Monday, October 31, 2016
Rob Volke and Maddie Van Beek Recipients of RRCA Roads Scholar Grants
Rob Volke and Maddie Van Beek Recipients of RRCA Roads Scholar Grants HERE
Meet the six talented up-and-coming runners that comprise our 2016 Roads Scholar grantees https://t.co/90mXaVnJ9q pic.twitter.com/qChpt9luoH— RRCA (@RRCAnational) October 31, 2016
MN XC Coaches Association Class A Rankings
FINAL POLL
BOY'S TEAMS
1. Perham .
2. Mora
3. LaCrescent
4. West Central Area
5. Mankato Loyola/Cleveland
6. Trinity of River Ridge
7 Minnehaha Academy
8. Greenway
9. Pequot Lakes
10. Lake City
11. Windom Area
12 Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop
INDIVIDUALS
1. Declan Dahlberg Mounds Park Acad.
2. Zack Emery LaCrescent
3. Matt Steiger LaCrescent
4. Carl Kozlowski Lake City
5. Mike Schwinghamer Mora
6. Ryley Nelson West Central Area
7 Mike Mitchell Blake
8. Alec Sanbeck Mora
9. Ethan Olson Moose Lake/WR
10. Mathew Van Eps Willmar Community Christian
11. Keiser Owen Jordan
12 Christian Sterton Ada-Borup/NCW
GIRL'S TEAMS
1. Perham
2. Fairmont
3. Luverne
4. Annandale
5. Minnehaha Academy
6. Lac Qui Parle Valley-DB
7. Eden Valley-Watkins/K
8. Lanesboro/Fillmore Central
9. Trinity of River Ridge
10 West Central Area
11. Belle Plaine
12. Lake City
INDIVIDUALS
1. Tierney Wolfgram Math&Science Acad.
2. Anna Donnay Eden Valley-Watkins/K
3. Brynnan Covington Perham
4. Madeline Kelly Providence Acad
5. Kayla Christopherson Austin Pacelli
6. Kira Sweeney Staples-Motley
7. Kristine Kalthoff Albany
8. Madison Schandelmeier Luverne
9. Marissa Whitehead Martin County West
10 Elyssa Peterson Greenway
11. Katherine Geist Crookston
12. Regan Feit Luverne
Final 2016 MN XC Coaches Association Girl's AA Rankings
10/31/2016
Teams
1 Edina
2 Willmar
3 Marshall
4 Minnetonka
5 Wayzata
6 Mpls Washburn
7 Shakopee
8 Eden
Prairie
9 Forest Lake
10 Lakeville
South
11 Red Wing
12 Henry
Sibley
Honorable Mention: White Bear Lake , Prior Lake, Chanhassen,
Hopkins
Individuals
1 Anna Fenske, 8, Farmington
2 Anastasia Korzenowski, 12, Chanhassen
3 Amanda Mosborg , 12, Edina
4 Jaycie Thomsen, 12, Wayzata
5 Morgan
Richter, 9, Edina
6 Schmitz, Sophie, 12, Willmar
7 Emily Kompelien, 11, Edina;
8 Sophie Whicher, 11, Minnetonka
9 Emily Covert, 10, Mpls Washburn
10 Jesse Hanson, 12, Willmar
11 Lauren Peterson, 10, Farmington
12 Regan Duffy, 10, Forest Lake
Honorable Mention: Renae Anderson, 12, Hopkins; Maria Rickman, 10, Edina; Tess
Misgen, 12, Shakopee; Kayla Rudie,
12, Willmar; Claire Boersma, 12, Marshall; Mallory Stach,
Prior lake, 9; Briane Brewster, 9,
Lakeville South; Annalise Davis, 10, St. Michael-Albertville; Molly Moynihan, 11, Apple Valley
Minnesota XC Coaches' Association Boy's AA Cross Country Rankings
FINAL (released 10/31/2016)
1 Wayzata
2 Edina
3 Maple Grove
4
5 Stillwater
6 Minnetonka
7 Rosemount
8 Hopkins
9 Bemidji
10 Sartell
11 Minneapolis Washburn
T12 Eden Prairie
T12 Red Wing
Other Teams receiving votes: Eagan
Individuals
1 Alex Miley, Maple Grove
2 Seth Eliason, Hopkins
3 Khalid Hussein, Wayzata
4 Patrick Roos, Edina
5 Matt Wilkinson, Minnetonka
6 Innocent Murwanashyaka, St. Paul Como Park
7 Colin Dwyer, Prior Lake
8 Reed Kurak, Centennial
9 Tyler Moore, Little Falls
10 Joseph Minor, Minneapolis Washburn
11 Grant Price, Wayzata
12 Gemechu Meskele, Wayzata
Other Athletes receiving votes:
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Lance Elliott's Big 10 Championship Photo Galleries
Lance Elliott's Big 10 Championship Photo Galleries HERE
Gene Niemi's Big 10 Photo Album
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| Connor Olson gives two thumbs up Photo by Gene Niemi |
