University of Minnesota Athletics
2002 Season in Review
12/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
The 2002 Minnesota women's cross country season goes into the history books with an asterisk, not an exclamation point. From day one of the season to the final meet, the Golden Gophers were hampered by several key injuries. Three runners who were expected to contend for the top seven missed the entire season due to injuries. Others battled nagging injuries and competed but were unable to go 100 percent. The result was a sixth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a fifth-place showing at the NCAA Regional Championships. With that regional finish, the Gophers saw their streak of trips to the NCAA Championships end at five consecutive seasons.
The highlights for the Gophers in 2002 were the performances of junior Darja Vasiljeva and a number of young and improving runners. With the experience gained in 2002, watch out for this Golden Gopher squad if they head into 2003 healthy and ready to go.
The 2002 season opened with the running of the annual Memorial ?OZ? Run and a meeting with border rival Wisconsin. Vasiljeva started her season-long streak of finishing as the Golden Gophers? top runner with a fifth-place finish. Wisconsin defeated Minnesota by a 18-40 count, but freshmen Carly Emil and Jen Hess served notice that they would be major players on this year's Gopher squad. Emil and Hess were the third and fourth Minnesota finishers. The emergence of this young talent helps ease the news that Lisa Dyer, Anita Menden and Emily Brown would lost for the season with injuries.
The Gophers? youth showed in the annual running of the Roy Griak Invitational. Minnesota placed 11th as a team. Vasiljeva finished 10th to pace the way. The Gophers struggled to close the gap between their top runners, but saw its youthful depth begin to take shape. Sophomore Paula Hoffert and freshman Lauren Williams made strong bids toward climbing into the Gophers? top seven.
The Iowa State Invitational was a 4-kilometer race that turned out to be a training run for the Gophers. Minnesota placed six runners in the top 10 finishers, led by Vasiljeva. Vasiljeva was named the Big Ten Runner of the Week for her victory.
The Gophers competed at two locations on Oct. 19, with the top 12 runners competing at the Pre-NCAA Meet, while others ran at the Tori Neubauer Invitational. Minnesota placed 15th at the Pre-NCAA Meet with Vasiljeva finishing 18th. The Gophers finished fourth in the Tori Neubauer Invite and were led by Christine Harper's 13th-place finish.
Minnesota hosted a small meet, the Minnesota Open, prior the championship portion of its season. While resting their top runners for the Big Ten meet, the Gophers that did compete tallied a perfect team score of 15 points. Krista Anderson won the 5-kilometer race followed by Allison Mumbleau, Amy Lindner, Harper and Annie Wells.
The Gophers traveled to Purdue for the Big Ten Championships and battled to a sixth-place team showing. Vasiljeva, however, ran to one of the top individual finishes in Gopher history, placing third and earning All-Big Ten First Team honors.
Vasiljeva continued her exceptional individual performances by placing fifth at the NCAA Midwest Regional and earning a trip to her third consecutive NCAA Championships. The team, however, did not fare as well, placing fifth and seeing of its season as a team.
The Gophers? most valuable runner as voted on by her teammates, Vasiljeva closed the 2002 women's cross country season with an 87th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
With the 2002 season in the books, one can take an optimistic look toward the 2003 season. A total of 10 letterwinners will grace the Gopher roster.
Gophers Successful in Classroom
The Minnesota women's cross country team and junior Darja Vasiljeva were accorded Academic All-America honors by USA Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches.
The Golden Gophers were recognized as an All-Academic Cross Country Team With Distinction after compiling a team grade point average of 3.38 in the fall of 2002. Leading the squad to its impressive team GPA were eight Gophers who were selected as Academic All-Big Ten honorees: Laura Bjork, Jill Field, Kristine Hartmark, Sarah Hesser, Paula Hoffert, Kimberly Magee, Zoe Nagell and Vasiljeva.
Vasiljeva was one of 43 student-athletes to earn Academic All-America honors. To be eligible, the athlete must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.25, be a sophomore, junior or senior and either earned NCAA All-America honors or placed in the top 10 percent of their NCAA regional meet. Vasiljeva placed fifth in the NCAA Midwest Regional and went on to place 87th at the NCAA Championships last fall. She owns a 3.63 GPA majoring in African-American Studies.
Vasiljeva Runs Record Time at Midwest Regional
Darja Vasiljeva ran the fastest 6-kilometer time in school history en route to a fifth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. Her time of 20:49.77 smashed the old record she already held of 20:54.0 set at the 2000 NCAA Midwest Regional. Vasiljeva earned All-Midwest Region honors for her effort.
2002 Team Awards
Junior Darja Vasiljeva was voted by her teammates as the Golden Gophers? team MVP. Following are the team awards for the 2002 season:
MVP ? Darja Vasiljeva
Rookie of the Year ? (Co-) Carly Emil, Jen Hess
Most Improved Award ? (Co-) Zoe Nagell, Paula Hoffert
Tough As Nails Award ? Jill Field
Blue Collar Award ? Kimberly Magee
Coaches? Award ? Anita Menden
Team Captains ? Anita Menden, Jill Field, Kristine Hartmark
The NCAA Championships
Junior Darja Vasiljeva placed 87th at the NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Championships, run in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 25 Vasiljeva was the only Golden Gopher to compete in the event. Vasiljeva completed the 6-kilometer course in a time of 21 minutes, 10.7 seconds. She has competed in the NCAA Championships in each year of her Minnesota career. "Darja ran a decent race but not her best race," said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. "She didn't get out hard enough and at the NCAA Championships, it's tough to make up ground late in the race." BYU captured the title with 85 points, outdistancing runner-up Stanford's 113. North Carolina junior Shalane Flanagan won the individual title in 19:36.0. The NCAA Midwest Regional Championships
