USATF Junior Photos

Obsa Ali and Will Burke in the pack.
Photo by Gene Niemi

Ali. Photo by Gene
Niemi

Burke. Photo by
Gene Niemi

Gabriele Anderson on Her Race and the 1500 Final

Gabriele Anderson winning her heat
of the 1500. Photo by Gene Niemi

 “It was a very tactical race, probably a preview of what’s to come on Saturday," said Gabriele Anderson. "It feels good to make it on to the next race. Sometimes it’s a bad idea to go into a race with a set idea of what’s going to happen. This year, I feel confident that I can run a fast race and have a good kick. We’ll just have to see what Saturday holds for us.”

Results from USATF Championships

Rob Finnerty and Ben Blankenship running the 1500
semis.  Photo by Gene Niemi

Amanda Smock finished third in the triple jump with a leap of 45'2.25"(13.77m). Since none of the triple jumpers in the top four finishers has an A or B standard qualifying mark, a complicated scenario now begins for any one or three of the top four to book a trip to Moscow for the World Championships.  The process is explained HERE.

Kara Goucher finished fifth in 32:59.23, Danielle Stack 13th in 34:13.52, Meghan Peyton 17th in 34:51.49, and McKenzie Melander 21st in 37:00.43 in the 10K final.  Team USA Minnesota's Jon Peterson finished 21st in the men's 10K in 30:19.74

Richfield's Obsa Ali placed ninth in 15:22.3, and Edina's Will Burke was 15th in 15:30.84 in the USATF Junior Championships in the 5K.

Team USA Minnesota's Gabriele Anderson, running her last quarter in 60.86, won her heat in 4:11.55 to qualify for the final of the 1500. Teammates Jamie Cheever qualified for the finals of the 3000 meter steeplechase finishing third in her heat, seventh overall in 9:59.35; and  Heather Kampf finished third in her heat in 2:02.23 to qualify for the semifinals on time.

Will Leer and Ben Blankenship qualified for the men's 1500 final, finishing second in their heats.  Leer was second in heat on in 3:41.01, and Blankeship ran 3:41.86 in heat three.  Garett heath finished fifth in heat two in 3:48.03, and Rob Finnerty was eighth in heat three in 3:42.72.  Neither advanced to the final.

The Gopher's Haran Aba finished sixth in the fourth and final heat of the 800 in 1:47.02 to advance to the semifinals on Friday.  His teammate Travis Burkstrand was fifth in heat two in 1:49.49, but failed to advance.

Maggie Ewen finished seventh in the USATF Junior Championships shot put with a throw of 47'5.75"(14.47m).  She fouled on four of her six throws.

Full results split up by day, field events, and running events are HERE.

For Kenyan Family, Success in Running is a Tradition

Duluth News Tribune story on the children of Richard Kiplagat Leting and his wife, Marsalina and their running success is HERE. 

Looney Challenge--Not for the Birds

Runners with an uncommon desire to test their endurance in three Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend events, will get that chance in October thanks to the inaugural TC Loony Challenge. 

Named in honor of the Minnesota state bird, the common loon, participants in the TC Loony Challenge can distinguish themselves by competing the TC 10K and TC 5K, presented by Fredrikson & Byron, on Saturday, October 5 in St. Paul and follow those efforts by racing the following day in the Medtronic TC 10 Mile, which races from downtown Minneapolis to the State Capitol.

Registration for the TC Loony Challenge opened today.

Runners who complete the TC Loony Challenge will earn a finisher’s medal and bragging rights among distance runners.  The top three men’s and women’s finishers in the competition, based on their cumulative time in the three races, will win a TC Loony Prize pack.

The TC Loony Challenge, which is limited to 250 runners, has the added feature of offering participants entry into the Medtronic TC 10 Mile that bypasses the lottery registration held for the majority of the spots on the starting line of the popular event.

“We’re excited to offer the TC Loony Challenge to our most ambitious runners,” Twin Cities In Motion Executive Director Virginia Brophy Achman said.  “Runners are often looking for new challenges, and for those who like to pack a lot of racing into their weekend, we think the TC Loony Challenge will be ideal.  We’re glad to offer them non-lottery entry into the Medtronic TC 10 Mile as a perk.”

TC Loony Challenge registration ends on July 9 or as soon as 250 runners register for the event.  Details about the TC Loony Challenge can be found on the Twin Cities In Motion website, tcmevents.org.

