University of Minnesota Athletics
2002 Men's Cross Country Season in Review
12/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
The 2002 Golden Gopher men's cross country season had all the elements of a rollercoaster ride. The season was filled with anticipation, had its higher moments and its not-so-high moments and in the end left us wanting anxiously for the next go-around.
The veteran squad entered the season with high expectations. The Gophers headed into the 2002 season with five straight NCAA Championships appearance fueling the fire. This team would accept nothing short of a sixth trip to the national meet as their measuring stick of success this season. Add into the equation the element of experience - that the Gophers returned every runner from the 2001 NCAA Midwest champion team - and Minnesota was ready to take on the 2002 season.
The Gophers season opened with an unusual distance - 4 miles- run in an unfamiliar altitude - Salt Lake City, Utah. The meet offered Coach Steve Plasencia and his charges the opportunity to gage their training against some nationally ranked team in Brigham Young and Weber State. The Gophers placed third with Erik Grumstrup the top finisher in 12th place.
The annual Roy Griak Invitational was next on the schedule and as always the meet featured several of the top teams and individual runners in the nation. Minnesota placed a strong fifth in the Griak, defeating five teams that were ranked above the Gophers in the national poll, including arch-rival Wisconsin. Andrew Carlson posted the first of his many top team finishes on the season with a 10th-place showing.
Following the success at the Griak, Minnesota climbed to 13th in the MONDO National Cross Country Poll, the Gophers? highest ranking of the season.
Minnesota ran only one competition in the month of October. The Gophers bypassed the Pre-NCAA meet to compete in a low-key event, the Jim Drews Invitational. It also gave the Gophers another chance to compete against the Badgers.
The Gophers cruised to the Jim Drews title, collecting 30 team points to 62 for Wisconsin. Along the way to the crown, three Gophers posted top-five finishes. Carlson won the 8-kilometer race, with Will McComb placing second and Ryan Malmin taking fifth.
The Big Ten Conference Championships posed a huge test and the Gophers expected to be among a handful of teams to contend for the team title. The result - a fifth-place finish - was not what was hoped for and one of the more disappointing moments of the season. Wisconsin went on to win its fourth consecutive Big Ten title. In hindsight, the Big Ten Championships turned out to be one of the Gophers? toughest competitions of the season. A total of seven conference teams would earn trips to the NCAA Championships. Carlson provided the Gophers with a bright spot, placing 10th to earn All-Big Ten Second Team honors.
The Gophers went about the business of putting the disappointment of the Big Ten meet behind them by focusing on defending their NCAA Midwest Region crown and earning that sixth straight trip to the NCAA Championships for the Minnesota program.
The Gophers accomplished their goal of an NCAA berth, just in the manner they had hoped. Minnesota placed second in the NCAA Midwest Regional, behind Iowa. The Hawkeyes ran the race of their season in winning the regional, placing all five scoring runners in the top 25. Iowa had placed seventh in the Big Tens just two weeks prior with a large 77-point gap separating them from the fifth-place Gophers. The NCAA Regional was a different story with Iowa winning with 79 points and Minnesota the runner-up with 93.
Though the team's experience at the NCAA Regional wasn?t as successful as hoped, the individual performance of Carlson gave Minnesota fans plenty to cheer about. Carlson won the 10-kilometer race in a time of 29 minutes, 56.82 seconds, the third-fastest time in Gopher history. Carlson was later honored as the NCAA Midwest Region Runner of the Year.
After miles and months of training, the season came down to one race. The goal starting the season was to earn an NCAA Championships berth and Minnesota did so. Now, the final pieces would be placed into this season's puzzle.
The Golden Gophers responded with a 17th-place finish, the highest since 1999 and the second-best showing at the NCAA meet under Coach Plasencia. Carlson earned All-America honors with a 32nd-place finish, becoming the first Gopher All-American since 1984.
Carlson Named Team MVP
Andrew Carlson was voted by his teammates as the team MVP and with the honor received the Fred O. Watson Award. The Fred O. Watson Award is given to the Gopher MVP and honors the former Gopher who was the first Minnesota and Big Ten runner to win the conference cross country race three consecutive seasons (1913, ?14, ?15).
Making the Grade in the Classroom
Redshirt freshman Ryan Malmin was named to the 2002 U.S. Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team. Malmin was joined by five teammates: Mike Bialick, Josh Dobell, Erik Grumstrup, Luke Mullranin and Eric Quam, as Academic All-Big Ten selections.
