Yes/No: Rombough versus Mead at U of M

During this cold stretch in Minnesota, an indoor track is worth its weight in gold.  The University of Minnesota put theirs to good use in January with back-to-back weekends of meets at the Fieldhouse.  Last week, the Gophers dusted off their track spikes and hosted the Northwest Open.  They are following that up with the second meet of the year—the Jack Johnson Invitational.

The Team USA Minnesota crew has been in the news lately since so many of their athletes ran well in Houston last week for the Olympic Marathon Trials.  But this group has achieved success at shorter races as well—A trio of runners will open up their 2012 track campaign at Jack Johnson.

The three Team USA Minnesota runners are all former Gophers.  Heather Kampf will compete in the mile, while Jamie Cheever and Chris Rombough will run the 3000 meters.  A former teammate of Rombough, current Gopher Hassan Mead, will also contest the 3000 meters.

This week we'll keep an eye on two of the best 3000 meter athletes ever to run at the University of Minnesota (#2 and #3 to be precise) as they compete against each other in a rust-buster.  The first Yes/No question of 2012 is...

Yes/No: Will Chris Rombough and/or Hassan Mead break 8:10 in the 3000 meters at the Jack Johnson Invitational?

Chris Rombough has a personal best of 7:54:57 in the indoor 3000 from 2010.  He is currently training for the USA Cross Country Championships on February 11th.

Hassan Mead is an All-American and Big Ten Conference Champion many, many times over.  He has run 7:56:15 for 3000 meters and is the Gopher school record holder in the indoor 5000 meters (Rombough is second on that list).

Rombough and Mead are both competing in their first track races of the year.

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 1:00 P.M. CDT, Saturday, January 21st. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. 

My answer: Yes

Last week's Pick 10 game kicked off the 2012 season of fantasy contests on Down the Backstretch.  It was a close competition with twelve players finishing within five points of each other.  The Marathon Olympic Trials winners were Craig Yotter and Jon Lambert with 40 points.

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

"American marathoning has really improved"

By Jim Ferstle
"American marathoning has really improved," said Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker after observing the Olympic Trials races in Houston last Saturday. The US will be sending its best, a strong contingent of both men and women to the London 2012 Olympics. A team that has the potential to contend for medals against the African juggernaut, Kenya, that dominated the marathon competition in 2011 and at the 2011 IAAF World Championships.

Barker was impressed at how the two pre-race favorites, Ryan Hall in the men's race, and Desi Davilla in the women's, took control from the start and pushed the early pace. The end result being that both the men's and women's races did not deteriorate into slow, tactical battles, but became races of attrition where only those who could tolerate a pace fitting of an Olympic final were in the mix for the spots on the team. The pace not only prepared those who earned spots on the team for what the race is likely to be like in London, but more importantly, it forced "darkhorse contenders" for a spot on the team, such as Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson, Jason Lehmkuhle, Matt Gabrielson, and Katie MacGregor, to run "right at the red line from the gun," said Barker.

"Matt was standing right behind Ryan Hall on the starting line," said Barker. "When the race began Hall took off. By the first turn Hall was already 40 yards ahead(of Gabrielson). Our guys weren't going into the race to run 2:12, 2:13. They were running for a spot on the team. To do that (because of Hall's rocket start where the lead group came through the half on 2:06 pace) they had to run often outside their comfort zone."

Carlson and Lehmkuhle were both on 2:09 pace through 20 miles and hoping to both survive and/or be able to pick up those in front of them if the early pace was too fast. "No great performance is without risk," said Barker. And Hall put them all at risk--the four in the lead pack(Hall, Meb Keflezighi, Abdi Abdirahman, and Dathan Ritzenhein), but none of them broke completely under the strain. Gabrielson was on 2:11 pace in a grou behind the chase pack. He faced the unenviable and, as the race went on, unlikely task of having to catch both the chase pack and the lead pack for a team spot.Carlson and Lehmkuhle were in the chase pack about a minute and 40 seconds behind the frontrunners.

In the trials for the 2008 team in New York, Lehmkuhle was in a similar spot at the same point in the race. He, along with eventual third place finisher in that race, Brian Sell, were nearly the same distance behind a lead second group that included both Meb and Abdi. Sell was able to close the gap and make the team. Jason beat both Abdi and Meb to finish fifth. It didn't happen that way this time. The "wheels" came off for Lehmkuhle at around 22 miles, Barker said, and it was Carlson's drive to the finish that was most effective, landing the debutant marathoner in sixth place.

"At 20 miles Andrew said: 'I don't think I can make it.' (to Lehmkuhle)," said Barker. "His hamstrings were starting to tighten up on him. Jason told him to relax, and not panic. Two miles later coming out of a corner at around 22 miles, Jason(who had been feeling strong until then) suddenly felt 'Like I couldn't run anymore.'( Lemkuhle said). That's the way the marathon is when you're running on the red line."

It can change suddenly, without warning, for better or worse. Carlson felt better and was able to finish strong. Lemkuhle could not. Similar scenariio for MacGregor, Barker noted, as she was right on the red line for her with the lead pack cranking off 5:30 miles, but when they dropped them into the 5:20s it was too much for MacGregor. "I was really impressed with (Kara) Goucher," he said. "Before the race she didn't appear all that confident and said that she thought she could run 2:25/ 2:26." She hoped that is what it took to make the team.

Goucher's red line got crossed when the pace dropped into the low 5:22s, but Kara was able to hold on during those fast miles, sensing that eventual fourth place finisher Amy Hastings was also having trouble handling that speed. Goucher told herself to hang on, get a gap on Hastings, hoping that she could then slow down to 5:30 per mile pace and make it to the finish. It worked, and she made the team, but it illustrates just how fine a line one treads in these situations.

"The best runners were there(in the mix for the spots on the team), and they ran great," said Barker. "Most people expected the (men's) race to be like 2008 when they went out conservatively, running around 5 minute pace from the start. This year the best people were there, they were ready to race, and they ran great. It's a fearless team (that we're sending to London)."

For Team USA Minnesota the preparation went well. The three guys prepared as best they could, said Baker. He took pages from Buddly Edelen's training and Paul Tergat's. "They both set world records about 40 years apart, but their training was really pretty similar. Tergat rested more so he was able to train faster, but otherwise there wasn't much difference in what they did." The three guys came through it all injury free and gave it their best shot on race day.

Talking to the guys afterward, Barker noted that they all felt prepared. "We covered all the bases," he said. One had a great performance, the other two did not. A 33% success rate, but Barker notes: "Just once I'd like it to get it right for everybody."

Donovan Fellows Runs 2:17:30; Eric Loeffler 2:25:05 in Houston OT; Chris Erichsen article link

We missed a few more. Donovan Fellows, who also ran the US Olympic Marathon Trials in New York in 2007, finished 38th in Houston in 2:17:30. Eric Loeffler was 77th in 2:25:05. Also a link to an article on Chris Erichsen from the Spring Valley Tribune is HERE.

Recap of the Houston Races for Team USA Minnesota

“The men’s race was on the edge right from the gun,” said Dennis Barker, Team USA Minnesota coach. “The lead pack was running sub-2:07 pace for the first half of the race and the chase pack – which included Andrew(Carlson) and Jason(Lehmkuhle) – was running 2:09 pace. Anyone who wasn’t in one of those packs had little chance of making the Olympic team. Andrew and Jason really went for it and were only a minute and 40 seconds behind the leaders at 20 miles.