Cheever Aiming for World's Team

Star Tribune story on Jamie Cheever's quest for a spot on the US World Championships team is HERE. Carrie Tollefson interviews Jamie HERE.

Yes/No: Will three or more Minnesotans finish in top three at USA Champs?

The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships are coming to our own Midwest region this week.  Held in Des Moines, only about four hours south of the Twin Cities, the meet's results will determine which athletes go on to compete in the World Championships in Moscow, Russia, later this summer.

Specifically, the top three athletes in each event will earn World Championship qualifications (although there is also a complicated A and B qualifying standard that must be achieved).  The contenders include several with Minnesota ties.

Regardless of whether you can make it to Des Moines for the weekend, we hope you'll follow the action with our question of the week...

Yes/No: Will three or more Minnesota athletes finish among the top three in his/her event at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship?

We will use the final results whenever they become official.  If someone gets disqualified a week (or a year) later, that will not impact our results.  Also, we are not including the USA Juniors in this contest.  A Minnesota athlete is anyone that either resides in Minnesota currently or spent a significant amount of time in Minnesota in the past.

Here is a list of Minnesotans seeded in the top ten in an event (let us know if we missed anyone):  Garrett Heath - fourth in the 1500, Will Leer - fifth in the 1500,  Hassan Mead - seventh in the 5K,
Garrett Heath - ninth in the 5K, Will Leer - tenth in the 5K, Gabriele Anderson - sixth in the 1500, Kara Goucher - fourth in the 10K, Danielle Stack - ninth in the 10K, Jamie Cheever - first in the SC, Amanda Smock - second in the TJ and Elizabeth Podominick - second in the DT.

Here are the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship Start lists for heats and finals, Entries and Schedule.  You don't need it for this quiz, but the junior Start list is HERE.

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 3:00 P.M. CDT, Thursday, June 20th.  Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.  We will offer a bonus for participants making their 2013 debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for anyone who has not played yet this year.

My Answer:  No

Last week's question was:  Will there be three or more individual Championship events where a Minnesota athlete finishes in the top six?   The answer was no - Maggie Ewen was a double winner, but no other athlete was able to crack the top six.   Tough question this week -- only four people answered correctly.  Lori Anne Schwiesow and Mary Varney lead with twelve points.  There are four players tied for second place with eleven points each.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

Kara Goucher to Return to Duluth

Kara Goucher will be in Duluth this weekend, as a spectator. Duluth News-Tribune story is HERE.

The Battle for the Team Championships

Stillwater Gazette story on how the Ponies won the Class AA boys team title is HERE.

Perham Focus  articles on Perham are HERE and HERE.

St. Cloud Times article on Foley's Charlie Lawrence is HERE.

Worthington Daily Globe article on the three way battle for the boys Class A team runners-up is HERE.

St. Cloud Times article on the battle for the Class A team titles is HERE.

Sun Sailor article on Minnetonka's win in the girls Class AA team competition is HERE.

Gabriele Anderson Feature

Feature on Gabriele Anderson is HERE.

Grandma's Elite Fields Announced

A pair of Olympians from last year’s Summer Games in London head the list of Americans set to race in Saturday’s USA Half Marathon Championships.

Meb Keflezighi and Abdi Abdirahman, both members of the 2012 Team USA marathon squad, will be among those competing for national titles and a share of an $82,000 prize purse, including first place awards of $12,000.

Keflezighi, 38, placed fourth in the 2012 Olympics marathon on August 12 with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 6 seconds. He was the silver medalist in the marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympics (2:11:29). Keflezighi has a personal best half-marathon time of 1:01:00 (2009, San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon).

Abdirahman, 36, is the defending half-marathon national champion after winning last year’s event – also held in Duluth –  in 1:02:46 and has a best of 1:00:29 (2007, New York City Half Marathon).

For a complete list of those entered in the 2013 USA Half Marathon Championships field, click HERE.

Duluth’s history of hosting national championship road racing events includes the 2003 and 2004 USA Women’s Half Marathon Championships. The city also hosted the 1987, 1990 and 1994 USA Women’s Marathon Championships as part of Grandma’s Marathon, which is currently the country’s 14^th largest marathon.

