Stephanie Price Talks About Her Race

Stephanie Price "came up big" in the Big Ten conference XC Championships on Sunday, barely missng becoming the second Gopher woman to win the individual title. Below she talks about her race and her plans for the rest of the season.

Down the Backstretch: This has been something of a breakthrough year for you. Did you have any idea going into it that you would have this level of success?

Stephanie Price: Well of course you can never predict how one season or even one race is going to turn out. There are things that are in your control as an athlete and things that are completely out of your control. I just try to take care of the things I can and control what I can control. I have my goals and knew the work I had put in to be successful, but I never could have imagined the season playing out like it has so far.

DtB: On the video done by the U communications folks, Coach Wilson notes that you were crying after the finish. It was close. He said he'd told you before the race that you could get in the top six. What were your thoughts and expectations going into the race?

SP: Going into the race I was definitely nervous, but that’s nothing unusual for me. But I was also much more relaxed than I would have been any previous season and that just comes with experience and confidence. I try not to put expectations on myself because at this level, no one deserves anything. We all work so hard and on any given day it’s anyone’s race.

I just set my goals and mentally put myself in the hunt.

DtB: After coming so close to winning, was the crying something of an outlet for coming so close? What did you learn from the experience that you didn't know before?

SP: I definitely learned the importance of believing in yourself to take a chance during a race. But more importantly, I learned that you win some and you lose some, and that is just the way it is. You have to know that every time you step up to the line, anything can happen and all you can control is your preparation and your mental edge during the race. But in the end, no matter how it finished, you look back and appreciate having the chance to do what you love, and you learn from the mistakes you made and move on.

DtB: The team this year is young, talented, and deep. How does that factor into your efforts and enjoyment of the experience?

SP: Before this season, I had a lot of older, more experienced teammates to look up to and to pull me through. But this season, it has been an opportunity to step up into a new role and to step up as a leader. There are no expectations put on us because no one knows what we are capable of.
It has been really exciting and refreshing to have a new group of girls and we are all learning so much as we go along that is going to make us so much better in the years to come.

DtB: Both the XC and track teams at the U emphasize the "family" aspect of the teams. The bonding of team members and enjoyment of the experience. Does that contribute to the success of the programs? How?

SP: That plays such a huge role in our success. We all care about each other more as family members than teammates, and to our coaches we are more than just runners. They care about us first and foremost as young women, and not just about how well we can perform for our team. It shows a lot at meets like this where we have nearly our entire roster road trip to the meet just to run around and cheer and carry flags for us. Just knowing we have that much support behind us helps pull us through. I


DtB: What are your goals for the remainder of the cross country season?

SP: No matter what happens the rest of the season, I just want to enjoy being on such a great team and doing what I love to do. Finishing times and places matter for that moment, but in the long run what will matter is the experiences I have had being on this team. I just don’t want to ever lose perspective of what a great opportunity I have been given and to remember that nothing is a guarantee.

Stephanie Price(55)pushes the pace during the Big Ten XC Champs. Photo by Sean Hartnett

Redemption Song

By Jim Ferstle
Last month New York's Carnegie Hall Notables series hosted a program named Redemption Song featuring musicians who were or had recovered from substance abuse issues. Those looking at sports books, magazine articles, or cable television sports documentaries might be inclined to think the same message is being sold about once star athletes attempting to rehabilitate their images after being tarnished by doping convictions or admissions.

2003 Twin Cities Marathon champion, Eddy Hellebuyck, an Olympian for Belgium back in 1996, admitted in a Runner's World story that he took the blood booster erythropoietin(EPO)and was using the drug when he won the TC race. Hellebuyck had been convicted of EPO use in 2004, but had steadfastly denied using EPO until now. In the article he said his confession was inspired by guilt and that he now regretted using the drug.

Marion Jones tearfully admitted that she had made mistakes by not asking what she was given by her coaches during her career, and acknowledging that what she was given was doping products. Her mistake, she says now, was not that she "knowingly" took drugs, but that she lied about the fact that she knew what she was taking was a banned substance. Testimony given by some of those people she "trusted" contradict Jones' statements. They say she knew what she was doing.

Both athletes said they sought "redemption." As image consultants or spin doctors would say, these athletes want to reconstruct their image, reinvent themselves in political lingo. Until today, Jones had pretty clear sailing. The interviewers on her book tour didn't ask the tough questions. Jones stuck to her script of "making mistakes" and attempting to be a role model and advocate for those who had paid for their sins and wanted to regain respect.