“But the guys up front stayed tough all the way to the end and no one from the chase pack was able to catch them. It was the first time four Americans have ever run under 2:10 in one race so the guys who made the team (Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman) really earned it. Andrew held on pretty well and ran the seventh fastest US marathon debut ever. Jason had a tougher time over the last few miles. I really have to hand it to both of them for giving everything to try to make the team.

“Matt (Gabrielson) felt a little off but was still running 2:11 pace through 15 miles. But in a race like this if you wake up and are 98 percent instead of 100 percent that day, it’s going to be rough. He battled as long as he could to stay in contention and gave what he had. If it had been another day, it easily could have been Matt leading the chase pack.

“Josh (Moen) got a hamstring problem about ten days out from the race. It had gotten better but not good enough to run a high level marathon. It started tightening up after just a couple miles and got worse from there.”

There were 294 runners who competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, which was a selection race for the marathon team that will represent the US in London this summer. It was the first time that the men’s and women’s marathon competitions were held on the same day at the same location. The first three men and the first three women were named to the team.

“In the women’s race, Katie (MacGregor) was doing fine in the lead pack when they were running miles in the 5:30s but when they started dropping them into the 5:20s, she wasn’t able to respond,” said Barker. “Meghan (Peyton) was running a pace that would have given her a finishing time in the low 2:30s, trying to stay as close as she could to the lead back in case it broke up.

“But the leaders ran strong all the way and Meghan struggled after 20 miles. Both Katie and Meghan did everything they could on that day to make the team, but there were some great runners in front of them who ran great races.” (Shalane Flanagan, Desi Davilla and Kara Goucher comprise the women’s Olympic marathon team.)

Gabrielson, Moen and Peyton did not finish the race. In the men’s field, there were 111 starters and 85 finishers. 183 women started the marathon and 152 finished.



Aramco Half Marathon – January 15
Jon Grey was fifth in a time of 1:02:25 and Matt Llano was seventh in 1:03:26. Both runners were making their debuts in the half marathon distance.

Katie MacGregor Interview

Flotrack post-race interview with Katie MacGregor is HERE.

Kara Goucher Interview

Flotrack day-after-the-Trials interview with Kara Goucher is HERE.

Chad Johnson Talks About His Knee Issues

Flotrack interview with Chad Johnson, who talks about how a knee injury caused him problems, future plans HERE.

Two Trials Finishers We Missed

Two sharp-eyed readers pointed out two runners we missed in the list of Minnesota finishers at the Olympic Trials. Malclom Richards was 51st in 2:20:15. An interview with Malcolm prior to the race is HERE. Nichole Porath finished 69th in 2:44:12. You can read more about Nichole HERE or from her blog HERE.

Carlson Sixth, MacGregor Eleventh at Olympic Trials

Team USA Minnesota and former Gopher Andrew Carlson made an impressive debut in the marathon taking sixth at the US Olympic Trials on Saturday with a time of 2:11:24. Team USA Minnesota teammate Jason Lehmkuhle was 18th in 2:14:35. Mike Reneau finished 20th in 2:14:37. Former Team USA Minnesota runner Patrick Smyth was 22nd in 2:15:00. Chris Erichsen placed 40th in 2:17:52. Former Stillwater High standout Luke Watson was 65th in 2:21:58. Chris Lundstrom came in 66th in 2:22:03. Justin Gruenwald was 74th in 2:24:16, and Chad Johnson placed 83rd in 2:36:48.

They all performed much better than USATF's results page, which didn't function during the race and still does not have a list of the female finishers, though we do know that Duluth's Kara Goucher made the team by finishing in third place with a time of 2:26:06. Team USA Minnesota's Katie MacGregor finished 11th in 2:34:01. We'll post the rest of the women's times when they are available.

Here are the rest of the Minnesota women finishers: 22. Michelle Frey 2:37:06; 47. Jennifer Houck 2:40:51; 55. Leah Thorvilson 2:42:09; 63. Jenna Boren 2:43:04; 80. Katherine Koski 2:45:27.

Finish times for both races are HERE.

Jason Lehmkuhle Feature Story

Des Moines Register feature on Jason Lehmkuhle is HERE.

Matt Gabrielson Feature Story

The Des Moines Register feature on Matt Gabrielson is HERE.

Meghan Armstrong Peyton Feature Story

Des Moines Register feature on Meghan Armstrong Peyton is HERE.

Justin Grunewald Feature

Star Tribune feature on Justin Grunewald's trip to the Olympic Trials is HERE.

The Guys Behind the Marathon Road Video

The 12-minute documentary, Marathon Road, that chronicles the preparation of the four Team USA Minnesota runners for the 2012 Olympic Trials was made by a local company, Ideatap Studios. To find out how the video came together we asked the guys who produced it. Below is the answer:

"I started Ideatap with my friend Joe Tossey officially five years ago, but we had been working together in video since VHS," says company co-founder Paul Sanft. "We got connected with Team USA Minnesota after I ran track/XC at Augsburg College. Several of my teammates (Dan Vogel included) have been in regular contact with Dennis Barker ever since.

"I've covered various meets for the Auggies over the years and Dennis always liked the videos I made for his teams. So he suggested the idea of following the Team USA Minnesota during their training. I was happy just to be there to witness their impressive workouts, there was no way I could turn down the project.

"The biggest challenge by far was coordinating our shooting schedules with the runners' ever changing workout schedules. We ended up just shooting whatever we could during the rare times our schedules matched. As a result, we never actually came up with a purpose or goal for the video until December.

"At that point, it became a scramble to get final interviews and begin the process of sifting through all our footage for things that would create an inspirational feel. In fact, we didn't finish filming until this past Saturday morning. Knowing we wanted to capitalize on the excitement of the race and release it just a few days out, I had to sift through and edit 12 hours of footage down to the 12 minutes in just three days.

"I'm hoping to continue pursuing video within the running community as it's always been a passion of mine, and I think we're developing a knack for it."

Kara Goucher after OT Press Conference

Flotrack interview with Kara Goucher after the Olympic Trials press conference is HERE.

"I'm Katie MacGregor and I'm Training to Become an Olympian"

Team USA Minnesota's Katie MacGregor talks to Flotrack about her near misses and her approach to the 2012 US Olympic Marathon Trials HERE.

Gabrielson, Carlson on the Long Shots List

Letsrun.com's "long shots list" for the men's Olympic Trials race lists both Matt Gabrielson and Andrew Carlson, calling Gabrielson "the safest bet for a high finish out of any of the guys on this list." Read it HERE.

North Country Women at the Trials

The Duluth NewsTribune's Kevin Pates gives updates on three women with roots in the North Country--Katie Koski, Kara Goucher, and Jennifer Houck--who are running the Olympic Trials HERE.

Dennis Barker Talks Trials

By Jim Ferstle
At one point during the Marathon Road documentary chronicling the journey of the "Four Musketeers" of Team USA Minnesota to the 2012 Olympic Trials, two of the runners, Jason Lehmkuhle and Matt Gabrielson talk about giving their all, leaving it all out on the course. "The key is to get to the finish line as fast as you can without dying," says Gabrielson.

With laughter echoing in the background, Lehmkuhle adds: "You can die directly on the finish line. But you have to make it there first."

The somewhat tongue-in-cheek banter illustrates the attitude, camaraderie, and commitment of the group and perhaps how they were able to hold up to the grueling training necessary to compete at the top level of the sport these days. Observing, orchestrating, and organizing the training for the foursome, Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker has attempted to get the group to the starting line in Houston healthy and fit.