Grandma’s Marathon Elite Field

In the 37^th running of Grandma’s Marathon, also scheduled for Saturday, favorites in the men’s field include Ethiopians Bazu Worku (PR 2:05:25, 2010) and Wegayehu Tefera (PR 2:08:25, 2010) and Kenyans Weldon Kirui (PR 2:09:06, 2010) and Ernest Kebenei (PR 2:10:55, 2011).

On the women’s side, past champions Everlyne Lagat (2012) and Yihunlish Delelecha (2011) are returning to Duluth with hopes of claiming their second Grandma’s Marathon victories.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

6:15 a.m. - USA Men's Half Marathon Championship

6:25 a.m. - USA Women's Half Marathon Championship

6:45 a.m. - Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon

7:45 a.m. - Grandma’s Marathon (Wheelchair Start 7:40 a.m.)

Going the Distance

Clare Flanagan takes control of the
3200, followed by Hannah Truninger
of Mayer Lutheran. Photo by Gene
Niemi

While the boys Class AA 3200 and 1600 got the most attention at the MSHSL Championships, The other distance races had equally compelling stories.  The dominant female distance runners in Class A and AA once again demonstrated their talents while some new faces emerged as forces to be reckoned with.

The Blake School's Clare Flanagan, a junior, ran her last races in Class A winning both the 3200 and 1600.  Flanagan had hoped to conserve her energy in the 3200, but freshman Hannah Truninger of Mayer Lutheran had other ideas.  Truninger ripped through the first mile in 5:12 before Flanagan, realizing a sit and kick strategy might not be the best, took off on the fifth lap and widened her lead by five seconds a lap to  finish in 10:27.85.

As is her custom, Flanagan stood by the finish after the race, giving high fives or hugs to the other runners as they ended their runs. Then she became a mentor of sorts for Truninger, encouraging her younger rival that her talent would take her far.  Flanagan espouses the practice of one of the all-time great distance runners, Ron Clarke of Australia, whose philosophy was not to play mind games or attempt to withhold "secrets' from his competition, but rather to help them be at their best.

You want to run against someone when they are at their best, said Clarke, because that will bring out the best in you.  Clarke learned that sort of sportsmanship from another Aussie great, John Landy, who in the 1956 Australian 1500 championships stopped during the race to help Clarke, who had fallen.  Incredibly, Landy still won the race, but not before demonstrating that winning isn't everything in sport.

Another athlete who was almost a fall victim was Bemidji's Jenna Truedson, who demonstrated great balance when hurdling over Eagan's Danielle Anderson in the tightly bunched pack of the girls Class AA 1600.  (A great picture of the fall from the St. Paul Pioneer Press is HERE.)  Anderson got up to finish eighth in the race, and Truedson used her kick to sprint by defending champion Maria Hauger(fourth), St. Michael-Albertville's Rachel King, and Hauger's Shakopee teammate, eighth grader Tess Misgen, who finished second, down the homestretch.  Truedson, a sophomore, ran 4:59.75 to win her first state title.

Class AA 1600 start. From L to R: Rhinna Rinke(North Branch), Same Sundstrom
(Sauk Rapids-Rice Lake), Elowyn Pfeiffer((Highland Park), Jenna Truedson
(Bemidji), Maddi Sjelin(St. Michael-Albertville), Danieel Anderson(Eagan),
Anna French(Wayzata), Tess Misgen(Shakopee). Photo by
Gene Niemi

Unlike the 3200 where Hauger took the pace early and burnt off the rest of the field, including Truedson, who had to use another huge kick to finish third, the pace was pedestrian in the 1600 with lots of contact and, surprisingly, only one fall.  The field was still relatively bunched together until the final lap when Hauger and Misgen battled down the backstretch and into the homestretch until Truedson came flying by and King made her move.

The boys 3200 followed a similar pattern with nobody wanting to lead so Perham's Keeghan Hurley, a junior, and senior Brady Speicher up front by default and sophomore Ashenafi Hatte of Washington Technology Magnet school on their shoulder running in lane two for nearly the entire race.  "We knew when we were in the lead nobody was going to pass us," said Perham XC coach Jeff Morris.  One of those content to follow was Foley senior Charlie Lawrence, who was happy with the slow pace because of his superior closing speed.

Ashenafi Hatte(3,  Brady Speicher(5), Charlie Lawrence(in
blue) and Keehan Hurley(2) in the final laps of the Class A
3200. Photo by Gene Niemi

The boys Class A 1600 followed a similar pattern with Hurley the early leader before Waseca sophomore Shane Streich and St. Cloud Cathedral junior Nick Gloebiowski turned the race into a two man battle over the final stages.  The two battled back and forth until Streich was able to get in front and hold his lead to the finish, winning by two tenths of a second in 4:17.32.

