Olympic Trials Await for Minnesota's Best

The countdown clock on the Tracktown USA web-site is nearing zero.

Elite athletes from across the United State are making final preparation -- or waiting with crossed fingers -- for the start of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field in Eugene, Oregon.

The event will kick off tomorrow -- in Beaverton, Oregon, as it turns out -- with prelims and finals of the men's and women's hammer throws.  On Friday, however, all the action, all the triumphs, and all the heartbreak will move to storied Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus -- the house that Bill Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine built and that Nike keeps in splendor, so to speak.

More than twenty Minnesota athletes are expected to compete in the meet which runs until July 1.  The top three finishers in each event can earn the right to compete in the London Games, if they have attained the Olympic "A" standard in their event. 

Down the Backstretch has compiled a list (below) of 21 athletes with Minnesota ties likely to compete at the Trails.  Since the meet features a rolling declaration process, entrant lists aren't finalized until 48-hours before the start of competition in an event.  (Let us know if anyone is missing!)

Olympic Trials Men:
800m:  Harun Abda, David Pachuta
1500m:  Rob Finnerty, Garrett Heath, Will Leer
5000m:  Elliott Heath, Hassan Mead
10,000m:  Jonathan Grey, Hassan Mead
3000m SC:  Justin Tyner
High Jump:  Jim Dilling

Olympic Trials Women: 
 800m  Laura Januszewski, Heather Kampf
1500m:  Gariele Anderson, Heather Kampf
5000m:  Meghan Peyton
10,000m:  Katie McGregor, Meghan Peyton
3000m SC:  Jamie Cheever
Pole Vault:  Kaitlyn Rains, Samantha Sonnenberg
Triple Jump:  Amanda Smock
Discus:  Liz Podomonick, Rachel Longfors

(One Minnesotan has already felt the cold shoulder of the Olympic Trials entry process.  Men's hammer thrower Bryan Tolcser, the throws coach at the St. Catherine University, narrowly missed making the field in his event.)

Follow the declaration process for the meet HERE.  Check out Track & Field News magazine's form chart of the meet HERE (men) and HERE (women).

Today's Olympic Trials Links

The Minnesota Daily's Megan Ryan has an interesting feature -- with a great photo -- on Gopher 800-meter runner Harun Abda, HERE,  The story tells of Abda's unlikely journey from Ethiopia to a refugee camp in Kenya to his new home in Minnesota.

Also, Runner's World has been catching up with track Olympians from the past, and recently posted a Q/A with Richfield High School alumnus Steve Holman, HERE.  Holman made the Olympic team in 1992 and is still ranked #6 on the All-Time U.S. 1500m list and #8 on the mile list.

Kampf, Januszewski Eye Olympic Trials 800m

They raced for rival high schools in Dakota County.  They competed for rival universities in the Midwest.  Now, 800-meter runners Heather Kampf and Laura Januszewski will race for a shared goal:  a berth at the London Olympic Games.

Kampf, the Rosemount High School and University of Minnesota alumnus who competed then as Heather Dorniden, and Januszewski, the former Laura Hermanson of Burnsville High School and North Dakota State fame, will be the first two Minnesotans to step on the Hayward Field track in Eugene, Oregon later this week at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.

The opening rounds of the 800m take place Friday night, where both half-milers hope to start a journey through the meet that will lead them to the event's final on Monday, June 25th ... and, ultimately, the Olympic Games.

The pair shared their thoughts about the Trials and their Olympic dreams in separate articles recently.  There's a GopherSports Q-and-A with Kampf HERE.  There's a Fargo Forum feature on Januszewski HERE.

Kampf says she's eager for the Gopher track reunion the Trials will offer -- she, 1500-meter runner Gabriele Anderson, steepelchaser Jamie Cheever, and discus thrower Liz Podomonick are all slated to compete in Eugene.

(Read a GopherSports Q-and-A with Podomonick HERE.)

Januszewski reveals that her professional racing career will end either in Eugene or London.  She and her husband are building a house in Pelican Rapids and she's taken a teaching job in Breckenridge for next fall.

The Olympic Trials open Thursday in Beaverton, Oregon with the men's and women's hammer throw competitions, to be held at Nike World Headquarters.  Action at Hayward Field begins Friday and runs through Monday, June 25 before resuming again on Thursday June 28 and concluding on Sunday, July 1.

Find lots of Olympic Trials details -- including entry lists, schedules, and feature stories -- HERE, at the official Trials web-site.

Down the Backstretch at the Olympic Trials

DtB will be on the scene in Eugene for the Olympic Trials! 

We'll post Twitter and Facebook updates while the action is on-going and have full recaps of each day's events the following morning.  (We're also planning some bonus Yes/No questions during the meet, so our fantasy players can more thoroughly enjoy the meet!)

Look for coverage on our social media outlets beginning on Friday and wrap-ups starting Saturday morning.  Follow all the Minnesotans in the meet with DtB!

Minnesota Preps Shine in National Meets

With MSHSL State Meet successes still echoing in their memories, some of Minnesota's top high school athletes were in action over the weekend at the a pair of national championships for high school and junior-aged athletes.

USA Juniors ... Headlining the USA Junior Championships in Bloomington, Indiana, St. Francis' Maggie Ewen finished 3rd in the discus throw with a mark of 171-0.  She followed up the podium-worthy performance with a 5th-place finish in the shot put, throwing 46-9 1/2.

Also in the throwing circle at the meet was Andover's Tom Anderson.  He finished 5th it he shot put, marking 61-9.  Anderson was scheduled to compete in the discus throw, but results of that event, inexplicably, are not yet posted.

Also competing at the meet were Eric Gebeke of White Bear Lake, 6th in his heat of the 800m in 1:53.38; Austin Salargo of Hopkins, 6th in his heat of the 400m in 49.00; and Roseville's Samantha Nielsen, 5th in her 800m heat in 2:12.11.

Find USA Junior results HERE.

New Balance Nationals ... This season's wholesale revisions to the state's girls' all-time 3200-meter/2-mile list continued at New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina where Blake's Clare Flanagan clocked a 10:20.75 2-mile -- the equivalent of a 10:17.17 3200m -- to finish 5th in the event.

The mark ranks Flanagan, only a sophomore, as the third-fastest prep two-miler in Minnesota history.  (See the rewritten top-10 list below.)  Also competing in the New Balance two mile were Maria Hauger of Shakopee, 8th in 10:28.40, and Eagan's Danielle Anderson, 15th in 10:41.00.

In the 5000m, Anderson finished runner-up in 16:43.65, while Hauger as 4th in 16:53.07.

Other Minnesota's competing at the meet included Lakeville South's Shaina Burns, 3rd in the heptathlon with 4706 points and 4th in the 400m hurdles in 1:03.47; Rochester Mayo's Riley Macon, 15th in the mile run at 4:20.92, and Brandon Clark of Blake, 4th in the 5000m in 14:44.32.

