests include 3:48 in the 1500, 8:04 in the 3000 and 13:55 in the 5000.

Armstrong photo courtesy of Meghan Armstrong, Hanlon photo by Victor Sailer courtesy of Team USA Minnesota.

Eden Prairie is New Class AA Girls #1

Eden Prairie, the runners-up at the MSHSL State Meet in Class AA girls' competition in 2007, is now the new team atop the 2008 Class AA rankings.

The Eagles, winners of the Matterhorn Invitational last week, assume the top spot previously held by Lakeville North, now #2, which won the Irish Invitational on a tie-breaker with Minnetonka, the new #3, last Friday.

Chaska, 3rd at Irish, is ranked #4.

Mankato West's Laura Hughes remains atop the individual rankings with Irish victor Caitlin Hewes the new #2.

In the Class AA boys' poll, defending MSHSL champs Wayzata remain atop the rankings after winning at the Marshfield Columbus Invitational in Wisconsin on Saturday. Columbus Invite runners-up Edina moved to #2 in the polls, followed by #3 Eden Prairie and #4 Moorhead.

Mahad Hassan of Willmar continues to top the individual rankings, followed by #2 Robel Kebede of Minneapolis South and #3 Drew Paradis of Alexandria.

Class A team and individual rankings for both boys and girls are unchanged from the preseason order: Adrian and Pequot Lakes lead the girls' and boys' team polls, respectively, while Linda Keller of Paynesville and Clayton Foster of Pequot Lakes top the individual lists.

The latest Class AA rankings are below.

You can find the original and still-applicable Class A rankings HERE.

Girls' Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Lakeville North
3 Minnetonka
4 Chaska
5 Woodbury
6 Grand Rapids
7 Roseville
8 Shakopee
9 Burnsville
10 Waseca
11 Lakeville South
12 Wayzata

Girls' Individuals:
1 Laura Hughes, 11, Mankato West
2 Caitlin Hewes, 10, Stillwater
3 Jamie Piepenburg, 9, Alexandria
4 Hannah Kellerman, 11, Sartell
5 Kaylea Brase, 12, Centenial
6 Anne Ferguson, 10, Eastview
7 Rachel Drake, 12, White Bear Lake
8 Julia Harrison, 10, Mound Westonka
9 Laura Docherty, 12, Cretin
10 Alissa Retterrath, 9, Huthchinson
11 Claire Guidinger, 11, Winona
12 Emma Bates, 11, Elk River

Boys' Teams:
1 Wayzata
2 Edina
3 Eden Prairie
4 Moorhead
5 Alexandria
6 Brainerd
7 Stillwater
8 Owatonna
9 Willmar
10 White Bear Lake
11 St. Paul Central
12 Minnetonka

Boys' Individuals:
1 Mahad Hassan, 12 Willmar
2 Robel Kebede, 12 Mpls. South
3 Drew Paradis, 12 Alexandria
4 Thomas Ruttger, 12 Brainerd
5 Danny Ducharme, 12 Wayzata
6 Michael Ellenberger, Edina
7 Jakob Lindaas, 12, Moorhead
8 Jeremy Drenckhahn, 12, Wayzata
9 John Holt, 12, Roseville
10 Lukas Gemar, 10, Moorhead
11 Zach Mellon, 12, Buffalo
12 Busufekad Shannon-Tamrot, Hopkins

Round-Up: Wayzata Wins in Wisconsin; NYC-Bound McGregor 2nd in Virginia

There's lots of Labor Day weekend action to recap, so we'll get right down to it ...

-- The Wayzata High School boys cross country team, ranked #1 in Class AA -- and #18 in Harrier Magazine's "Super 25" rankings, HERE -- earned a 35-52 win over surprising Edina at the Columbus Invitational in Marshfield on Saturday. Stillwater placed 4th in the meet; Burnsville was 10th.

Results of meet can be found HERE.

-- Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor finished 2nd to three-time World Cross Country champion Edith Masai at the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Monday. McGregor clocked 1:13:05.

There's a recap of the race HERE, where McGregor announced that she'll compete in the New York City Marathon this November. In 2006, McGregor finished 9th in 2:32:36 at NYC in her only marathon to date.

-- Richard Kandie, the Kenyan national based in Coon Rapids, won the Fifth Season 8K in Cedar Rapids on Monday. He ran 23:01 to beat controversial 2007 Get in Gear champion Alene Reta by 13 seconds. Team USA Minnesota's Matt Gabrielson was 4th in 23:29. Former Team USA Minnesota athlete Brad Lowery was 6th in 24:28.