2002 Men's Cross Country Honors
All-American:
Andrew Carlson
All-Midwest Region:
Andrew Carlson, Ryan Malmin, Ryan Ford
NCAA Midwest Runner of the Year:
Andrew Carlson
All-Big Ten Second Team:
Andrew Carlson
Fred O. Watson Award / MVP:
Andrew Carlson
Letterwinners:
Michael Bialick, Andrew Carlson, Zach Edmonson, Ryan Ford, Erik Grumstrup, Neil Hanson, Toby Henkels, Ryan Malmin, Will McComb, Andrew McKessock, Erik Quam
The NCAA Championships Andrew Carlson ran to All-America honors in leading Minnesota to a 17th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 25. It was the Golden Gophers? highest finish since 1999, and their second-best showing at the national meet under head coach Steve Plasencia. Carlson, a junior from Fargo, N.D., covered the 10-kilometer course in a time of 30 minutes, 29.2 seconds to place 32nd overall. Already earning the NCAA Midwest Region Runner of the Year, Carlson also became the eighth Golden Gopher runner to capture All-America honors and the first since three-time All-American Dave Morrison in 1984. His 32nd place finish was also Minnesota's highest since 1984 when Morrision placed 13th. "Andrew ran solid all year," said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. "He made huge strides all season and it's great to see him earn All-America honors as a reward for his hard work." Top-ranked Stanford placed four runners in the top 10 to claim victory with 47 points, 60 points ahead of runner-up Wisconsin's 107. Minnesota tallied 449 points for 17th place. The Gophers were the third-highest Big Ten finisher behind Wisconsin (2nd) and Michigan (8th). Colorado's Jorge Torres won the individual crown in 29:04.7, edging Arkansas' Alistair Cragg by 1.4 seconds. Matt Tegenkamp was the top Big Ten finisher in placing 12th. Freshman Ryan Malmin was the second Gopher finisher, placing 74th in his first NCAA experience with a time of 30:56.0. Will McComb (31:14.5) and Andrew McKessock (31:36.2) wrapped their collegiate careers by finishing 114th and 153rd respectively. Rounding out the scoring was sophomore Michael Bialick (32:03.9) who placed 191st. Senior Toby Henkels finished 208th in 32:23.6. NCAA Championships Monday, Nov. 25, 2002 National Cross Country Course ? Terre Haute, Ind. ? 10-kilometers Team Results (31 Teams Competed) 1. Stanford 3-5-6-8-25-(33)-(77) 47 2. Wisconsin 11-19-21-22-34-(89)-(127) 107 3. Eastern Michigan 7-12-36-42-68-(137)-(162) 165 4. Colorado 1-9-38-52-90-(152)-(170) 190 5. Oregon 18-30-37-39-86-(125)-(175) 210 8. Michigan 20-24-80-92-(148)-(197) 309 17. Minnesota 28-57-88-120-156-(171) 449 20. Ohio State 48-95-100-126-130-(139)-(145) 499 25. Indiana 59-69-133-143-(168)-(178) 565 29. Iowa 75-109-132-136-165-(188)-(192) 617 30. Michigan State 41-74-149-182-200-(213)-(214) 646 Top Individual Finishes 1. Jorge Torres, Colorado 29:04.7 2. Allistair Cragg, Arkansas 29:06.0 3. Grant Robinson, Stanford 29:36.7 4. Mark Tucker, Butler 29:37.5 5. Louis Luchini, Stanford 29:41.0 6. Donald Sage, Stanford 29:44.4 7. Boaz Cheboiywo, Eastern Michigan 29:46.1 8. Tom McArdle, Dartmouth 29:46.3 9. Ian Dobson, Stanford 29:47.2 10. Edwardo Torres, Colorado 29:47.7 11. David Kimani, Alabama 29:48.0 12. Matt Tegenkamp, Wisconsin 29:49.1 13. Gavin Thompson, Eastern Michigan 29:51.4 14. Daniel Lincoln, Arkansas 29:53.3 15. Richard Kiplagat, Iona 30.00.4 Golden Gopher Finishes 32. (28) Andrew Carlson 30:29.2 74. (57) Ryan Malmin 30:56.0 114. (88) Will McComb 31:14.5 153. (120) Andrew McKessock 31:36.2 191. (156) Michael Bialick 32:03.9 208. (171) Toby Henkels 32:23.6 Ryan Ford DNF The NCAA Midwest Regional Championships Minnesota finished second at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Nov. 16, extending its streak of consecutive NCAA Championship appearances to six. Junior Andrew Carlson continued his successful season by claiming the individual title, covering the 10-kilometer course in a career-best 29 minutes, 56.82 seconds. Iowa won the meet with a score of 79, the Golden Gophers finished second with 93 points. "We ran pretty well," said Minnesota head coach Steve Plasencia. "Andrew had a really big day for us and I'm really happy with the way he ran. There are places where we still need to get better, but the important thing is that we accomplished the goal of qualifying for the NCAA Championships." Carlson's time was the third-fastest in school history, and the fastest Golden Gopher clocking since Dave Morrison ran a 29:45.4 10K at he District 4 Championships in 1984. Minnesota head coach Steve Plasencia holds the school record at 29:26.6, set at the NCAA Championships in 1976. "I took an early spill at the 2K mark, but was able to get up, gather myself quickly and get back into the race," said Carlson. "With about 1K to go, I realized I was in position to win the race and made my move. I was able to hang on for the win. "I was pleasantly surprised by my victory, but I know that the most important race is in nine days," added Carlson. Freshman Ryan Malmin had an impressive performance for the Golden Gophers, coming in 10th place (30:22.45), followed by Ryan Ford who placed 24th (30:37.67). Two seniors rounded out the scoring as Andrew McKessock placed 27th (30:48.64) and Will McComb placed 31st (30:53.44). Both Malmin and Ford ran career-bests. Carlson, Malmin and Ford were named to the All-Midwest Region team, while McKessock narrowly missed the honor. It was the second straight year Carlson was named all-region. On the strength of placing four runners in the top-20, Iowa was able to dethrone the Gophers as region champions and advance to the NCAA meet. NCAA Midwest Regional Championships Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002 ISU Golf Course ? Normal, Ill ? 