Find complete meet results HERE.

All-Time Minnesota Girls' 3200m List:

(List based on work by Kevin Moorhead.)

10:06.98  Bria Wetsch, Holy Family 2006
10:12.09  Elizabeth Yetzer, Lakeville North 2006
10:17.17  Clare Flanagan, Blake 2012
10:24.57  Jamie Piepenburg, Alexandria 2012 

10:24.78  Maria Hauger, Shakopee 2012
10:26.61  Shannon Bergstedt, Hopkins 2004
10:27.80  Lisa Dyer, Moorhead 2001
10:29.75  Joanna Deeter, Eden Prairie 1996
10:29.94  Lisa Waanen, Maple Grove 2003
10:30.28  Carrie Tollefson, Lac Qui Parle 1994

Goucher Wins USA Half on Home Streets

USA Half Marathon Champ Kara Goucher.
(Photo courtesy of Grandma's Marathon.)

Duluth native Kara Goucher and three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman won USA Half Marathon titles this morning at the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon held in conjunction with Grandma's Marathon.

Goucher ran a course record-breaking 1:09:46, unofficially, on the scenic run along the North Shore of Lake Superior to Canal Park in Duluth in her first race in her hometown in 16 years.

Abdirahman, who will compete in his fourth Olympic Games later this summer, won in 1:02:47, unofficially, edging Brett Gotcher for the title.

Former Team, USA Minnesota runner Michelle Frey finished 3rd in the USA Women's Championships, according to preliminary results posted on the USA Running Circuit web-site, HERE.

Marathon Results ... Berhanu Girma, of Ethiopia won the men's competition at Grandma's Marathon, running 2:12:25 on the course that starts in Two Harbors and finishes in Duluth.

In women's competition, Everlyne Lagat of Kenya was the victor, running 2:33:13.

Look for complete results HERE.

Duluth News-Tribune Coverage ... Here are links to the Duluth News-Tribune's extensive coverage of Grandma's Marathon:

Women's USA Half Marathon ... Goucher had goose-bumps on Superior Street.

USA Half Marathon Champ Abdi Abdirahman.
(Photo courtesy of Grandma's Marathon.)

Men's USA Half Marathon ... Abdirahman runs 1:02:46 for Title.

Garry Bjorklund Half Marthon ... Former Carleton 800m Runner Wins.

Grandma's Marathon Men's Champ Berhanu Girma.
(Photo courtesy of Grandma's Marathon.)

Grandma's Marathon, Men ... Girma is Grandma's First Ethiopian Men's Champ.

Grandma's Marathon Women's Champ Everlyne Lagat.
(Photo courtesy of Grandma's Marathon.)

Grandma's Marathon, Women ... Winner Everlyne Lagat "felt like a shark."

Grandma's Weekend in Photos ... The DNT's Photo Gallery from the Weekend.

Grandma's Wrap-Up ... The Whole Weekend, Tied Up in One Story.

Grandma's Marathon: A Battle of Champions

When tomorrow's Grandma's Marathon winnows itself down to a lead men's group, it's likely the aspiring pack will include runners who have already won marathons in Minnesota, including on the scenic road from Two Harbors to Duluth.

The 36th Grandma's Marathon elite field includes 2011 Grandma's men's champion Chris Kipyego of Kenya, 2008 Grandma's winner Lameck Mokono of Kenya, and 2011 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon victor Sammy Malakwen of Kenya. 

(If you're wondering why so many Kenyans, read THIS.)

The champions' trio is likely to find Ethiopia's Assefa Girma, a 2:07:43 marathoner last year, in the lead pack, too, along with Coon Rapids-based Kenya contender John Nojorge. 

The top American contender, Ryan Bak of Oregon, has also been a winner in the North Star State -- the 2:14:17 marathoner won an NCAA Division III cross country title in Northfield, while a student at Trinity College.

The Duluth News-Tribune's Kevin Pates caught up with Mokono, who hasn't been back to northeastern Minnesota since his 2008 victory HERE.

Women's Field ... 2011 Grandma's women's champion Yihunlish Delelecha of Ethiopia returns to defend her title.  She'll be joined by Kenya's Everlyne Lagat, last year's runner-up.

Mulu Sebaka of Ethiopia sports the fastest personal best in the women's field at 2:25:45.  Countrywoman Asha Gigi is close behind with a PR of 2:26:05.  Both, it turns out, have been victorious a the Toronto Marathon during their careers.

Fira Sultanova-Zhdanova, 51, the women's course record-holder and a two-time Grandma's champ, return.  She placed seventh at Grandma's in 2010, but was a DNF last year.

Perhaps the best-known woman in the elite field is Ariana Hilborn of Arizona, last year's 10th-place finisher in 2:37:28.  She's provided the signature image (above) of the event's 2012 advertising campaign with her exultant, arms-raised finish.

Pates caught up with her HERE.

Yes/No: A Win and a Record for Goucher?

Kara Goucher returns to Duluth this weekend for her first race in her home town in sixteen years. Among her accomplishments since that time: three NCAA Division I titles, a bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships, and two Olympic berths.

Speaking of "berth," the last two years have included not only the birth of her son, but also a change of coach and training group.  On the heels of all this, she has been as successful as ever.  Goucher qualified for the U.S. Olympic squad in the marathon with a third place finish at the Trials in January.

The question of the week...

Yes/No: Will Kara Goucher win the USA Half Marathon Championship AND break the course record of 1:10:00 on Saturday?

Goucher has already run two half marathons this year.  She ran 1:08:54 at the New York City Half Marathon on March 18 and 1:13:05 at the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Portland on May 20th.  Goucher's personal best at the distance is 1:06:57.

The course record is 1:10:00 held by Colleen De Reuck in 2003.

The list of elite women in the USA Half Marathon is HERE.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 6:00 A.M. CDT, Saturday, June 16th. 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 question was: Will six or more All-Time State Meet records be broken at the MSHSL meet on Friday and Saturday?  The answer was yes - there were nine records broken over the course of the meet.  Seventeen players answered correctly this week.  There was a bit of a shake-up at the top of the leader-board and there are now six people tied for first place with twelve points.  The first-place group include Jim Glazer, Ryan Aylesworth, Gloria Jansen, Evan Roberts, Mike Mason, and Dan Vogel.

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

DtB Interview: Jurek Talks Eating & Running

When Scott Jurek won his first Western States 100 in 1999, shocking the ultrarunning world by soundly beating five-time champion Tim Twietmeyer, he rolled in joy across the finish line, shouting “Minnesota!”