Barker has been impressed and thankful that the four have done all that was asked of them and gone through a cycle of marathon preparation "better than any we've ever had." Aside from an unexplained "knot" in Josh Moen's hamstring, which may or may not be an issue in Houston, the four go into the race healthy, fit, and prepared. The last obstacle to overcome being the uncertainty. How will they feel on race day? Will it all come together?

"The men's race is really wide open," says Barker. The two big favorites, defending Trials champion Ryan Hall and 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2009 NYC Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi, both ran Fall marathons. 2008 Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein is a question mark going in, having struggled recently with a series of injuries. After that are "a handful" of others who all have a shot at the team should any of the aforementioned trio of pre-race favorites falter.

Recovering from a marathon is more of an art form than a science, so Barker believes both Hall and Keflezighi are less likely to adopt a catch me if you can strategy and blow the race open early. So, a large pack of runners could well be together longer at a pace that the Musketeers have trained themselves to be comfortable running. Predicting what happens then gets more complicated. Gabrielson finished eighth in the 2008 5,000 meter track trials and demonstrated his ability to run with the best in a high profile, high pressure race, says Barker.

"Jason really enjoys being in a big race with good runners and being fit," said Barker. "That's what he likes about running." In other words, crank up the stakes, the pressure, and the better some people perform, some of those being several members of Team USA Minnesota, Barker says. The group had tests done to discover how the team's runners performed under high stress conditions--their mental fitness under pressure, said Barker. Lehmkuhle 's tests indicated that as the stress increased, so too did his ability to perform.

"Andrew (Carlson)is like that as well," says Barker. "He's very emotional--feeds off emotion more than the others. The more emotional it is, the better he seems to do. He can dig stuff out of himself that you never thought he could do." The key for any of the guys, however, they all acknowledge, is just being in "the hunt" late in the race, having a shot at a spot on the team with plenty of run left in the legs with a 10K to go.

Same for the women, notes Barker. While most give the top two spots tin the womens' Trials to Desiree Davila and Shalane Flanagan, the third spot is considered up for grabs with a lot of women in contention. Duluth's Kara Goucher said in a recent interview that she believes running 2:25 in Houston will be good enough to make the team. Katie MacGregor would have to have a big PR to make that time, but it's not an impossible jump to make.

Meghan Armstrong Peyton has been hitting training runs at around 2:30 marathon pace. Both go into the race with different goals. For MacGregor it is seeking that elusive Olympic team place that she has just missed in the past. For Peyton, it's to find out if the marathon is her event. About the only thing predictable about a marathon, though, whether you are a veteran like MacGregor or a "rookie," like Peyton, is that it is unpredictable.

Barker is in the preparation business, not predictions, so he'll watch like the rest of us as the drama unfolds in Houston. The preparation has been done, soon it will be time for the show to begin.

Kara Goucher Gets Ready for the Trials

Writer Jon Gugala's take on Kara Goucher's preparation for the Olympic Trials is HERE.

Meghan Armstrong Peyton Interview

Sarah Barker's interview with Meghan Armstrong Peyton is HERE.

The "Four Musketeers of Minnesota" Get Ready for Houston

You've seen the trailer, here's the full 12 minute video of Minnesota's "Four Musketeers" giving their thoughts on the preparation for the Olympic Marathon Trials. Produced by local group, Ideatap Studios, the scenery gives one a lot of views of the guys out on the Mississippi River Parkway doing the work to prepare for Houston. Interviews with all four and Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker gives glimpses into the process of getting ready for the big event.

Their blurb for the story: "Since 2001 Team USA Minnesota has had 17 US National Champions and 61 top three finishes in US Championship races. Jason Lehmkuhle has two Olympic Trials top ten finishes, including fifth in 2008. Andrew Carlson has won two US National Championships. Matt Gabrielson finished eighth in the 2008 Olympic Trials 5,000 meters. Josh Moen has run 46:38 for 10 miles. Enjoy the stories of these men as they train for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston on Saturday, January 14th.

Regards,
Dan Vogel, Riley Conway, Paul Sanft, and Joe Tossey"

Marathon Road from Paul Sanft on Vimeo.

Pick Ten: Olympic Marathon Trials

We will kick things off for this year's Down the Backstretch fantasy contests with a big one - the Olympic Trials in the marathon.  By our count there are twenty-eight marathoners with Minnesota ties in the race, fourteen men and fourteen women.  This is a group that includes runners with legitimate Olympic dreams and others that just snuck under the Olympic trials qualifier time.  The race will be run in Houston, Texas on Saturday, January 14th at 8:00 A.M.

Pick Ten has a simple concept: predict the finish place for each of 10 Minnesota athletes at the Olympic Trials Marathon.  However, there is a bit of a twist.  You will choose places for Minnesota athletes among Minnesota athletes only. We will only score the fourteen Minnesota men and fourteen Minnesota women that we have indicated.  You will score points for each athlete that 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 Katie McGregor to place first in the women's race, and she places first among Minnesota women, you get 10 points. If you pick McGregor to place first and she finishes second, you get zero points. If you pick McGregor to finish third in the race and she places first, second or third, you get 8 points, since that's the place you picked her 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 8:00 A.M. CST on Saturday, January 14th to DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Make sure your full name is in the e-mail. 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.

We'll announce the winner of this week's contest and compile results of all of the year's Pick Ten contests to name a grand champion for 2012.

Pick 10 ... Olympic Marathon Trials:

Katie McGregor:
Kara Goucher:
Jenna Boren:
Meghan Peyton:
Leah Thorvilson:
Matt Gabrielson:
Josh Moen:
Chris Erichsen:
Luke Watson:
Michael Reneau:

Here are a few links to help you make your picks ...

- USATF lists all the entries and their qualifying times.
- Down the Backstretch lists the Minnesota athletes in the race.
- An update on Josh Moen.
- Runners World Olympic Trials Cheat Sheet.
- An article about Kara Goucher.
- Team USA Minnesota Press Release.

Good luck!

This is the first contest of the year so all standings will reset.  Last year, Bryan Tolcser won the Pick 10 contest and Mike Henderson topped the field for Yes/No.

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

Feature on Michelle Frey

Feature story from the Des Moines Register on Michelle Frey and her preparation for the Olympic Trials Marathon is HERE.

Josh Moen Feature

An earlier piece from the Des Moines Register on Team USA Minnesota's Josh Moen is HERE.

Another Julie Maxwell End of the Streak Article

She ran every day for more than 33 years, but has gathered more attention for the end of her streak. Kasson's Julie Maxwell is featured in the Rochester Post Bulletin(with photo) HERE.

Minnesotans Have Rich History in Olympic Marathon Trials

By Jim Ferstle
The last time either the men's or women's Olympic Trials were in Houston, a Minnesotan won. Janis Klecker was the surprise victor in 1992 on a rainy day that featured drama, sportsmanship, and plenty of surprises.

Klecker had slipped and fallen at the 16-mile water stop, only to be helped up by the eventual runner-up, Cathy O'Brien, a 1988 Olympian in the marathon who made her second team. Klecker won in 2:30:12, a personal best, but the eyes of Texas were on a transplanted Californian who had spent the majority of her long career as a middle distance runner, US running legend and eventual third-place finisher Francie Larrieu, then 39, who was living in Dallas and made her fifth Olympic team by virtue of her third-place finish.

