Rosemount, Finnerty Stay Atop Class AA Ratings

In the latest Class AA Boys Cross Country Ratings, released September 3, Rosemount retains its top ranking, as expected. #2 Wayzata changes places with #3 Stillwater after beating the Ponies in Marshfield, Wisconsin over the weekend. #8 Edina and #9 Eastview join the top-12 after not making the grade in the pre-season ratings.

Here's how the Class AA Teams stack up ...

1 Rosemount (3) ... were 1st in pre-season ratings
2 Wayzata (Section 6) ... were 3rd
3 Stillwater (4) ... were 2nd
4 Brainerd (8) ... were 4th
5 Robbinsdale Armstrong (6) ... were 6th
6 Willmar (2) ... were 5th
7 Roseville (4) ... were 8th
8 Edina (6) ... were un-ranked
9 Eastview (3) ... were un-ranked
10 Eden Prairie (6) ... were 10th
11 Moorhead (8) ... were 9th
12 Andover (5) ... were unranked.

Also receiving consideration: Lakeville North (1), Winona (1), Lakeville South (1), Owatonna (1), Hutchinson (2), Chaska (2), Mounds View (5), Minneapolis South (6), Hopkins (6), Minnetonka (6), St. Michael-Albertville (8).

Individually, Burnsville's Rob Finnerty retains his pre-season top-rating after his big win in Marshfield. Rosemount's Obai Hussein is the big mover -- jumping from #11 to #4 after his runner-up finish at the Irish Invite. Half-miler extraordinaire Andy Richardson officially joins the cross country fold with a #11 ranking.

1 Rob Finnerty (12), Burnsville ... was 1st
2 Jordan Carlson (12), Rosemount ... was 3rd
3 Mahad Hassan (11)Willmar ... was 4th
4 Obai Hussein (12), Rosemount ... was 11th
5 Tyler King (12), Lakeville North ... was 2nd
6 Travis Beniak (12), ZMKW ... was 5th
7 Pieter Gagnon (12), Mpls Washburn ... was 6th
8 John Holt (11), Roseville ... was 7th
9 Kyle Schmidt (12), Hutchinson ... was 9th
10 Robel Kebede (11), Mpls South ... was 10th
11 Andy Richardson (12), Irondale ... was un-ranked
12 Drew Paradis (11), Alexandria .... was 12th.

Also receiving consideration (not in order) Shane Steele (12) Roch Century, Nick Nygaard (12) St. Michael-Alb., Travis Burkstrand (12) Eastview, Zach Mellon (11) Buffalo, Danny Docherty (12) Cretin DH, Ellis Richardson (12) Roseville, Danny Ducharme (11) Wayzata, Jon-Michael Brandt (10) Winona, Besufekead Shannon (11) Hopkins.

Look to DtB for the Class AA girls and the Class A ratings as they are released.

Labor Day Weekend Results Round-Up

Here's a round up the weekend's results for quick viewing over the holiday. Hope you're enjoying the official end of summer.

Friday:
Irish Invite: Boys/Girls
#1 Rosemount boys win; #2 Prior Lake girls nip #1 Lakeville North.
(See story one post previous.)

Dakota County Meet: Boys/Girls
Lakeville South boys win; un-ranked Eagan girls beat #6 Lakeville South

Saturday:
St. Mary's Invitational: Men/Women
Macalester men, Augustana (SD) women win.

Gopher Women's Intrasquad: Results
Cheever, Gold Team win big.

Marshfield (Wi) Columbus Invitational: Boys
#3 Wayzata boys beat #2 Stillwater, Finnerty wins big.

Monday:
Victory 5K/10K: Results
Lundstrom and Lyons win 10Ks in 30:55 and 34:03, respectively.

New Haven Road Race/USA 20K Championships: Results
Team USA Minnesota's Lehmkuhle 3rd in 59:42

Irish Invite: Rosemount and Prior Lake Win; Carlson, Moraczewski Top Strong Fields

The highly-touted Rosemount boys cross country team -- ranked #1 in Class AA and NTN's Heartland Region -- lived up to their early billing with comprehensive victory at their home invitational today.

The Irish scored 38 points to outdistance #6 Armstrong, second with 85. #7 Lakeville North was third with 117, edging Mounds View with 118. Minnetonka finished 5th with 131.