Hellebuyck wants to continue coaching. Jones wants to play basketball and regain some of her athletic fame. Many athletes who competed against them aren't so forgiving. They cheated us out of medals and money, they say, what about that? Jones returned her Olympic medals, but has no plans to return her prize or endorsement money. The Twin Cities Marathon folks are contemplating what they should do about the title and prize money Hellebuyck won in their event. Should they strip Eddy of his "title?" Should they demand he return his prize money?

Another conundrum in all this is the desire of anti-doping officials to not only catch those who dope, but also find and punish their suppliers, the "pushers" and enablers that make doping possible. Should there be "plea bargaining" for doping "criminals?" Or should we just go after them with the full power of the law, recognizing of course that proving one assisted or enabled doping without an admission from the "enabler" or athlete is a very difficult, if not impossible task in the legal system.

Hellebuyck named a fellow marathoner and doctor, Russian Leonid Shvetsov, as his enabler, his supplier. Would he have done that if he knew that people would go after him for past prize money? Would anybody confess, unless they were, like Jones faced with a plea deal to bargain down prison time? Is it a "fairness issue?" A justice issue? One thing it is not is a universally agreed upon solution. Do those who "cheat" deserve "redemption?"

How do we know when seeking redemption is a legitimate attempt to right a past wrong or make up for one's sins? How do we know when it's simply just another con? Is attempted rehabilitation, draconian sanctions, or neither of these options part of the "right" solution to the doping problem in sports? Athletes know that image campaigns, like those mastered by the most successful politicians, built their fame, so it's only natural that they turn to the same delivery method to rehabilitate their images.

Lance Armstrong is arguably as impressive an image creator and protector as he was an elite cyclist. But will he survive the latest assault of another athlete seeking "redemption" of sorts, Floyd Landis? Used to be that athletes only needed a good coach and a great work ethic, plus the right parents to bequeath on them the correct genetic profile, as a pathway to sports success. Now, like politicians, they need the cash of donors(sponsors for athletes), and a crackerjack staff of image consultants.

As the camera commercial with Andre Agassi as pitchman claimed: "Image is everything." Especially if you're seeking redemption.

Gopher Women Third at Big Tens

At the Big Ten meet yesterday near Madison, WI, the Minnesota men and women repeated their third place team finishes of a year ago. Below women's coach Garry Wilson talks about the Lady Gophers.
Down the Backstretch: Did you anticipate going into the race that it was going to be such a tight team battle?

Gary Wilson: Yes, in fact I thought that Indiana and Iowa would have better races and make it a six way battle. As you know, the Big Ten is very tough and the teams that do well are those that can keep their emotions in check and stay focused among all the hype that goes with the meet.

DtB: How did you prep the team for Big Tens? What did you learn from the race that will help you in the Regions?

GW: On a practical note, I went to the Adidas Wisconsin meet in mid October and filmed the course and brought it back home. Sarah edited the film and we gave a copy of the course to each woman so when they go there they had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Of course, we also went over strategy of the race and they did their relaxation and imagery before the meet.

The biggest thing we had to do this year is to cherish our past and then realize that this is a new team and a new era in our program. As Steph Price said earlier in the year: "We need to make our own identity as a team." They have done just that. Nikki Swenson is our only experienced senior in the top nine and she has been a "mother hen" to these young women. She brings a lot of calm and confidence to them. She has led by example, on and off the field of battle.

These women have done a great job this year of having fun and enjoying the process. Coach Hesser and I could not be more proud of them. Of course, they still have things to learn, but they are getting better every day.

Sometimes the younger women try to go out too hard and then fade a little. Then there are races where they are a little too conservative in the beginning of the race and never get where they need to be at the 2K mark. All of this is a learning curve that cannot be rushed.

What we learned that will help us going into Regional is this. These young kids are really starting to realize that we as coaches know what they can do as individuals. 99% of the time what we tell them plays out in races just as we told them before they started the race. With that realization comes confidence. They realize that when we tell them they can be in certain spots in the race and it comes true that they really can do it.

These kids are really starting to trust in their abilities and it is showing more and more in each race. They will be ready to rock and roll at Regionals.

We tell them to relax and have fun, and we foster that care-free attitude and it carries over into the races. They are a very, very fun group of women that really like each other and it shows. We are a family and we all support each other and that is very comforting for each of them as they go into the "Big Team" wars.

One last important point is this. Sarah and I have been at this a long time. This is my 26th year here and my 43rd year of coaching. Sarah ran here and has coached for six years. She was also one of those women that cam in as a good, but not great high school runner, and as a senior made out Big Ten team after working her way up the "food chain."