Larrieu was chosen to the the US flagbearer at the Barcelona Games. Klecker went on to become a dentist, and give birth to six children with husband Barney Klecker. In her running, Janis followed the example of her mother, Mae Horns, who was an outstanding Masters runner, and the mother/daughter twosome were familiar figures on the Minnesota running scene.

In the men's Olympic trials in 1992, another Minnesota doctor to be, Bob Kempainen, made his first Olympic team despite having limited training due to a stress fracture that minimized his training. In 1996, however, Kempainen matched Klecker's feat by winning the Olympic Trials in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2:12:45. Kempainen, who is now a pulmonologist and critical care physician, etched himself into Trials history, however, because of an upset stomach.

Just as Klecker had gotten up after a fall, Kempainen had to overcome "hurling" portions of his fluid replacement drinks several times on national television as he ran the final miles of the race. "This guy is the toughest human being on the face of the earth," said Keith Brantly, who finished third in 2:13:22. "I would have started crying and stopped."

In 1996 Minnesota barely missed having two representatives on the team as current University of Minnesota men's track and cross country coach, Steve Plasencia, finished just behind Brantley in 2:14:20. Plasencia was already a two-time Olympian at 10,000 meters on the track, having made the team in 1988 and '92. For Kempainen, the victory in the trials also helped with his medical school tuition, as first prize was $100,000, then the highest winners' purse in the sport.

The financial incentive was not there in 1968 when another Minnesota legend, Ron Daws, made the Olympic team in the marathon with a third place finish in the first time a US Olympic trials marathon where the team was solely selected by those who finished in the first three spots. Other years there were trials races, but the team was selected by a committee instead of by the finish of those running a trials race. Like both Klecker and Kempainen, Daws was not a clear favorite to win an Olympic berth, but he used his wits to win an Olympic spot by a mere four seconds.

"I didn't make as many mistakes," said Daws. He also had a little luck as a sciatic nerve condition forced him to rest ten days prior to the trials, rather than attempt to get in more training. "I was fit and rested," he said, rather than fit, but fatigued due to the stress of what was at stake and the natural tendency of most elite athletes to overtrain. The injury, he said "saved my life," or at least his place on the team.

Daws' mentor, another University of Minnesota product, Buddy Edelen, was arguably the best marathoner in the world in the mid 1960s. Edelen was the first man to run under 2:15 for the marathon, a world recordholder, who had won an Olympic trials race in 91 degree heat by 20 minutes in 1964. But Edelen overtrained, was injured, and could only finish sixth in the Tokyo Games in 1964. The Chicago Tribune's Olympic writer Phil Hersh recently ranked Edelen as the fourth best US marathoner ever. Edelen was a pioneer in the sport who refined training for the event and provided a road map for those who would follow him.

Perhaps the most physically gifted of all Minnesota male marathoners, however, missed his chance at Olympic glory at the distance for political, not athletic reasons. Then US President, Jimmy Carter issued an edict in 1980 that the US would not participate in the Summer Games that year because they were being held in the Soviet Union, which had invaded Afghanistan. Thus, there was no team at the Games that summer, but the US still had trials.

The marathon trials were held in Buffalo, New York on May 24 and were won by Tony Sandoval in 2:10:19. Bjorklund was furious at Carter for the boycott and did not participate. Instead he went to a race he helped found, the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, and, on June 21, ran Grandma's as a protest. Fueled by anger, Bjorklund ran solo the entire race, and broke the course record by more than four minutes in a time of 2:10:20.

Bjorklund had made his statement and helped launch Grandma's onto the national scene. But, although he had participated in the 1976 Games on the track at 10,000 meters, the Olympic flame had been extinguished for Bjorklund by the boycott.

Jon Grey Finishes Fourth; US Team Second in Team Race in Scotland

Team USA Minnesota's Jon Grey finished fourth overall in a time of 25:52 to help the US men's & women's teams to a second place finish at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge at Holyrood Park in Scotland on Saturday. The Great Britain & Northern Ireland team won the overall team title with 144 points. The US was second, and the European Select team in third with 215 points.

The US teams finished third(in the men's and women's senior races), but edged the Europeans in the overall combined scores(that include both the senior and junior team scores). Grey won $1,750 in prize money in the men's 8K race. Brainerd and US Air Force Academy grad Justin Tyner was 22nd in in 27:15. University of Minnesota grad and Team USA Minnesota's Jamie Cheever finished 15th in the women's 6K in 22:59. Results of all the races are HERE.

Info for Coaches or Those Interested in the Track Coaches Clinic

January 15 is the deadline for the $90 registration for the Minnesota Track Coaches Association's annual Track and Field Clinic held January 26-28 at the Double Tree Hilton in Bloomington. Registrations received after that are $110.

Register Today at www.mshsca.org/track/

Clinic features over 60 Hours of Track & Field Instruction by some of the top International, National, and State Track & Field Coaches!

Some of the Coaches speaking include:
Boo Shexanayder- Olympic & LSU Jumps Coach
Don Babbitt- University of Georgia Throws Coach
Pat Tyson- Gonzaga Coach, One of Bill Bowerman's "Men of Oregon," Prefontaine's roommate
Dr. Donal Chu- Stanford University, plyometric training guru
Holly Kelly-Thompson- six time All-American High Jumper
Dr. Jack Ransone-Head Trainer for US Olympic Team
Will Freeman-Grinnell College, All-American Pole Vaulter
Jack Sands- Texas HS Coach for 37 years
Plus many outstanding area High School and College Coaches!

In addition to the great speakers, your clinic fee includes two free coaches' socials, a great banquet meal, thousands of dollars of prize drawings from our great vendors, and the opportunity to connect with coaches that share your passion for Track & Field!

You do not need to be a Coaches Association Member to attend!

Julie Maxwell Talks About the End to Her Streak

Kasson's Julie Maxwell tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Richard Chin about her 33 plus year running streak HERE.

News Round-Up: Road Races, Mathre, Trials

We found some interesting stories in the local and national media recently that we wanted to share ...

The first, HERE, in the StarTribune, notes the growing popularity of road racing events in the Twin Cities metro area and the pressure it puts on local municipalities and race organizers. As local governments limit the number of events at a given venue, race directors are looking further afield for race locales.

Also, the Northfield News, HERE, has a feature story on Northfield native Steve Mathre, the University of St. Thomas men's coach and the proprietor of Eagle Eye Digital Video. Mathre's company, which allows coaches and athletes to analyze technique, is set to provide the video review capabilities for the 2012 Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

Finally, Runners World, HERE and HERE, recently listed their eleven men and ten women "to watch" at the Olympic Marathon Trials next weekend. Not surprisingly, there's a Minnesotan on each list.

Gearing Up for the Olympic Marathon Trials

The 2012 road racing season will kick off with a bang thanks to the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials next weekend. Twenty-eight Minnesota men and women will toe the starting line in Houston in the races that will choose the country's marathon team for the London Games.

To ramp up to the event, we wanted to share two pieces of video related to Minnesotans in the race. The first is a trailer for a documentary film Dan Vogel, Riley Conway, and Paul Sanft are producing about the Team USA Minnesota runners competing at the Trials.





The second video, by Dustin Franta, features St. John's University alum Chris Erichsen talking about this training leading up the Trials.

USATF-Minn. to Host Youth Clinic, Meet

Athletes aged 5 to 18-years-old have an opportunity to jump-start their 2012 track & field season with USATF Minnesota's Indoor Youth Track & Field Clinic & Meet set for Sunday, January 15 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas Indoor Track in St. Paul.