The Minnesota women's cross country team finished fifth at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Nov. 16, in Normal, Ill. Darja Vasiljeva continued her successful season by placing fifth individually, covering the 6K course in a career-best 20 minutes, 49.77 seconds. Missouri won the meet with a score of 63, the Golden Gophers finished fifth with 199 points. "I am disappointed with our team finish," said head coach Gary Wilson. "Darja's performance was easily the highlight of our day. I look forward to seeing compete her at nationals." Vasiljeva's time was the fastest in school history, breaking her own record set at the 2000 Midwest Regional of 20:54. Her finish earned her all-region honors. Freshman Carly Emil was the second-highest Golden Gopher finisher, placing 29th with a time of 21:43.61. Freshman Jen Hess took 34th (21:45.02), Zoe Nagell placed 67th (22:20.99), Paula Hoffert 68th (22:23.59) and freshman Lauren Williams placed 80th (22:37.49) to round out the scoring. The Gophers' streak of five straight NCAA Championships appearances was ended with ended with their fifth-place finish. Vasiljeva advanced to the NCAA Championships as an individual. NCAA Midwest Regional Championships Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002 ISU Golf Course ? Normal, Ill ? 6-kilometers Team Results (23 Teams Competed) 1. Missouri 3-8-14-17-21-(27)-(35) 63 2. Northwestern 7-20-22-37-53-(57)-64) 139 3. Southwest Missouri St. 13-19-30-36-47-(51)-(56) 145 4. Bradley 12-15-28-43-55-(100)-(110) 153 5. Minnesota 5-29-34-65-66-(78)-(81) 199 Top Individual Finishes (1-7 earn All-Midwest Region First Team, 8-14 earn All-Midwest Region Second Team) 1. Amy Mortimer, Kansas St. 20:26.9 2. Erin Moffett, DePaul 20:27.51 3. Amanda Bales, Missouri 20:39.13 4. Marie Nilsson, Oklahoma St. 20:43.00 5. Darja Vasiljeva, Minnesota 20:49.77 6. Jessica Huff, Iowa State 20:51.05 7. Rachel Evjen, Northwestern 20:52.28 8. Valerie Lauver, Missouri 20:53.09 9. Ami Butler, Oklahoma St. 20:54.68 10. Anne Gaffigan, Nebraska 20:59.61 11. Erin Mortimer, Kansas St. 21:02.66 12. Tamara Hart, Bradley 21:09.98 13. Erin Sutton, SW Missouri St. 21:10.96 14. Amy Chipman, Missouri 21:11.78 Golden Gopher Finishes 5. Darja Vasiljeva 20:49.77 29. Carly Emil 21:43.61 34. Jen Hess 21:45.59 67. (65) Zoe Nagell 22:20.99 68. (66) Paula Hoffert 22:23.59 80. (76) Lauren Williams 22:37.49 85. (81) Laura Bjork 22:42.13 The Big Ten Conference Championships Darja Vasiljeva ran to one of the Golden Gophers' best individual finishes in the Big Ten Conference Women's Cross Country Championships, placing third in a time of 17 minutes, 39.0 seconds. The Gophers placed sixth as a team at the meet, run at the Varsity Cross Country Course on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, Ind., on Nov. 3 Vasiljeva earned first-team All-Big Ten honors with her finish, adding the award to a second-team accolade captured in her freshman season in 2000. The only Golden Gopher to finish higher at a Big Ten meet was Eileen Donaghy, who won the conference title in 1987. Two other Gophers have placed third: Lori Townsend in 1995 and Rasa Michniovaite in 1998. "Darja ran a nice race," said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. "She started out smart, then kept moving up, especially in the last kilometer." Michigan edged Michigan State by just three points to capture the team crown by the closest margin in the 22-year Big Ten history. The Wolverines tallied 70 points to win their first conference title since 1994. Michigan State scored 73 to finish as runners-up, despite having the top two individual finishers in Michelle Carson (17:24.0) and Jamie Krzyminski (17:34.8). Minnesota collected 123 points in placing sixth. The 49th place finish of junior Laura Bjork hurt the Gopher effort. Bjork, projected as a top-20 finisher, competed in the race despite battling a respiratory aliment severely hampering her time. She finished in a time of 18:53.0 and out of the team scoring. "This is an extremely tough conference, and having just one runner struggle made a huge difference," said Wilson. "It's frustrating to have a season with so many injuries or illnesses affecting the team's performance. Adding Bjork to the list, we've had four of our top eight runners go down this fall." Despite his disappointment over the team finish, Wilson did commend several young Golden Gophers' freshmen Jen Hess and Carly Emil and sophomore Zoe Nagell for their efforts, saying, "those kids did a great job." Hess was the second Gopher finisher, placing 22nd in a time of 18:16.0. Emil placed 25th, crossing the finish line in a time of 18:17.9. Nagell contributed her best outing of the season, placing 31st in a time of 18:24.9. Sophomore Paula Hoffert completed the Gophers' scoring contingent, placing 42nd in a time of 18:36.0. Big Ten Conference Championships Sunday, Nov. 3, 2002 Varsity Cross Country Course ? West Lafayette, Ind. ? 5-kilometers Team Results 1. Michigan 5-7-17-20-21-(23)-(26) 70 2. Michigan State 1-2-8-29-33-(46)-(60) 73 3. Indiana 6-11-14-15-35-(58)-(59) 81 4. Penn State 10-13-18-19-34-(40)-(41) 94 5. Wisconsin 4-12-24-30-37-(38)-(56) 107 6. Minnesota 3-22-25-31-42-(49)-(52) 123 7. Northwestern 8-27-28-32-36-(44)-(50) 132 8. Purdue 16-45-48-53-66-(72)-(73) 228 9. Illinois 39-43-55-57-61-(62)-(64) 255 10. Ohio State 47-51-63-65-69-(71)-(77) 295 11. Iowa 54-67-68-70-74-(75)-(76) 333 Top Individual Finishes (1-7 earn All-Big Ten First Team, 8-14 earn All-Big Ten Second Team) 1. Michelle Carson, Mich. St. 17:24.0 2. Jamie Krzyminski, Mich. St. 17:34.8 3. Darja Vasiljeva, Minn. 17:39.0 4. Hillary Edmondson, Wis. 17:40.8 5. Rebecca Walter, Mich. 17:47.8 6. Audrey Giesler, Ind. 17:49.3 7. Lindsey Gallo, Mich. 17:49.4 8. Sarah Pepera, Mich. St. 17:50.9 9. Rachel Evjen, N?western 17:51.9 10. Tracey Brauksieck, Penn St. 17:52.7 11. Jessica Gall, Ind. 17:58.9 12. Jackie Mulrooney, Wis. 18:01.7 13. Katy Hillard, Penn St. 18:05.3 14. Becky Obrecht, Ind. 18:05.5 Golden Gopher Finishes 3. Darja Vasiljeva 17:39.0 22. Jen Hess 18:16.0 25. Carly Emil 18:17.9 31. Zoe Nagell 18:24.9 42. Paula Hoffert 18:36.0 52. (49) Laura Bjork 18:53.0 56. (52) Lauren Williams 18:57.4 74. Jill Field 19:23.3 75. Kimberly Magee 19:23.5 The Minnesota Open The Golden Gophers rested its top runners for the Big Ten Conference Championships but was still able to record a perfect team score in the three-team Minnesota Open meet on Oct. 15. Minnesota posted a score of 15. Augsburg was second with a team score of 38. Wisconsin-Superior did not compete with a full team. Junior Krista Anderson led the Gopher sweep, winning the 5-kilometer race with a time of 19 minutes, 2.2 seconds. Senior Allison Mumbleau was second in 19:20.8 and freshman Amy Lindner grabbed third in 19:30.9. Senior Christine Harper (19:40.1) and sophomore Annie Wells (19:53.1) completed the top five team scoring individuals. Minnesota Open Les Bolstad Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. 