Full results are HERE.

-- Former Chaska High School star Stephanie Herbst-Lucke gave Colleen De Reuck's American Masters Record for 20K a scare at the New Haven Road Race in Connecticut on Monday. The former University of Wisconsin star was on 1:07:36 pace through 10K. DeReuck's record is 1:08:47 set at the same event in 2005.

Herbst-Lucke, 42, ultimately clocked 1:09:24 for the distance to set an Age-42 national record in the effort. She finished 4th after challenging for the lead in the race which served as the USA Championship for the distance.

Full results are HERE.

-- Speaking of records ... Lloyd "Forever" Young set a Minnesota Age-85 record for 10K running 56:49 at the Victory 10K yesterday.

Find out report on the Victory 10K below ...

Family Holiday: Lehmkuhles Win at Victory

Team USA Minnesota's husband and wife duo of Jason Lehmkuhle and Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle celebrated Labor Day by winning men's and women's titles at the Victory 10K this morning in Minneapolis.

Team USA Minnesota runners swept the top four places in the men's 10K, HERE.

Nicolini Lehmkuhle (pictured) set a Minnesota Age-30 record in the women's competition, results of which are HERE.

Tomorrow morning, we'll have a full wrap-up of all the weekend's action ... #1 Wayzata's win in Wisconsin, Katie McGregor's runner-up finish -- and fall marathon news -- in Virginia, and Matt Gabrielson's run in Iowa.

Photo by Gene Niemi.

#1-Ranked Lakeville North Wins on Tie-Breaker

The Lakeville North girls' cross country team, ranked #1 in the Class AA pre-season poll, eked out a tie-breaker victory over #6 Minnetonka after the two squads finished in a 74-74 deadlock at the season-opening Irish Invitational this morning in Rosemount.

The Panthers won the meet because their #6 runner, senior Marie Ferguson who finished 28th, edged Minnetonka's #6, sophomore Colette Celichowski who was 31st. #7-ranked Chaska finished 3rd in the meet with 118 points, unranked Wayzata was 4th at 167, unranked Eastview was 5th with 180.

In boys varsity competition, unranked White Bear Lake upset #11 Minnetonka 50-91. Chaska was third with 90.

Stillwater sophomore Caitlin Hewes won the girls individual title running 12:04 over the two mile course. Chris Massey of host Rosemount was the boys medalist running 10:06 for the same distance.

Full results of the meet are HERE, thanks to RaceberryJam.

Archived video coverage of the meet -- the first Minnesota high school cross country meet to be broadcast live on the web -- is HERE, thanks to the Rosemount Town Pages.


Did you watch the live coverage? Tell us what you thought ...

Photo of Irish Invite start by Charlie Mahler.

Watch Today's Irish Invite Live ...

Down the Backstretch is on assignment this morning at Rosemount High School’s Irish Invitational. We’re helping out with the Rosemount Town Pages’ live web-cast of the event.

Town Pages’ coverage is slated to begin at 9:00 a.m. The varsity races begin at 10:40 (girls) and 11:05 (boys.) You can find the Rosemount Town Pages HERE. Irish Invite video will be archived for future viewing there as well.

Look for a wrap-up of the meet later in the day on DtB. Five of the top seven ranked Class AA girls' team will be competing in Rosemount -- #1 Lakeville North, #3 White Bear Lake, #4 Prior Lake, #6 Minnetonka, and #7 Chaska. Minnetonka appears to be the class of the boys' field as the only ranked team at #11.

Not Enough? … If you need even more high school cross country this morning than the Town Pages can provide, we recommend THIS thread on Dyestat’s Minnesota forum. Collected there are lots of results and links to results from the high school season’s opening week.

We also recommend THIS recent high school cross country preview from the Star-Tribune.

Minnesota State - Mankato Ranked #6 in D2

Minnesota State - Mankato, the 5th place finishers at last year's NCAA Division II men's cross country championships, opens the 2008 season ranked #6 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association pre-season poll released yesterday.

Defending champions Abilene Christian of Texas lead the poll, which can be found HERE. The University of Minnesota - Duluth, the only other Minnesota men's squad in the rankings, opens the season at #24.

UMD's women harriers are the only ranked Minnesota women's squad in D2 at #23. Full women's rankings are HERE.

Division III ... The St. Olaf College men top the local schools in the D3 rankings, HERE, at #23. Bethel University is ranked #34.

The St. Thomas women are the lone Minnesota school in the D3 women's poll, HERE, at #23.