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| Erin Finn closing in on the finish. Photo by Gene Niemi |
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| Megan Hasz surrounded by Spartans. Photo by Gene Niemi |
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| Emma Benner leads the chase pack behind Michigan's Erin Finn. Benner finished sixth in the woman's race |
UMAC XC Championship Summaries
UMAC XC Championships Women's Recap HERE. Men's HERE.
St. Scholastica women's summary HERE. Men HERE
UW Superior men's summary HERE. Women HERE
Martin Luther men's summary HERE. Women HERE.
University of Minnesota Morris summary HERE.
Bethany Lutheran summary HERE.
Northwestern Men's summary HERE. Women HERE.
North Central men's summary HERE. Women HERE
St. Scholastica women's summary HERE. Men HERE
UW Superior men's summary HERE. Women HERE
Martin Luther men's summary HERE. Women HERE.
University of Minnesota Morris summary HERE.
Bethany Lutheran summary HERE.
Northwestern Men's summary HERE. Women HERE.
North Central men's summary HERE. Women HERE
USATF Masters 15K Championship Results
USATF Masters 15K Championship Results HERE
Congrats Masters National 15K Champ! @melissagacek 💪🏻 #fasterasamaster pic.twitter.com/4THYAJV9L6
— oiselle team (@oiselle_team) October 30, 2016
Gopher Men and Women 4th in Big 10 Team Championships
Both Gopher men's coach Steve Plasencia and women's coach Sarah Hopkins emphasized their team's youth and potential while examining their fourth place finishes in the men's and women's Big 10 Championship races. Each didn't set a narrow goal going into the event, instead they gave a range of where they could finish instead of a specific placement.
"I told the team that we were probably a third to sixth place team on any given day, so to be fourth, I'm really pleased with that," said Hopkins."We're right where we should be right now. We were fourth last year as a team, we replaced four of our top five, and we were fourth again. There are not a lot of teams in the country that could do that. It speaks to the girls and their belief in themselves, the depth of this team, and just how committed they are to the process."
Hopkins singled out Madeline Strandimo, the red shirt junior who, Hopkins said, ran the best cross country race of her collegiate career on Sunday. A middle distance runner on the track, Strandimo is more known for her speed than her long distance prowess. So, for her to improve from a 20th place finish last year to 8th this year demonstrates her potential. Four places behind Strandimo was freshman Meghan Hasz in 11th, one half of the Hasz twins who have also demonstrated their talent in their first collegiate season. Her sister Bethany finished 20th as the duo continue to place well in top collegiate competition.
Both are kinesiology majors at the U of M and noted as one of the things they enjoy most in running for the Gophers is the talent that surrounds them. Hopkins said that she recruited the twins because of their telent and she believed that the two were used to pushing one another in practice and would thrive in the collegiate environment because of that. Some top high schoolers are used to not being challenged in high school and are used to winning races easily and are not used to being challenged.
The twins savor being pushed by their teammates instead of only having each other to challenge themselves. They've also dealt with adversity as Meghan lost much of her junior and senior years in high school to leg injuries. They were finally able to get her healthy for her senior track season and believe they've put that recurring injury in the rear view mirror.