I thing my years of experience and Sarah being closer to their ages gives us a lot of credibility as a staff. They know I have coached twice as long as they have been alive, and have seen it all and they know Sarah has been in the wars very recently. In other words, they are not going into the fight with a couple of rookie coaches. This, I think, gives them confidence that we can help them stay calm, cool, and collected.

DtB: All three of the top teams are what you could characterize as “young teams” in that there aren’t a lot of seniors on the rosters. Could make for interesting years ahead.

GW: One never knows how a team will shake out from year to year. Every year is a new group, and a new challenge. The good thing is we have a ton of depth, which was evident with this year's team. We took one true freshman and four red-shirted freshman into the meet along with a senior(Kelly Wilson) that had never run in the Big Ten meet before. So, of our top nine, six of the women were running in their first Big Ten meet ever.

We have depth, and there are at least ten women that did not make the top nine this year that could very well make the team next year. We have that luxury as a program. If every woman can stay in our "Zone of Discipline," they will have a great team for years to come. It is very exciting and fun to be in the hunt year in and year out.

DtB: Stephanie Price has been outstanding all year Any key to her success or elements she’s been able to improve upon that helped her this year?

GW: Well, of course I would like to say it is the coaching, but we all know that has very little to do with it! :-)

I have always said if you can be in the 4-H Club(that is healthy, happy, humble, and hungry), anything is possible. I tell our women all the time that coach Hesser and I I would love to take all the credit, but we cannot. If these women can take ownership of themselves and their preparation, and stay in the 4-H club, then they will improve. One year of maturity and getting older and wiser is worth two years of coaching any time.

Steph has done all of that, and it has proved very successful. She was our 13th runner on the team as a freshman, then placed 20th in the Big Ten last year, and now, of course, finished second. As we all know, distance running is a process and cannot be rushed. It takes time and if kids will realize this, then they will be successful. Steph listens to us, and listens to her body well. She has done all of the little things, and one can see the results. She is a great kid.

DtB: Did everybody come out of the meet healthy and ready for next weekend’s Regions in Peoria?

GW: Yes, we all came out of the meet in great shape. They are running two days of three to four miles only on Monday and Tuesday, getting massages, icing, and eating well. At this time of year, as you know, a runner does not get in better shape, and if they can be rested and healthy, then anything is possible. We have not peaked yet, so we are very excited for the next two meets.

DtB: Any special memories you’ll take away from this year’s Big Ten meet?

GW: The biggest memory was Julie Swenson, Nikki's mom, crying after the meet because she was soooo happy. Nikke placed 13th, and made the All Conference team. It was, by far, her best cross country race in her career. It was very special to see that. We have so many supportive parents who stick by their daughters through thick and thin. The Swenson clan is the epitamy of that.

It was also wonderful to have so many our our fans down there, and then, of course, the rest of our team being there carrying 30m flags all over the course makes such a huge difference for us. You will see all of the U of M flags when the meet is aired on the Big Ten Network on November 21.

The top three women battle on the course at Big Tens. Photo by Sean Hartnett

Gophers in Wisconsin for Big Tens

The University of Minnesota cross country teams are in Wisconsin for the Big Ten Championships hosted by the Badgers at their new course in Verona, Wisconsin on Sunday.

The Gopher squads will look to build upon 3rd-place finishes at the meet last year.

The Gopher women, ranked #19 nationally, are expected to tussle with #16 Michigan State and #21 Michigan for the conference title. Indiana and Iowa are also nationally ranked.

Gopher junior Stephanie Price, a two-time Big Ten cross country Athlete of the Week this year, expects to be racing in the lead pack on Sunday.

Find the U of M sports media preview of the meet HERE.

Watch head coach Gary Wilson talk about the meet HERE.

There's also a video profile of Price HERE.

In the men's Big Ten race, #6 Wisconsin and #7 Indiana are the favorites on paper. The un-ranked Gopher men are likely to battle #24 Penn State and un-ranked Michigan State for third place in the meet.

Both Michigan State and the Gophers were ranked earlier in the season.

Find the U of M sports media preview of the meet HERE.

Watch head coach Steve Plasencia talk about the meet HERE.

Article on Ben Blankenship on Big Ten site HERE.

Look for results of the meet HERE.
Women's Update: Gopher women third in very tight team race, Stephanie Price finishes second. Recap of the women's race is HERE.
Men's Update: Minnesota third in team competition. Ben Blankenship third in individual race as top three runners finish within a second of one another. The top five were within two seconds of each other. A story on the men's race is HERE and HERE.

FLASH: 2003 TCM Champ Admits to Doping

In an exclusive Runners World story by John Brant, 2003 Twin Cities Marathon champion Eddy Hellebuyck admits he used EPO to prepare for that race and others late in his career.