Team USA Minn: Enter Moen and Yuot; Exit Andrew Carlson and Brad Lowery

After receiving numerous reports from DtB readers to the same effect, Team USA Minnesota has now made it official: Josh Moen and Macharia Yuot are the newest members of the Twin Cities-based training group.

The pair joins original Team USA Minnesota members Matt Gabrielson, Jason Lehmkuhle, and Chris Lundstrom and 2007 signee Antonio Vega on the men's side of the eight-year-old elite distance running development program.

Former University of Minnesota star Andrew Carlson and Brad Lowery have left the squad in recent weeks. Carlson will train with an Adidas-supported group in Flagstaff, Arizona, while Lowery has returned to his native South Dakota to attend graduate school.

Moen, 26, who grew up in Readlyn, Iowa, and graduated from Wartburg College in 2005, was a five time NCAA Division III champion in cross country and track at the Waverly, Iowa school. Previously affiliated with the Michigan-based Hanson's-Brooks training group, Moen has been a three-time member of the USA's Chiba Ekiden team.

Moen has a personal best of 28:31.08 for 10,000 meters on the track and a 28:58 road 10K PR. He has twice finished 4th in the USA 10K Championships. Sporting a 1:04:37 half marathon best, Moen will make his marathon debut at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on October 5. Moen has been training with Team USA Minnesota since August 1.

Yuot, 26, is a Widener University graduate originally from Sudan. Like 2008 U.S. Olympic flag-bearer Lopez Lomong, Yuot was one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan" who arrived in the United States in 2000 after fleeing political and religious persecution in their home country. Yuot was a six-time NCAA Division III champion at Widener. He became a U.S. citizen in 2007.

Since completing his collegiate eligibility in the fall of 2006, Yuot has run three marathons including the U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials. His PR in the event is 2:18:58. This year, he placed seventh in the USA 10K Championships, 10th at the USA 8K Championships, and 13th at the USA 15K Championships. Yuot joined Team USA Minnesota in mid-August.

Photos of Yuot (left) and Moen (right) by Victor Sailer, courtesy of Team USA Minnesota.

Up North: Goucher, Grandma's, and the Bear

In our continuing effort this week to clear accumulating items off of the DtB news-desk, here are some notes grouped in a neat little northern Minnesota package ...

Kara Goucher ... Tying a bow on Duluth native Kara Goucher's Olympic experience, HERE's a recent Flotrack interview where Goucher talks about the Beijing 10,000 and 5,000 meter races and her impending move -- sometime in the next year, she says -- to the marathon.

There's also THIS Eugene Register-Guard story which covers similar ground and THIS earlier Duluth News-Tribune story by Kevin Pates about the friendship between Minnesota Olympians Goucher and Carrie Tollefson.

Minnesota Mile-Duluth ... Grandma's Marathon's Minnesota Mile series moves to Duluth on Sunday, September 7. Registration opened earlier this month, and race organizers have added a tempting little twist: 250 randomly selected Minnesota Mile-Duluth finishers will receive guaranteed entry into next year's Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon.

Entry forms are available HERE.

It's Alive! ... Half the stories from northern Minnesota have a bear in them, right?

Well, this one does, at least. DtB's own Chris Marshall, a junior-to-be at Carleton College, hit a 250-pound black bear in July which totalled his car. Authorities assumed the bear suffered equally terminal damage. But, as the News-Tribune reports today, HERE, the bear is still alive!

Marshall's Toyota Camry remains totalled, however.

2008 Runner of the Year Standings:Kim Magee, Jeremy Polson Sport Leads

As the Minnesota road racing season prepares for its autumn schedule of events, Kim Magee of Mounds View and Jeremy Polson of Duluth lead the 2008 USATF-Minnesota Runner of the Year standings compiled by the Minnesota Running Date Center.

Magee leads the women's standings with 50 points, ahead of Lithuanian Olympian Rasa Troup who has 40 and Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier Melissa Gacek who has 31. Magee has the fastest times for a Minnesotan at the 10K and 10 mile distances. She ran 36:50 for 10K at Get in Gear in April and 59:37 at the Lumderjack Days 10 Mile in July.

Runner of the Year standings are based on an athlete's annual rank against fellow Minnesotan in up to five standard road racing distances.

Polson, who tied with Team USA Minnesota's Chris Lundstrom for Runner of the Year honors in 2007, has 66 points to his credit. He leads Richard Kandie who has 51 and fellow Duluth native Eric Hartmark who has 50. Polson sports Minnesota's fastest road 5K and 8K of 2008, running 14:47 at the Brian Kraft Memorial 5K in May and 24:06 at the Human Race 8K in March.