Prior Lake won the tight battle between the state's top-ranked Class AA girls teams. The #2 Lakers edged #1 Lakeville North 60-63. White Bear Lake was third with 87, followed by Wayzata with 95 and Minnetonka with 112.

#5 Chaska managed only 7th place with 238 points.

Rosemount's Jordan Carlson was the boys medalist, running the two mile course in 9:42. Carlson was followed by teammate Obai Hussein in 9:48 and Lakeville North's Tyler King in 9:50.

White Bear Lake's Katie Moraczewski won the girls varsity race, also two miles, in 11:45. Lakeville North Michelle Volz was second in 12:01; Minnetonka's Emily Meese was third in 12:11.

Full results can be found HERE.

Top-Ranked Boys and Girls High School Teams Open Friday in Rosemount

The Minnesota High School cross country season gets underway in earnest Friday at Rosemount's Irish Invite.

There, the Rosemount boys -- ranked #1 in Class AA, #1 in the Heartland Region of Nike Team Nationals, and #16 in Harrier Magazine's nation-wide poll will host #6 Armstrong and #7 Lakeville North. Chaska, Mounds View, and Minnetonka, which all received votes in the coaches balloting also compete.

In girls' competition, pre-season Class AA #1 Lakeville North will clash with #2 Prior Lake and #5 Chaska. White Bear Lake, Armstrong, and Mounds View are also notable contenders.

The indivudual match-up should be exciting as well. #2 ranked Tyler King of Lakeville North and #3 ranked Jordan Carlson of Rosemount are favorites in the boys race. For the girls, #4 ranked Michelle Volz of Lakeville North -- the defending Class AA 1600m champ -- looks to get strong competition from #5 ranked Meghan Heuer of Prior Lake and #7 ranked Katie Moraczewski of White Bear Lake.

Racing gets underway on the Rosemount campus at 9:00 a.m. Varsity girls run at 10:40; varisty boys run at 11:05. All races are two miles.

Harder's Thoughts ...

To get into the spirit of the cross country season, DtB talked to Rosemount coach Chris Harder about his highly-touted boys' team and the season ahead ...

Your team is ranked #1 in Class AA, #1 in the Heartland Region, and #16 in the nation. Is that a blessing or a curse? What do you do to manage the excitement and expectations of all that?

"We prefer to be ranked first. The guys had high expectations the last few seasons and prepared this summer regardless of our pre-season ranking. No amount of outside pressure is more than what they already put on themselves. This group loves to compete, but also had the willingness to prepare to compete."

"There is certainly a buzz in the community and that can only be a good thing for our sport."

What are you looking for from your team in the meet this week and in early season competitions in general?

"We are looking from a solid effort across the board (all levels) to consolidate our last three week cycle of training. Since it is a two mile on our home course, we want the guys to get out and attack. We don't worry about running any type of pace race, just get out and compete. A two mile time on our course will give a good indication where our guys are at for their quality sessions the next few weeks."

"The competition at the meet is good, although not nearly as strong as the girls field. There are two other ranked teams in Armstrong and Lakeville North. Armstrong has steadily improved the last few years and have a good nucleus returning. LN has a low card in Tyler King and an arsenal of young talent. Plus, Mounds View is always strong despite not being ranked. They weren't ranked last year in the pre-season and nearly beat us at this meet. They should be a senior-laden team, with possibly their top seven all seniors. Minnetonka added Nick Emmans to go with Ryan Bailey. The Skippers have the numbers in the program to put something together. Chaska and Rochester Century could be dangerous as well. Chaska has a meet under their belt already and have some depth. Century has a solid 1-2 punch in Shane Steele and Brian Willie.

Tell us a little bit about the guys on your team -- their strengths, their personalities, etc. And, tell us what makes them, collectively, such a strong group?

"Our guys have multi-sports backgrounds which I feel is a strength on a number of fronts. Jordan Carlson is the hockey co-captain. They should contend for the Lake title this winter. Obai Hussein is a contender to start at point guard for basketball. Chris Massey wrestled last year. Tim Kojetin played basketball many years. Many of our top JV guys are all winter sports guys. They have been in many competitive situations. Their training for those sports provide balance physically and mentally. The traditional third sport for endurance athletes, nordic skiing, is offered at the district level for our school and we have minimal participation for Rosemount kids. One of our top runners last year, Mike Bumgarner, is the only Rosemount athlete ever to qualify for state nordic skiing."