Coming down the stretch, Streich said: "My legs felt like rubber.  I knew that if I gave up, I was giving up a State title, so I just kept going."

Hurley finished third(4:25.62) and right behind him was Proctor's State XC champ Matt Welch(4:27.49).  For Welch fourth place was something of a triumph as between the "Spring" weather and a series of injuries his outdoor track season was pretty much wiped out.  "I just wanted to come here and be able to run," said Welch, who is headed for the University of Minnesota in the Fall.  Considering the limited training he was able to do for the outdoor season, his result was encouraging, said Welch, and he hopes to build on it to get back to where he should be in time for college cross country at the U.

Nick Gloebiowski(2) and Shane Streich(3) battle down the
stretch in the Class A 1600. Photo by Gene Niemi

The girls Class A 1600 was a two-person contest from the beginning with Flanagan and Cannon Falls junior Emi Trost battling for the title.  Flanagan wanted her last race in Class A to be a triumph, and Trost was seeking her first title.  When asked if her tactics of leading early in the race was an attempt to capitalize on the fact that Flanagan had already run the 3200 the day before, while Trost only had a heat of the 800, Trost said, no.  "I was just running my own race, and whatever Clare was going to do was up to her."

Emi Trost. Photo by Gene
Niemi

Flanagan followed Trost for the first half of the race before taking off during the third lap and opening up a gap on Trost that she held to the finish.  By capitalizing on Trost's early pace and her own finishing speed, Flanagan broke the 27-year-old record in the 1600, held by Jeanne Kruckeberg of Blooming Prairie by .38 seconds in 4:48.41.  "I was hoping to get in the 4:40s," said Flanagan.  "It was a good way to finish."  Although entered in the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, Flanagan had said after her 3200 victory that she wasn't going to run any of the post season meets.  "I'm satisfied with what I've done this year," she said.  It had been "fun," she added, noting that was why she did it.  It's just a sport, she said, and she wanted not to take it too seriously."If it's not fun, why do it?" Flanagan said.

Trost was not finished for the day, however, as she still had one more shot at the elusive State title, and she took it.  Trost powered down the home stretch to win the 800 in 2:15.05 despite getting less rest than planned because the meet administrators decided to go to a "rolling" schedule for the final events because of the potential for severe weather(Rochester Post-Bulletin feature on Trost is HERE.).  Trost teared up when asked what it meant to win the title.  "I've dreamed about it for so long," Trost said.  Now her dream is reality.

Feature on Liz Podominick and Other Mac Wilkins Throwers

Oregonian article on Liz Podominick and the other Mac Wilkins Throwers club athletes competing for at the USATF Championships this week is HERE.

Grandma's Marathon Speakers Announced

Austin-Jarrow Sports and Grandma’s Marathon invite runners and other guests to sit back, relax and get inspired as they listen to this year’s excellent line-up of guest speakers. Four exciting presentations will be delivered by the following running experts on Friday, June 21 in Edmund Fitzgerald Hall at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC):

1:00 p.m.: Rich Benyo, author of Timeless Running Wisdom and editor of Marathon & Beyond magazine

Rich Benyo presents “XI Commandments of Marathoning.” In the days of the First Running Boom, newbies were eager to learn the Rules of the Road when it came to running and especially marathoning. There was no Internet in those days, so new runners learned at the smelly feet of veteran runners: Where to line up at the start of a race; how much mileage per week is most effective; what to eat the night before a big race, and so on. Today runners are so overloaded with information in all phases of their existence that it is difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to running and racing. In this presentation Rich will review 11 blind alleys down which no marathoner should run.

2:00 p.m.: Dr. Jack Scaff, founder of the Honolulu Marathon and cardiologist known for training the first American to complete a marathon after a heart attack

Dr. Jack Scaff presents “The Immortal Runner; Vitality and Aging.” We all know that vigorous physical activity promotes health and reduces disease by surprising amounts.  But why are there variables in the types and duration of exercise versus longevity?  Dr. Scaff will confirm that walking, jogging, running in increments of one hour three times per week (or perhaps a bit more) is superior to all other types of exercise (and yes that includes swimming, biking, tennis and soccer).   Why this disparity in benefits?   Because man, after adopting the upright posture became evolutionarily a long distance runner. Long distance running however, gives the “immortal runner” a good head start and a distinct advantage.