Complete Runner of the Year standings -- including those in eleven separate age-groups for men and women -- can be found, HERE, on the new Runner of the Year web-site maintained by Mike Setter.

Class A Pre-Season Rankings Announced

With the Milaca Early Bird Invitational opening the high school cross country season today -- expect results courtesy of RaceBerrryJam HERE -- we thought it was high time to post the recently released Cross Country Coaches' Association pre-season rankings for Class A.

Pequot Lakes, the 3rd place finishers at State in 2007, top the boys' polls ahead of last season's runners-up Adrian. Two-time defending champion Perham is ranked #8. Pequot Lakes' Clayton Foster, the 5th place finisher at the State Meet last year, leads the individual rankings over 2007 4th placer Ryan Tholen of Tracy-Milroy-Balaton.

Adrian, winner of three straight Class A State titles, reigns over the girls' rankings. Holy Family and Perham, 2nd and 3rd at State last year, are #2 and #3 in the rankings as well. Defending individual champ Linda Keller of Paynesville is ranked #1; 2007 Class A runner-up Naomi Landecker of Staples-Motley is ranked #2.

Full Class A pre-Season rankings are below.

Class AA rankings, published previously, can be found HERE.

BOYS’ TEAMS:
1. Pequot Lakes
2. Adrian
3. Mora
4. Minnehaha Academy
5. Plainview-Elgin-Millville
6. Esko
7. Albany
8. Perham
9. Blake
10. St. Cloud Cathedral
11. St. Anthony Village
12. Eveleth-Gilbert

BOYS’ INDIVIDUALS:
1. Clayton Foster, Pequot Lakes
2. Ryan Tholen, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton
3. Moses Heppner, Warroad
4. Ryan Swenson, LacQuiParle Valley
5. Connor Gjerve, Annandale
6. Chris Reisdorfer, Adrian
7. Jordan Bendson, Staples-Motley
8. Patrick Byrant, DeLaSalle
9. Grant Timm, Plainview-E-M
10. Landon Bauer, Albany
11. Tanner Wendroth, Paynesville
12. Jordan Harldson, United South Central

GIRLS’ TEAMS:
1. Adrian
2. Holy Family
3. Perham
4. Mora
5. St. Cloud Cathedral
6. Farimont
7. Rochester Lourdes
8. Staples-Motley
9. Luverne Area
10. Blue Earth Area
11. Esko
12. LaCrescent

GIRLS’ INDIVIDUALS:
1. Linda Keller, Paynesville Area
2. Naomi Landecker, Staples-Motley
3. Marissa Janning, Watertown-Mayer
4. Maddie McClellan, Perham
5. Lauren Rice, Holy Family
6. Abby Anderson, Perham
7. Anne Hart, St. Paul Academy
8. Adrianne Flores Medford
9. Gabi Swoboda, Redwood Valley Area
10. Jordan Kopplow, Adrian
11. Margaret Chute, Blake
12. Greta Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral

Catching Up ... with Keller, Koski, & Conway

Okay, we'll admit it.

That little meet they held over in China -- the Olym-somethings -- well, it got us behind on some of the news of the sport right here at home in good, old Minnesota. In what will, I'm sure, be a week-long effort to get all caught up, here's the first of what got relegated to the back burner when our focus was on Kara, Shani, Barbora, Rasa, Tahesia, and Philip ...

DtB contributor Chad Austin recently posted a new interview on his fine Running Minnesota web-site, HERE. In it, he interview's masters road racing star Doug Keller. We also noticed recent interviews with Katie Koski and Dan Conway -- two running buddies of mine from my Duluth days, I'm proud to say -- that we hadn't yet called attention to.

Enjoy Chad's fine interviews ... and stay tuned!

Goucher Might Marathon at NYC This Fall, Prepare for Her New Event at TC-10 Mile

On the day after she finished 9th in the Olympic 5000 meter final, the recurring theme of today's Kara Goucher coverage is the marathon.

Her coach, marathon great Alberto Salazar, told the Eugene Register-Guard, HERE:

"I think she can be a real force there. She could be the class of the marathon that way (Meseret) Defar and Dibaba are in the 5 and the 10."

The Portland Oregonian gets to the topic too, HERE, and has more to say about Goucher's pre-race sinus infection.

""Tuesday I felt awful. Wednesday, I was in bed all day but my body never ached, it was all in my head," she told the paper.

The Duluth News-Tribune's Kevin Pates has the juiciest marathon nuggets, however, HERE.