"They also have a lot of fun together off the course. The guys have a strong bond. Cross country is an individual sport with a team concept. I don't think any of our guys would be at their current level without the team. They push each other, have fun together, and don't want to let each other down. That is why what the outside world ranks them has no bearing because they put more pressure on themselves to perform."

Photo of Rosemount boys team members by Brian Fendrich.

Bounced: 45-7 1/4 Lands Marks 18th in Prelims

Four-time USA triple jump champion Shani Marks finished tied for 18th with a leap of 45-7 1/4 in triple jump qualifying at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships.

The mark did not qualify the former Apple Valley and U of M star for the finals of the event.

Marks needed to better 46-7 1/4 -- the 12th and final qualifying mark -- to gain access to finals in the event on Friday.

"It was a fun one," Marks told USATF media staff. "I didn't jump as well as I wanted to. I learned I have to be ready to jump in the first three rounds. I'm used to getting six. This was good preparation for next year."

In her GopherSports blog, Marks went a little further.

"I actually felt great while I was jumping, but am so used to getting six jumps that I just couldn’t put one out there in the first three in order to make the final. I competed against the very best and the competition was tough. Very tough. But the fact is that I had a very successful year and I learned a lot so I am ready to rest and then get ready to work hard for next year when it all really counts."

Marks opened prelims with a 45-4 1/2 leap; she jumped 44-3 1/2 on her second attempt before landing her best mark on her final attempt.

With the result, participation by Minnesota athletes in Osaka ends. Duluth native Kara Goucher headlined the meet for the state with her surprise bronze medal finish in the women's 10,000 meters. Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor finished 13th in the event as well. Minnesota State Mankato alum Jim Dilling finished 32nd overall in high jump qualifying.

Former Team USA Minnesota athlete Dana Coons, now based in Vienna, Virginia, competes in the marathon on September 2.

Shani's Got Next: 47-3 or Top-12 or Bust!

Shani Marks, the final Minnesota athlete to compete at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan faces a basic but challenging task in triple jump qualifying tomorrow:

Jump 47-3 -- a foot-plus PR for the former Gopher -- or finish in the top-12 of the 31 athlete field in the event. Those are the two paths to the triple jump final on August 31.

The top-12 route might be a little less daunting -- 46-3 1/2 made finals at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. Then again, it took 47-7 3/4 -- better than the American Record! -- to make the finals grade at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

Judging by Marks' blog, she doesn't seem to be dwelling on those numbers. She seems to be lapping up Japan instead, as she awaits her event. The four-time USA Champion, whose 46-2 1/2 PR ranks her as the #6 triple jumper all-time for in the USA, does have a way of coming through in the clutch.

If you're an early riser, you can follow Marks' progress live, HERE, beginning at 5:30 a.m. CDT.

If you wake a bit later, say 7:00 a.m., you should be just in time to see results HERE.

If you're not logging on until 8:30 a.m. or so, expect a DtB story on the event posted above this one!

A Kara Goucher Bronze Medal Scrapbook

Since it ain't every day that a Minnesotan wins a medal at a World Championships -- heck, Kara Goucher's bronze was the first-ever for an American at 10,000 meters -- we thought it was worth the effort and the band-width to gather as many mementos of the accomplishment as we could as an keepsake.

Call it scrap-blogging!

Let's start with a photo from the race itself, by DtB contributor Sean Hartnett ...

It's the late-going and eventual winner Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia (412) and eventual silver medalist Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey (904) lead Goucher and former Providence star Kim Smith of New Zealand.

Here's another Hartnett shot -- Sean did awesome photo/video work at my wedding too! -- of Goucher fighting it out for the bronze with Smith (left) and Great Britian's Joanne Pavey (behind.)

Pavey would finish 4th, Smith 5th.

Goucher, according to my very accurate sometime-colleagues at Track & Field News, closed the race with a 16.0 last 100m and a 32.0 last 200.

Her final 400m was 65.2 and the final 800m was 2:15.6.