A different kind of setback hindered the men's team's chances for finishing higher than their 4th place team placing on Sunday. Richfield grad Obsa Ali, one of the team's top runners, hasn't been at full strength for the last couple of weeks, said Plasencia. This week Ali's body temp reached 102 degrees Despite this illness Ali was determined to race, but while the mind was willing, the flesh was weak.
Charlie Lawrence, the team captain, said that Plasencia told them they had the potential to finish from first to eighth place in the Big 10. Fourth being the happy medium of that range with underclassmen Lawrence(junior), Connor Olson(red shirt freshman), and Matt Welch(junior) leading the charge up front finishing 8th(Lawrence), 13th(Welch), and 14th(Olson).
When Welch heard the comment that it was the Northern Minnesotans that took the lead for the men, he added: "Yeah both Class A too," referring to the fact that both he and Lawrence were from the so-called "small schools" from up North, an obvious source of pride for Welch. Freshman Evin Ferlic (39th) and junior Derek Wiebke(45th) finished the top five for the Gopher men.
Both Plasencia and Hopkins note that the emphasis now is on recovery. Both teams will be aiming for a qualifying spot for NCAA DI Nationals on November 11 in Iowa City. Leading up to that race they will be aimed at avoiding illness and staying sharp for the challenge ahead. "The hay is in the barn," said Hopkins. The goals are clear. What remains is being ready and able to achieve those goals to finish the season on a high note.
"I told the team that we were probably a third to sixth place team on any given day, so to be fourth, I'm really pleased with that," said Hopkins."We're right where we should be right now. We were fourth last year as a team, we replaced four of our top five, and we were fourth again. There are not a lot of teams in the country that could do that. It speaks to the girls and their belief in themselves, the depth of this team, and just how committed they are to the process."
Hopkins singled out Madeline Strandimo, the red shirt junior who, Hopkins said, ran the best cross country race of her collegiate career on Sunday. A middle distance runner on the track, Strandimo is more known for her speed than her long distance prowess. So, for her to improve from a 20th place finish last year to 8th this year demonstrates her potential. Four places behind Strandimo was freshman Meghan Hasz in 11th, one half of the Hasz twins who have also demonstrated their talent in their first collegiate season. Her sister Bethany finished 20th as the duo continue to place well in top collegiate competition.
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| Madeline Strandimo runs past the camera man on the final straightaway. Photo by Gene Niemi |
Both are kinesiology majors at the U of M and noted as one of the things they enjoy most in running for the Gophers is the talent that surrounds them. Hopkins said that she recruited the twins because of their telent and she believed that the two were used to pushing one another in practice and would thrive in the collegiate environment because of that. Some top high schoolers are used to not being challenged in high school and are used to winning races easily and are not used to being challenged.
The twins savor being pushed by their teammates instead of only having each other to challenge themselves. They've also dealt with adversity as Meghan lost much of her junior and senior years in high school to leg injuries. They were finally able to get her healthy for her senior track season and believe they've put that recurring injury in the rear view mirror.
A different kind of setback hindered the men's team's chances for finishing higher than their 4th place team placing on Sunday. Richfield grad Obsa Ali, one of the team's top runners, hasn't been at full strength for the last couple of weeks, said Plasencia. This week Ali's body temp reached 102 degrees Despite this illness Ali was determined to race, but while the mind was willing, the flesh was weak.
Charlie Lawrence, the team captain, said that Plasencia told them they had the potential to finish from first to eighth place in the Big 10. Fourth being the happy medium of that range with underclassmen Lawrence(junior), Connor Olson(red shirt freshman), and Matt Welch(junior) leading the charge up front finishing 8th(Lawrence), 13th(Welch), and 14th(Olson).
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| Lawrence(19), Olson(20), and Welch(19) bringing it home. Photo by Gene Niemi |
When Welch heard the comment that it was the Northern Minnesotans that took the lead for the men, he added: "Yeah both Class A too," referring to the fact that both he and Lawrence were from the so-called "small schools" from up North, an obvious source of pride for Welch. Freshman Evin Ferlic (39th) and junior Derek Wiebke(45th) finished the top five for the Gopher men.