He reports that it is "likely she’ll make her debut November 2 in the New York City Marathon..." He also says Goucher's tune-up for NYC will be either the Great North Run in Great Britain -- where she beat Paula Radcliffe last year -- or the Medtronic TC 10 Mile, this year's USA Championship for women for the distance.

Pates quotes Goucher (pictured) from earlier in the summer saying:

“I would love to run a marathon this year, but in order to do that, I would have to be satisfied with the end of my track season at the Olympics. To do a fall marathon, I would have to come home and train, no more racing. I’ve had my eyes set on New York for a long time and would love to run there this year or next.”

Photo by Paul Merca.

Goucher 9th in Olympic 5000m Final

Kara Goucher finished 9th in today's 5000 meter final at the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Duluth native ran 15:49.39.

Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia, who won gold in a blazing 10,000 meters earlier in the Games, won the 5000m in a slow 15:41.40.

"I have a lot of work to do," Goucher told USA Track and Field afterward. "The pace was slow, but they're amazing athletes. I maintained my composure. I know this sounds crazy, but I think I could have won that on the right night. I still have so much improvement left."

Goucher's American rival Shalane Flanagan finished one place behind the Duluth East and Colorado University alum in 15:50.80.

The Duluth News-Tribune's "live-blog" coverage of the event is HERE.

The Star-Tribune has THIS Rachel Blount story (and Carlos Gonzalez photo) in which Goucher is already talking about 2012.

The Portland Oregonian reports, HERE, that Goucher was bothered by a sinus infection this week, but felt fine in competition today.

Complete 5000m results can be found HERE.

Dunn 39th in Olympic 50K Walk

Carleton College graduate Philip Dunn finished 39th in today's Olympic 50K racewalk final. Dunn, who was competing in his third Olympics, clocked 4:08:32.

"The conditions were pretty good, actually,"Dunn told USA Track and Field after the event. "I think we had a good time, and the times at the front show that. It wasn't as humid as it has been."

"I'm elated," he continued. "one, because it's over. Coming in, I knew it had been a long year. This is my third 50K this year. I think it was as good an effort as when I got the "A" qualifier at the World Cup this year. 50K racing is always a challenge. It's brutal. World champions were dropping left and right. I had a strong and steady race."

Dunn finished 28th in the Sydney Olympics 50K in 2000 and 35th in the event at the Athens Games in 2004. His 50K PR is 3:56:13.

Dunn is unsure if today's race will be his last, however.

"Four years ago I was pretty sure I was done," he allowed, "but I love it so much. The other athletes, the travel, the camaraderie, I don't know how you replace that. Maybe I'll find something else. So we'll see."

50K results can be found HERE.

Gold Medal Performance for Špotáková

Spectators at the Bird's Nest in Beijing were treated to a dramatic conclusion to the women's javelin competition on Thursday. In the end, Barbora Špotáková snared the gold from the teeth of the competition. The athlete, who competes for the Czech Republic, formerly wore the maroon and gold of the University of Minnesota.

In the fourth of six rounds, Maria Abakumova sent the javelin 70.78 meters, establishing a European record and increasing her lead over Špotáková, whose best stood at 69.22. Not to be outdone, Špotáková launched her final throw 71.42 meters. Abakumova had one more chance to reclaim the lead, but could not surpass her previous mark.

"It's like a miracle for me," said Špotáková, "a fulfilled dream."

The dramatic win recalled the 1988 men's javelin competition, in which Jan Zelezny, Špotáková's coach, was defeated in the final throw of the competition by Tapio Korjus of Finland.

Life in Minnesota was difficult for Špotáková, according to Sean Jenson of the Pioneer Press. She dealt with injury, struggled with classes, clashed with her coach, and missed her family. The good news? She gave up the heptathlon and focused on the javelin when she returned to the Czech Republic.

With her final throw, she took that silver lining and turned it into gold.

The IAAF story can be found HERE.

The Pioneer Press story on the competition is HERE.

The Star Tribune sums things up HERE.

Complete results are HERE.

USATF Minnesota Annual Meeting to Feature Elections, Free Pizza

The USATF Minnesota Board of Directors has decided on a change of venue for the upcoming association Annual Meeting on Sunday, September 14th. In an effort to attract as many members as possible, the event will be held at Broadway Pizza in Minneapolis.

The meeting will feature election of officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) for the upcoming year. Nominations for those positions will be accepted from the floor. Members will also be asked to vote on proposed changes to the association's bylaws.

All USATF Minnesota members are encouraged to attend and participate. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and includes a free pizza buffet for all members.