She clocked 5Ks of 16:30.6 and 15:31.4; her final 1600m was 4:42.6.

That kind of finishing can tire a gal (or fella!) out ...

But, oh, the satisfaction that must come from succeeding on such a grand scale.

There's been a wealth of good print coverage of Goucher's historic feat. Here's a sampling ...

From her old hometown paper, the Duluth News-Tribune

From her college-town paper, the Boulder Daily Camera (with a sweet photo with her USA teammate/husband Adam.)

From her current hometown paper, the Portland Oregonian.

From USA Today.

From Sports Illustrated Online (with a great photo!)

From Parker Morse for the IAAF (with a nice photo.)

There's also video of Goucher's post-race media conference, HERE, thanks to Flocast. (That's our shooter Sean, getting in that one last question!)

I'm told an extended video interview is with Goucher is coming soon. Keep checking DtB for details.

Photos by Sean Hartnett.

Dilling's 7-2 1/4 Doesn't Advance to Finals

Former Minnesota State Mankato high jumper Jim Dilling cleared 7-2 1/4 in the qualifying round of the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan, which failed to advance him to Wednesday's final round.

Jumpers needed to clear 7-6 to advance; fifteen athletes made that height.

The competition was eye-opening for Dilling.

"It's a different level over here," he told USATF media staffers after the competition, "so I'm going to shut it down for the year and get ready to come back for the Trials."

Dilling cleared 7-0 1/4 on his first attempt but needed three tries at 7-2 1/4 before clearing the bar.

The four-time NCAA Division II champion for the Mavericks missed three times at 7-3 3/4.

The full results sheet from the event is HERE.

Bronze Medal for Goucher!

Duluth native Kara Goucher earned a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships today. She clocked a season-best 32:02.05 for the 3rd place finish behind Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba's winning 31:55.41 and runner-up Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey's 31:59.40.

"I've never been in a race so rough," Goucher told USATF media staffers. "I was running in lane 2, but I said that I don't want to fall, so I hung out there."

"We've been training so hard in the heat," the University of Colorado graduate said. "With the pace so slow, I was thinking to myself that this is good for me.With two laps to go, I was thinking that fifth or sixth would be good, but then I thought about running in the sauna suit, and the 90-mile weeks, and the aqua jogging, and I said to myself, 'sprint.'"

Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor was 13th in 32:44.76.

"It was really hard t get comfortable," she admitted, "and I probably should have been more aggressive. I just think I didn't put myself in a position to compete. I got spiked, and I think I started thinking about other things besides racing. I was in the back in the beginning, but when it was time to move up, I just didn't play it right."

Full results are HERE.

There's a fantastic photo of an elated Goucher in the IAAF photo gallery HERE.

Photo by Sean Hartnett.

California Style: End of the Week Loose Items

What's that joke about California? They tipped the United States and all the loose screws rolled there. Well, a lot of loose items in the DtB in-box have rolled to Friday afternoon. To make sure they're not completely lost in the shuffle, here's a miscellanea of news and information -- California-style.

-- Officials at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon announced yesterday that they will add to the number of elite athletes tested for performance enhancing drugs at this year's Sunday events -- the Twin Cities Marathon and TC-10 Mile. TCM will use its own funds to cover the the costs of additional testing. TCM officials tell DtB that an additional 3-5 athletes will be tested beyond those screened by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency because of TCM's efforts. TCM's media release on the matter is HERE.

-- St. Paul Pioneer Press running columnist Bruce Brothers offered his nominations for this year's class of the Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame. (We did the same thing a while back, HERE.) On Brothers' list: Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker, Team USA Minnesota President Pat Goodwin, marathoner and ultra-marathoner Barney Klecker, finisher of every Grandma's Marathon and TCM John Naslund, and long-time MDRA and USATF - Minnesota officer Rick Recker.

-- Jenny Crain, a Wisconsin-based elite marathoner and road racer who competed in Minneapolis last weekend at the Heart of Summer 10K, was struck by a car and seriously injured while training in Milwaukee earlier this week.

A Milwaukee Journal story filed shortly after the accident is HERE. A more recent update is HERE.