The Belgian-born naturalized American citizen tested positive for EPO in 2004 at age 43, but denied using the drug at the time, going as far as appealing his case to the Court for Arbitration in Sports.

Read the full, interesting story HERE.

Photo of Hellebuyck by Paul Phillips, Competitive Image.

Hamline, Carleton Aim to Defend in MIAC

Hamline and Carleton will look to defend their 2009 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles when the conference hosts its 2010 championship at Como Golf Course in St. Paul on Saturday afternoon.

The Hamline men, ranked #20 in NCAA Division III, are the Central region's top-ranked team. They won last year's MIAC title with a narrow 61-66 win over St. Olaf.

Going into this year's contest, St. John's, ranked #34 in D3 and the #3 team in the Central Region, appears the Pipers' strongest challenger. St. Olaf is ranked #7 regionally, while St. Thomas, third in 2009, is ranked #9.

The Tommies Ben Sathre, second individually in 2009, is the top returnee in the meet. He's expected to be challenged for this year's title by Concordia's Tom Sederquist and Hamline's Devin Monson.

There's a complete preview of the men's competition HERE.

If the Carleton women are to defend their 2009 title, they'll need to fight back a strong challenge from cross-Northfield rivals St. Olaf.

The Ole women the top-ranked MIAC heading into the conference -- they're ranked #12 nationally and #2 in the Central Region. Carleton is #25 in D3 and the #5-ranked team in the Central.

In addition, St. Thomas, third last year, is ranked #6 regionally, while Bethel and Gustavus are the Central Region's #7 and #8 teams, respectively.

Simone Childs-Walker, the runner-up in 2009, is the favorite to win the individual title won the last two years by Bethel's Marie Borner.

There's a complete preview of the women's competition HERE.

MIAC Championship competition gets underway at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday with the men's race, followed at 3:15 by the women.

Look for results of the meet HERE.

Pick 10: Big Ten and MIAC Championships

The cross country season is winding down. With it, the DtB fantasy contests are nearing their yearly conclusion as well. This week will mark the end of the big contest - Pick Ten - in 2010. There will be another month of Yes/No questions with some bonus questions thrown in just to make it interesting.

This weekend will crown conference champions in both the Big Ten and the MIAC. The Gophers will travel to Wisconsin for the Big Ten Championship on Sunday. The MIAC is held annually at Como Park Golf Course and will be run Saturday afternoon.

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 Ben Blankenship to place first in the Big Ten, and he places first, you get 10 points. If you pick Blankenship to place first and he finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick Blankenship to finish third in the race and he places first, second or third, you get 6 points, since you that's the place you picked him 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 2:15 P.M. CST on Saturday, October 30th 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:

Ben Blankenship (University of Minnesota):

Stephanie Price (University of Minnesota):

Missa Varpness (University of Minnesota):

St. Olaf Men:

Carleton Women:

Devin Monson (Hamline):

Tom Sederquist (Concordia):

Taylor Berg (St. Thomas):

To Help You Make Your Picks ...

The Gopher men finished third at Big Tens last year. Currently, there are three nationally ranked teams from the Big Ten - Wisconsin, Indiana and Penn State. The Gophers were ranked at various times during the season but are not in the top thirty at present. The Gopher women also placed third at Big Tens last year. They are currently ranked nineteenth in the nation after a strong showing at Pre-Nationals. Other ranked teams in the conference include Michigan State - sixteenth, Michigan - twenty-first, Indiana - twenty-ninth and Iowa - thirtieth.

Ben Blankenship has finished twenty sixth (2008) and eighteenth (2009) in his two Big Ten Cross Country meets. Blankenship finished tenth at the Griak invitational and was the 2010 Big Ten Mile Champion on the track. Stephanie Price had a solid cross country season in 2009 but has really taken a major leap this year. She was second at the Griak Invitational and sixth at Pre-Nationals. Price was eighteenth at Big Tens in 2009. Missa Varpness is a redshirt freshman from Montevideo and is competing in her first Big Ten Championship. She was twenty eighth at the Griak Invitational and thirtieth at Pre-Nationals.

St. Olaf men finished second at MIAC in 2009. They are ranked seventh in the region behind Hamline (first), St. Johns (third) and ahead of St. Thomas (ninth). Carleton women are the defending MIAC champs. There are six MIAC women's teams ranked in the top ten in the regional poll. They include St. Olaf (second), Carleton (fifth), St. Thomas (sixth), Bethel (seventh), Gustavus (eighth) and St. Benedict (tenth).