10-kilometers Team Results (24 Teams Competed) 1. Iowa 5-13-17-19-25-(30)-(54) 79 2. Minnesota 1-10-24-27-31-(34)-(118) 93 3. Illinois 7-12-37-42-55-(63)-(75) 153 4. Nebraska 6-14-40-41-53-(87)-(99) 154 5. Loyola 4-16-22-61-67-(82)-(93) 170 Top 10 Individual Finishes (The top 25 runners at the NCAA Regional earn All-Midwest Region honors) 1. Andrew Carlson, Minnesota 29:56.82 2. Christian Goy, Illinois St. 30:04.10 3. Mike Mwangong, Iowa St. 30:05.62 4. Robert Wade, Loyola 30:06.62 5. Matt Esche, Iowa 30:10.15 6. James Bowler, Nebraska 30:13.44 7. Jason Bill, Illinois 30:15.55 8. Mark Manefee, Kansas 30:16.31 9. Kietil Ramstad, Drake 30:20.24 10. Ryan Malmin, Minnesota 30:22.45 Golden Gopher Finishes 1. Andrew Carlson 29:56.82 10. Ryan Malmin 30:22.45 24. Ryan Ford 30:37.67 27. Andrew McKessock 30:48.64 31. Will McComb 30:53.44 34. Toby Henkels 30:55.17 123.(118) Neil Hanson 32:56.05 The Big Ten Conference Championships Andrew Carlson captured second-team All-Big Ten honors while the Golden Gophers finished a disappointing fifth at the Big Ten Conference Men's Cross Country Championships on the campus of Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., on Nov. 3. Carlson covered the 8-kilometer course in a time of 24 minutes, 27.1 seconds to place 10th and earn his first postseason conference honor. Wisconsin sophomore Matt Tegenkamp won the individual crown in 24:01.9. Wisconsin had five runners finish in the top 10 to cruise to its fourth consecutive team title with 25 team points. Ohio State (79) edged Michigan (80) for second place. Indiana placed fourth with 95, while Minnesota was fifth with 108. "We knew it was going to be a tough meet but we lost a lot of key battles we should have won," said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. "Andrew (Carlson) didn't have the best race of his life, but he hung in there. Ryan (Malmin) ran very well. We just had gaps that cost us." Golden Gopher redshirt freshman Ryan Malmin ran well in his first Big Ten Championships experience, placing 16th in a time of 24:42.5, two places short of earning all-conference acclaim. A pair of seniors crossed the finish line as the third and fourth Gophers, Toby Henkels and Will McComb. Henkel posted a time of 24:48.7 to finish 22nd, while McComb was clocked at 24:51.7 for 24th place. Completing the scoring Gophers was sophomore Ryan Ford, who placed 36th in 25:08.3. Big Ten Conference Championships Sunday, Nov. 3, 2002 Varsity Cross Country Course ? West Lafayette, Ind. ? 8-kilometers Team Results 1. Wisconsin 1-2-5-8-9-(12)-(25) 25 2. Ohio State 11-13-14-18-23-(32)-(42) 79 3. Michigan 3-7-15-26-29-(39)-(40) 80 4. Indiana 4-6-19-31-35-(53)-(60) 95 5. Minnesota 10-16-22-24-36-(43)-(46) 108 6. Michigan State 17-20-28-33-58-(61)-(63) 156 7. Iowa 27-30-34-44-50-(52)-(59) 185 8. Illinois 21-37-38-49-56-(62)-(64) 201 9. Purdue 41-45-48-51-54-(67)-(68) 239 10. Penn State 47-55-57-65-66-(69)-(70) 290 Top Individual Finishes (1-7 earn All-Big Ten First Team, 8-14 earn All-Big Ten Second Team) 1. Matt Tegenkamp, Wis. 24:01:9 2. Isaiah Festa, Wis. 24:04.5 3. Nate Brannen, Mich. 24:06.1 4. John Jefferson, Ind. 24:07.7 5. Wallace Adam, Wis. 24:10.7 6. Sean Jefferson, Ind. 24:13.0 7. Nick Willis, Mich. 24:15.7 8. Bobby Lockhart, Wis. 24:22.8 9. Simon Bairu, Wis. 24:24.2 10. Andrew Carlson, Minn. 24:27.1 11. Dan Glaz, Ohio St. 24:30.8 12. Tim Keller, Wis. 24:33.5 13. Derrick Butler, Ohio St. 24:33.9 14. Aaron Fisher, Ohio St. 24:39.6 Golden Gopher Finishes 10. Andrew Carlson 24:27.1 16. Ryan Malmin 24:42.5 22. Toby Henkels 24:48.7 24. Will McComb 24:51.7 38.(36) Ryan Ford 25:08.3 45.(43) Andrew McKessock 25:17.5 49. Michael Bialick 25:30.3 58. Erik Grumstrup 25:33.7 72. Neil Hanson 26:03.3 The Jim Drews Invitational Minnesota won the Jim Drews Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse on Oct. 19. The Golden Gophers captured three of the first five places and were led by junior Andrew Carlson who won the race covering the 8-kilometer course in 24:28.6. On their way to claiming the team title, Minnesota was able to defeat conference rival and defending Big Ten champion Wisconsin for the second time this season. The 8th-ranked Badgers took third and fourth individually finishing with 62 points, but were unable to catch the 13th-ranked Gophers who finished with 30 points. Running strong for Minnesota were Will McComb, who placed second (24:53.2), Ryan Malmin, who placed fifth (25:07.8), and Andrew McKessock, who placed ninth (25:21.6). Jim Drews Invitational Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 Maple Grove Golf Course ? West Salem, Wis. ? 