-- The Interstate 35W bridge collapse has moved the September 23 Women Run the Cities road races off of West River Road to Minnehaha Park. Twin Cities Marathon officials are still working on the re-designed TC-10 Mile course, also affected by the bridge collapse.

-- The always-interesting Andrew Carlson -- have you heard his play-by-play work? -- just posted a new entry to his journal on Men's Racing. You can read it HERE. He's looking forward to the New Haven 20K and the TC-10 Mile, both USA Championship events.

-- We also recommend Shani Marks' Osaka blog that the GopherSports web-site is hosting for the U of M alum. Marks is enjoying Japan as she awaits triple jump qualifying on August 29 at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships.

-- The start of action is Osaka is less than three hours away as this post goes to press. In the opening event, the men's marathon, last year's Twin Cities Marathon 1-2 finishers Mbarak Hussein and Simeon Sawe are among those representing the USA.

The startlist for the event is HERE.

-- The startlist for the women's 10,000 meters, featuring Minnesotans Kara Goucher and Katie McGergor is HERE.

Look for results of that event early on Saturday morning, CDT.

Lilienthal: " ... because everyone is committed, fun, and balanced."

It's Friday, so in keeping with a little pattern we've established, we'll introduce another new member of Team USA Minnesota to the DtB-reading public. We've already introduced Emily Brown and Antonio Vega, today we meet the third-and-final newbie Michelle Lilienthal.

Lilienthal (pictured) clocked a PR 2:35:51 in finishing 4th at last year's Twin Cities Marathon/USA Marathon Championship. Since then she's placed third in both the USA 25K and half marathon championships.

We asked Lilienthal, an Iowa native and University of Wisconsin grad, the following ...

What drew you to Minnesota and Team USA Minnesota?

Katie [McGregor] was my room mate at the 25K Championships in May and she only had great things to say about the team and running in Minneapolis. Her enthusiasm for the team sparked my interest and when I came to visit in June I saw first hand how conducive the area is for running. Dennis was on the same page as my previous coaches as far as workouts and mileage for marathon training, and the team also drew me in because everyone is committed, fun, and balanced.

What are you hoping you'll find here that will help you to take the next step in the sport?

Being surrounded by runners who are committed to training and working hard. Working with a coach like Dennis and having his guidance during workouts will be a big change for me and a huge advantage. I have already learned about how much support the team receives and I think having access to the best facilities and medical support staff will help me achieve my goals.

Is the Olympic Trials Marathon in Boston next spring the next marathon on the horizon for you, or are you planning one in the fall?

Olympic Trials in Boston will be my next marathon and this fall I will focus on training and racing some shorter distances. I am hoping to race a 20K later this fall in addition to some races between 8k and a half marathon, we'll see how training goes over the next month before making any definite racing decisions.

Photo courtesy of Team USA Minnesota.

Goucher in Osaka: Seafood Hamburgers with a Side of Donuts

If Tuesday was Shani Marks' "media day" -- we noted her feature on Rosen's Sports Sunday on the same day the Rachel Blount of the Star-Tribune wrote a column about her -- then today is, apparently, Kara Goucher day.

The Duluth native -- one of four Minnesotans competing in the IAAF World Track and Field Championships which open Saturday in Osaka, Japan -- is featured is THIS story by Duluth News-Tribune runner-and-writer Kevin Pates.

The Alberto Salazar-coached Goucher tells Pates and her hometown fans that she is looking to: “ ... race the most aggressive 10K that I have run yet, and I would love to finish in the top 10."

Additionally, there's a new post on Nike's "Goucher Blog." In it, Kara Goucher and her husband Adam talk about their arrival and first days in Japan for the championships. As the headline of this post suggests, Japanese interpretations of American cuisine often suffer in translation.

Kara Goucher and Team USA Minnesota's Katie McGregor compete in the 10,000 meter final on Satuday night in Japan ... or early Saturday morning U.S. Central time.

Minnesota State -Mankato graduate Jim Dilling competes in high jump qualifying on August 27.

Shani Marks competes in triple jump qualifying on August 29.

Doug Bell: "I do massage my feet daily .... And I pray a lot."

Chad Austin, the author of the fine Running Minnesota interview weblog and a good friend of Down the Backstretch, offers this interesting look at a masters runner who has made a special impact on Minnesota's record books ...