Jurek, whose memoir Eat and Run was released earlier this month (read our review HERE), is world-renowned as both an ultrarunning icon – his seven straight victories at Western States were unprecedented and remain unmatched in any race of Western States’ caliber – and a de-facto spokesperson of veganism, having observed a plant-based diet since before his first WS100 win. But he’s also a flatlander – ultrarunning jargon for someone who doesn’t hail from the mountainous terrain that usually favors athletes training for long, mountain-based endurance events.

Hailing from somewhere other than the mountain west is part of what made Jurek’s prowess as an ultrarunner unlikely. He grew up in Proctor, Minnesota, outside Duluth, and ran – slowly, by his own admission – for two seasons at the College of St. Scholastica. But as Jurek argues in his book, his upbringing in the frigid winters and humid summers of the north woods was inextricably linked to his success as an athlete, as well as his becoming the person he is today.

On June 19, Jurek will return to his home state when he visits Gear West in Long Lake for the Eat and Run book tour. You can get more information and buy tickets – as well as order the book – here (http://www.gearwest.com/scott-jurek-eat-and-run-book-tour-pr-9316439.html). DtB’s Alex Kurt caught up with Jurek in advance of his homecoming to talk about the book, his time in the local ultra scene, and his plans going forward.

Down the Backstretch: You tag your book as “My unlikely journey to ultramarathon greatness.” What about your background made your success unlikely?

Scott Jurek: Surprisingly, I didn’t run in high school at all - I just ran to get in shape for ski season. I went to Proctor High School, and the cross-country coach always wanted me to go out for the team, so one season I ran maybe three meets. But I decided I would rather be roller skiing and getting ready for ski season. I definitely just ran to get and shape, and to be quite honest I hated running.

In College I ran two seasons in Division III, at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth. I don’t remember my exact times in the 8k, but I can remember they were pretty unimpressive. I think maybe the best I ran was, like, 29 minutes for 8k. I wasn’t super enthusiastic about running back then either, which is probably why I don’t remember my times. I mean, the baseball coach was coaching the cross-country team, so it was hard to be enthusiastic in that kind of environment. Something made me stick with it for two seasons, though, and it was probably that community with guys and gals at practice. I have great memories of, you know, going to regionals in northern Minnesota in the late fall, but the racing part I wasn’t into as much. If I finished in the middle I was lucky.

DtB: Obviously something turned you onto running after that. How did you get intoSJ: ultras?

SJ: I started to get into ultras right at the end of my sophomore year. That was the summer when Dusty Olson convinced me I needed to run the Minnesota Voyageur. Dusty was the first person who got me excited about running just for running. We would run all these trails outside Duluth, piecing together bits and pieces of different trails, and two hours would just fly by. I wasn’t watching my watch the whole time, which was new. Dusty showed me that running could be fun.

DtB: You’re well-known for your exploits in big races out west, but tell us a bit about your experience racing in and around Minnesota.

SJ: I came back and ran the Superior Hiking Trail 50-miler in 2000 or 2001, and I remember thinking, “I remember running on these trails, but I don’t remember them being so tough.” Going back to the trails of Minnesota, it was tough getting used to them – to the rocky, rooty, quick-changing hills and terrain – after being out west for so long. I was used to smoother, long climbs where you can get into a rhythm, even though I had spent so much time running the Superior trail getting ready for Voyageur.

Minnesota doesn’t have any mountains, but there was something difficult and challenging about those trails. My first experience with a 100-miler was volunteering and watching the Superior 100 even before I thought I would try something like that, and I remember those trails and times people would post. There were no fast sections – no paved or flat dirt – sections mixed in.

(Note: Jurek ran the Voyageur 50, in Carlton, Minn., five times, winning in 1996, ’97 and ’98. He raced the Ice Age 50, in La Grange, Wisconsin, twice, placing third in both 1998 and 1999.)

DtB: The book answers this question more extensively, but what specifically about Minnesota – e.g. rising before dawn to train in below-zero temps – shaped you into a successful ultrarunner?

SJ: I would definitely say there were so many things, and I wouldn’t trade my upbringing for anything when I look back at it, even though I’ve had the opportunity to see some beautiful, mountainous places. But something about Minnesota definitely shaped me – my family, my roots shaped me like they did. I was so connected to the land, having a garden, hunting and fishing, and playing outside when it was 20 below as a kid. It’s amazing thinking back, the hesitance I might have now to train in that kind of weather. But the weather, the connection to the land, the survival instinct and survival attitude a lot of Minnesotans have – you find a way to enjoy the cold temps, as well as the heat and humidity in the summer.

All those things had a part. That’s what the book is about: taking those experiences, people, interactions, bits and pieces and forming them into a life and a lifestyle and learning process that continues. Minnesota definitely laid the foundation for me being an endurance athlete as well as someone who is connected to the land.

DtB: Speaking of that, you’re a well-known vegan. The obvious question is: how challenging is it to get adequate nutrition given your training and racing load? And what advice do you have in terms of handling the financial and time commitment of a plant-based diet for people who aren’t professional athletes, or whose time is otherwise more constrained?

SJ: I would say veganism is not challenging or expensive, and that it’s not what people perceive it to be in that regard. I had the same perceptions, that it’s too hard or too expensive. But after I got into it, I found it’s not that hard. Calorie consumption was never an issue. And some foods are more expensive, but anytime you eat local or organic it costs more. Part of the problem is that in this country we’ve gotten used to not spending as much on food as we used to; it used to be 20 or 25 percent of our budgets. Cheap food is part of our larger health problem.

The real lesson to draw from it is that you have to put an effort to eating whether you’re vegan or omnivorous – the choice is whether you want to put time and effort into cooking and eating quality sourced food. My goal with Eat and Run isn’t to transform the world into plant-based eaters – just to get people paying attention to what they eat, to put effort into preparing meals, to think about what they eat, and think about food differently. It’s really about the long-term view of health. It’s not hard, though you have to put some effort into learning any sort of new diet. But that’s also the fun part of it.

But that said, I’m from northern Minnesota, and I know it can be challenging depending where you are – your average diner where I grew up, for instance, there might not be many vegan-friendly options.

DtB: You’re still competing and still working with Brooks, even though it’s been a few years since you won a major race. I think the biggest question on many peoples’ minds is: what’s next for Scott Jurek?

SJ: Well, I still want to compete for a few more years. But this is my 18^th year going as a competitive ultrarunner. As for competition, I’d like to chase that 24 hour world record [note: Jurek set the American 23-hour record in May 2010, running 165.7 miles], and there are a few more trail races I want to do. Realistically, I’ll probably retire after a few years and just do races for run, and keep giving back to the community.

This year a huge focus has been put on the book – my goal is to get out and inspire people to run, take care of their bodies, etc. In the long term it’s not about the races; they were a way to train differently and learn more about my body. Long term, I want to play an active role in getting out and helping people get out and be active. There’s lots of work to be done with the obesity problem, and educating people about food and lifestyle. And there are lots of ways to be involved.