Devin Monson finished sixth at MIAC last year as a sophomore and was second among the non-seniors. Tom Sederquist has never finished in the top thirty at the MIAC championship but figures to change that in a big way this year. He has won three meets this year including the Griak Invitational and was second at Pre-Nationals. Taylor Berg finished nineteenth as a freshman at MIAC in 2009. Berg has won three meets this year and was the third MIAC finisher at Griak.

Good luck!

The fantasy contest question from last week was: "Yes/No: Will Michelle Frey run faster than 2:40:00 at the Casablanca International Marathon?" The answer was no. Frey ran 2:42:31 and placed fifth. Gregg Robertson answered correctly and is now tied with Lori Anne Peterson for first place with twenty six points.

The 2010 Pick Ten standings are as follows: Mike Henderson leads with 163 points, followed closely by Jesse Schoen with 160. Mitch VanBruggen is third with 150 points.

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

RNF Tops USATF Minnesota Team Circuit

In the better late than never department ...

USA Track and Field Minnesota recently announced the final standing in its 2010 Team Circuit competition -- a team grand prix of nine road races from March through October where club teams earn points toward a year-end title.

Run N Fun, the St. Paul running specialty store, won two of three titles in both the men's and women's divisions of the competition.

The Run N Fun open men's team topped 2009 champions TC Running Company 78-73. RNF beat TCRC in seven of the nine Team Circuit races.

The Collegeville Track Club was the third-place open men's team.

TCRC won the men's masters title 54-48 over RNF; RNF won the grand master titles 40-36 over TCRC.

In open women's competition, RNF won its fifth-straight Team Circuit title, topping Foley & Mansfield 53-57. The RNF open women were unbeaten in 2010 Team Circuit competition.

TCRC was third in the competition with 49 points.

In masters competition, RNF topped F & M 47-42. In grand master competition, the Prairie Striders edged RNF 24-22.

Find Team Circuit standings and results HERE, on the USA Track and Field Minnesota web-site.

HS Cross Polls: Let the Winnowing Begin

With Minnesota State High School League Section competition set to begin later this week, pollsters have released the latest rankings of the state's top team and individuals.

Section competition begins on Thursday -- see a schedule HERE -- with the State Meet contested on Saturday, November 6.

The first takeaway from the latest polls is that the teams and individuals that topped the polls last week do so again this week. In Class AA, the Eden Prairie girls and Edina boys still rule the team ranks, while Maria Hauger of Shakopee and Aaron Bartnik of Eden Prairie top the Class AA individual polls.

In Class A, the Adrian girls and Perham boys continue top the team ranks, while Elena Danielson of St. Cloud Cathedral and Murbarik Musa of Worthington pace the Class AA individual polls.

The second takeaway is that for the second time in three seasons, a team ranked in the top-3 in the state going into Sections will not qualify for State Meet.

Thursday's Section 6AA meet will feature the top three teams in Class AA -- #1 Edina, #2 Wayzata, and #3 Eden Prairie -- with only two berths to the State Meet on offer. Edina, Wayzata, and Eden Priarie, in fact, have all been ranked #1 at some point during the 2010 season.

Find compete rankings, HERE, at Raceberryjam.

Minnesota Hall of Fame to Induct Six More

The Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame will add six new members at induction ceremonies on Friday, November 5.

Joining the Hall, which recognizes outstanding performances and/or contributions by individuals to the sports of track & field, long distance running, cross country, and race walking in Minnesota, are elite athletes Tom Heinonen and Stephanie Herbst-Lucke, veteran athlete Harry Nash, and coach/administrators Merrill Fischbein, Bill Huyck, and Larry Russ.

The induction ceremony is organized by the Hall of Fame Committee of USA Track and Field Minneosta. The public is invited to the ceremony.

Find details HERE.

Yes/No: Frey Sub-2:40 in Casablanca?

The Yes/No Contest will continue its international theme with this week's question. Last week we followed a race in Nanning, China and now it's on to Morocco and the Casablanca Marathon. The race is in its third year and features a flat course and generally good running weather.

Team USA-Minnesota's Michelle Frey is heading all the way to North Africa to chase an 'A' qualifier of 2:38 to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Let us know how fast you think she will run...

Y/N: Will Michelle Frey run faster than 2:40:00 at the Casablanca International Marathon on Sunday?

Michelle Frey has been active in 2010. She competed in the USA Championships for 15k, 10 Mile and Half Marathon this year. She also won the Cowtown Half Marathon and ran 2:42 at the Boston Marathon. Locally this fall, the Iowa City native won the City of Lakes 25k in 1:31:16 and ran 57:36 at the TC 10 Mile - USA Championship.