Doug Bell currently resides in Greeley, Colorado, but he’s no stranger to the Minnesota record books when it comes to road racing. He currently holds nearly a dozen state age records for races ranging from 5K through 25K – some dating back 20 years.

He currently holds two state age records for the 8K, 23:41 and 24:04 at ages 36 and 37, respectively. At the 1992 City of Lakes 25K, he set the half marathon and 25K record for 41-year-olds, 1:08:43 and 1:21:24. Plus, he holds the 10-mile record for 48-year-olds at 54:50.

However, what really sets Bell (pictured) apart are his 5K times. For the ages between 39 and 51, Bell holds five of the state records. At the Hennepin Lakes Classic 5K on August 5th, the 56-year-old set his latest state record by running 16:18. That time bettered Bill Fraser’s mark of 17:12 for 56-year-olds, which stood for over 20 years. It also topped Thom Weddle’s 55-59 age-group mark of 17:08.

Since Bell was born in Minnesota I decided to track him down and ask him a few questions.

What's your connection to Minnesota and how long have to you been away?

I was born in Mankato, Minnesota in 1950. I went to Mankato High School and then Mankato State College. After college, I left the cold and snow and moved to Southern California. That was in 1974 when a left the mosquitoes for good.

What races do you come back for?

I come back to Minnesota for family. If we have a family get together near the time of the Hennepin Lake Classic, I'm a happy camper, because it's an excellent race and a very fast course.

You ran 16:18 at Hennepin Lakes Classic and a month earlier you ran 15:53 in Colorado. How do those times rank nationally for your age?

The national record for my age group (55-59) is 16:05, so the 16:18 time is probably one of the fastest ever and maybe the fastest run this year? The 15:53 I ran in Colorado was on a short course.

What are your PRs?

I once ran a 13:56 5K and a 1:05:44 Half Marathon. At age 41, I once held the Master's records for the 5K 14:36 and the 25K 1:21:44. I set both of those records in Minnesota in 1992.

Are you happy with your current racing? What else do you have planned for 2007?

I'm very happy with my health at age 56. God gave me a gift to run and I feel very blessed to be able to continue with my love for the sport since I started in 1972. My plans for the rest of 2007 are to coach at the University of Northern Colorado. If I can break away from my distance runners for a weekend, I might come back to Minnesota for a race.

Locally, Alex Ratelle dominated the 55-59, 60-64 and 65-69 year age groups. Do you find yourself setting your sites on his times?

I know of Alex Ratelle, but I don't know his times. I hope to continue to run for years and I enjoy coming to Minnesota, so maybe I can set my sites on some of his times. I'm mostly a 5K runner though and I know Alex ran all the distances from 5K to 50K.

I find fast times for you all the way back to when you were 36. Based on other people running similar times, you've seemed to slow down the least over the last 20 years. What do you attribute that to?

The fact that I haven't slowed down as much as other runners is a gift from God. I do massage my feet daily. I get full massages twice a month. I don't run very many miles (about 30 per week), but do speed work about 10 times a month. I stretch daily for about a half hour. I lift weights with my legs. I listen to my body. I try to eat like Lance Armstrong. And I pray a lot.

Did you run in college?

I went to college to play basketball. I got cut right away, so started running just to stay in shape. My junior year at Mankato State, I went out for cross-country and fell in love with the sport. I wasn't any good while at Mankato, but about 3 years after college the talent God gave me started to show up and it's been a wonderful journey ever since.

Photo by Alison Wade.

Gacek, Russell Lead Updated Runner of the Year Standings

Grandma's Marathon 8th place finisher Melissa Gacek of Run N Fun and Human Race champ Pat Russell of GEAR currently lead the Minnesota Running Data Center's Runner of the Year standings after new tabulations were posted on August 18.

Gacek, who has accumulated 62 points based on the rank of her top times in her five best events, leads the Open Women's standings over GEAR's Nicole Cueno who scored 61 points. RNF's Angie Voight has 50 points for third.

In Open Men's standings, Russell leads 81-75 over RNF's Jeremy Polson. GEAR's Josh Metcalf is third with 62 points.

Full Runner of the Year standings can be found HERE, thanks to the diligent work of Mike Setter.

Photo: Russell edges past Polson at the Human Race 8K.