Coaches and elite athletes will be presenting techniques for starting, sprinting, hurdling, middle and long distance running, long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, and shot put. Participants will be provided with opportunities to learn by doing and should come dressed ready to run, jump and throw. Following the clinic, a brief meet will be held.

Scheduled presenters include 2011 USA National Champion Triple Jumper Amanda Smock, a three-time NCAA Division II National Champion from North Dakota State University, 2009 USA National Champion Cross Country Runner Emily Brown of Team USA Minnesota, a four-time All-American at the University of Minnesota, former Mounds View High School throws coach Tim White, Hill-Murray High School head coach Chris Dallager, and other area coaches.

Cost for the clinic and meet is $10 for 2012 USATF Minnesota members; $20 for non-USATF members. More information, including a registration form, can be found at www.usatfmn.org in the Upcoming Events section.

Also on the Calendar ... Other beginning of the year events sponsored by USATF-Minnesota include:

-- Board Meeting, Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 6:30 PM at the Courage Center in Golden Valley

-- All-Comers Indoor Meet, Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 1:00 – 5:00 PM at the University of St. Thomas Indoor Track in St. Paul

-- Award Celebration, Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 6:00 PM at the Braemar Country Club in Edina

-- Indoor Track & Field Championships, Sunday, March 11, 2012 at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse in Minneapolis

-- 8K State Championship, Sunday, March 18, 2012 hosted by The Human Race 8K in St. Paul

Happy Holidays and Thanks from DtB

Happy Holidays everyone!

On behalf of our little operation, let me wish all of you a happy, healthy, and relaxing holiday season from Down the Backstretch. As much as we all love cross country, track & field, and road racing, it's now time to turn our focus to family and friends rather than results and performances.

As we've done in the past, DtB is going to enjoy a little holiday vacation. We'll return to action after the New Year, of course, getting you back on top of the sport and the budding indoor season. If big news happens to break during our "vacation," you can bet we'll at least note it on our Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Before we go, let me take a moment to thank some of the folks that made 2011 another fine year for DtB. First off, special, heart-felt thanks go to Adam Lindahl of TC Running Company and the Board of Directors at USA Track and Field - Minnesota for their support of DtB as its presenting sponsors. Without their generous investments in our site, DtB would likely not still exist.

We'd also like to thank everyone who has advertised with us during the year -- folks like Twin Cities in Motion, Grandma's Marathon, the Minnesota Distance Running Association, the University of Minnesota Track and Field Camps, the Autism 5K, and the SISU Foundation. your business is truly appreciated!

I'd also like to thank anyone and everyone who has contributed to DtB. Special thanks go to co-founder Pete Miller, fantasy contests director Doug Cowles, photographer Gene Niemi, commentator and pinch hitter Jim Ferstle, ultra-running maven Alex Kurt, throws contributor Kevin Holubar, photographer Sean Hartnett, and high school lists' statisticians Kevin Moorhead, Bill Miles, and Tim Miles. Without the generous contributions of those folks and others, DtB wouldn't have been all that it was this year.

Finally, allow me to thank you, our readers, for making DtB an important part of your enjoyment of the greatest sport on earth. Your continued loyalty to DtB makes the job of covering all the track, road, and cross country action fun and rewarding.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Jon Grey Featured in RT Article

Team USA Minnesota's Jon Grey is the subject of a feature on the Running Times website HERE.

Grey, Tyner, Cheever Make USA XC Squad

Team USA Minnesota runners Jon Grey and Jamie Cheever and former Brainerd High School star Justin Tyner have been named to the USA squad for the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country - International Challenge on January 7.

Teams from the United States, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and a select European team will compete in men’s and women’s junior and senior races at the event.

Grey and Tyner will run on the senior men's team; Cheever will compete in the senior women's event.

Each country competing in the International Team Challenge will consist of nine athletes per team (six on the junior teams) with the first six athletes per team scoring.

Read the full USA Track and Field media release HERE.

Longest Running Streak by Female Ends

Julie Maxwell, a Kasson, Minnesota resident, who had not missed a day of running since July 5, 1978, fell and broke her ankle on December 10, ending the streak after nearly 34 years.

Read about it HERE. Find a current listing of active running streaks -- including some that have lasted more than 40 years! -- HERE.

Sathre, Keller Named Athletes of the Month

Ben Sathre and Linda Keller have been named USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for December.

Sathre, a senior at the University of St. Thomas, was honored for winning the men’s title at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in Winneconne, Wisconsin last month. The Chaska High School graduate ran the 8-kilometer course in 23:45. As a junior last year, Sathre was the runner-up at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Keller, a junior at the University of Minnesota – Morris, was recognized for her seventh-place finish in the women’s race at the NCAA Division III Championships. The Paynesville High School grad ran the 6K course in 21:08, earning All-American honors for the second season in a row. A year ago, Keller finished 19th at the meet.

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.

Twenty-Eight Minnesotans Enter Olympic Trials

Twenty-eight marathoners with ties to Minnesota are entered in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials scheduled for January 14 in Houston, Texas.

Fourteen Minnesota men and fourteen Minnesota women have achieved a qualifying mark and were accepted to the event after regular entry into the race closed on Friday evening.

Male athletes needed to run a marathon under 2:19:00 to qualify; women needed to better 2:46:00. Provisions also allowed athletes to qualify at other distances or via performances at the USA Marathon Championships.

Minnesota men's qualifiers include: Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson, St. John's University alum Chris Erichsen, Woodbury resident Donovan Fellows, Team USA Minnesota's Matt Gabrielson, University of Minnesota alums Justin Grunewald and Chad Johnson, Team USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle, Run N Fun's Eric Loeffler, Northfield High School alum Chris Lundstrom, Team USA Minnesota's Josh Moen, Sauk Rapids native Chris Raabe, the Twin Cities Track Club's Mike Reneau, St. Olaf graduate Malcolm Richards, and Stillwater High School alum Luke Watson.

Minnesota women entered in the race include: St. Olaf alum Jenna Boren, Bloomington resident Kelly Brinkman, Foley and Mansfield's Nicole Cueno, former Team USA Minnesota runner Michelle Frey, Duluth East alum Kara Goucher, Moorhead resident Megan Grindall, Chaska High School alum Stephanie Herbst-Lucke, St. Scholastica alum Jennifer Houck, Duluth Marshall alum Katie Koski, Team USA Minesota's Katie McGregor, former Team USA Minnesota runner Kristen Nicolini, Team USA's Meghan Peyton, Gustavus Adolphus alum Nichole Porath, and Robbinsdale Armstrong alumnus Leah Thorvilson.

Find a complete listing of the more than 300 men's and women's Olympic Marathon Trials entrants HERE.

2012 Team Circuit Races Announced

USA Track and Field Minnesota has unveiled its Team Circuit for 2012. The year-long series of team-scored road races looks similar to this year's circuit, with a few notable exceptions.

The grand prix, which is presented by Twin Cities in Motion and Life Time Run, features eight races, down one competition from 2011. Competition will still be conducted in six categories - men's open, women's open, men's masters, women's masters, men's grand masters, and women's grand masters.

The circuit will commence with its traditional opener -- the St. Patrick's Day Human Race in St. Paul on Sunday, March 18.

