University of Minnesota Athletics
Shani Marks to Compete at USA Track & Field Championships
6/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Five Golden Gophers will compete at the USA Track & Field Championships in Stanford, Calif., this week. The Minnesota contingent is led by 400-meter national champion Adam Steele. Joining Steele are All-Americans Mitch Potter, Karl Erickson and Shani Marks. Toby Henkels, who finished his Gopher track career during the 2003 indoor season, will also compete.
Minnesota Competitors, Event
Adam Steele, 400-meters
Mitch Potter, 400-meters
Toby Henkels, 800-meters
Karl Erickson, Shot Put / Discus
Shani Marks, Triple Jump
What's at Stake
Athletes competing in the USA Track & Field Championships are vying for spots on five upcoming international competitions. The biggest prize is a spot on the USA Team that will compete at the IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Paris on Aug. 22-31. Other US teams will compete in the Pan-American Games, the World University Games and USA competitions versus Great Britain, Russia and Germany.
World-Class Competitors
The USA Track & Field Championships gives amateur athletes the opportunity to compete against their professional peers. The University of Minnesota has two athletes leading the world with their times in the 400-meter dash this season. Adam Steele owns the top time in the world this season at 44.57 seconds, ran last week in winning the NCAA title. Mitch Potter owns the third-best time in the world this year at 44.58, also run at the NCAA Championships.
Phil Lundin Honored as the National Coach of the Year
Golden Gopher head men's track & field coach Phil Lundin was named the United States Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year, becoming the first Minnesota men's or women's track coach to earn this national honor. Lundin ends the 2002-03 track season with a trio of coaching accolades as he was also named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and the Midwest Region Coach of the Year.
"I'm very fortunate to have this team with good colleagues and good people surrounding me," Lundin said. "I am privileged to work with this group and truly blessed to be given this honor."
Lundin led the Golden Gophers to a ninth-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. The Maroon and Gold had 10 student-athletes qualify for the championships, including Adam Steele, who won the national championship in the 400-meter dash. Of the 10, six earned All-America accolades at the outdoor national championship this season.
Lundin has captured four Big Ten championships in his eight years as the head coach of the Golden Gophers, three of which came in the outdoor track & field seasons. In his tenure, Lundin has coached 32 student-athletes to All-America honors in 31 events. Lundin was previously honored with Big Ten Coach of the Year accolades after directing the Gophers to back-to-back Big Ten outdoor titles in 1998 and 1999 and again in 2003.
See the Magical 400-Meter Final
CBS will broadcast portions of the NCAA Championships meet on a tape-delayed basis on Saturday, June 21 at 2 p.m.
Players Mentioned