5-kilometer Team Scores: Minnesota 15, Augsburg 38, Wisconsin-Superior NS Top Five individuals 1. Krista Anderson, Minn. 19:02.2 2. Allison Mumbleau, Minn. 19:20.8 3. Carrie Smith, UWS 19:27.7 4. Amy Lindner, Minn. 19:30.9 5. Christine Harper, Minn. 19:40.1 Other Minnesota Finishers 6. Annie Wells 19:53.1 7. Kristine Hartmark 19:58.4 8. Harper McConnell 20:08.1 9. Lisa Remark 20:10.4 10 Jessica Syfko 20:16.1 11 Megan MacArdy 20:19.7 12. Rachel Kuhn 20:25.7 13. Allison Brabec 20:36.9 15. Stefanie Zeihen 20:52.8 16. Katie Craven 20:55.6 19. Briana Schnelle 21:06.7 20. Valerie Webster 21:18.6 22. Diana Berlinerblau 21:27.1 The Pre-NCAA Meet Minnesota placed 15th of 38 teams at the Pre-NCAA Meet in Terre Haute, Ind., on Oct. 19. The meet was held on the same course as the NCAA Championships in November. The Golden Gophers posted a team score of 430. Top-ranked Brigham Young ran away with the team title by tallying 15 points and placing five runners in the top 15 finishers. No. 4 Colorado finished second with 143. Darja Vasiljeva led the Gophers with an 18th place finish, posting a time of 20 minutes, 56 seconds on the 6-kilometer course. Freshman Carly Emil was the second Gopher to cross the finish line, placing 48th in 21:36. "We probably could have finished a few spots higher, but we just haven?t had all our runners hit a good race on the same day," said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. "We are making progress though and it was a good experience to come down here and run on the NCAA course against a very talented field." Other Gopher finishers were Jen Hess, who placed 87th in 21:58; Laura Bjork, who placed 132nd in 22:21; Paula Hoffert, who placed 145th in 22:28; Jill Field, who placed 161st in 22:42 and Kimberly Magee, who placed 164th in 22:45. Pre-NCAA Meet Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 ISU Golf Courses ? Terre Haute, Ind. ? 6-kilometers Team Results (38 Teams Competed) 1. Brigham Young 6-8-12-14-15-(21) 55 2. Colorado 3-4-19-43-74-(223)-(240) 143 3. Georgetown 22-26-37-40-50-(61)-(96) 175 4. Wisconsin 27-36-42-45-57-(69)-(121) 207 5. Missouri 9-17-39-67-77-(107)-(218) 209 15. Minnesota 18-48-87-132-145-(161),164) 430 Top Five Individual Finishes 1. Shalane Flanagan, North Carolina 19:56.5 2. Kate O?Neill, Yale 20.08.8 3. Molly Austin, Colorado 20:12.3 4. Sara Gorton, Colorado 20:13.4 5. Laura O?Neill, Yale 20:22.8 Golden Gopher Finishes 18. Darja Vasiljeva 20:55.1 48. Carly Emil 21:35.8 87. Jen Hess 21:57.8 132. Laura Bjork 22:20.8 145. Paula Hoffert 22:27.7 161. Jill Field 22:41.3 164. Kim Magee 22:44.4 Golden Gopher FInishes ? Open Race 31. Zoe Nagell 22:14.5 53. Lauren Williams 22:33.4 62. Krista Anderson 22:44.3 89. Sarah Hesser 23:04.6 173. Kristine Hartmark 23:55.4 The Tori Neubauer Invitational Minnesota placed fourth at the Tori Neubauer Invitational hosted by Wisconsin-LaCrosse on Oct. 19. The Golden Gophers were led by senior Christine Harper who placed 13th with a time of 19:09.8 for the 5-kilometer course. Wisconsin-La Crosse claimed the team title finishing with 86 points. The Golden Gophers finished with 145 points. Also running well for Minnesota were senior Allison Mumbleau, who placed 19th (19:14) and freshmen Harper McConnell, who placed 26th (19:23.3). Tori Neubauer Invitational Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 Maple Grove Country Club ? West Salem, Wis. ? 5-kilometers Team Results (22 Teams Competed) 1. Wisconsin-LaCrosse 3-8-11-31-33-(45)-(50) 86 2. Calvin 2-4-18-22-47-(63)-(64) 93 3. Wartburg 121-23-30-36-(39)-(58) 111 4. Minnesota 13-19-26-34-53-(54)-57) 145 Top Five Individual Finishes 1. Missy Buttry, Wartburg 17:28.2 2. Sarah Hastings, Calvin 18:26.8 3. Julia Rudd, Wis.-LaCrosse 18:26.8 4. Jessie Lair, Calvin 18:27.0 5. Amy Paine, Rhodes 18:48.8 Golden Gopher Finishes 13. Christine Harper 19:09.8 19. Allison Mumbleau 19:14.0 26. Harper McConnell 19:23.3 34. Amy Lindner 19:30.5 53. Meghan MacArdy 19:45.7 54. Jessica Syfko 19:48.1 57. Rachel Kuhn 19:55.0 The Iowa State Invitational Darja Vasiljeva won the Iowa State Invitational, pacing a pack of six Golden Gophers in the top 10 finishers in the non-scoring women's cross country meet in Ames, Iowa, on Oct. 5. Vasiljeva covered the four-kilometer course in a time of 14 minutes, 12.22 seconds. "We really dominated this meet," said Minnesota head coach Gary Wilson. "But, more importantly we are beginning to gel as a team and get prepared for the championship portion of our season." Vasiljeva edged freshman teammate Carly Emil, who finished second in 14:14.04. Another Gopher rookie, Jen Hess, placed fourth in 14:26.78. Other Gophers placing in the top 10 were junior Laura Bjork, who placed sixth at 14:42.48; sophomore Paula Hoffert, who placed ninth at 14:49.54; and sophomore Kimberly Magee, who placed 10th in 14:50.09. Iowa State Invitational Saturday, Oct. 5, 2002 ? Ames, Iowa ? 4 Kilometers Non-scoring team events (Competing teams: Minnesota, Iowa State, Northern Iowa) Top Five Individuals 1. Darja Vasiljeva, Minn. 14:12.22 2. Carly Emil, Minn. 14:14.04 3. Jessica Huff, Iowa State 14:19.54 4. Jen Hess, Minn. 14:26.78 5. Elly Glass, Northern Iowa 14:40.45 Other Golden Gopher Finishers: 6. Laura Bjork 14:42.48 9. Paula Hoffert 14:49.54 10. Kimberly Magee 14:50.09 11. Jill Field 14:53.82 12. Lauren Williams 14:54.22 15. Kristine Hartmark 15:04.50 16. Krista Anderson 15:05.47 17. Zoe Nagell 15:05.72 19. Sarah Hesser 15:09.31 20. Amy Lindner 15:11.37 21. Allison Mumbleau 15:13.02 22. Harper McConnell 15:16.20 23. Christine Harper 15:22.80 26. Annie Wells 15:39.53 28. Rachel Kuhn 15:42.68 30. Stefanie Zeihen 15:50.78 31. Megan MacArdy 15:59.07 32. Lisa Remark 15:59.98 34. Allison Brabec 16:02.13 36. Katie Craven 16:27.21 38. Briana Schnelle 16:39.54 39. Valerie Webster 16:44.03 40. Theresa Ascheman 16:51.34 41. Diana Berlinerblau 17:09.42 The Roy Griak Invitational Minnesota placed 11th in the annual Roy Griak Invitational on the Les Bolstad Course on Sept. 28. Michigan State captured the team title with 72 points, followed by Arizona State in second at 107. The Golden Gophers tallied 250 team points. Michigan State junior Michelle Carson won the individual crown, covering the 6-kilometer course in a record time of 20 minutes, 41.6 seconds. Toledo senior Briana Shook placed second at 20:55.9. Junior Darja Vasiljeva paced the Golden Gopher finishers, placing 10th at 2128.0. Freshman Carly Emil was the second Minnesota finisher, placing 40th at 22:09.6. "Darja ran one of her better races," said Minnesota women's head coach Gary Wilson. "We struggled at our second, third and fourth positions but I was very pleased with our fifth through ninth runners. We closed the gap. We need to hit on the same day and we'll do that in November."