The rest of the circuit is as follows:

Get in Gear 10K/USATF Minnesota 10K Championship
Saturday April 28th

Medtronic TC 1 Mile/USATF Minnesota 1 Mile Championship
Thursday May 17th

Brian Kraft Memorial 5k/USATF Minnesota Team 5k Championship
Monday May 28th

Life Time Fitness Torchlight 5k/USATF Minnesota 5k Championship
Wednesday July 18th

MDRA 15K/USATF Minnesota 15k Championship
Sunday August 12th

City of Lakes 25k/USATF Minnesota 25k Championship
Sunday September 9th

Medtronic TC 10 Mile/USATF Minnesota 10 Mile Championship
Sunday October 7th

For the first time, the Team Circuit will break the men's and women's open competition into two divisions, with the top division competing for cash prizes as in the past and the lower division competing for awards and non-cash prizes.

Find official information on the USATF Minnesota Team Circuit HERE.

Runners of the Year: McGregor, Erichsen Lead

With the Minnesota road racing season all but over, Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor and former St. John's University star Chris Erichsen are poised to win Minnesota Runner of the Year Awards for 2011.

The Minnesota Runner of the Year Awards recognize the exploits of Minnesota runners racing in Minnesota races over a variety of road distances ranging from the mile to the marathon. Athletes earn points based on their rank order in up to five separate race distances.

McGregor leads 2007 women's Runner of the Year (and 2009 and 2010 ROY runner-up) Jenna Boren 79 points to 75 points. Kim Robinson, who was the ROY runner-up in 2008, is third with 68 points.

Full open women's standings can be found HERE.

Erichsen leads 2010 Runner of the Year Dan Greeno 90 to 87 in the open men's division. Team USA Minnesota's Matt Gabrielson stands third with 76 points.

Full open men's standings can be found HERE.

Minnesota Runner of the Year awards are conferred for age-group runners as well. Find all the Runner of the Year details, HERE, on the official web-site managed by Mike Setter.

MDRA to Host Race Director's Conference

The Minnesota Distance Running Association is set to host its annual Race Director's Conference, scheduled for January 21, 2012.

The half-day event is designed to let road race directors share knowledge and bring up new ideas to enhance the race experience for participants and sponsors.

The conference will be held at the Edina Community Center in the morning prior to MDRA's annual awards Pizza Party.

Registration fees for the conference are $40. Find a registration form HERE.

Topics for the upcoming conference include race communications and announcing, sponsors and sponsorship, race certification, and the pros and cons of walkers in races.

Minnesota Youngsters Race at Junior Olympics

A handful of Minnesota's top young runners made the trip to the USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last weekend.

Jesse Delgado of Waseca was the top finisher in the group, placing 22nd in 13:12.56 in the Youth Boys (born 1997-98) 4K. Delgado was runner-up in the Midget Boys division last year.

Spencer Urick of Chaska finished 41st in the Youth Boys 13:29.42.

In the Midget Boys (born 1999-2000) 3K, Zach Emery placed 40th in 10:32.11.

In the Bantam Girls (born 2001-02) 3K, Tessa Laska of South St. Paul finished 38th in 12:02.66. Laska was a medalist at the USATF Junior Olympic track championships this past summer in Wichita.

Anna Meger of Mahtomedi finished 188th in 12:42.24 on the Midget Girls 3K course.

In the youngest age division, Kaori Zeller ran the 2K course for Sub-Bantams (born 2003-04) in 10:00.39 to finish 80th.

Jennifer Delgado of Waseca, sister of Jesse, completed the Young Women's division (born 1993-94) 5K run in 28:18.13 for 74th.

Thanks to USATF-Minnesota Youth Athletics Chair Chris Dallager for information on the event.

Team USA's Grey Wins Club Cross Title

Team USA Minnesota's Jon Grey is getting his professional career off to a nice start.

The 2011 William and Mary graduate who joined Team USA Minnesota in September won the individual title at the USATF Club Cross County Championships in Seattle on Saturday. Grey went to the front of the field early and was pulling away before the halfway mark of the 10K event which he won in 29:38.

“Initially I planned to sit and kick, but during the race I was just running an even pace and slowly pulled away after 4K,” Grey said. “So I kept on the hammer until I crossed the finish line. I was definitely surprised to run away from a field like that."

Grey (pictured) finished ten seconds ahead of runner-up Aaron Braun, the event's defending champ. Brainerd native Justin Tyner, a recent Air Force Academy graduate, finished 9th in the race in 30:02. Grey's Team USA Minnesota teammate Matt Llano finished 18th in 30:18.

Run N Fun's Justin Grunewald finished 23rd in 30:33, leading the St. Paul-based club to an 11th-place team finish in the race.

Grey's victory earned him a spot on the USA team competing at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge, which will be contested in Scotland on January 7.

“Overall, I can not believe I actually won and it shows how well I have progressed in a very short time under Coach [Dennis] Barker,” Grey said. “I am very honored to be able to get my first USA win as a Team USA Minnesota athlete."

"I am also extremely excited for Edinburgh," he added. "That was the whole reason I made this trip, and it means so much to me to earn my first USA team trip which will hopefully be the first of many.”

Find complete USATF Club Cross Country results HERE.

Photo: (c) Mike Scott http://miscottrunningphoto.shutterfly.com/ 2011

Peterson, Three Others into Western States

Brian Peterson of Minneapolis will be running the Western States 100-mile race in California this June. He was one of more than 270 applicants to have an entry ticket drawn at Placer High School in Auburn, California on Saturday.

Peterson, 27, has finished two 100-mile races to date. He won his debut at the 2010 Superior Sawtooth 100, and placed fourth at the Cascade Crest 100 in Washington State in August.

Peterson will be joined by fellow Minnesotans Scott Hoberg, David Holmen, and Ethan Richards at Western States.

Unofficial lottery results are posted HERE. Official results should be posted to the site shortly.

Cross Country Season Finales on Tap

The final meets of the U.S. cross country season are set for this weekend.

The nation's top high school harriers -- including Shakopee star Maria Hauger -- will race in San Diego on Saturday at the Footlocker National Championships. Hauger, a three-time MSHSL Class AA state titlist, finished 5th at the Footlocker Midwest Regional in November.

The nation's top club teams and some top individuals -- including Team USA Minnesota's Jon Grey and Matt Llano -- will compete at the USA Club Cross Country Championships in Seattle on Saturday as well.

Finally, the youngest competitors in the sport will race for glory at the USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Look for results on our Facebook and Twitter feeds this weekend ... and a full report on Monday.

Yes/No: Final Standings and Wrap-Up

Let's make it official: Mike Henderson is the Yes/No champion for 2011 joining Pick 10 gold-medalist Bryan Tolcser in the winner's circle.

Coincidentally, the two victors are both St. Kate's track coaches, so all Down the Backstrech fantasy hardware (not that there actually is any) will find a home in the Saint Catherine University athletic building this year. Henderson, the head track and cross country coach at St. Kate's won the 2011 Yes/No crown with a grand total of 29 points. He finished two points ahead of Rachel Karel and Jim Glazer.

Entering the final weekend triple-header, Henderson and Karel were tied with 26 points. Henderson displayed a superior finishing kick, however, by answering all three final questions correctly. Other contestants to go three-for-three in the final week were Glazer, Dimitri Drekonja, Megan Smith and Nick Wareham.

Some may argue that Henderson has an unfair advantage in a contest such as Yes/No. He has coached collegiately in the Big Ten and the MIAC and is active in the local road racing scene. His deep involvement in the sport may have contributed to his impressive Yes/No run. Or, maybe he just got lucky ... 29 times this year.