Osaka-Bound Marks Featured on WCCO

USA triple jump champion Shani Marks, who is counting down the days until she competes at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Osaka on August 29, was featured on Rosen's Sports Sunday this week.

You can watch the video HERE.

Marks, who won the last two USA Outdoor triple jump titles as well as this year's USA Indoor crown, is currently ranked #44 on the 2007 world outdoor list in the event with her PR jump of 46-2 1/2 from the USA Outdoor Championship in Indianapolis this June.

Marks competes in triple jump qualifying on August 29. If the former Apple Valley and Golden Gopher star advances to finals, she'll compete again on August 31.

Marks is the lone American women's triple jumper at Worlds.

Also competing in Osaka are Minnesotans Jim Dilling (high jump), Kara Goucher (10,000), and Katie McGregor (10,000).

Also ... The Star-Tribune has a feature story on Marks today HERE.

Photo by Victor Sailer http://www.photorun.net.

Kenyans Sweep Heart of Summer 10Ks

Kenyan runners dominated the Boston Scientific Heart of Summer 10Ks in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Angela Mutuku out-kicked Rose Kosgei for the win and the $5000 winner's check in the featured women's competition. Both were timed at 32:46 around the Lake Nokomis course.

Haron Lagat out-dueled compatriot George Misoi in the men's race. They, too, both clocked identical times -- 29:03 -- but Lagat took home the men's winner's check of $1000.

Full women's results can be found HERE.

Full men's results are HERE.

In the elite women's race, which started five minutes ahead of the elite men and citizen runners, many of the pre-race favorites showed signs of strain before the first lap of the two-lap course was complete. Two-time U.S. Olympian Elva Dryer was unable to keep contact with the four-runner lead pack of Mutuku, Kosgei, fellow Kenyan Caroline Cheptanui, and Britain's Kathy Butler.

DtB readers' poll favorite Tatiana Aryasova of Russia was even further back after the first lap; Jenny Crain of the U.S. dropped out after a lap.

The lead pack, though, held together until late in the race -- and Dryer hung tough just behind it in fifth -- until the drive to the finish. Cheptanui finished strongly for 3rd in 32:57; Butler was close behind for 4th in 33:01.

Dryer ran 33:18.

The top Minnesota finisher was Run N Fun's Amy Lyons, 7th in 33:50.

In men's competition, the lead pack of Lagat, Misoi, compatriot Mathew Chesang, Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson, and former Wartburg College star Josh Moen cruised past the starting line after the first lap in tight formation.

As with the women, a late charge to the finish separated the pack. Behind Lagat and Misoi's duel for the win, Chesang ran to 3rd in 29:07, Carlson came 4th in 29:11, and Moen was 5th with 29:33.

St. John's University senior Kelly Fermoyle was 6th in 31:11.

Update & Correction: Heart of the Summer race director Kris Wirth informs DtB that the names of the top two finishers in the event's women's competition were "inadvertently switched in the results posted by ChampionChip." Rose Kosgei was the actual winner; Angela Mutuku was the runner-up.

Correct results are now listed at the links noted above.

Vega: "... I started to realize how much I was going to miss running and competing."

In the second in our series of short interviews with the newest members of Team USA Minnesota, we chatted briefly with former Gopher cross country all-American Antonio Vega.

After finishing up at the U, was Team USA Minnesota the obvious place for you to begin your professional career or did you look into a lot of other training centers and post-collegiate clubs?

After I was done Running at the U, I was actually planning on attending grad school. I was planning on taking a break from running for a while. About a week after the NCAA meet I started to realize how much I was going to miss running and competing. That’s when I started looking into some running clubs around the area. Team USA Minnesota was definitely on the top of my list of teams that I wanted to join.

I know injuries have been a part of your history. Are they largely things of the past or are you regularly taking precautions about them?

I don’t think injuries will ever be a thing of the past for me or any other runner. I have finally come to a point in my running career, where I can tell how my body is feeling and I just kind of know when I need to back off my training a little in order to stay healthy.

When I talked to Steve Plasencia about you prior to the NCAA 10,000, he suggested you had real marathon potential. Is that the event you ultimately see yourself pointing toward?