Roy Griak Invitational Saturday, Sept. 28, 2002 Les Bolstad Cross Country Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. ? 6 Kilometers Team Results (22 Teams Competed) 1. Michigan State 1-6-20-22-23-(84)-(93) 72 2. Arizona State 4-18-19-27-39-(51)-(64) 107 3. Providence 5-7-31-32-37-(60)-(87) 112 4. Marquette 8-9-21-44-67-(75)-(78) 149 5. Indiana 13-15-28-36-61-(92)-(100) 153 11. Minnesota 10-38-56-72-74-(76)-(83) 250 Top Five Individuals 1. Michelle Carson, Michigan St. 20:41.6 2. Briana Shook, Toledo 20:55.9 3. Amy Mortimer, Kansas St. 21:06.4 4. Jessica Scalzo, Arizona St. 21:12.2 5. Rosie McGettigan, Providence 21:18.6 Minnesota Competitors 10. Darja Vasiljeva 21:28.0 40. (38) Carly Emil 22:09.6 59. (56) Laura Bjork 22:27.8 78. (72) Jen Hess 22:46.5 80. (74) Krista Anderson 22:48.2 82. (76) Paula Hoffert 22:53.0 89. (83) Lauren Williams 22:57.9 92. Kimberly Magee 23:00.8 97. Jill Field 23:08.5 108. Kristine Hartmark 23:14.2 110. Sarah Hesser 23:15.9 117. Zoe Nagell 23:21.6 119. Allison Mumbleau 23:22.8 121. Amy Lindner 23:23.8 128. Megan MacArdy 23:32.8 136. Harper McConnell 23:41.7 143. Jessica Syfko 23:58.6 151. Christine Harper 24:08.4 155. Annie Wells 24:14.1 156. Rachel Kuhn 24:15.0 162. Stefanie Zeihen 24:23.0 164. Lisa Remark 24:28.4 171. Allison Brabec 24:44.4 173. Laura Muskatevc 25:03.2 174. Valerie Webster 25:04.4 175. Katie Craven 25:16.1 182. Briana Schnelle 25:59.1 186. Diana Berlinerblau 26:20.1 187. Theresa Ascheman 26:22.7 The Memorial ?Oz? Meet Wisconsin captured the top four places to tally 18 points and cruise to the Memorial "Oz" Meet title at the Les Bolstad Cross Country Course in Falcons Heights, Minn. on Sept. 14. Minnesota placed second with 40 points, while Minnesota State, Mankato finished third with 85 and Bethel fourth with 116. Senior Elaine Canchola crossed the finish line in 22 minutes, 1.6 seconds to capture the individual title and set the pace for the Badger sweep of the top four places. Canchola's time was 20 seconds faster than runner-up Jackie Mulrooney. Junior Darja Vasiljeva edged Golden Gopher teammate junior Laura Bjork for fifth place. Vasiljeva posted a time of 22:34.9, while Bjork finished sixth in 22:35.2. A pair of Minnesota freshmen tallied top 10 finishes as Carly Emil completed the 6-kilometer course in 22:45.5 for seventh place and Jen Hess with a 10th place showing in 23:12.0. Senior Jill Field completed the scoring for the Gophers in 12th pace in 23:29.9. "We ran pretty well up front but we were too tentative in the middle of the race," said Minnesota head coach Gary Wilson. "To win, we need to be more aggressive." Wisconsin only received votes in the preseason Finish/Lynx national poll. Minnesota was ranked No. 17. The Badgers victory was evidence of a preseason poll reflecting a team's poor showing at the end of the previous season rather than its strength heading into a new season. Coach Wilson was not surprised at Wisconsin's performance. "We knew going into this meet that Wisconsin was a much better team than the preseason national poll would tell you. This meet was a great experience for our young team. We had the chance to compete against a team that is perennially strong. I don't want to even think about this team peaking yet, but this result showed us we still have work to accomplish." Memorial "Oz" Meet Sept. 14, 2002 Les Bolstad Cross Country Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. ? 6 Kilometers Team Results 1. Wisconsin 1-2-3-4-8-(9)-(11) 18 2. Minnesota 5-6-7-10-12-(13)-(14) 40 3. Minnesota St., Mankato 15-16-16-17-18-19-(21)-(24) 85 4. Bethel 20-22-23-25-26-(27)-(28) 116 Top Five Individual Results 1. Elaine Canchola (Wis.) 22:01.6 2. Jackie Mulrooney (Wis.) 22:21.6 3. Heidi Lane (Wis.) 22:25.7 4. Liz Reusser (Wis.) 22:33.6 5. Darja Vasiljeva (Minn.) 22:34.0 Other Gopher Finishes 6. Laura Bjork 22:35.2 7. Carly Emil 22:45.5 10. Jen Hess 23:12.0 12. Jill Field 23:29.9 13. Zoe Nagell 23:32.7 15. (14) Kristine Hartmark 23:42.4 16. Kimberly Magee 23:42.6 19. Paula Hoffert 24:01.0 21. Harper McConnell 24:05.6 22. Allison Mumbleau 24:15.6 24. Lauren Williams 24:17.8 25. Megan MacArdy 24:21.6 26. Krista Anderson 24:29.8 27. Sarah Hesser 24:40.0 28. Jessica Syfko 24:42.6 29. Annie Wells 24:42.9 30. Christine Harper 24:46.1 33. Marcy Lundell 25:08.5 34. Stefanie Zeihen 25:11.4 36. Lisa Remark 25:12.0 37. Rachel Kuhn 25:25.3 41. Laura Muskatevc 26:17.7 42. Katie Craven 26:20.6 46. Valerie Webster 26:44.4 50. Theresa Ascheman 26:51.3 53. Briana Schnelle 27:02.1 The 2002 Season in Review
The 2002 Minnesota women's cross country season goes into the history books with an asterisk, not an exclamation point. From day one of the season to the final meet, the Golden Gophers were hampered by several key injuries. Three runners who were expected to contend for the top seven missed the entire season due to injuries. Others battled nagging injuries and competed but were unable to go 100 percent. The result was a sixth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a fifth-place showing at the NCAA Regional Championships. With that regional finish, the Gophers saw their streak of trips to the NCAA Championships end at five consecutive seasons.