Both Plasencia and Hopkins note that the emphasis now is on recovery. Both teams will be aiming for a qualifying spot for NCAA DI Nationals on November 11 in Iowa City. Leading up to that race they will be aimed at avoiding illness and staying sharp for the challenge ahead. "The hay is in the barn," said Hopkins. The goals are clear. What remains is being ready and able to achieve those goals to finish the season on a high note.
Michigan's Women's Team and Individual champion Erin Finn and Wisconsin's men's Team and Individual Champion Morgan McDonald Grind Out Big 10 Victories
The operative word at the Big Tens this year was "grind." Women's champion Erin Finn, who led her team to victory, said that was the method they used: "just go out there and grind." Wisconsin coach Mick Byrne, echoed Finn, calling the Badger's individual champ, Morgan McDonald, and the rest "a team of grinders."
While the Wolverines won a three-way battle in the women's team race, the men's race was a nail biter. As some of the Badger team members made their way back to the "tent city" where the teams were "housed," after the race a non participating member of the team, hobbling along on crutches, pleaded with his teammates not to put him through the anxious moments where the team race was up for grabs again.
"Three points!! Don't do that to me!!" he said, reacting to the fact that the Badger's margin of victory had everyone enduring an excruciating wait until the official announcement of what team emerged triumphant.
For the first 5K of the 8K men's race it appeared that Michigan State was in the driver's seat with nearly the entire team at or near the front of a lead pack that had few stragglers. The difference between first to last place was merely the length of a dense group of runners who hit the 5K mark within seconds of the one another in a time of 15:20.
A fan standing by the finish watching watching the race unfolding on the jumbotron said that someone in that crowded pack should sacrifice himself by surging to the front and challenging others to cover his move. The objective being to break up the field and the seeming stranglehold the Spartans had on the team title.
The runner who bolted, however, was Michigan State's Sherod Hardt. He was shadowed by Wisconsin's McDonald who seemed on "cruise control" as the duo battled for the top two spots.
Their acceleration fractured the pack, stringing out the runners who had seemed to have been shoulder-to-shoulder, pasted together for more than half the race. Following their leader, McDonald's teammates began grinding through the now fractured pack toward the front as Michigan State's men were displaced from their domination of the team race.
In the next two kilometers McDonald easily pulled away from Hardt as his teammates confidently crushed the Spartans, moving from to 58 points behind to two points ahead. Michigan State could not respond as the Badgers ground away toward the front of the chase pack and held on to win the team race by three points.
There was no matching drama in the women's race as Finn, not wanting to repeat her only defeat of the season in September at the Griak Invitational, took off during the first mile and never looked back. Her teammates were equally dominant "grinding out" a win by gradually opening an increasingly larger gap over the Spartans and holding off a late charge by Penn State.
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| Aussie native Morgan McDonald leads the Wisconsin Badgers to the team title by winning the individual men's race in the Big 10 Championships. Photo by Gene Niemi |
"Three points!! Don't do that to me!!" he said, reacting to the fact that the Badger's margin of victory had everyone enduring an excruciating wait until the official announcement of what team emerged triumphant.
For the first 5K of the 8K men's race it appeared that Michigan State was in the driver's seat with nearly the entire team at or near the front of a lead pack that had few stragglers. The difference between first to last place was merely the length of a dense group of runners who hit the 5K mark within seconds of the one another in a time of 15:20.
A fan standing by the finish watching watching the race unfolding on the jumbotron said that someone in that crowded pack should sacrifice himself by surging to the front and challenging others to cover his move. The objective being to break up the field and the seeming stranglehold the Spartans had on the team title.
The runner who bolted, however, was Michigan State's Sherod Hardt. He was shadowed by Wisconsin's McDonald who seemed on "cruise control" as the duo battled for the top two spots.
Their acceleration fractured the pack, stringing out the runners who had seemed to have been shoulder-to-shoulder, pasted together for more than half the race. Following their leader, McDonald's teammates began grinding through the now fractured pack toward the front as Michigan State's men were displaced from their domination of the team race.