Alex Kurt is Down the Backstretch's ultra-running contributor. 

Goucher, Abdirahman Lead USA Half Fields

Hometown darling Kara Goucher and three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman headline the startlists for Saturday's USA Half Marathon Championships to be held in conjunction with the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in Duluth.

Goucher, a Duluth native who now lives and trains in Portland, Oregon, was a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and has already earned a spot on the USA marathon squad for this summer's London Games.

Abdirahman, a Somali-born American who lives and trains in Tucson, Arizona, has been a member of three U.S. Olympic Teams and will represent his adopted country at the Olympics for a fourth time this summer, also in the marathon.

Goucher's competition on Saturday will include three-time Grandma's Marathon champion Mary Akor, Team USA Minnesota's Emily Brown, former Team USA Minnesota runner Michelle Frey, Carla Grandt, Melissa Johnson-White, Maegan Krifchin, Dot McMahan, Kathy Newberry, Lindsey Scherf, Wendy Thomas, and Heidi Westover.

Abdirahman will face a field that includes Nicholas Arciniaga, Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson, Matt Gabrielson, Matt Llano, and Josh Moen, Jimmy Grabow, former Twin Cities Marathon champion Jason Hartmann, Zachary Hine, St. Paul's Mike Reneau, Stephan Shay, and former Team USA Minnesota runner Patrick Smyth.

Find the full USA Half Marathon startlists HERE.

Kevin Pates of the Duluth News-Tribune has written features on Goucher (HERE) and Abdirahman (HERE) this week.

USA Half Marathon winners will pocket $12,000 for their victories, from a total prize purse of $82,000.USA Track & Field has announced that two women and two men finishing in the top five in this year’s championships will be eligible to represent Team USA in the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Kavarna, Bulgaria on October 6.

The USA Men's Half Marathon Championships get underway at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday, followed by the women's championship race at 6:25 a.m.  The Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon gets underway at 6:45 a.m. while Grandma’s Marathon begins at 7:45 a.m.

Healthy Finnerty is Back in the Fast Lane

Rob Finnerty, Minnesota's fastest-ever high school miler, got his collegiate career back into the fast lane Saturday with a 5th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Finnerty (pictured, right), who has battled injury since running 4:01.09 for the mile in a post-season meet his senior year in high school, clocked 3:44.53 in the NCAA 1500m final.  The Burnsville High School alumnus ran the final 400m of the tactical race in a fleet 54.36.

Read a nice recap of Finnerty's race, HERE, by the Badger sports media department.

"It feels great," Finnerty said in the story. "I didn't think I was going to win it today with the finish those guys have, but I'm so happy. Fifth at Big Tens and now fifth at NCAAs."

Finnerty plans to pursue an automatic qualifying mark of 3:39.00 for the Olympic Trials at Wednesday's American Milers Club meet in Indianapolis.

Photo by Becky Miller.

State Meet Photo Gallery, by Gene Niemi

Two of the fastest sprinters in Minnesota high school history:  Taylor Anderson of Hopkins (r) won the Class AA title in 11.71; Wensia Johnson of Alexandria (center) was runner-up in 11.83.

Park's Rilwan "R.J." Alowonle now owns both State Meet hurdle records, running 13.88 in 110m hurdle prelims and 36.59 in the 300m hurdle finals.

Phillis Webb anchored Osseo's record-breaking 4 x 200m relay effort.

Farmington's Nadia Lorencz (r) edged defending champ and State Meet record holder Jessica January in the 100m hurdles.

Haylie Zenner of Fergus Falls (#5) en route to her fourth Class AA 800m title over Samantha Nielsen

Eric Gebeke (3) of White Bear Lake defending his Class AA 800m title.

All photos by Gene Niemi.

Class AA Action Resumes at the State Meet

We're back on the scene for the MSHSL State Meet!

Class AA finals action gets underway at 9:00 a.m.  We're waiting to hear if the MSHSL will be posting live results or not today.  (They ran into problems trying to do so yesterday.)

Update:  The MSHSL will not have live results today.  Follow the Class AA action with us, below.

Their coverage would appear HERE.

Independent of the live-results effort, the MSHSL's John Millea will be posting Twitter updates HERE.

If MSHSL-provided live results aren't in the cards, DtB will post post regular updates of this morning's Class AA action ... quick reports on event winners as well as official results to three places once they're available in the media room.

So, if you can't attend today's meet, pull up a chair and enjoy the meet with DtB and/or the MSHSL.

Find today's heat sheets HERE (boys) and HERE (girls).

Follow the meet "live" with us ...

Our coverage today is provided by our presenting sponsors ... TC Running Company and USA Track & Field Minnesota!

The session is underway with Section I of the girls' 4 x 800m relay ...

Moorhead wins Section I of the girls' 4 x 800m relay ... in around 9:32.

Minnetonka wins Section II of the girls' 4 x 800m relay in ~ 9:21 ... official results to follow.

Rochester Mayo wins Section I of the boys' 4 x 800m relay ...

Wayzata wins Section II in ~ 7:52 ... official results to follow.

Girls' 4 x 800m Relay:  1. Minnetonka 9:21.51  2. Prior Lake  9:22.16  3. Wayzata 9:23.96

The girls' 100m hurdlers are on the track!

It looked like Nadia Lorencz of Farmington edged Jessica January of Richfield (the All-Time State Meet record-holder) in the girls' 100m hurdles ... details to come.

RJ Alowonle of Park wins the boys' 110m hurldes in ~14.03 ...

Boys' 4 x 800m Relay:  1. Wayzata 7:52.56  2. Rochester Mayo 7:55.17  3. Eden Prairie 7:55.88

Lorencz was indeed the 100m hurdle winner in  14.36!

Taylor Anderson of Hopkins looked like the girls' 100m winner over Wensia Johnson of Alexandria ...

Girls' 100m Hurdles:  1. Nadia Lorencz, Farmington 14.36  2. Jessica January, Richfield 14.39  3. Casie Pawlick, Totino-Grace 14.65

Boys 110m Hurdles:  1. RJ Alowonle, Park 14.04  2. Jackson Walters, Brainerd 14.46  3. CJ Janu, Spring Lake Park 14.55


Ayuk Tambe of Blaine wins the 100m in ~ 10.78 ... official results to follow.

Taylor Anderson broke her own Wensia Johnson's All-Time State Meet 100m record from yesterday's prelims with her win ... 11.71!

Girls' 100m:  Taylor Anderson, Hopkins 11.71  2. Wensia Johnson, Alexandria 11.83  3. Phillis Webb, Osseo  12.00

Osseo wins the girls' 4 x 200m relay ... will be close to the All-Time record!

Taylor Anderson's 11.71 betters Heather Van Norman's Minnesota All-Time Record (i.e., not just at state) of 11.73!

Girls' 100m All-Time List now reads ...