The highlights for the Gophers in 2002 were the performances of junior Darja Vasiljeva and a number of young and improving runners. With the experience gained in 2002, watch out for this Golden Gopher squad if they head into 2003 healthy and ready to go.
The 2002 season opened with the running of the annual Memorial ?OZ? Run and a meeting with border rival Wisconsin. Vasiljeva started her season-long streak of finishing as the Golden Gophers? top runner with a fifth-place finish. Wisconsin defeated Minnesota by a 18-40 count, but freshmen Carly Emil and Jen Hess served notice that they would be major players on this year's Gopher squad. Emil and Hess were the third and fourth Minnesota finishers. The emergence of this young talent helps ease the news that Lisa Dyer, Anita Menden and Emily Brown would lost for the season with injuries.
The Gophers? youth showed in the annual running of the Roy Griak Invitational. Minnesota placed 11th as a team. Vasiljeva finished 10th to pace the way. The Gophers struggled to close the gap between their top runners, but saw its youthful depth begin to take shape. Sophomore Paula Hoffert and freshman Lauren Williams made strong bids toward climbing into the Gophers? top seven.
The Iowa State Invitational was a 4-kilometer race that turned out to be a training run for the Gophers. Minnesota placed six runners in the top 10 finishers, led by Vasiljeva. Vasiljeva was named the Big Ten Runner of the Week for her victory.
The Gophers competed at two locations on Oct. 19, with the top 12 runners competing at the Pre-NCAA Meet, while others ran at the Tori Neubauer Invitational. Minnesota placed 15th at the Pre-NCAA Meet with Vasiljeva finishing 18th. The Gophers finished fourth in the Tori Neubauer Invite and were led by Christine Harper's 13th-place finish.
Minnesota hosted a small meet, the Minnesota Open, prior the championship portion of its season. While resting their top runners for the Big Ten meet, the Gophers that did compete tallied a perfect team score of 15 points. Krista Anderson won the 5-kilometer race followed by Allison Mumbleau, Amy Lindner, Harper and Annie Wells.
The Gophers traveled to Purdue for the Big Ten Championships and battled to a sixth-place team showing. Vasiljeva, however, ran to one of the top individual finishes in Gopher history, placing third and earning All-Big Ten First Team honors.
Vasiljeva continued her exceptional individual performances by placing fifth at the NCAA Midwest Regional and earning a trip to her third consecutive NCAA Championships. The team, however, did not fare as well, placing fifth and seeing of its season as a team.
The Gophers? most valuable runner as voted on by her teammates, Vasiljeva closed the 2002 women's cross country season with an 87th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
With the 2002 season in the books, one can take an optimistic look toward the 2003 season. A total of 10 letterwinners will grace the Gopher roster.
Gophers Successful in Classroom
The Minnesota women's cross country team and junior Darja Vasiljeva were accorded Academic All-America honors by USA Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches.
The Golden Gophers were recognized as an All-Academic Cross Country Team With Distinction after compiling a team grade point average of 3.38 in the fall of 2002. Leading the squad to its impressive team GPA were eight Gophers who were selected as Academic All-Big Ten honorees: Laura Bjork, Jill Field, Kristine Hartmark, Sarah Hesser, Paula Hoffert, Kimberly Magee, Zoe Nagell and Vasiljeva.
Vasiljeva was one of 43 student-athletes to earn Academic All-America honors. To be eligible, the athlete must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.25, be a sophomore, junior or senior and either earned NCAA All-America honors or placed in the top 10 percent of their NCAA regional meet. Vasiljeva placed fifth in the NCAA Midwest Regional and went on to place 87th at the NCAA Championships last fall. She owns a 3.63 GPA majoring in African-American Studies.
Vasiljeva Runs Record Time at Midwest Regional
Darja Vasiljeva ran the fastest 6-kilometer time in school history en route to a fifth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. Her time of 20:49.77 smashed the old record she already held of 20:54.0 set at the 2000 NCAA Midwest Regional. Vasiljeva earned All-Midwest Region honors for her effort.
2002 Team Awards
Junior Darja Vasiljeva was voted by her teammates as the Golden Gophers? team MVP. Following are the team awards for the 2002 season:
MVP ? Darja Vasiljeva
Rookie of the Year ? (Co-) Carly Emil, Jen Hess
Most Improved Award ? (Co-) Zoe Nagell, Paula Hoffert
Tough As Nails Award ? Jill Field
Blue Collar Award ? Kimberly Magee
Coaches? Award ? Anita Menden
Team Captains ? Anita Menden, Jill Field, Kristine Hartmark
The NCAA Championships
Junior Darja Vasiljeva placed 87th at the NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Championships, run in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 25 Vasiljeva was the only Golden Gopher to compete in the event. Vasiljeva completed the 6-kilometer course in a time of 21 minutes, 10.7 seconds. She has competed in the NCAA Championships in each year of her Minnesota career. "Darja ran a decent race but not her best race," said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. "She didn't get out hard enough and at the NCAA Championships, it's tough to make up ground late in the race." BYU captured the title with 85 points, outdistancing runner-up Stanford's 113. North Carolina junior Shalane Flanagan won the individual title in 19:36.0. The NCAA Midwest Regional Championships