In the next two kilometers McDonald easily pulled away from Hardt as his teammates confidently crushed the Spartans, moving from to 58 points behind to two points ahead. Michigan State could not respond as the Badgers ground away toward the front of the chase pack and held on to win the team race by three points.
There was no matching drama in the women's race as Finn, not wanting to repeat her only defeat of the season in September at the Griak Invitational, took off during the first mile and never looked back. Her teammates were equally dominant "grinding out" a win by gradually opening an increasingly larger gap over the Spartans and holding off a late charge by Penn State.
Bulletin: Gopher Men's and Women 's Teams Finish 4th in the Big Ten XC Championships
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Taybri Irving Wins in Style
With a "flower" in her hair and fleet feet Augsburg's Taybri Irving didn't come into the MIAC Cross Country Championships women's race expecting to win, but as her coach Meghan Peyton told her, it was a race she could win. Defending champion Kimber Meyer, like Irving a senior running in her last conference championship, wanted to go out on top. "I was thinking about (the race) all week," she said.
Plotting what it might take to win. A noted front runner, Meyer, decided to stick with what has worked for her and shortly after the start of the 6K run, she made her move, pulling away from Irving and three other runners to take an early lead. Irving meanwhile was following Peyton's advice: "I told her to stay in the top five and if anybody made a break not to go with it," said Peyton. "They'll come back to you."
Slowly, but surely Irving closed the gap on Meyer, leaving the chase pack behind and challenged Meyer as the pair exchanged surges and the lead on the last lap. "I was trying to run hard on the downhills, said Meyer, "because I'm not as good going uphill as I am going down." The downhill surges couldn't shake Irving, however, and she pulled away for good. "With 500 to go I was trying as hard as I could (to stay with Irving)," said Meyer, "but she pulled away and I wasn't going to catch her. I don't have much of a kick."
Irving became the first Augsburg runner to win an MIAC XC title. Finishing her MIAC career the same way she started in middle school in Rosemount. "Running the mile in gym," Irving said was the launching pad for her running career. "I wanted to win." Having experimented with tennis and football(soccer) prior to running, Irving found her sport. "I always liked running." A music major with a math minor at Augsburg, Irving plays classical music on guitar and tutor's French students.
Plotting what it might take to win. A noted front runner, Meyer, decided to stick with what has worked for her and shortly after the start of the 6K run, she made her move, pulling away from Irving and three other runners to take an early lead. Irving meanwhile was following Peyton's advice: "I told her to stay in the top five and if anybody made a break not to go with it," said Peyton. "They'll come back to you."
Slowly, but surely Irving closed the gap on Meyer, leaving the chase pack behind and challenged Meyer as the pair exchanged surges and the lead on the last lap. "I was trying to run hard on the downhills, said Meyer, "because I'm not as good going uphill as I am going down." The downhill surges couldn't shake Irving, however, and she pulled away for good. "With 500 to go I was trying as hard as I could (to stay with Irving)," said Meyer, "but she pulled away and I wasn't going to catch her. I don't have much of a kick."
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| Taybri Irving nearing the finish. Photo courtesy of Augsburg |
She also has a trademark of sorts in that she wears a cloth flower in her hair, changing the color of the flower frequently. The sartorial feature has no particular significance, she said, she just likes to wear a flower. And she likes to win.
St. Olaf's Joe Coffey Wins a Tactical Battle and Puts to Rest the Curse of Como
Coming from the awards ceremony, St. Olaf's Joe Coffey gave thanks that "I never have to race on this course again." The declaration was only partly tongue in cheek. As a freshman, Coffey finished 130th on the Como course, same place as he finished as a sophomore when he was handicapped by a cramp in his side. Last year he tamed the course somewhat by finishing ninth and banishing what was seemingly the curse of Como.
This year he buried it, but not without some anxiety. "I felt a bit of a cramp in my side," And, he said, that he felt it in nearly the same spot it appeared two years ago, but the feeling passed. Since the early pace of the race was tortoise like, Coffesy's main mental struggle was when should he make his move. He didn't want it to come down to the final straight, a kicker's dual, but when should he make his move?