Taylor Anderson, Hopkins  11.71  2012
Heather Van Norman, Windom 11.73 1986
Wensia Johnson, Alexandria 11.74  2012
Kylie Peterson, Apple Valley 11.79 2008
Kadeshia Fortune, Mpls Washburn 11.88 2003
Denitria Nichols, Owatonna 11.88 2007
Sasha Davis, Park Center 11.92 2010
Vanessa Clarida, Bloomington Kennedy 11.93 2002
Jessica Mittelstadt, Mankato West 11.94 2000
Jaylene Gerenz, Rosemount 11.96 1988

Minneapolis North wins the boys' 4 x 200m relay ...

Maria Hauger of Shakopee comes from third-place at the head of the homestretch to win the girls' 1600m ... from Piepenburg and Scholl.

Girls' 4 x 200m Relay:  1. Osseo 1:40.22 (New All-Time State Meet Record)  2. Stillwater 1:41.76  3. Blaine 1:42.86

Boys' 4 x 200m Relay:  North 1:27.23  (New All-Time State Meet Record) 2. Wayzata 1:28.09  3. Apple Valley 1:28.24

Boys' High Jump:  1. DeAntre Smith, Roseville  6-8  2. Nick Bachinski, Lakeville South  6-7  3. Jamie Crum, Minnetonka 6-7

Riley Macon of Rochester Mayo wins the boys' 1600m ... in ~ 4:12!

Girls' 1600m:  1. Maria Hauger, Shakopee  4:55.88  2. Jamie Piepenburg, Alexandria 4:56.52  3. Taylor Scholl, Prior Lake 4:56.96

Hopkins wins the girls' 4 x 100m relay ... and it looks like another All-Time State Meet record ~ 47.73!

Boys 1600m:  1. Riley Macon, Rochester Mayo 4:12.45  2. Josh Thorson, Wayzata 4:13.61  3. Wayde Hall, Stillwater 4:14.58 ... Macon moved to the front just before the bell and ran away from the field!

Park wins the boys' 4 x 100m relay!

Girls' Shot Put:  1. Maggie Ewen, St. Francis  48-4  2.  Courtney Pasiowitz, Coon Rapids 42-2 3/4
3. Jordyn Thornton, Lakeville South 42-2

Thomas Anderson of Andover leads the boys discus after preliminary throws with 182-5 ...

Girls' 4 x 100m Relay:  1. Hopkins 47.73  (New All-Time State Meet Record)  2. Apple Valley 48.44  3. Alexandria 48.62

Boys' 4 x 100m Relay:  1. Park 42.19  2. North 42.50  3. Apple Valley 42.68

Megan Linder of Cretin Derham Hall wins the girls' 400m in ~ 56.52

Nathan Roese of East Ridge wind the boys' 400m in ~ 47.78 ...

Girls' Triple Jump:  1. Taylor Johnson, Eden Prairie 37-9 3/4  2. Tatyana Pashibin, Mpls Southwest 37-9 1/2  3. Mia Barron, Minnetonka 37-9 ... now that's close!

Meleah Biermaier of Theif River Falls, an 8th-grader, win the girls' 300m hurdles in ~ 43.47.

Boys' Long Jump:  1. DeAntre Smith, Roseville 22-0 3/4  2. Ethan Zeidler, Wayzata 21-10 1/2  3. Dmonte Farley, Park 21-9

RJ Alowonle of Park wins the boys' 300m hurdles in ~ 36.73 ... which should break his own All-Times State Meet best set yesterday!

Girls' 400m:  1. Megan Linder, CDH 56.53  2. Kianna Carter, Irondale 57.07 3. Temi Ogunrinde, Park 57.27

Boys' 400m:  1. Nathan Roese, East Ridge 47.79  2. Austin Salargo, Hopkins 47.91  3. Beau Bofferdin, Marshall 48.49

Girls' Pole Vault:  1. Emily Guimont, Edina 11-6  2. Paige Clements, Mounds View 11-6, 3. Hannah Linder, Apple Valley 11-6

Haylie Zenner of Fergus Falls does it again ... wins the girls' 800m in ~ 2:11.26

Girls' 300m Hurdles:  1. Meleah Biermaier, Thief River Falls 43.48  2. Cassandra Ortberg, Zimmerman 44.29  3. Erin Huls, Rocori 44.59

Boys' 300m Hurdles:  1. RJ Alowonle, Park 36.59 (New All-Time State Meet Record) 2. CJ Janu, Spring Lake Park 37.94  3. Angus Stoudt, Minnetonka 38.49

Eric Gebeke of White Bear Lake wins the boys' 800m with ~ 1:52.00

Boys' Discus:  1. Thomas Anderson, Andover 182-5  2. Bryce Johnson, Champlin Park 169-11  3. Evan Larson, Minnetonka 160-9

Girls' 800m:  1. Haylie Zenner, Fergus Falls 2:11.27  2. Samantha Nielsen, Roseville 2:12.81  3. Stephanie Knight 2:14.56 ... that's three Class AA titles for Zenner!

Boys' 800:  1. Eric Gebeke, WBL 1:52.01  2. Stephen Bruha, Prior Lake 1:53.97  3. Phillip LaVallee, Monticello 1:54.62

Wensia Johnson of Alexandria wins the girls' 200m ...

Looked like Keelon Brookins of Tartan win the boys' 200m ...

Girls' 200m:  1. Wensia Johnson, Alexandria 24.65  2. Taylor Anderson, Hopkins 24.75  3. Megan Linder, CDH 25.35

Boys' 200m:  1. Keelon Brokins, Tartan  22.11  2. Cole Boughner, Anoka 22.14  3. Patrick Mendin, Blaine 22.10

Prior Lake wins the girls' 4 x 400m relay in ~ 3:54.90

Wayzata wins the boys' 4 x 400m relay in ~ 3:18 ...

Girls' 4 x 400m:  1. Prior Lake 3:54.91  2. Stillwater 3:54.92  3. Mounds View 3:58.13

Final Girls' Team Scores:  1. Lakeville South 56.5  2. Alexandria and Minnetonka 49  4. Farmington and Hopkins 40

Boys' 4 x 400m Relay:  1. Wayzata 3:18.36  2. Woodbury 3:21.08  3. Minnetonka 3:21.90

Boys' Team Scores:  1.  Wayzata 81  2. Park 64  3. Minnetonka 55  4. Apple Valley 41 5. North 39

Complete Saturday Class AA results are HERE (boys) and HERE (girls).

Thanks for Joining Us!  That will wrap-up our live coverage from the MSHSL State Meet.  Follow John Millea's Twitter feed HERE for Class A session updates.  Look for complete Class A session results HERE (boys') and HERE (girls'), on the MSHSL web-site, probably around 7:30 p.m. tonight.