8-kilometer Team Results - Top 3 (24 Teams Competed) 1. Minnesota 1-2-5-9-13-(14)-(15) 30 2. Wisconsin 3-4-11-12-32-(41) 62 3. Wisconsin-LaCrosse 10-16-21-26-33-(37)-(38) 106 Top Five individuals 1. Andrew Carlson, Minnesota 24:28.6 2. Will McComb, Minnesota 24:53.2 3. Matt Tegenkamp, Wisconsin 25:01.3 4. Tim Keller, Wisconsin 25:03.3 5. Ryan Malmin, Minnesota 25:07.8 Other Golden Gopher Finishes 9. Andrew McKessock 25:21.6 13. Neil Hanson 25:25.5 14. Ryan Ford 25:25.9 15. Michael Bialick 25:31.0 The Roy Griak Invitational Behind the strength of junior Andrew Carlson's 10th place finish, Minnesota was able to claim fifth place at the 17th Annual Griak Invitational. No. 9 Oregon claimed the school's first Griak title and Brigham Young sophomore Kip Kangogo broke the course record en route to defeating the defending NCAA champion Boaz Cheboiywo of Eastern Michigan. Beating five teams ranked ahead of them, including defending Big Ten champion Wisconsin, the Gophers were able to improve on their 17th place finish from a year ago. Led by Carlson's 10th place finish (24:44), the Gophers also got strong races from seniors Will McComb (24:50.5) and Neil Hanson (24:52.3), who placed 26th and 28th respectively. Rounding out the top five for Minnesota were Ryan Ford, who placed 65th, and Erik Grumstrup, who placed 66th. ?It just so happened that I had more left at the end of the race then the rest of my team. On any given day any of us could finish anywhere from first to fifth on the team. Today it just happened to be me,? said Carlson. ?Carlson ran as well as I have seen him run,? Minnesota men's head coach Steve Plasencia said. ?He ran a smart race and was able to come from behind at the end.? ?This race was a baptism by fire for some of the younger guys, but they need to take a step up sometime and this was a good race for them to do so,? Plasencia commented. Oregon ran away with the title with 96 points on the strength of four finishers in the top 30. Eastern Michigan was second with 105 points. Individualr course in a time of 23:38.9, nearly 18 seconds better than the former record of 23:57, set by Jonah Kiptarus of Nebraska in 1996. Roy Griak Invitational Saturday, Sept. 28, 2002 Les Bolstad Cross Country Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. ? 8 Kilometers Team Results - Top Five (27 Teams Competed) 1. Oregon 8-16-19-21-32-(88)-(125) 96 2. Eastern Michigan 2-3-17-20-63-(74)-(76) 105 3. Weber State 22-29-30-41-44-(48)-(99) 166 4. Brigham Young 1-11-42-51-68-(72)-(80) 173 5. Minnesota 10-26-28-65-66-(85)-(129) 195 Top Five Individuals 1. Kip Kangogo, BYU 23:38.9 2. Boaz Cheboiywo, Eastern Michigan 23:47.3 3. Gavin Thompson, Eastern Michigan 24:09.2 4. Adam Sutton, Providence 24:22.4 5. Christopher Toloff, Michigan St. 24:33.1 Golden Gopher Finishes 10. Andrew Carlson 24:44.0 26. Will McComb 24:50.5 28. Neil Hanson 24:52.3 65. Ryan Ford 25:20.5 66. Erik Grumstrup 25:20.8 85. Andrew McKessock 25:29.2 132.(129) Luke Mullranin 25:58.6 138. Ryan Malmin 26:00.8 163. Michael Bialick 26:24.1 185. Martin Robeck 26:39.6 210. Zach Edmonson 27:11.0 226. Erik Quam 28:32.3 227. Ben Hanson 28:40.0 The BYU Autumn Classic For half of the race, the Golden Gophers were running well in their first competition of the season. Then, the altitude difference hit them towards the end of the race, enabling No. 18 Weber State to claim first in the BYU Autumn Classic on Sept. 14. Second place went to host No. 11 BYU. Minnesota was able to edge out Utah for third place. ?I think we got out of this meet exactly what we wanted to coming in,? Coach Steve Plasencia said. ?We just did not make a good adjustment to the altitude, causing us to fade at the end of the meet. We raced against good competition, something we needed heading into the Griak Invitational.? Sophomore Erik Grumstrup was Minnesota's top finisher, placing 12th with a time of 20:39.1 while senior Will McComb placed 14th (20:47) and junior Andrew Carlson 18th (20:50) to round out the top three finishers on the team. BYU Autumn Classic Saturday, Sept. 14, 2002 Les Bolstad Cross Country Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. ? 4 Miles Team Results 1. Weber State 2-3-6-7-9 27 2. Brigham Young 1-4-5-8-10 28 3. Minnesota 11-13-17-18-21 80 4. Utah 12-14-15-19-22 82 5. Utah Valley St. 28-29-30-31-33 151 Top Five Individual Results 1. Kip Kangogo, BYU 19:52.1 2. Teren Jameson, Unatt. 20:15.1 3. Joel Atwater, Weber St. 20:18.8 4. Jeremy Tolman, Weber St. 20:21.9 5. Steve Barrus, BYU 20:22.3 Golden Gopher Finishes 12. (11) Erik Grumstrup 20:39.1 14. (13) Will McComb 20:47.7 18. (17) Andrew Carlson 20:50.9 19. (18) Toby Henkels 20:51.5 26. (23) Ryan Ford 21:08.0 29. (26) Ryan Malmin 21:14.7 30. Neil Hanson 21:15.4 32. Michael Bialick 21:20.4 33. Andrew McKessock 21:25.0 46. Martin Robeck 22:07.6 The 2002 Season in Review
The 2002 Golden Gopher men's cross country season had all the elements of a rollercoaster ride. The season was filled with anticipation, had its higher moments and its not-so-high moments and in the end left us wanting anxiously for the next go-around.