In retrospect Coffey said that the slow early pace was an advantage for both him and his team because most of his teammates were running with him in the large lead pack. The result being that the team was in the driver's seat for the team championship. But as the snail's pace continued, Coffey knew he had to make a move soon. When the the pack approached the Como ski hill for the second time, he hatched his plan.
Every runner had to accelerate going up the hill to keep a good pace while climbing,so Coffey thought that if he made a big move, a greater acceleration before he crested the top of the hill, he could open a gap on the other runners who weren't expecting that much of an acceleration. The strategy worked. He quickly increased the gap as the runners ran along the top of the ski hill and then back down toward the starting line the gap increased even more.
Nervous to see how much of a lead he had, Coffey looked around several times to check on the chasers. His move had fractured the large pack and the race was on. Coffey knew he had to keep pushing the pace as he raced across the fairway where the race had started and went under the overpass decorated with the MIAC banner and embarked the last loop. "I was sucking air for the last K," Coffey described of the effect of his effort, but his rivals weren't getting any closer.
That effort was etched on his face, but nobody was able to close the gap. Coffey won by 10 seconds over runner up Ryan Buglar of St. John's. His teammates were able to hold it together as well resulting in a fifth straight team title for St. Olaf. And the curse of Como was banished forever.
This year he buried it, but not without some anxiety. "I felt a bit of a cramp in my side," And, he said, that he felt it in nearly the same spot it appeared two years ago, but the feeling passed. Since the early pace of the race was tortoise like, Coffesy's main mental struggle was when should he make his move. He didn't want it to come down to the final straight, a kicker's dual, but when should he make his move?
In retrospect Coffey said that the slow early pace was an advantage for both him and his team because most of his teammates were running with him in the large lead pack. The result being that the team was in the driver's seat for the team championship. But as the snail's pace continued, Coffey knew he had to make a move soon. When the the pack approached the Como ski hill for the second time, he hatched his plan.
Every runner had to accelerate going up the hill to keep a good pace while climbing,so Coffey thought that if he made a big move, a greater acceleration before he crested the top of the hill, he could open a gap on the other runners who weren't expecting that much of an acceleration. The strategy worked. He quickly increased the gap as the runners ran along the top of the ski hill and then back down toward the starting line the gap increased even more.
Nervous to see how much of a lead he had, Coffey looked around several times to check on the chasers. His move had fractured the large pack and the race was on. Coffey knew he had to keep pushing the pace as he raced across the fairway where the race had started and went under the overpass decorated with the MIAC banner and embarked the last loop. "I was sucking air for the last K," Coffey described of the effect of his effort, but his rivals weren't getting any closer.
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| Joe Coffey has the finish in sight. Photo by Jim Ferstle |
MIAC Recap, Summaries
St. Olaf men's summary HERE. Women HERE
St. John's summary HERE
St Thomas summary HERE
Carleton women's summary HERE. Men HERE.
Gustavus men's summary HERE. Women HERE
Augsburg women's summary HERE. Men HERE
St. Ben's summary HERE.
St. Kate's summary HERE
Macalester women's summary HERE. Men HERE
Bethel women's summary HERE. Men HERE
St. Mary's summary HERE.
Hamline women's summary HERE. Men HERE
Concordia Moorhead women's recap HERE. Men HERE
Bagpipe Seranade
Part of the tradition of the MIAC Cross Country Championships is that one of the teams takes responsibility for supplying staffing for the meet . This year was Macalester's turn to run the show at the Como Park golf course and they added a tartan touch to the opening of the event, a bagpipe player who did a solo concert on the fairway in front of the race starting line.
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| The music played and the crowd clapped approval for the impromptu pre-race concert. Photo by Jim Ferstle |
Hopkins Grad Reed Fischer Wins MVC Championship Individual Title
MVC XC Championships Results HERE. Meet summary HERE.A great day for the Bulldogs at the #MVCXC Championship. Reed Fischer is your 2016 MVC Champion! pic.twitter.com/eUvww2jeki— Drake TF & XC (@Drake_TFXC) October 29, 2016
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