For the record, here are the top eight finishers in the final Yes/No standings:

Mike Henderson - 29
Jim Glazer - 27
Rachel Karel - 27
Jesse Schoen - 26
Patrick Eastman - 26
Dan Vogel - 25
Daniel Gerber - 25
Pat Foley - 25

We've now completed three years of fantasy contests at Down the Backstretch and we are always looking for new ideas and improvements to our games. Please send any comments or suggestion to the DtB fantasy mailbox: DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com or leave a comment on the Down the Backstretch site.

Complete standings can be found at DtB Fantasy Corner.

Thanks for playing Yes/No and Pick Ten on DtB!

Camp Features Olympian, Olympic Trials

A running camp sponsored by Minnesota-based Life Time Fitness will feature Olympian Carrie Tollefson and front row seats at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials in Houston.

The four-day Life Time Run Camp, scheduled from January 12 to January 15 in Houston, Texas, will be a warm-weather getaway that aims to teach "the core essentials it takes to be a great runner." As an added bonus, campers will have the opportunity to watch the Olympic Trials Marathon on January 14.

"We thought watching the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials would be an awesome reason to get out of Minnesota for some warm weather training, learn more about the sport, and watch one of the best races in American history take place right in front of us," Tollefson, a 1500-meter Olympian in 2004, told DtB.

The camp also features guided workouts; yoga; seminars on nutrition, strength training, injury prevention, and race preparation; guest speakers; and professional athlete "meet-and-greets."

"We had our first camp here in Minnesota last year and it went great so we thought this year lets do it bigger and better," Tollefson said. "Running camps are fun for anyone at any age and running level. Our Life Time Run Camp will once again bring the running community together and sort of bring back the fun of what it was like when we were kids training hard and dreaming big!"

Details on the camp can be found HERE.

Ultra Roundup: Western States 100 Lottery

Eighteen Minnesotans are hoping to have their names drawn in Auburn, California Saturday at the Western States 100 lottery. The drawing takes place at the Placer High School track, where the race finishes.

Among the local hopefuls: 2011 Sawtooth 100-mile winner John Horns; 2011 Black Hills 100-mile winner Adam Schwartz-Lowe; 2010 Sawtooth 100-mile winner Brian Peterson; and Christi Nowak, who has yet to attempt the 100-mile distance but is undefeated in ultras up to 100K.

A total of 1,942 applicants will vie for over 300 spots. The exact number is not set. Peterson, who broke down the odds on his blog, HERE, explained that the race aims for a five-year average of 369 starters, and that 400 are typically selected. Once automatic qualifiers – including previous top-ten men and women and Montrail Cup Series Winners – are factored in, the number of runners whose names will be drawn Friday could be closer to 310 or 320.

But those 310 won’t just be selected from the 1,942 applicants. Two-time entrants (including Peterson, who unsuccessfully entered last year) have two tickets in the lottery and three-time entrants get three tickets, bringing the total number of tickets up to 2,941.

Based on this system, and assuming 310 names are drawn, Peterson broke down the odds. A first-time entrant – like Nowak – has a roughly 10% chance of being selected to toe the starting line in Squaw Valley next June. Two time-entrants have a roughly 19% chance, and three-time entrants have a near 27% chance.

Probably the best-known of the major 100-mile races in the US, Western States has a special connection to Minnesota. Proctor native and St. Scholastica graduate Scott Jurek won the race an unprecedented 7 times from 1999-2005 and held the course record until 2010.

Award Winners Named ... The Upper Midwest Trail Runners (UMTR) announced their 2011 Ultra Series Champions at their banquet in November. Here’s the list:

Men’s Open – Craig Hertz
Men’s Masters – Rick Bothwell
Men’s Grandmasters – Gary Sheets
Men’s Overall Champion – Craig Hertz

Women’s Open – Christi Nowak
Women’s Masters – Lisa Messerer / Shelly Thompson (Tie)
Women’s Overall Champion – Christi Nowak
(There was no Women’s Grandmaster winner.)

Adam Schwartz-Lowe was also awarded the $500 “Gnarly Bandit Series” prize for completing the Zumbro, Kettle Moraine, Black Hills and Sawtooth 100-milers and the Wild Duluth 100k in 2011.

DtB's Ultramarathon Contributor Alex Kurt filed this report.

Kara Goucher Talks Training, Racing, Trials

Runner's World has just published a wide-ranging interview with Duluth native Kara Goucher HERE.

Goucher, who will race the Dodge Latin Music Miami Beach Half Marathon on Sunday, talks about training under new coach Jerry Schumacher, workouts with teammate/rival Shalane Flanagan, and her preparations for January's Olympic Marathon Team Trials.

Photo by Victor Sailer/Photo Run.

Series Invites Runners to Explore Minnesota

A new running series is inviting runners to explore Minnesota through their sport.

Anderson Race Management and Explore Minnesota Tourism, the travel promotion office of the State of Minnesota, recently announced the launch of a new statewide running series called the "Explore Minnesota Challenge."

The series of more than 25 races in locations around the state encourages runners and walkers to participate in at least eight of the events, including one in each of four different areas of the state.

Participants will be awarded Explore Minnesota Challenge lapel pins representing the region where they have completed a race. An Explore Minnesota Challenge medal will be awarded to those who complete a total of eight events including one in each of the four designated areas. Participants who register for the series will also receive membership in the Minnesota Distance Running Association.

"This new race series includes a variety of great events around our state," Anderson Race Management owner Mary Anderson said in a media release. "We are thrilled to partner with Explore Minnesota on the Explore Minnesota Challenge as we work to bring walkers and runners out to enjoy the unique offerings of each of the wonderful regions of this state."

Details on the series can be found HERE and a list of races in the series is available HERE.

"Minnesotans are known for their active lifestyles," John Edman, director of Explore Minnesota Tourism said. "Partnering with Anderson Race Management on this race series is a great way to promote Minnesota as a destination for runners and walkers. The series is an innovative way to let people know about the fun events Minnesota communities offer year-round."

Team USA Happy with Las Vegas Tune-Ups

“All things considered, I’d qualify the race as a successful tune-up.”

That was how Team USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle summed up his third-place finish at Saturday's Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. The road racing veteran, whose current training is pointed toward January's U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials, ran 1:03:37.

“Like many of the guys in the field, I definitely felt some of the accumulated marathon training in my legs, but the goal going in was just to remind my body of the feeling of racing and getting a hard effort in," Lehmkuhle, the 5th-place finisher at the 2008 Marathon Trials, said.

Teammate Matt Gabrielson, who also has the Marathon Trials in his cross-hairs, finished 5th in the race in 1:04:19. The women's column of the Team USA Minnesota roster was successful as well, with Katie McGregor and Meghan Peyton finishing 3rd and 7th, respectively.

Sean Houseworth of Colorado won the men's race in 1:03:12; former Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Jason Hartmann, also of Colorado, was runner-up in 1:03:34.

“The race itself was a pretty amazing experience," Lehmkuhle added. "Racing down the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard at night is something I won’t soon forget.”

McGregor’s time of 1:11:45 established a new personal best for the 2010 USA Running Circuit champion. Peyton posted a 1:14:57. The two are also training for the marathon trials where Peyton will be making her debut in the distance.

“I know I still have a lot of work to do but I am satisfied with a PR,” McGregor said. “It shows me that I am moving in the right direction. Benita [Willis] took the race out hard. I never checked my splits so I am not sure what pace we were running but Amy [Hastings] and I worked our way up to her in the first mile."