NCAA: Three All-Americans for Gophers

After two frustrating days at the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships, the third day was the charm for the University of Minnesota men's squad which saw three athletes earn All-America distinction.

Senior Hassan Mead finished 4th in the 5000-meters, running with the lead pack into the final lap of the race.  He clocked 13:42.53.

In the hammer throw, a pair of Gophers placed in the competition.  Quentin Mege was 5th with a mark of 212-11, while Micah Hegerle was 7th with 209-7.

Read the GopherSports wrap-up of the action HERE.

Find complete results of yesterday's NCAA action HERE.

State Meet Class A Session Underway

Action in today's Class A prelim session of the MSHSL State Meet is underway.

It appears the MSHSL's plan to post live results is unlikely to get up and running today, according to officials.

If is does, the results will be posted HERE.

In the meantime, we'll note the winners of today's finals and any new Class A records as they happen.

Find results of this morning's Class AA session HERE (boys) and HERE (girls).

Brian Blasey of Ada-Borup wins the Class A boys' shot put with a mark of 53-11 1/2.

Danielle Wubben of Central Minn. Christian, Prinsburg wins the Class A long jump with a mark of 17-11 1/4.

Carlie Wagner of New Richland-H-E-G wins the Class A high jump at 5-6.

Eric Miklausich of Duluth Marshall wins the Class A triple jump at 44-10 1/4

Records? ... After a morning session with five Class AA and All-Time State Meet records, we haven't seen any records in the Class A session.

Clare Flanagan of Blake wins the Class A girls' 3200 in 10:44.70.

Blake's Clare Flanagan wins the Class A 3200m.
(Photo by Gene Niemi.)  

Sylvia Zanini of Fulda wins the Class A discus with a mark of 141-1.

Grant Krieger of Blake wins the Class A pole vault at 15-0.

Charlie Lawrence of Foley wins the Class A boys' 3200m in 9:22.92.

Complete Friday Class A session results are HERE (boys) and HERE (girls.


Programming Note:  DtB will be back at the State Meet tomorrow.  If the MSHSL has further problems posting live results, we'll offer "live text" coverage of the Class AA session starting at 9:00 a.m.  We'll see you then!

It's Time for the MSHSL State Meet!

Down the Backstretch is on the scene in St. Paul for the MSHSL State Meet at Hamline University's Klas Field!

Look for live results from the meet, HERE, provided by the MSHSL.

Update:  The MSHSL is working on some technical difficulties with their live results ... stay tuned.

The MSHSL's John Millea will likely post updates from the meet on his Twitter feed HERE.

Update:  John Millea only plans his comprehensive tweeting of winners tomorrow, when all events are finals.

Look for photos and audio interviews with some of today's champions on DtB as the day goes on.

It looks like a great day for track and field!

Until the MSHSL live results effort is underway, here are some quick highlights ...

Class AA Girls 3200m ... Shakopee's Maria Hauger won the much anticipated Class AA girls' 3200m run in 10:28.85.  She led most of the race and powered away from runner-up Danielle Anderson of Eagan (10:35.06) and defending champ Jamie Piepenburg of Alexandria (10:36.95).

Hauger re-taking the lead from Anderson (l) and Piepenburg (r). 
(Photo by Gene Niemi.)

Hear what Hauger had to say about her race here ...

   

Class AA Boys' 3200m ... Wayzata's Josh Thorson won a comprehensive vivtory in 9:06.07.  He led from the second lap onward and won by more than 12-seconds.  Obsa Ali of Richfield was the runner-up (9:18.25) with Wayde Hall of Stillwater third (9:19.68).

Thorson (3) pulling away from the Class AA 3200m field.
(Photo by Gene Niemi.)

Listen to what Thorson had to say about his race here ...



Jessica January of Richfield just bettered her All-Time State Meet record in the 100m hurdles, running 14.32.  (For those of you playing Yes/No ... that's record #1!)

RJ Alowonle of Park has just broken his All-Time State Meet 110m hurdle record, running 13.88 in his prelim.

Wensia Johnson of Alexandria broke Kylie Peterson's All-Time State Meet 100m record running 11.74 in the first prelim heat ... in the second heat, Taylor Anderson of Hopkins also bettered the old record.


Latest ... Official results haven't made it to the media room yet, but we know Thomas Anderson of Andover (shot put) and Maggie Ewen of Forest Lake (discus) won Class AA titles and set new All-Time State Meet Records this morning.  Other winners in the field include Nadia Lorencz of Farmington (long jump) and Lee Bares of Lakeville south (pole vault) ... details to come.

Class AA Boys' Shot Put ... Thomas Anderson of Andover set a new Class AA and All-Time State Meet record with  a put of 65-4 1/4.  Anthony Moss of Big Lake (56-11) was second and Tom Ryan of Lakeville South (56-8 1/2) was third.

Thomas Anderson in action.
(Photo by Gene Niemi.)

Class AA Girls' Discus ... Maggie Ewen set a new Class AA and All-Time State Meet record with a mark of 171-9.  Jordyn Thornton of Lakevile South (144-9) was runner-up; Angela Guenther of White Bear Lake (141-3) was third.

Ewen winds up.
(Photo by Gene Niemi.)

Class AA Boys' Pole Vault ... Lakeville South's Lee Bares won the title with a clearance of 15-6, just an inch short of the State Meet record.  He took three attempts at 15-9.  Jagger Gran of Mounds View was runner-up at 14-6; Keegan Potts of Edina was thrid at 14-3.

Class AA Girls' Long Jump ... Farmington's Nadia Lorencz won with 17-11 1/4.  Tatyana Pashibin of Mpls Southwest was second (17-9 1/2) and Kathryn Biewen of Edina was third (17-7 1/2).

Class AA Boys' Triple Jump ... Park's Rilwan Alowonle, who set a new All-Time State Meet record in the 110m hurdle prelims, won the TJ with 47-11.  Jodan Charles of Apple Valley (46-1) was second; Elijah Campbell (45-0) was third.

Class AA Girls High Jump ... Tatyana Pashibin of Mpls Southwest wins with 5-6.  Erica Dombro of Highland Park (5-5) was second; Madison Ordner of Maple Grove (5-5) was third.

So Much for the Yes/No Contest ... We've already got six All-Time State Meet records ... after just the Class AA "prelim" session.


Back to the Yes/No Contest ... I miscounted, we've "only" got five new All-Time State Meet records .... so far.  (Girls:  100m, 100m hurdles, discus.  Boys:  110m hurdles, shot put.)


Complete Friday Class AA results are HERE (boys) and HERE (girls).

In the Circle: State Meet Throws Preview

Friday morning should provide some fireworks with state record holders and defending state champions Tom Anderson of Andover (shot put) and Maggie Ewen of St. Francis (discus).