The veteran squad entered the season with high expectations. The Gophers headed into the 2002 season with five straight NCAA Championships appearance fueling the fire. This team would accept nothing short of a sixth trip to the national meet as their measuring stick of success this season. Add into the equation the element of experience - that the Gophers returned every runner from the 2001 NCAA Midwest champion team - and Minnesota was ready to take on the 2002 season.
The Gophers season opened with an unusual distance - 4 miles- run in an unfamiliar altitude - Salt Lake City, Utah. The meet offered Coach Steve Plasencia and his charges the opportunity to gage their training against some nationally ranked team in Brigham Young and Weber State. The Gophers placed third with Erik Grumstrup the top finisher in 12th place.
The annual Roy Griak Invitational was next on the schedule and as always the meet featured several of the top teams and individual runners in the nation. Minnesota placed a strong fifth in the Griak, defeating five teams that were ranked above the Gophers in the national poll, including arch-rival Wisconsin. Andrew Carlson posted the first of his many top team finishes on the season with a 10th-place showing.
Following the success at the Griak, Minnesota climbed to 13th in the MONDO National Cross Country Poll, the Gophers? highest ranking of the season.
Minnesota ran only one competition in the month of October. The Gophers bypassed the Pre-NCAA meet to compete in a low-key event, the Jim Drews Invitational. It also gave the Gophers another chance to compete against the Badgers.
The Gophers cruised to the Jim Drews title, collecting 30 team points to 62 for Wisconsin. Along the way to the crown, three Gophers posted top-five finishes. Carlson won the 8-kilometer race, with Will McComb placing second and Ryan Malmin taking fifth.
The Big Ten Conference Championships posed a huge test and the Gophers expected to be among a handful of teams to contend for the team title. The result - a fifth-place finish - was not what was hoped for and one of the more disappointing moments of the season. Wisconsin went on to win its fourth consecutive Big Ten title. In hindsight, the Big Ten Championships turned out to be one of the Gophers? toughest competitions of the season. A total of seven conference teams would earn trips to the NCAA Championships. Carlson provided the Gophers with a bright spot, placing 10th to earn All-Big Ten Second Team honors.
The Gophers went about the business of putting the disappointment of the Big Ten meet behind them by focusing on defending their NCAA Midwest Region crown and earning that sixth straight trip to the NCAA Championships for the Minnesota program.
The Gophers accomplished their goal of an NCAA berth, just in the manner they had hoped. Minnesota placed second in the NCAA Midwest Regional, behind Iowa. The Hawkeyes ran the race of their season in winning the regional, placing all five scoring runners in the top 25. Iowa had placed seventh in the Big Tens just two weeks prior with a large 77-point gap separating them from the fifth-place Gophers. The NCAA Regional was a different story with Iowa winning with 79 points and Minnesota the runner-up with 93.
Though the team's experience at the NCAA Regional wasn?t as successful as hoped, the individual performance of Carlson gave Minnesota fans plenty to cheer about. Carlson won the 10-kilometer race in a time of 29 minutes, 56.82 seconds, the third-fastest time in Gopher history. Carlson was later honored as the NCAA Midwest Region Runner of the Year.
After miles and months of training, the season came down to one race. The goal starting the season was to earn an NCAA Championships berth and Minnesota did so. Now, the final pieces would be placed into this season's puzzle.
The Golden Gophers responded with a 17th-place finish, the highest since 1999 and the second-best showing at the NCAA meet under Coach Plasencia. Carlson earned All-America honors with a 32nd-place finish, becoming the first Gopher All-American since 1984.
Carlson Named Team MVP
Andrew Carlson was voted by his teammates as the team MVP and with the honor received the Fred O. Watson Award. The Fred O. Watson Award is given to the Gopher MVP and honors the former Gopher who was the first Minnesota and Big Ten runner to win the conference cross country race three consecutive seasons (1913, ?14, ?15).
Making the Grade in the Classroom
Redshirt freshman Ryan Malmin was named to the 2002 U.S. Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team. Malmin was joined by five teammates: Mike Bialick, Josh Dobell, Erik Grumstrup, Luke Mullranin and Eric Quam, as Academic All-Big Ten selections.