I think sometime down the road I will start to focus on the marathon, right now I figure I’m only 23 years old and the marathon will always be there. I would like to give myself at least two more years of focusing on the track to see how fast I can get in the 5 and 10k.

Photo courtesy of Team USA Minnesota.

Rue, Lundstrom Named USATF-Minnesota Athletes of the Month

Gopher pole vaulter Alicia Rue and Team USA Minnesota marathoner Chris Lundstrom were named USATF Minnesota Athletes of the Month for August.

Rue earned the award for winning the Pan American Junior Games pole vault last month as a member of the USA team. The University of Minnesota sophomore-to-be cleared a PR 13-9 1/4 for the victory. Rue finished second in the USA Junior meet in Indianapolis in June to earn the trip to São Paulo, Brazil for Pan Am Juniors.

Men’s honoree Chris Lundstrom was recognized for his 6th place finish in the Pan Am Games marathon. The Northfield High School grad clocked 2:18:05 over the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil course. Lundstrom, who is a member of Team USA Minnesota, is now pointing for the Olympic Marathon Trials to be held November 3 in New York City.

USA Track & Field Minnesota selects Athletes of the Month to honor excellence in track and field and its related sports in Minnesota.

USATF - Minnesota Athletes of the Month for July, which I just now see we forgot to note on DtB at the time, were USA Outdoor Champions Jim Dilling of Minnesota State Mankato and Shani Marks, the former Apple Valley and U of M star. Dilling was a surprise winner in the high jump; Marks defended her triple jump title.

(Disclosure: Pete Miller and I serve, along with Kevin Moorhead, on the USATF-Minnesota Athlete of the Month committee.)

Mmmm ... Delicious Cross Country Mind-Candy

When I put together DtB's recent poll about who deserved the #1 ranking in Boys Class AA cross country, I did the usual things one does to identify the best teams in the state at the start of a season. I checked State Meet and Section results from 2006 for top teams with lots of returning scorers. Simple enough, if you just want eight squads worthy of consideration for #1.

The coaches who voted on the pre-season Class AA poll -- which you can find HERE -- probably did much the same thing. They needed to put a finer point on things, of course, sorting teams from #1 to #12. Perhaps a little math was actually enlisted into the cause.

And then there's "KenA55."

Ken is a frequent, knowledgeable poster on Dyestat's Minnesota Track Talk Forum. This week, he posted mocked-up Section Meet results for each and every Class AA and Class A boys section in Minnesota, plus offered state-wide and State Meet projections for the 2007 season. Ken based his work on normalized Section and State results from 2006.

That's a lot of work; that's a lot of tasty mind candy for the cross country fan!

You can find Ken's Class AA product in THIS thread on Dyestat.

You can find his Class A stuff HERE.

The bottom line -- if that's a fitting term to use with polls and projections done in August for a season that climaxes in November -- is that pretty much everyone thinks Rosemount is the best boys team in Class AA.

DtB readers thought so, Coaches' Association voters thought so, and KenA55 thinks so.

Ken has Rosemount edging Wayzata 85-108 at State, in fact.

I can't wait to see what the bottom bottom line proves to be on the hills of St. Olaf - which I can see from my window as I type these words -- in November when the order of finish is final.

Want to Buy Marcelo Cruz a New Racing Chair?

Two groups are offering ways for interested parties to donate money for a new racing wheelchair for Interstate 35W bridge collapse victim Marcelo Ordaz-Cruz.

Cruz, the 6th place finisher in wheelchair competition at the 2005 Twin Cities Marathon, survived the bridge collapse two weeks ago by swerving his blue van into a concrete guardrail on a steeply tipped portion of the structure.

Charities Challenge, a health and exercise focused non-profit founded by Gary Westlund, has begun a drive to raise funds for a new racing chair for Cruz. Those interested in donating can click HERE for more information.

"My hope is that if we can hit this campaign really well that we may even be able to announce on September 1 that we've raised the necessary $5-6,000 to purchase his new racing chair and arrange to send him for a chair fitting to Atlanta where they're manufactured," Westlund said.

Cruz (pictured racing at TCM last year) apparently softened hearts of the folks at the KQRS Morning Show as well. KQ has also started a fund to raise money for a chair and van for Cruz.

Details of their drive are HERE.

Photo courtesy of Gary Westlund.