Tom Anderson comes into the meet with the 5th best throw in the country (65-8).  Anderson has made it known his desire to be the first Minnesotan to break the 70' barrier.  His father, Colin, was the first Minnesotan to break the 60' mark (Golden Valley, 1969).

The Future Arizona State Sun Devil (Anderson) will have a little stiffer competition in the discus on Saturday.  Bryce Johnson (Champlin Park) comes in with the top mark in the state (183-2).  Looking through the last several years of results, it's a pretty fair estimate to never count out Owatonna.  This year returns Zach Olson (North Dakota recruit) coming in off a season best mark of 164-4 from sections.  

Ewen (172-7) has broken her own state record and comes into the state meet ranked 2nd in the country only trailing current all-time high school record holder Shelbi Vaugh of Legacy TX (191-6).  Ewen will be pushed by a familiar face, White Bear Lake senior, and future Gopher, Angie Guenther.  Guenther has finished second and third behind Ewen the previous two years and comes in the competition riding a season best mark, and US Juniors qualifier, of 154-3 from section championships last week.    


The girls discus competition is extremely deep, with 12 competitors having season best marks over 130'.  9 of the girls competing are ranked in the top 100 All-Time in the discus.

Other names to watch this weekend on the east end of the track:

Ashley Thooft (St. Clair) comes in with the top marks in Class A in both events
Jordan Thornton (Lakeville South) comes in ranked 11th All-Time in both shot put and discus

Programming Note:  Down the Backstretch is on-site at the MSHSL State Meet!  We will be here today and Saturday.  The MSHSL plans to post live results on its web-site during the competition.  Since the live results will make our usual live-text coverage of the meet largely redundant, we plan, instead, to post photos and audio interviews from the meet, most likely following each separate Class AA and Class A session.

Pachuta & Adba: Fast, Disappointed, and Historic

University of Minnesota half-milers David Pachuta and Harun Abda earned unwanted distinction yesterday in the NCAA Track and Field Championships history books.

After running 1:46.62 and 1:46.65, respectively, in the blazing second heat of the men's 800-meter prelims at the NCAA Divsion I Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, the Gopher duo earned the poisoned honor of being the fastest-ever non-qualifiers for an NCAA 800-meter final.

Pachuta, bettering his  U of M school record, finished 5th and Abda 6th in the heat, won by Iowa's Erik Sowinski in 1:46.09.  The Gophers were actually the 7th and 8th-fastest runners in the heats, but the winner and runner-up of the pokey third heat earned automatic berths in the 800-meter final ahead of the Gophers and four other faster athletes.

"Those guys both ran lifetime-bests so I can't fault them at all," Gopher men's coach Steve Plasencia said of Pachuta and Abda in a media release. "It was such a good heat and both ran really strong races. The 800 meters is one of those races where the margins are very fine and today it just did not go our way."

Find men's 800-meter prelim results HERE.

The half-milers were emblematic of a frustrating day for the maroon and gold in Des Moines.  Jack Szmanda, competing on an injured ankle, was forced to pull out of the decathlon competition after just three events yesterday.

Szmanda scored 2,064 points before shutting down prior to the high jump. The junior ran 11.42 in the 100 meters (769 points), marked a long jump of 19-11 ¾ (606 points), and put the shot 43-10 (689 points) before abandoning.

In women's competition, the Gopher 4 x 100-meter relay team of Todea-Kay Willis, Nyoka Giles, Chimerem Okoroji, and Kylie Peterson finished 4th in their heat and a non-advancing 13th overall in their preliminary round.

The quartet ran 44.48, just off their school record mark of 44.32 set at the NCAA West Preliminary two weeks ago.

Find women's 4 x 100-meter results HERE.

Follow today's NCAA action HERE.

Yes/No: Six All-Time State Meet Records?

The weekend of the Minnesota State High School League Track and Field Championships is always a great time to be a track and field fan.  This year, besides the State Meet at Hamline University, there is also the NCAA Championships held in Des Moines and a Diamond League event in New York.  But we will keep an eye on the MSHSL meet with the Yes/No question this week.

It's safe to say that all of the high school athletes competing in the state meet have had impressive seasons.  But we would like to know how many will actually rewrite the record books this weekend.

Here's the question of the week...

Yes/No: Will six or more All-Time State Meet records be broken at the MSHSL meet on Friday and Saturday?

The All-Time State Meet records are defined as the best mark at a State Meet in either Class AA and Class A.  On the heat sheets, it is the record written as "MN All Time."  We are not asking about the separate Class AA and Class A records.  Nor are we asking about the Minnesota All-Time Best marks that can occur anytime during the season.  Lastly, we will not include wheelchair events, added this year, for the purpose of this contest.

Some notable athletes with the potential to break records include All-Time Minnesota High School record-holders RJ Alowonle in the 300-meter hurdles, Thomas Anderson in the shot put, Jessica January in the 100-meter hurdles, and Maggie Ewen in the discus.

Heat sheets for the meet are here...AA Girls * AA Boys * A Girls * A Boys

Apple Raceberry Jam lists Minnesota High School Honor Rolls with the top times for the entire season HERE.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 9:00 A.M. CDT, Friday, June 8th. 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 question was: Will Gabriele Anderson run faster than 4:07.00 at the Prefontaine Meet on Friday? It was tight, but the answer was yes.  Gabriele Anderson ran sub 4:07 for the second race in a row.  This time it was 4:06.77, ahead of World Championship bronze medalist Shannon Rowbury.  Thirty-one players answered correctly this week.  Jim Glazer and Ryan Aylesworth continue to lead and now have twelve points.

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

Programming Note:  Down the Backstretch will again be on-site at the MSHSL State Meet tomorrow and Saturday.  This year, the MSHSL plans to post live results on its web-site during the competition.  Since the live results will make our usual live-text coverage of the meet largely redundant, we plan, instead, to post photos and audio interviews from the meet, most likely following each separate Class AA and Class A session.

Team USA Minnesota Eyes Busy Weekend

On a busy weekend of track and field featuring the MSHSL State Meet and the NCAA Division I Championships, the professional runners at Team USA Minnesota find themselves competing across the continent in efforts to garner qualifying marks and sharpen for the Olympic Trails later this month.

Five Team USA Minnesota athletes will compete on the track this week at the Portland Track Festival in Oregon, the Harry Jerome Track Classic in Vancouver, British Columbia, and at the American Milers High Performance Series in Indianapolis.

Competing at the Portland Track Festival, held Friday night at Lewis and Clark College, will be Katie McGregor, Meghan Peyton and Jon Grey. McGregor will run the 5000-meters as a tune-up race for the U.S. Olympic Trials where she will compete in the 10,000-meters. She has a best in the 5000m of 15:22.

Peyton and Grey will run in the women's and men's 10,000-meter races respectively with each athlete seeking the U.S. Olympic Trials "A" standard. Peyton has run 32:59.11 in the distance and needs to run 32:45 for the "A" qualifier; Grey has posted 28:26.44 and needs to run 28:15 for the men's "A" qualifier.