The Minnesota women's cross country team finished fifth at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Nov. 16, in Normal, Ill. Darja Vasiljeva continued her successful season by placing fifth individually, covering the 6K course in a career-best 20 minutes, 49.77 seconds. Missouri won the meet with a score of 63, the Golden Gophers finished fifth with 199 points. "I am disappointed with our team finish," said head coach Gary Wilson. "Darja's performance was easily the highlight of our day. I look forward to seeing compete her at nationals." Vasiljeva's time was the fastest in school history, breaking her own record set at the 2000 Midwest Regional of 20:54. Her finish earned her all-region honors. Freshman Carly Emil was the second-highest Golden Gopher finisher, placing 29th with a time of 21:43.61. Freshman Jen Hess took 34th (21:45.02), Zoe Nagell placed 67th (22:20.99), Paula Hoffert 68th (22:23.59) and freshman Lauren Williams placed 80th (22:37.49) to round out the scoring. The Gophers' streak of five straight NCAA Championships appearances was ended with ended with their fifth-place finish. Vasiljeva advanced to the NCAA Championships as an individual. NCAA Midwest Regional Championships Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002 ISU Golf Course ? Normal, Ill ? 6-kilometers Team Results (23 Teams Competed) 1. Missouri 3-8-14-17-21-(27)-(35) 63 2. Northwestern 7-20-22-37-53-(57)-64) 139 3. Southwest Missouri St. 13-19-30-36-47-(51)-(56) 145 4. Bradley 12-15-28-43-55-(100)-(110) 153 5. Minnesota 5-29-34-65-66-(78)-(81) 199 Top Individual Finishes (1-7 earn All-Midwest Region First Team, 8-14 earn All-Midwest Region Second Team) 1. Amy Mortimer, Kansas St. 20:26.9 2. Erin Moffett, DePaul 20:27.51 3. Amanda Bales, Missouri 20:39.13 4. Marie Nilsson, Oklahoma St. 20:43.00 5. Darja Vasiljeva, Minnesota 20:49.77 6. Jessica Huff, Iowa State 20:51.05 7. Rachel Evjen, Northwestern 20:52.28 8. Valerie Lauver, Missouri 20:53.09 9. Ami Butler, Oklahoma St. 20:54.68 10. Anne Gaffigan, Nebraska 20:59.61 11. Erin Mortimer, Kansas St. 21:02.66 12. Tamara Hart, Bradley 21:09.98 13. Erin Sutton, SW Missouri St. 21:10.96 14. Amy Chipman, Missouri 21:11.78 Golden Gopher Finishes 5. Darja Vasiljeva 20:49.77 29. Carly Emil 21:43.61 34. Jen Hess 21:45.59 67. (65) Zoe Nagell 22:20.99 68. (66) Paula Hoffert 22:23.59 80. (76) Lauren Williams 22:37.49 85. (81) Laura Bjork 22:42.13 The Big Ten Conference Championships Darja Vasiljeva ran to one of the Golden Gophers' best individual finishes in the Big Ten Conference Women's Cross Country Championships, placing third in a time of 17 minutes, 39.0 seconds. The Gophers placed sixth as a team at the meet, run at the Varsity Cross Country Course on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, Ind., on Nov. 3 Vasiljeva earned first-team All-Big Ten honors with her finish, adding the award to a second-team accolade captured in her freshman season in 2000. The only Golden Gopher to finish higher at a Big Ten meet was Eileen Donaghy, who won the conference title in 1987. Two other Gophers have placed third: Lori Townsend in 1995 and Rasa Michniovaite in 1998. "Darja ran a nice race," said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. "She started out smart, then kept moving up, especially in the last kilometer." Michigan edged Michigan State by just three points to capture the team crown by the closest margin in the 22-year Big Ten history. The Wolverines tallied 70 points to win their first conference title since 1994. Michigan State scored 73 to finish as runners-up, despite having the top two individual finishers in Michelle Carson (17:24.0) and Jamie Krzyminski (17:34.8). Minnesota collected 123 points in placing sixth. The 49th place finish of junior Laura Bjork hurt the Gopher effort. Bjork, projected as a top-20 finisher, competed in the race despite battling a respiratory aliment severely hampering her time. She finished in a time of 18:53.0 and out of the team scoring. "This is an extremely tough conference, and having just one runner struggle made a huge difference," said Wilson. "It's frustrating to have a season with so many injuries or illnesses affecting the team's performance. Adding Bjork to the list, we've had four of our top eight runners go down this fall." Despite his disappointment over the team finish, Wilson did commend several young Golden Gophers' freshmen Jen Hess and Carly Emil and sophomore Zoe Nagell for their efforts, saying, "those kids did a great job." Hess was the second Gopher finisher, placing 22nd in a time of 18:16.0. Emil placed 25th, crossing the finish line in a time of 18:17.9. Nagell contributed her best outing of the season, placing 31st in a time of 18:24.9. Sophomore Paula Hoffert completed the Gophers' scoring contingent, placing 42nd in a time of 18:36.0. Big Ten Conference Championships Sunday, Nov. 3, 2002 Varsity Cross Country Course ? West Lafayette, Ind. ? 5-kilometers Team Results 1. Michigan 5-7-17-20-21-(23)-(26) 70 2. Michigan State 1-2-8-29-33-(46)-(60) 73 3. Indiana 6-11-14-15-35-(58)-(59) 81 4. Penn State 10-13-18-19-34-(40)-(41) 94 5. Wisconsin 4-12-24-30-37-(38)-(56) 107 6. Minnesota 3-22-25-31-42-(49)-(52) 123 7. Northwestern 8-27-28-32-36-(44)-(50) 132 8. Purdue 16-45-48-53-66-(72)-(73) 228 9. Illinois 39-43-55-57-61-(62)-(64) 255 10. Ohio State 47-51-63-65-69-(71)-(77) 295 11. Iowa 54-67-68-70-74-(75)-(76) 333 Top Individual Finishes (1-7 earn All-Big Ten First Team, 8-14 earn All-Big Ten Second Team) 1. Michelle Carson, Mich. St. 17:24.0 2. Jamie Krzyminski, Mich. St. 17:34.8 3. Darja Vasiljeva, Minn. 17:39.0 4. Hillary Edmondson, Wis. 17:40.8 5. Rebecca Walter, Mich. 17:47.8 6. Audrey Giesler, Ind. 17:49.3 7. Lindsey Gallo, Mich. 17:49.4 8. Sarah Pepera, Mich. St. 17:50.9 9. Rachel Evjen, N?western 17:51.9 10. Tracey Brauksieck, Penn St. 17:52.7 11. Jessica Gall, Ind. 17:58.9 12. Jackie Mulrooney, Wis. 18:01.7 13. Katy Hillard, Penn St. 18:05.3 14. Becky Obrecht, Ind. 18:05.5 Golden Gopher Finishes 3. Darja Vasiljeva 17:39.0 22. Jen Hess 18:16.0 25. Carly Emil 18:17.9 31. Zoe Nagell 18:24.9 42. Paula Hoffert 18:36.0 52. (49) Laura Bjork 18:53.0 56. (52) Lauren Williams 18:57.4 74. Jill Field 19:23.3 75. Kimberly Magee 19:23.5 The Minnesota Open The Golden Gophers rested its top runners for the Big Ten Conference Championships but was still able to record a perfect team score in the three-team Minnesota Open meet on Oct. 15. Minnesota posted a score of 15. Augsburg was second with a team score of 38. Wisconsin-Superior did not compete with a full team. Junior Krista Anderson led the Gopher sweep, winning the 5-kilometer race with a time of 19 minutes, 2.2 seconds. Senior Allison Mumbleau was second in 19:20.8 and freshman Amy Lindner grabbed third in 19:30.9. Senior Christine Harper (19:40.1) and sophomore Annie Wells (19:53.1) completed the top five team scoring individuals. Minnesota Open Les Bolstad Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. 