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 P.M. CST, Saturday, October 23nd. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will continue to offer a bonus for participants making their debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for any first-time players.

My answer: Yes

The fantasy contest question from last week was: Will Antonio Vega or Andrew Carlson finish in the top twenty of the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships? The answer was no. Vega missed the top twenty by three places and eleven seconds. Carlson finished in 39th place. Nine contestants answered correctly this week and eight of the top nine in the overall standings were wrong this week. Toby Hatlevig moved into a tie for third with his correct answer.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner.

Strong Women: UMD #7, St. Olaf #12 in Polls

The University of Minnesota Duluth women's cross country team retained its #7 ranking in the latest NCAA Division II cross country poll, released yesterday.

The Bulldogs, who compete at Eau Claire this weekend and will compete for the NSIC title on November 6, are the #3-ranked team in the loaded Central Region of D2

Find the complete D2 national rankings HERE ... and D2 regional rankings HERE.

In NCAA Division III, the St. Olaf women are the top-ranked Minnesota team, polling as #12 in the country. Crosstown rival Carleton is ranked #25. The Oles are ranked #2 in the Central Region (Luther is #1); Carleton is ranked #5 regionally.

In men's D3 ranks, Hamline tops the local scene coming in at #20. St. John's is ranked #34. Hamline is the #1-ranked men's team in the Central Region; St. John's is #3.

Find the complete D3 national rankings HERE ... and D3 regional rankings HERE.

Gopher Women Rise to #19 in NCAA Poll

Thanks to its strong performance at the NCAA Pre-National meet on Saturday, the University of Minnesota women's cross country team finds itself in the top-20 of the latest NCAA Division I cross country poll, released yesterday.

The Gophers, moving up seven spots in the rankings from last week, are ranked #19 in the nation.

The Gopher women trail only #16 Michigan State among Big Ten schools in the rankings. Michigan is ranked #21. In the Midwest Regional rankings released earlier in the week, the Gopher women are ranked #2 behind Iowa State.

Find complete national rankings HERE. Find regional rankings HERE.

The University of Minnesota men fell out of the NCAA top-30 this week. The team had been ranked #25 going into Pre-Nats.

The Gopher men remain the #4-ranked men's team in the Midwest Region.

Antonio Vega Drops Out of NYCM with Hip Injury

Race Results Weekly reported that Antonio Vega will not compete in the ING New York City Marathon on November 7. A hip injury was the reason for his withdrawal.

Also out of the race, 2003 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Blake Russell.

Read the Universal Sports story HERE.

Edina Back Atop Class AA Boys Rankings

Edina is back on top of the Class AA boys high school cross country rankings this week, thanks to its victory at Thursday's Lake Conference Championships at Gale Woods Farm.

The Hornets return to the #1 spot after falling to #3 last week when conference and section rivals Wayzata and Eden Prairie bettered them at the Victoria Lions Invite.

Last week's #1 Wayzata fell to #2 in the rankings. Defending Class AA champions and early-season #1 Eden Prairie is currently #3.

In the rest of the Minnesota high school rankings, the top spots remain the same: Eden Prairie retains its season-long stranglehold in girls' Class AA, while Adam Bartnik of Eden Prairie and Maria Hauger of Chaska remain the top individuals in Class AA.

In Class A, Perham and Mubarik Musa of Worthington leads the boys' rankings. Adrian and Elena Danielson of St. Cloud Cathedral lead the girls' polls.

Find complete rankings below ...

Class AA

Boys' Teams:
1 Edina,
2 Wayzata
3 Eden Prairie,
4 Rosemount,
5 Moorhead,
6 Stillwater,
7 Burnsville,
8 Andover
9 Minnetonka,
10 White Bear Lake,
11 Owatonna
12 Roseville


Boys' Individuals:
1 Aaron Bartnik, Eden Prairie
2 Cole O'Brien, Burnsville
3 Josh Thorson, Wayzata
4 Adam Zutz, St. Francis
5 Kyle Bratrud, EP
6 Lukas Gemar, Moorhead
7 Steve Dado, Totino Grace
8 Aldis Inde, Edina
9 Bryant Blahnik, Redwing
10 Christian Skaret, Minnetonka
11 Mohamed Mohamed, Eden Prairie
12 Trent Lusignan, Shakopee


Girls' Teams:
1 Eden Prairie
2 Monticello
3 Andover
4 Lakeville South
5 Eagan
6 Prior Lake
7 Wayzata
8 Hopkins
9 Lakeville North
10 Chanhassen
11 Rosemount
12 Roseville