Willis won the race in a course record 1:10:40; Hastings was runner-up in 1:11:22.

“I was basically keying off those two, so I didn’t really ever lead the race," McGregor said. "I stayed with them until around 7 or 8 miles. The course was a slight downhill going out, then made a bunch of turns for a few miles before heading back to the Strip. It was slightly uphill on the way back with a little headwind.”

Find complete results of the race HERE.

Stillwater Boys 10th At Nike Cross Nationals

The Stillwater High School boys' cross country team finished 10th at Saturday's Nike Cross Nationals, putting a national sheen on a sparkling harrier season.

The Ponies, who were MSHSL Class AA and NXN Heartland Regional champions this fall, scored 296 points in the meet held in Portland, Oregon.

Christian Brothers Academy of New Jersey, running as the Lincroft XC Club at the meet, won the NXN boys title with 91 points.

“Top 5 would have been nice, but 10th in the nation? Everybody is pretty happy about that," Stillwater senior Tom Linner told DtB correspondent Eric Jahn after the race. "This is the only championship event in high school sports, and it’s nice to be able to prove who’s the best.”

Linner was the Ponies' #2 runner, finishing 53rd overall in 16:04, just two places behind teammate Wayde Hall who was 51st in 16:02. Eric Colvin was 89th for the squad in 16:24; Taylor Aarness was 133rd in 16:45; and Sean Bjork was 158th in 16:56.

Bjork, who closed the door on the team's top-10 finish, spent the week prior to NXN with his foot in a medical boot due to a metatarsal stress fracture, Jahn reports. “I would rather break my foot than miss this race, Bjork said afterward.

Class A individual runner-up Brandon Clark of Blake was the top Minnesota individual in the race, finishing 42nd in 15:58. Class AA champ Josh Thorson of Wayzata was 73rd in 16:15.

“I went deep today, and was hanging on the last 2K,” Clark told Jahn. “This gets me ready for college races next year, when I probably won’t be near the front. Like today’s race, I’ll go out hard, keep moving up, but I won’t be going for the win as a freshman at 8K. NXN was a great experience for me.”

Futsum Zeinasellaissie of Indianapolis won the boys' individual title in 15:03.

In girls' competition, Monticello finished 20th in the team race. The Magic scored 480 points.

Erica Seidenkranz led her squad with a 98th place finish in 19:20. Mariah Betzler was 133rd in 19:50, Amber Seidenkranz finished 139th in 19:55, Amber Stoick was 145th 20:01, and Brooke Rasmussen rounded out the scoring in 179th at 20:54.

Three-time Class AA individual champ Maria Hauger (pictured, #1)was the state's top individual, finishing 24th overall in 18:28. Jenna Truedson of Bemidji was 35th in 18:35, while
Danielle Anderson was 94th in 19:16.

Sarah Baxter of Simi Valley, California won the girls' title in 17:38.

Find complete results of the meet HERE.

Photo by Kraig Lungstrom. See his photos galleries from NXN HERE.

Minnesotans Eager for NXN Competition

Minnesota's two most decorated high school cross country teams and five individual runners are set to toe the starting line at Saturday's Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon.

The competition pits the nation's top high school teams and many of the country's best individuals against one-another in a national championship-style competition.

The NXN championship races will be streamed live HERE starting at noon CDT Saturday.

The MSHSL Class AA team champion Stillwater boys and Monticello girls arrive at the meet with high hopes. Stillwater is ranked #4 in the country in the most recent XCNation rankings, while Monticello is tabbed as the #5 girls' squad in the country.

Three-time Class AA state individual champion Maria Hauger is eying a high finish for herself. The Shakopee junior, who has also qualified as an individual for next week's Footlocker Nationals, won the NXN Heartland Regional meet by nearly 25 seconds.

Joining Hauger in the girls' field are Bemidji freshman Jenna Truedson and Eagan junior Danielle Anderson.

Class AA boys' champ Josh Thorson of Wayzata and Class A runner-up Brandon Clark of Blake will race individually in boys competition.

On the Scene ... Wayzata High School boys' assistant coach Eric Jahn is on the scene in Portland and has donned the Down the Backstretch media badge for the big weekend. He offers the following insights form the meet ...

Jahn reports that Stillwater coach Scott Christensen credits team chemistry as a major factor in his undefeated team's success, saying that his team has been cohesive and focused since returning from a parent-organized nine-day training trip to Wyoming in July.

Jahn adds that Stillwater alum Brian Brochman has been coaching the team for the past month. He is said to have the team healthy with gas in the tank, ready for a run at a top-ten finish.

Jahn also reports that the Monticello squad has high hopes as well. Heather Rasmussen, mother of Magic runner Brooke Rasmussen, has been coaching the team since the State. She told Jahn that the team has developed a competitive chemistry the past six weeks that has them all on the same page. The girls think they may surprise many people with a top-ten finish.

Shakopee's Hauger told Jahn that compared to this point last year, she feels fresh and much more fit, in spite of two high level qualifying performances at Footlocker Midwest and NXN Heartland.

This year, Hauger increased her weekly mileage from the 30-40 miles she did the past two years to 60 miles per week by the end of the 2011 preseason. She also raced a 5K or 10K road race nearly every week of the summer.

Hauger did reveal that she feels her best chance of a top finish is at Footlocker in San Diego because the racing surface will probably be more dry and firm, which should suit her forefoot running style.

Course conditions in Portland, according to Jahn, are likely to be wet and slow.

Class AA boys champ Thorson returns to NXN for the fourth straight year, but for the first time is not racing as part of the Wayzata team. Jahn said Thorson feels an extra incentive to prove that he belongs in Portland as an elite athlete, and that he hopes for a top-20 finish.

What Happens in Vegas ...

... could matter in Houston for Team USA Minnesota's marathoners.

Four Team USA Minnesota distance runners – Jason Lehmkuhle, Matt Gabrielson, Katie McGregor, and Meghan Peyton – will compete at the Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon on Sunday as part of their preparations for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials to be held in Houston in January.

The Sin City event is a popular destination for American marathon hopefuls looking to tune-up for the Trials The race, held in conjunctions with the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, boasts fields that include former Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion Jason Hartmann, former Team USA Minnesotan Patrick Smyth, and James Carney among men and Amy Hastings, Kathy Newberry, and Alvina Begay among women.

(Britain's Kathy Butler, and former world cross country champion Benita Willis of Australia are also entered in the race.)

Team USA Minnesota's Lehmkuhle, who was fifth at the men’s marathon trials for the 2008 Olympics, has a half marathon best of 1:02:32. Earlier this fall, he placed second at the USA 20K Championships in New Haven, won the Ohme 30K in Japan last February, and posted 2:13:40 at the London Marathon in April.

Gabrielson has run 1:03:43 in the half marathon distance. During 2011, he set a personal best in the marathon of 2:13:28 at Grandma’s Marathon and was fifth at the USA 25K Championships last May. Most recently he was fourth at the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day.

McGregor has a best in the half marathon of 1:12:01. This year she finished second in the USA Running Circuit, won the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in June, was fourth at the USA Half Marathon Championships and at the USA 10 Mile Championships, and second at the USA Women’s 10K Championship.

Peyton’s half marathon best is 1:13:43 which qualified her for the trials in January where she will make her marathon debut. Her competitions this fall have included seventh at the USA 20K Championships, fifth at the USA 5K Championships, sixth at the USA 10 Mile Championships and fifth at the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K. She also was second at the Manchester Road Race.