5-kilometer Team Scores: Minnesota 15, Augsburg 38, Wisconsin-Superior NS Top Five individuals 1. Krista Anderson, Minn. 19:02.2 2. Allison Mumbleau, Minn. 19:20.8 3. Carrie Smith, UWS 19:27.7 4. Amy Lindner, Minn. 19:30.9 5. Christine Harper, Minn. 19:40.1 Other Minnesota Finishers 6. Annie Wells 19:53.1 7. Kristine Hartmark 19:58.4 8. Harper McConnell 20:08.1 9. Lisa Remark 20:10.4 10 Jessica Syfko 20:16.1 11 Megan MacArdy 20:19.7 12. Rachel Kuhn 20:25.7 13. Allison Brabec 20:36.9 15. Stefanie Zeihen 20:52.8 16. Katie Craven 20:55.6 19. Briana Schnelle 21:06.7 20. Valerie Webster 21:18.6 22. Diana Berlinerblau 21:27.1 The Pre-NCAA Meet Minnesota placed 15th of 38 teams at the Pre-NCAA Meet in Terre Haute, Ind., on Oct. 19. The meet was held on the same course as the NCAA Championships in November. The Golden Gophers posted a team score of 430. Top-ranked Brigham Young ran away with the team title by tallying 15 points and placing five runners in the top 15 finishers. No. 4 Colorado finished second with 143. Darja Vasiljeva led the Gophers with an 18th place finish, posting a time of 20 minutes, 56 seconds on the 6-kilometer course. Freshman Carly Emil was the second Gopher to cross the finish line, placing 48th in 21:36. "We probably could have finished a few spots higher, but we just haven?t had all our runners hit a good race on the same day," said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. "We are making progress though and it was a good experience to come down here and run on the NCAA course against a very talented field." Other Gopher finishers were Jen Hess, who placed 87th in 21:58; Laura Bjork, who placed 132nd in 22:21; Paula Hoffert, who placed 145th in 22:28; Jill Field, who placed 161st in 22:42 and Kimberly Magee, who placed 164th in 22:45. Pre-NCAA Meet Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 ISU Golf Courses ? Terre Haute, Ind. ? 6-kilometers Team Results (38 Teams Competed) 1. Brigham Young 6-8-12-14-15-(21) 55 2. Colorado 3-4-19-43-74-(223)-(240) 143 3. Georgetown 22-26-37-40-50-(61)-(96) 175 4. Wisconsin 27-36-42-45-57-(69)-(121) 207 5. Missouri 9-17-39-67-77-(107)-(218) 209 15. Minnesota 18-48-87-132-145-(161),164) 430 Top Five Individual Finishes 1. Shalane Flanagan, North Carolina 19:56.5 2. Kate O?Neill, Yale 20.08.8 3. Molly Austin, Colorado 20:12.3 4. Sara Gorton, Colorado 20:13.4 5. Laura O?Neill, Yale 20:22.8 Golden Gopher Finishes 18. Darja Vasiljeva 20:55.1 48. Carly Emil 21:35.8 87. Jen Hess 21:57.8 132. Laura Bjork 22:20.8 145. Paula Hoffert 22:27.7 161. Jill Field 22:41.3 164. Kim Magee 22:44.4 Golden Gopher FInishes ? Open Race 31. Zoe Nagell 22:14.5 53. Lauren Williams 22:33.4 62. Krista Anderson 22:44.3 89. Sarah Hesser 23:04.6 173. Kristine Hartmark 23:55.4 The Tori Neubauer Invitational Minnesota placed fourth at the Tori Neubauer Invitational hosted by Wisconsin-LaCrosse on Oct. 19. The Golden Gophers were led by senior Christine Harper who placed 13th with a time of 19:09.8 for the 5-kilometer course. Wisconsin-La Crosse claimed the team title finishing with 86 points. The Golden Gophers finished with 145 points. Also running well for Minnesota were senior Allison Mumbleau, who placed 19th (19:14) and freshmen Harper McConnell, who placed 26th (19:23.3). Tori Neubauer Invitational Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002 Maple Grove Country Club ? West Salem, Wis. ? 5-kilometers Team Results (22 Teams Competed) 1. Wisconsin-LaCrosse 3-8-11-31-33-(45)-(50) 86 2. Calvin 2-4-18-22-47-(63)-(64) 93 3. Wartburg 121-23-30-36-(39)-(58) 111 4. Minnesota 13-19-26-34-53-(54)-57) 145 Top Five Individual Finishes 1. Missy Buttry, Wartburg 17:28.2 2. Sarah Hastings, Calvin 18:26.8 3. Julia Rudd, Wis.-LaCrosse 18:26.8 4. Jessie Lair, Calvin 18:27.0 5. Amy Paine, Rhodes 18:48.8 Golden Gopher Finishes 13. Christine Harper 19:09.8 19. Allison Mumbleau 19:14.0 26. Harper McConnell 19:23.3 34. Amy Lindner 19:30.5 53. Meghan MacArdy 19:45.7 54. Jessica Syfko 19:48.1 57. Rachel Kuhn 19:55.0 The Iowa State Invitational Darja Vasiljeva won the Iowa State Invitational, pacing a pack of six Golden Gophers in the top 10 finishers in the non-scoring women's cross country meet in Ames, Iowa, on Oct. 5. Vasiljeva covered the four-kilometer course in a time of 14 minutes, 12.22 seconds. "We really dominated this meet," said Minnesota head coach Gary Wilson. "But, more importantly we are beginning to gel as a team and get prepared for the championship portion of our season." Vasiljeva edged freshman teammate Carly Emil, who finished second in 14:14.04. Another Gopher rookie, Jen Hess, placed fourth in 14:26.78. Other Gophers placing in the top 10 were junior Laura Bjork, who placed sixth at 14:42.48; sophomore Paula Hoffert, who placed ninth at 14:49.54; and sophomore Kimberly Magee, who placed 10th in 14:50.09. Iowa State Invitational Saturday, Oct. 5, 2002 ? Ames, Iowa ? 4 Kilometers Non-scoring team events (Competing teams: Minnesota, Iowa State, Northern Iowa) Top Five Individuals 1. Darja Vasiljeva, Minn. 14:12.22 2. Carly Emil, Minn. 14:14.04 3. Jessica Huff, Iowa State 14:19.54 4. Jen Hess, Minn. 14:26.78 5. Elly Glass, Northern Iowa 14:40.45 Other Golden Gopher Finishers: 6. Laura Bjork 14:42.48 9. Paula Hoffert 14:49.54 10. Kimberly Magee 14:50.09 11. Jill Field 14:53.82 12. Lauren Williams 14:54.22 15. Kristine Hartmark 15:04.50 16. Krista Anderson 15:05.47 17. Zoe Nagell 15:05.72 19. Sarah Hesser 15:09.31 20. Amy Lindner 15:11.37 21. Allison Mumbleau 15:13.02 22. Harper McConnell 15:16.20 23. Christine Harper 15:22.80 26. Annie Wells 15:39.53 28. Rachel Kuhn 15:42.68 30. Stefanie Zeihen 15:50.78 31. Megan MacArdy 15:59.07 32. Lisa Remark 15:59.98 34. Allison Brabec 16:02.13 36. Katie Craven 16:27.21 38. Briana Schnelle 16:39.54 39. Valerie Webster 16:44.03 40. Theresa Ascheman 16:51.34 41. Diana Berlinerblau 17:09.42 The Roy Griak Invitational Minnesota placed 11th in the annual Roy Griak Invitational on the Les Bolstad Course on Sept. 28. Michigan State captured the team title with 72 points, followed by Arizona State in second at 107. The Golden Gophers tallied 250 team points. Michigan State junior Michelle Carson won the individual crown, covering the 6-kilometer course in a record time of 20 minutes, 41.6 seconds. Toledo senior Briana Shook placed second at 20:55.9. Junior Darja Vasiljeva paced the Golden Gopher finishers, placing 10th at 2128.0. Freshman Carly Emil was the second Minnesota finisher, placing 40th at 22:09.6. "Darja ran one of her better races," said Minnesota women's head coach Gary Wilson. "We struggled at our second, third and fourth positions but I was very pleased with our fifth through ninth runners. We closed the gap. We need to hit on the same day and we'll do that in November."