Girls' Individuals:
1 Maria Hauger, 10, Shakopee
2 Jamie Piepenburg, 11, Alexandria
3 Kayla Urick, 12, Chaska
4 Erica Seidenkranz, 11, Monticello
5 Megan Platner, 12, Eden Prairie
6 Meghan Bailey, 12, Minnetonka
7 Amber Seidenkranz, 9, Monticello
8 Taylor Scholl, 11, Prior Lake
9 Nicole Heitzman, 10, Andover
10 Emily Knapczyk, 11, Robbinsdale Armstrong
11 Cassidy Soli, 10, Champlin Park
12 Steph Murray, 10, Rochester


Class A

Boys' Teams:
1 Perham
2 St. Cloud Cathedral
3 Plainview-Elgin-Millville
4 Minnehaha Academy
5 Glencoe-Silver Lake
6 Waseca
7 Holy Family Catholic
8 Fairmont
9 Mora
10 Byron
11 Esko
12 LaCrescent


Boys' Individuals:
1 Mubarik Musa, Worthington
2 Mason Ferlic, Mounds Park Academy
3 Matt Jergensen, Caledonia
4 Grant Wintheiser, St. Cloud Cathedral
5 Brandon Clark, Blake
6 Bryon Schultz, Nevis
7 Aaron Haley, Plainview-E-M
8 Shane Streich, Waseca
9 Grant Timm, Plainview-E-M
10 Brendan Skrimes, Thief River Falls
11 Justin Cook, Jackson County Central
12 Charlie Lawrence, Foley


Girls' Teams:
1 Adrian
2 St. Cloud Cathedral
3 LaCrescent
4 Holy Family Catholic
5 Blake
6 Dover-Eyota/St. Charles
7 Waseca
8 Fairmont
9 Perham
10 Albany
11 Esko
12 Trinity River Ridge


Girls' Individuals:
1 Elena Danielson, St. Cloud Cathedral
2 Lauren Friese, Fairmont
3 Victoria Alexander , Lake of the Woods
4 Leah Jessen, Canby-Minneota/LinHi
5 Cheyanne Bowers, St.James
6 Whitney Wilgenburg, Hills-Beaver Cr/E
7 Gabi Swoboda , Redwood Falls Area
8 Emi Trost, Cannon Falls
9 Jordan Chancellor, Blake
10 Molly Eastman, Holy Family Cathedral
11 Jordin Kopplow, Adrian
12 Clare Flanagan, Blake

Gopher Women Pleased with Pre-Nationals

A 5th-place team finish paced by Stephanie Price's 6th-place individual effort at the NCAA Pre-National meet in Terre Haute, Indiana left the University of Minnesota women confident about a return trip the Queen City of the Wabash in November for the NCAA Championships.

Although they finished behind Pre-Nationals White Race winners #5 Georgetown, runners-up #9 Colorado, 3rd-place #17 Stanford, and #12 SUNY Stony Brook, the Gopher team was pleased with its results.

The unlucky Gopher men finished 12th in their Pre-Nationals race.

The Gopher Women ... “I’m very happy with our performance today,” Gopher head coach Gary Wilson said in a media release. “Steph ran a great race, but really all 12 kids we brought to this meet ran well. They gave everything they had out there today.”

The #26-ranked Gopher women topped three ranked teams with their 241 point effort -- #19 Michigan, #23 North Carolina State, and #27 Florida.

“Beating Michigan was huge,” Wilson explained. “The Wolverines will be among the top teams in the Great Lakes Region. Florida is another team is was important for us to finish ahead of as they will do well in the South Region.”

Victories against strong teams from other regions could be important if the the Gophers need to qualify for nationals as an at-large team.

Price ran 20:25 over the 6K Terre Haute course for her top-10 finish.

Find race results HERE (individual) and HERE (team).

You can watch video of the race HERE.

The Gopher Men ... Untimely cramping for Gopher senior Mike Torchia foiled the University of Minnesota men's team's hopes the White Race at Pre-Nats. The Rochester Lourdes alumnus was leading the Gopher pack at 6K, before cramping dropped him to #7 on the team and 169th place overall.

Nine ranked team finished ahead of the Gophers, who tallied 391 points in their 12th-place run.

“Having Torch struggle late hurt our team score obviously,” Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia said. “I did think our young guys ran pretty well today, especially Andrew Larsen. We just need more from our guys up front.”

Pieter Gagnon led the Gopher effort finishing 51st in 24:35. Ben Blankenship was a few strides behind in 60th in 24:40. Larson was 76th in 24:49.

In the men's Blue Race, Winona High School alumnus Elliott Heath, running for #1-ranked Stanford, was runner-up in 23:16.