2002 Men's Cross Country Honors
All-American:
Andrew Carlson
All-Midwest Region:
Andrew Carlson, Ryan Malmin, Ryan Ford
NCAA Midwest Runner of the Year:
Andrew Carlson
All-Big Ten Second Team:
Andrew Carlson
Fred O. Watson Award / MVP:
Andrew Carlson
Letterwinners:
Michael Bialick, Andrew Carlson, Zach Edmonson, Ryan Ford, Erik Grumstrup, Neil Hanson, Toby Henkels, Ryan Malmin, Will McComb, Andrew McKessock, Erik Quam
The NCAA Championships Andrew Carlson ran to All-America honors in leading Minnesota to a 17th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 25. It was the Golden Gophers? highest finish since 1999, and their second-best showing at the national meet under head coach Steve Plasencia. Carlson, a junior from Fargo, N.D., covered the 10-kilometer course in a time of 30 minutes, 29.2 seconds to place 32nd overall. Already earning the NCAA Midwest Region Runner of the Year, Carlson also became the eighth Golden Gopher runner to capture All-America honors and the first since three-time All-American Dave Morrison in 1984. His 32nd place finish was also Minnesota's highest since 1984 when Morrision placed 13th. "Andrew ran solid all year," said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. "He made huge strides all season and it's great to see him earn All-America honors as a reward for his hard work." Top-ranked Stanford placed four runners in the top 10 to claim victory with 47 points, 60 points ahead of runner-up Wisconsin's 107. Minnesota tallied 449 points for 17th place. The Gophers were the third-highest Big Ten finisher behind Wisconsin (2nd) and Michigan (8th). Colorado's Jorge Torres won the individual crown in 29:04.7, edging Arkansas' Alistair Cragg by 1.4 seconds. Matt Tegenkamp was the top Big Ten finisher in placing 12th. Freshman Ryan Malmin was the second Gopher finisher, placing 74th in his first NCAA experience with a time of 30:56.0. Will McComb (31:14.5) and Andrew McKessock (31:36.2) wrapped their collegiate careers by finishing 114th and 153rd respectively. Rounding out the scoring was sophomore Michael Bialick (32:03.9) who placed 191st. Senior Toby Henkels finished 208th in 32:23.6. NCAA Championships Monday, Nov. 25, 2002 National Cross Country Course ? Terre Haute, Ind. ? 10-kilometers Team Results (31 Teams Competed) 1. Stanford 3-5-6-8-25-(33)-(77) 47 2. Wisconsin 11-19-21-22-34-(89)-(127) 107 3. Eastern Michigan 7-12-36-42-68-(137)-(162) 165 4. Colorado 1-9-38-52-90-(152)-(170) 190 5. Oregon 18-30-37-39-86-(125)-(175) 210 8. Michigan 20-24-80-92-(148)-(197) 309 17. Minnesota 28-57-88-120-156-(171) 449 20. Ohio State 48-95-100-126-130-(139)-(145) 499 25. Indiana 59-69-133-143-(168)-(178) 565 29. Iowa 75-109-132-136-165-(188)-(192) 617 30. Michigan State 41-74-149-182-200-(213)-(214) 646 Top Individual Finishes 1. Jorge Torres, Colorado 29:04.7 2. Allistair Cragg, Arkansas 29:06.0 3. Grant Robinson, Stanford 29:36.7 4. Mark Tucker, Butler 29:37.5 5. Louis Luchini, Stanford 29:41.0 6. Donald Sage, Stanford 29:44.4 7. Boaz Cheboiywo, Eastern Michigan 29:46.1 8. Tom McArdle, Dartmouth 29:46.3 9. Ian Dobson, Stanford 29:47.2 10. Edwardo Torres, Colorado 29:47.7 11. David Kimani, Alabama 29:48.0 12. Matt Tegenkamp, Wisconsin 29:49.1 13. Gavin Thompson, Eastern Michigan 29:51.4 14. Daniel Lincoln, Arkansas 29:53.3 15. Richard Kiplagat, Iona 30.00.4 Golden Gopher Finishes 32. (28) Andrew Carlson 30:29.2 74. (57) Ryan Malmin 30:56.0 114. (88) Will McComb 31:14.5 153. (120) Andrew McKessock 31:36.2 191. (156) Michael Bialick 32:03.9 208. (171) Toby Henkels 32:23.6 Ryan Ford DNF The NCAA Midwest Regional Championships Minnesota finished second at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Nov. 16, extending its streak of consecutive NCAA Championship appearances to six. Junior Andrew Carlson continued his successful season by claiming the individual title, covering the 10-kilometer course in a career-best 29 minutes, 56.82 seconds. Iowa won the meet with a score of 79, the Golden Gophers finished second with 93 points. "We ran pretty well," said Minnesota head coach Steve Plasencia. "Andrew had a really big day for us and I'm really happy with the way he ran. There are places where we still need to get better, but the important thing is that we accomplished the goal of qualifying for the NCAA Championships." Carlson's time was the third-fastest in school history, and the fastest Golden Gopher clocking since Dave Morrison ran a 29:45.4 10K at he District 4 Championships in 1984. Minnesota head coach Steve Plasencia holds the school record at 29:26.6, set at the NCAA Championships in 1976. "I took an early spill at the 2K mark, but was able to get up, gather myself quickly and get back into the race," said Carlson. "With about 1K to go, I realized I was in position to win the race and made my move. I was able to hang on for the win. "I was pleasantly surprised by my victory, but I know that the most important race is in nine days," added Carlson. Freshman Ryan Malmin had an impressive performance for the Golden Gophers, coming in 10th place (30:22.45), followed by Ryan Ford who placed 24th (30:37.67). Two seniors rounded out the scoring as Andrew McKessock placed 27th (30:48.64) and Will McComb placed 31st (30:53.44). Both Malmin and Ford ran career-bests. Carlson, Malmin and Ford were named to the All-Midwest Region team, while McKessock narrowly missed the honor. It was the second straight year Carlson was named all-region. On the strength of placing four runners in the top-20, Iowa was able to dethrone the Gophers as region champions and advance to the NCAA meet. NCAA Midwest Regional Championships Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002 ISU Golf Course ? Normal, Ill ? 