Heather Kampf will travel to Vancouver to race at the 29th edition of the Harry Jerome Track Classic on Sunday. She will compete in the 800-meters and will be running to achieve the Olympic "A" standard of 1:59.90 at the distance. She has already run 2:00.41 in the 800 meters which has given her an "A" qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Traveling to Indianapolis is Chris Rombough who will compete in the American Milers High Performance Series tonight, Saturday, and on June 13. He will run the 1500-meters at each meet in an effort to obtain a qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials. His best in the distance is 3:44.49. An "A" qualifier for the U.S. Trials is 3:39 and a "B" is 3:43.

Book Review: Eat & Run, by Scott Jurek

By Alex Kurt

“Sometimes you just do things!”

It’s a mantra Scott Jurek repeats throughout his new memoir, released today – a life lesson instilled when he struggled to understand, as a child, why his dad was making him stack wood instead of letting him play with his friends, or when he took on extra chores around the house when his mom’s MS got worse – and understanding this mantra is the only plausible way to understand how Jurek has done what he’s done.

Jurek’s book, Eat and Run, begins with an episode familiar to those who know him from Christopher McDougall’s  Born to Run: he is face down in Death Valley, dry-heaving, unable to move on in the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon. His foul-mouthed friend and crew member Dusty Olson is yelling at him, but he is convinced he can’t go further.

It’s a prelude Jurek will revisit later in the book, which unfolds chronologically from there. He recounts his early days, growing up on a dead-end street outside Proctor, Minnesota, reveling in the escape from a rough childhood in the nearby woods, and ultimately discovering his knack for longer races in the middle school mile and rising through the ranks of high school Nordic skiing. It was through skiing that he met Olson, the slacker and ne’er-do-well who would become an unlikely best friend, and through whom he was introduced to the idea that the foods we eat can be a key factor in our health and performance.

The book takes us through his first attempt at an ultra, at the Voyageur 50-mile in Carlton, Minnesota, where he beat the talented Olson for the first time, as well as through his winter training for his first Western States 100 – any Minnesota runner will relate instantly to his retelling of waking up before dawn to run through crunchy, ankle-deep snow – and ultimately, his experience of winning the iconic race seven times and his exploits at Badwater, Hardrock, and the Spartathlon later (plus his own perspective on the events from Born to Run).

Given Jurek’s quiet, introspective persona, this first-hand account of his peak competitive years was compulsively readable; indeed, much of the anticipation surrounding this book is due to the fact that the man who has had so much written about him, who has been the subject of so much speculation, but who has never been one to talk about himself, is finally telling his whole story in plain terms. In recounting, honestly, his youth, his development into and dominance as a ultrarunner, and his personal life at its highs and lows, it doesn’t disappoint.

Yet the book is not simply a step-by-step account of his life. The narrative is interwoven with introspection and home-spun philosophies, some the result of his experience in the meditative world of ultramarathoning, some the recounting of wisdom ascertained through fellow runners, figures in his life, and long-dead writers. He quotes Gandhi, John Muir, and Japanese proverbs alongside Kurt Cobain and Tupac Shakur. And he weaves in the story of how he transitioned from carnivore to vegetarian, and ultimately to vegan. He espouses the benefits of this lifestyle – even offering vegan recipes at the end of each chapter – but doesn’t preach. It is clear, he simply points out, that it has worked well for him.

Overall, the book reads with the sort of approachability you might expect Jurek espouses in his day-to-day life. It’s humble, honest, and bursting at the seams with Jurek's own doubts about his abilities - whether he was, in the words of commentators, "the real deal." At times, the writing style mimics Jurek’s running form, which is to say it varies in its elegance, but it gets the job done surprisingly well.  

“One of the great pleasures of an ultramarathon [is that] you can hurt more than you ever thought possible, then continue until you discover that hurting isn’t that big a deal,” he writes while recounting the 152-mile Spartathlon in Greece. “Forget a second wind. In an ultra you can get a third, a fourth, a fifth even. I still had 40 miles to go, but that’s a second wonderful thing about 100- (and plus) milers. You can trail, and despair, and screw up, and despair more, and there’s almost always another chance. Salvation is always within reach. You can’t reach it by thinking or figuring it out. Sometimes you just do things.”

Here lies the great strength of Jurek’s memoir: it provides significant life lessons, and draws heavily on running as an analogy for other struggles, but the reader isn’t overwhelmed with the sense that that’s what the book is trying to do. Jurek didn’t set out to be a vegan and win Western States the first time he laced up a pair of running shoes – those things followed. Here, the book tells us a story about running, and the rest – the lessons, reflections, and even vegan recipes  - follows. 

In other words, Jurek just does it.

Alex Kurt is Down the Backstretch's ultra-running contributor.

In the Mix: Anderson 3rd in Pre Classic 1500

With the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials less than three weeks away, Team USA Minnesota's Gabriele Anderson finds herself in the mix for an Olympic berth at 1500-meters after her third place finish in the event at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday.

Watch Anderson in action above.

The former Perham High School and University of Minnesota star clocked 4:06.77, finishing  behind Alice Schmidt (4:05.64) and 2011 world champion Jenny Simpson (4:06.10).  Anderson outran 2008 Olympic Games finalist Shannon Rowbury (4th, 4:07.16) and 2008 Olympic steeplechaser Anna Willard (5th, 4:07.81).

Find complete results and additional videos from the Prefontaine Classic HERE.

Yes/No: Anderson Sub-4:07 at Prefontaine?

Fresh off a personal record in the 1500 at the Occidental High Performance Meet two weeks ago, Gabriele Anderson will shoot for another fast time this weekend on an even bigger stage at the Prefontaine Meet in Eugene, Oregon.  Anderson won her heat and placed third overall while out-kicking Morgan Uceny at Oxy.

Many runners in the 1500 at Pre will be shooting for the Olympic "A" standard of 4:06.00.  The race is billed as the "National 1500" and it features many of the top Americans including Shannon Rowbury, Anna Pierce and World Champion Jenny Simpson.

How fast will Gabriele Anderson run against this stellar field?  Let us know with your answer to this question...

Yes/No: Will Gabriele Anderson run faster than 4:07.00 at the Prefontaine Meet on Friday?

Gabriele Anderson has a personal best of 4:06.46 in the 1500 which she set two weeks ago.  She ran 4:06.77 in London in 2011.

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 9:45 P.M. CDT, Friday, June 1st. 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

In last week's Pick Ten contest, Mitch VanBruggen finished in first with 22 points, followed by Bill Atkins and Jesse Schoen with 20.  Bill Atkins leads the overall Pick Ten standings with 130 points.

In the Yes/No contest, Jim Glazer and Ryan Aylesworth are tied for first with eleven points.

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