3:00 p.m.: Deena Kastor, 2004 Olympic Marathon Bronze Medalist and American Marathon Record Holder

Deena Kastor earned the Olympic Bronze Medal for the Marathon distance at the 2004 Games. Her performance was just the second women’s marathon medal in Olympic history for an American, following Joan Benoit Samuelson’s Gold at the 1984 Olympic Games. Kastor is also a two-time World Cross Country silver medalist, five-time U.S. 10,000m champion, five-time U.S. 15km champion, seven-time U.S. Cross Country champion and Eight-time NCAA All-American. Kastor holds the American Record for the women’s marathon distance, 2:19.36, which she earned for her performance at the 2006 London Marathon.

4:00 p.m.: Dick Beardsley – Grandma's Marathon course record holder

Dick Beardsley is known as one of the best marathon runners in U.S. history. Winner of Grandma’s Marathon in 1981 and 1982, Dick holds the course record with a time of 2:09:37.  His most famous race, however, took place at the 1982 Boston Marathon where he crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 53 seconds, just two seconds behind Alberto Salazar. This personal best is ranked the 11th fastest U.S. men's marathon time in history. After a series of accidents, injuries and life-altering events, Dick remains a prominent figure in the running community and travels around the world to share his amazing story.

All presentations are FREE and open to the public. For more information, log onto www.grandmasmarathon.com.

Feature on Garrett Heath

Winona Daily feature on Garrett Heath is HERE.

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Entries Near Capacity

Registration for the 2013 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon is nearing completion with 90% of the 12,200 runner field already registered for the event.  Twin Cities In Motion officials expect the 32^nd annual event, scheduled for October 6, to close before the end of the month.

“We typically fill the marathon in June, and it looks like that will be the case this year,” Twin Cities In Motion Executive Director Virginia Brophy Achman said.  “If there are runners sitting on the fence about whether to run, now’s the time to register. You’ll get yourself in the race and have time to train well for it."

30,000 people are expected to compete in running events held Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6.  Saturday events at the Capitol grounds in St. Paul include the TC 10K and TC 5K, presented by Fredrikson & Byron, and the Medtronic TC Family Events.  The Medtronic TC 10 Mile, which starts in downtown Minneapolis and finishes at the Capitol, kicks off Sunday racing which is followed by the signature event of the weekend, the 32^nd annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. 

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend kicks off on Friday, October 4 with the Health & Fitness Expo at Saint Paul RiverCentre. The Expo, which runs through Saturday, features more than 100 exhibitors, a full schedule of presentations and packet pick-up for the weekend’s races.Further information and registration details can be found at tcmevents.org.

Maggie Ewen Completes Double at NBON

Maggie Ewen completed a New Balance Outdoor Nationals double by winning the shot put with a heave of 54'3.75"(16.55m).  Just as at the MSHSL Championships the winning toss was on her second throw of the competition.  Full shot put results are HERE. Her throw at NBON was short of her Minnesota state record and the US record.  Ewen will be throwing at the USATF Junior Nationals next week in Des Moines.

The Blake School's Grant Krieger finished 12th in the pole vault, clearing 15'2.25"(4.63m). Pole vault results are HERE.

Early Results: Bloomington Jefferson's Matt Rosen Wins Emerging Elite 800 at NBON

Matt Rosen wins the 800 at  the MSHSL
Championships. Photo by Gene Niemi

Bloomington Jefferson junior Matt Rosen, who won this year's Class AA 800 title won the Emerging Elite 800 at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals on Sunday in Greenboro, NC in 1:53.28.  The race was run in three heats.  Rosen won the final heat.  Results of the 800 are HERE.

The events at NBON are split between Championship finals and Emerging Elite finals.  The Championship events have a better qualifying mark--for example, in the 800 the Championship qualifier is 1:53.0, while the Emerging Elite's standard is 1:54.2. Rosen missed the Championship standard by .02.

Heather Kampf Reviews Her Racing Season

Heather Kampf reviews her racing season on her blog HERE.

Maggie Ewen Wins Discus at NBON

Maggie Ewen. Photo Courtesy of
MSHSL

Maggie Ewen won the discus at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, NC with a throw of 166'1"(50.62 meters).  Post-race interview with Maggie is HERE. Discus results are HERE.