10-kilometers Team Results (24 Teams Competed) 1. Iowa 5-13-17-19-25-(30)-(54) 79 2. Minnesota 1-10-24-27-31-(34)-(118) 93 3. Illinois 7-12-37-42-55-(63)-(75) 153 4. Nebraska 6-14-40-41-53-(87)-(99) 154 5. Loyola 4-16-22-61-67-(82)-(93) 170 Top 10 Individual Finishes (The top 25 runners at the NCAA Regional earn All-Midwest Region honors) 1. Andrew Carlson, Minnesota 29:56.82 2. Christian Goy, Illinois St. 30:04.10 3. Mike Mwangong, Iowa St. 30:05.62 4. Robert Wade, Loyola 30:06.62 5. Matt Esche, Iowa 30:10.15 6. James Bowler, Nebraska 30:13.44 7. Jason Bill, Illinois 30:15.55 8. Mark Manefee, Kansas 30:16.31 9. Kietil Ramstad, Drake 30:20.24 10. Ryan Malmin, Minnesota 30:22.45 Golden Gopher Finishes 1. Andrew Carlson 29:56.82 10. Ryan Malmin 30:22.45 24. Ryan Ford 30:37.67 27. Andrew McKessock 30:48.64 31. Will McComb 30:53.44 34. Toby Henkels 30:55.17 123.(118) Neil Hanson 32:56.05 The Big Ten Conference Championships Andrew Carlson captured second-team All-Big Ten honors while the Golden Gophers finished a disappointing fifth at the Big Ten Conference Men's Cross Country Championships on the campus of Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., on Nov. 3. Carlson covered the 8-kilometer course in a time of 24 minutes, 27.1 seconds to place 10th and earn his first postseason conference honor. Wisconsin sophomore Matt Tegenkamp won the individual crown in 24:01.9. Wisconsin had five runners finish in the top 10 to cruise to its fourth consecutive team title with 25 team points. Ohio State (79) edged Michigan (80) for second place. Indiana placed fourth with 95, while Minnesota was fifth with 108. "We knew it was going to be a tough meet but we lost a lot of key battles we should have won," said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. "Andrew (Carlson) didn't have the best race of his life, but he hung in there. Ryan (Malmin) ran very well. We just had gaps that cost us." Golden Gopher redshirt freshman Ryan Malmin ran well in his first Big Ten Championships experience, placing 16th in a time of 24:42.5, two places short of earning all-conference acclaim. A pair of seniors crossed the finish line as the third and fourth Gophers, Toby Henkels and Will McComb. Henkel posted a time of 24:48.7 to finish 22nd, while McComb was clocked at 24:51.7 for 24th place. Completing the scoring Gophers was sophomore Ryan Ford, who placed 36th in 25:08.3. Big Ten Conference Championships Sunday, Nov. 3, 2002 Varsity Cross Country Course ? West Lafayette, Ind. ? 8-kilometers Team Results 1. Wisconsin 1-2-5-8-9-(12)-(25) 25 2. Ohio State 11-13-14-18-23-(32)-(42) 79 3. Michigan 3-7-15-26-29-(39)-(40) 80 4. Indiana 4-6-19-31-35-(53)-(60) 95 5. Minnesota 10-16-22-24-36-(43)-(46) 108 6. Michigan State 17-20-28-33-58-(61)-(63) 156 7. Iowa 27-30-34-44-50-(52)-(59) 185 8. Illinois 21-37-38-49-56-(62)-(64) 201 9. Purdue 41-45-48-51-54-(67)-(68) 239 10. Penn State 47-55-57-65-66-(69)-(70) 290 Top Individual Finishes (1-7 earn All-Big Ten First Team, 8-14 earn All-Big Ten Second Team) 1. Matt Tegenkamp, Wis. 24:01:9 2. Isaiah Festa, Wis. 24:04.5 3. Nate Brannen, Mich. 24:06.1 4. John Jefferson, Ind. 24:07.7 5. Wallace Adam, Wis. 24:10.7 6. Sean Jefferson, Ind. 24:13.0 7. Nick Willis, Mich. 24:15.7 8. Bobby Lockhart, Wis. 24:22.8 9. Simon Bairu, Wis. 24:24.2 10. Andrew Carlson, Minn. 24:27.1 11. Dan Glaz, Ohio St. 24:30.8 12. Tim Keller, Wis. 24:33.5 13. Derrick Butler, Ohio St. 24:33.9 14. Aaron Fisher, Ohio St. 24:39.6 Golden Gopher Finishes 10. Andrew Carlson 24:27.1 16. Ryan Malmin 24:42.5 22. Toby Henkels 24:48.7 24. Will McComb 24:51.7 38.(36) Ryan Ford 25:08.3 45.(43) Andrew McKessock 25:17.5 49. Michael Bialick 25:30.3 58. Erik Grumstrup 25:33.7 72. Neil Hanson 26:03.3 The Jim Drews Invitational Minnesota won the Jim Drews Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse on Oct. 19. The Golden Gophers captured three of the first five places and were led by junior Andrew Carlson who won the race covering the 8-kilometer course in 24:28.6. On their way to claiming the team title, Minnesota was able to defeat conference rival and defending Big Ten champion Wisconsin for the second time this season. The 8th-ranked Badgers took third and fourth individually finishing with 62 points, but were unable to catch the 13th-ranked Gophers who finished with 30 points. Running strong for Minnesota were Will McComb, who placed second (24:53.2), Ryan Malmin, who placed fifth (25:07.8), and Andrew McKessock, who placed ninth (25:21.6). Jim Drews Invitational Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 Maple Grove Golf Course ? West Salem, Wis. ? 