Find White Race results HERE (individual) and HERE (team).

You can watch video of the White Race HERE.

Watch the Blue Race HERE.

Short-Cut: Results' Links for October 15-17

Find this weekend's bottom line in our results' links ...

IAAF World Half Marathon: Results
Update: Vega 23rd in 1:03:37, Carlson 39th in 1:05:38.

NCAA Division I Pre-Nationals: Results
Update: Gopher women 5th, Price 6th; Gopher men 12th.

Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitational: Results
Update: Hamline men 5th; St. Olaf women 4th. Westby runner-up.

UW-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational: Results
Update: UMD women win, Morgan Place wins.

Gopher Harriers Headed to Pre-Nationals

The University of Minnesota cross country teams are set to compete in tomorrow's NCAA Division I Pre-National meet in Terre Haute, Indiana, the site of the NCAA Championships in November.

The #25 Gopher men and #26 Gopher women will each compete in the meet's "White" races. (The event splits its fields into two separate races -- White and Blue.)

The Gopher men will face nine ranked teams in their race, including #4 Colorado and #8 Portland State. The Gophers avoid #1-ranked Stanford, which is running in the Blue race. Remarkably, Minnesota is the only Big Ten school in the men's White race.

The Gopher women will see #5 Georgetown and #9 Colorado in their race. They'll also tangle with four other Big Ten teams: Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.

Find complete team entries HERE.

The meet could prove important for both Minnesota squads, if they're forced to qualify for the NCAA Championships as at-large selections. Both teams are currently ranked #4 in the Midwest Regional. The top two teams from each NCAA D1 regional qualify for nationals automatically; 13 additional teams from across the nation qualify at-large.

Pre-Nationals will be covered live by Flotrack HERE. Coverage starts at 9:30 a.m. CDT.

Read the U of M previews for the meet HERE (men) and HERE (women).

Yes/No: Vega or Carlson Top-20 at World Half?

This week, the USA Half Marathon squad will head to China to compete in the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. The city of Nanning will host athletes from all over the world trying to take home a piece of the $245,000 purse. The favorite on the men's side has to be Zersenay Tadese from Eritrea. Tadese has won four consecutive IAAF Half Marathon Championships and is the world record holder in 58:23. In case you don't want to do the math, that is 4:27 per mile for 13.1 miles!

Two of the five members of the USA men's team are former University of Minnesota runners. Antonio Vega will run as the reigning USA Half Marathon champ while Andrew Carlson will compete in the World Championships for the second consecutive year.

How will they run? Let us know what you think with this question...

Y/N: Will Antonio Vega or Andrew Carlson finish in the top twenty of the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships?

Antonio Vega has made some huge strides in 2010. He won the 2010 USA Half Marathon Championship in January. Vega was second at the USA 10 Mile Championship and ran 2:13:47 at the Boston Marathon. Vega is also the 2010 USA Running Circuit overall champion.

Andrew Carlson is the USA 25k champion and has earned his way onto his second consecutive Worlds Half Marathon team. Carlson finished in 20th place in 2009 at the World Half Marathon Championships.

You can see Carlson as the second U.S. finisher in the 2009 results. The 2008 results show Team USA-MN runner Jason Lehmkuhle leading the American squad.

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 10:00 P.M. CST, Friday, October 15th. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will continue to offer a bonus for participants making their debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for any first-time players.

My answer: No

The fantasy contest question from last week was: Will Meghan Armstrong finish in the top five at the USA 10k Championship in Boston on Monday? The answer was no. Armstrong finished fourteenth in 34:43. Seventeen contestants answered correctly this week. Lori Anne Peterson gave the right answer for the fourth straight week to stay one-up on Gregg Robertson in first place.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner.

Place, Sederquist are Athletes of the Month

Morgan Place and Tom Sederquist were named USA Track and Field Minnesota Athletes of the Month for October, the organization announced today.

Place, a junior at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, was honored for winning the Maroon II race at last month’s Roy Griak Invitational. Place won the race, consisting of NCAA Division II schools, with a time of 21:49 over the hilly 6K University of Minnesota course.

Sederquist, a junior at Concordia College in Moorhead, was recognized for winning the Maroon III race at the Griak meet. In the race involving NCAA Division III teams, Sederquist won with a time of 25:39.

USA Track & Field Minnesota selects Athletes of the Month to honor excellence in track and field and its related sports in Minnesota. USA Track & Field is the governing body of the sport in the United States and the Minnesota Association of USATF sanctions and sponsors track and field, cross country, road racing, and racewalking events for athletes of all ages in the state.

Find of complete listing of USATF Minnesota Athletes of the Month HERE.