Roy Griak Invitational Saturday, Sept. 28, 2002 Les Bolstad Cross Country Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. ? 6 Kilometers Team Results (22 Teams Competed) 1. Michigan State 1-6-20-22-23-(84)-(93) 72 2. Arizona State 4-18-19-27-39-(51)-(64) 107 3. Providence 5-7-31-32-37-(60)-(87) 112 4. Marquette 8-9-21-44-67-(75)-(78) 149 5. Indiana 13-15-28-36-61-(92)-(100) 153 11. Minnesota 10-38-56-72-74-(76)-(83) 250 Top Five Individuals 1. Michelle Carson, Michigan St. 20:41.6 2. Briana Shook, Toledo 20:55.9 3. Amy Mortimer, Kansas St. 21:06.4 4. Jessica Scalzo, Arizona St. 21:12.2 5. Rosie McGettigan, Providence 21:18.6 Minnesota Competitors 10. Darja Vasiljeva 21:28.0 40. (38) Carly Emil 22:09.6 59. (56) Laura Bjork 22:27.8 78. (72) Jen Hess 22:46.5 80. (74) Krista Anderson 22:48.2 82. (76) Paula Hoffert 22:53.0 89. (83) Lauren Williams 22:57.9 92. Kimberly Magee 23:00.8 97. Jill Field 23:08.5 108. Kristine Hartmark 23:14.2 110. Sarah Hesser 23:15.9 117. Zoe Nagell 23:21.6 119. Allison Mumbleau 23:22.8 121. Amy Lindner 23:23.8 128. Megan MacArdy 23:32.8 136. Harper McConnell 23:41.7 143. Jessica Syfko 23:58.6 151. Christine Harper 24:08.4 155. Annie Wells 24:14.1 156. Rachel Kuhn 24:15.0 162. Stefanie Zeihen 24:23.0 164. Lisa Remark 24:28.4 171. Allison Brabec 24:44.4 173. Laura Muskatevc 25:03.2 174. Valerie Webster 25:04.4 175. Katie Craven 25:16.1 182. Briana Schnelle 25:59.1 186. Diana Berlinerblau 26:20.1 187. Theresa Ascheman 26:22.7 The Memorial ?Oz? Meet Wisconsin captured the top four places to tally 18 points and cruise to the Memorial "Oz" Meet title at the Les Bolstad Cross Country Course in Falcons Heights, Minn. on Sept. 14. Minnesota placed second with 40 points, while Minnesota State, Mankato finished third with 85 and Bethel fourth with 116. Senior Elaine Canchola crossed the finish line in 22 minutes, 1.6 seconds to capture the individual title and set the pace for the Badger sweep of the top four places. Canchola's time was 20 seconds faster than runner-up Jackie Mulrooney. Junior Darja Vasiljeva edged Golden Gopher teammate junior Laura Bjork for fifth place. Vasiljeva posted a time of 22:34.9, while Bjork finished sixth in 22:35.2. A pair of Minnesota freshmen tallied top 10 finishes as Carly Emil completed the 6-kilometer course in 22:45.5 for seventh place and Jen Hess with a 10th place showing in 23:12.0. Senior Jill Field completed the scoring for the Gophers in 12th pace in 23:29.9. "We ran pretty well up front but we were too tentative in the middle of the race," said Minnesota head coach Gary Wilson. "To win, we need to be more aggressive." Wisconsin only received votes in the preseason Finish/Lynx national poll. Minnesota was ranked No. 17. The Badgers victory was evidence of a preseason poll reflecting a team's poor showing at the end of the previous season rather than its strength heading into a new season. Coach Wilson was not surprised at Wisconsin's performance. "We knew going into this meet that Wisconsin was a much better team than the preseason national poll would tell you. This meet was a great experience for our young team. We had the chance to compete against a team that is perennially strong. I don't want to even think about this team peaking yet, but this result showed us we still have work to accomplish." Memorial "Oz" Meet Sept. 14, 2002 Les Bolstad Cross Country Course ? Falcon Heights, Minn. ? 6 Kilometers Team Results 1. Wisconsin 1-2-3-4-8-(9)-(11) 18 2. Minnesota 5-6-7-10-12-(13)-(14) 40 3. Minnesota St., Mankato 15-16-16-17-18-19-(21)-(24) 85 4. Bethel 20-22-23-25-26-(27)-(28) 116 Top Five Individual Results 1. Elaine Canchola (Wis.) 22:01.6 2. Jackie Mulrooney (Wis.) 22:21.6 3. Heidi Lane (Wis.) 22:25.7 4. Liz Reusser (Wis.) 22:33.6 5. Darja Vasiljeva (Minn.) 22:34.0 Other Gopher Finishes 6. Laura Bjork 22:35.2 7. Carly Emil 22:45.5 10. Jen Hess 23:12.0 12. Jill Field 23:29.9 13. Zoe Nagell 23:32.7 15. (14) Kristine Hartmark 23:42.4 16. Kimberly Magee 23:42.6 19. Paula Hoffert 24:01.0 21. Harper McConnell 24:05.6 22. Allison Mumbleau 24:15.6 24. Lauren Williams 24:17.8 25. Megan MacArdy 24:21.6 26. Krista Anderson 24:29.8 27. Sarah Hesser 24:40.0 28. Jessica Syfko 24:42.6 29. Annie Wells 24:42.9 30. Christine Harper 24:46.1 33. Marcy Lundell 25:08.5 34. Stefanie Zeihen 25:11.4 36. Lisa Remark 25:12.0 37. Rachel Kuhn 25:25.3 41. Laura Muskatevc 26:17.7 42. Katie Craven 26:20.6 46. Valerie Webster 26:44.4 50. Theresa Ascheman 26:51.3 53. Briana Schnelle 27:02.1
Players Mentioned