8-kilometer Team Results - Top 3 (24 Teams Competed) 1. Minnesota 1-2-5-9-13-(14)-(15) 30 2. Wisconsin 3-4-11-12-32-(41) 62 3. Wisconsin-LaCrosse 10-16-21-26-33-(37)-(38) 106 Top Five individuals 1. Andrew Carlson, Minnesota 24:28.6 2. Will McComb, Minnesota 24:53.2 3. Matt Tegenkamp, Wisconsin 25:01.3 4. Tim Keller, Wisconsin 25:03.3 5. Ryan Malmin, Minnesota 25:07.8 Other Golden Gopher Finishes 9. Andrew McKessock 25:21.6 13. Neil Hanson 25:25.5 14. Ryan Ford 25:25.9 15. Michael Bialick 25:31.0 The Roy Griak Invitational Behind the strength of junior Andrew Carlson's 10th place finish, Minnesota was able to claim fifth place at the 17th Annual Griak Invitational. No. 9 Oregon claimed the school's first Griak title and Brigham Young sophomore Kip Kangogo broke the course record en route to defeating the defending NCAA champion Boaz Cheboiywo of Eastern Michigan. Beating five teams ranked ahead of them, including defending Big Ten champion Wisconsin, the Gophers were able to improve on their 17th place finish from a year ago. Led by Carlson's 10th place finish (24:44), the Gophers also got strong races from seniors Will McComb (24:50.5) and Neil Hanson (24:52.3), who placed 26th and 28th respectively. Rounding out the top five for Minnesota were Ryan Ford, who placed 65th, and Erik Grumstrup, who placed 66th. ?It just so happened that I had more left at the end of the race then the rest of my team. On any given day any of us could finish anywhere from first to fifth on the team. Today it just happened to be me,? said Carlson. ?Carlson ran as well as I have seen him run,? Minnesota men's head coach Steve Plasencia said. ?He ran a smart race and was able to come from behind at the end.? ?This race was a baptism by fire for some of the younger guys, but they need to take a step up sometime and this was a good race for them to do so,? Plasencia commented. Oregon ran away with the title with 96 points on the strength of four finishers in the top 30. Eastern Michigan was second with 105 points. Individualr course in a time of 23:38.9, nearly 18 seconds better than the former record of 23:57, set by Jonah Kiptarus of Nebraska in 1996. Roy Griak Invitational Saturday, Sept. 28, 2002 Les Bolstad Cross Country Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. ? 8 Kilometers Team Results - Top Five (27 Teams Competed) 1. Oregon 8-16-19-21-32-(88)-(125) 96 2. Eastern Michigan 2-3-17-20-63-(74)-(76) 105 3. Weber State 22-29-30-41-44-(48)-(99) 166 4. Brigham Young 1-11-42-51-68-(72)-(80) 173 5. Minnesota 10-26-28-65-66-(85)-(129) 195 Top Five Individuals 1. Kip Kangogo, BYU 23:38.9 2. Boaz Cheboiywo, Eastern Michigan 23:47.3 3. Gavin Thompson, Eastern Michigan 24:09.2 4. Adam Sutton, Providence 24:22.4 5. Christopher Toloff, Michigan St. 24:33.1 Golden Gopher Finishes 10. Andrew Carlson 24:44.0 26. Will McComb 24:50.5 28. Neil Hanson 24:52.3 65. Ryan Ford 25:20.5 66. Erik Grumstrup 25:20.8 85. Andrew McKessock 25:29.2 132.(129) Luke Mullranin 25:58.6 138. Ryan Malmin 26:00.8 163. Michael Bialick 26:24.1 185. Martin Robeck 26:39.6 210. Zach Edmonson 27:11.0 226. Erik Quam 28:32.3 227. Ben Hanson 28:40.0 The BYU Autumn Classic For half of the race, the Golden Gophers were running well in their first competition of the season. Then, the altitude difference hit them towards the end of the race, enabling No. 18 Weber State to claim first in the BYU Autumn Classic on Sept. 14. Second place went to host No. 11 BYU. Minnesota was able to edge out Utah for third place. ?I think we got out of this meet exactly what we wanted to coming in,? Coach Steve Plasencia said. ?We just did not make a good adjustment to the altitude, causing us to fade at the end of the meet. We raced against good competition, something we needed heading into the Griak Invitational.? Sophomore Erik Grumstrup was Minnesota's top finisher, placing 12th with a time of 20:39.1 while senior Will McComb placed 14th (20:47) and junior Andrew Carlson 18th (20:50) to round out the top three finishers on the team. BYU Autumn Classic Saturday, Sept. 14, 2002 Les Bolstad Cross Country Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. ? 4 Miles Team Results 1. Weber State 2-3-6-7-9 27 2. Brigham Young 1-4-5-8-10 28 3. Minnesota 11-13-17-18-21 80 4. Utah 12-14-15-19-22 82 5. Utah Valley St. 28-29-30-31-33 151 Top Five Individual Results 1. Kip Kangogo, BYU 19:52.1 2. Teren Jameson, Unatt. 20:15.1 3. Joel Atwater, Weber St. 20:18.8 4. Jeremy Tolman, Weber St. 20:21.9 5. Steve Barrus, BYU 20:22.3 Golden Gopher Finishes 12. (11) Erik Grumstrup 20:39.1 14. (13) Will McComb 20:47.7 18. (17) Andrew Carlson 20:50.9 19. (18) Toby Henkels 20:51.5 26. (23) Ryan Ford 21:08.0 29. (26) Ryan Malmin 21:14.7 30. Neil Hanson 21:15.4 32. Michael Bialick 21:20.4 33. Andrew McKessock 21:25.0 46. Martin Robeck 22:07.6
Players Mentioned
