University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Men's Track & Field 2003 Season in Review
6/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
The 2003 Season in Review
Perhaps yet another shot of the agony of defeat provided the Minnesota men's track & field program with the determination necessary to perpetuate the 2003 season into one of the most successful in Golden Gopher history.
The Gophers lost the 2003 indoor Big Ten crown to Wisconsin by two points. That outcome added to the frustration of losing a big lead in the final two events of the 2002 outdoor championships to that same Badger team. Minnesota was a team on a mission as the 2003 outdoor season began.
The drive to amend for those close losses certainly did produce dividends. Minnesota not only won the Big Ten outdoor title, the Gophers posted the highest team score in conference history winning with 168.5 points. The victory was even sweeter as it took place on the Gophers' home track in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative Minnesota crowd.
The team will tell you that winning the conference title was its main goal and that anything afterward was just icing on the cake. Well, this Gopher team cooked up some pretty great tasting icing.
Minnesota tallied a pair of top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, finishing seventh in door and ninth outdoor. Adam Steele ran to the ninth individual NCAA title and the first since 1971, when he won the 400-meter outdoor. His time of 44.57 not only set a new school record but was also the fastest time in the world at that point of the season.
A total of eight Golden Gopher earned All-America honors in 2003. Three relays - the distance medley and 4x400m indoor and the 4x400m outdoor - also ran to All-America distinction. Nine Gophers were crowned as Big Ten champions. In addition, nine school records fell a total of 11 times.
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.
Steele Wins 400-Meter Title, Gophers Ninth at NCAAs
Adam Steele captured the national title in the 400-meter dash, leading the Minnesota men's track & field team to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
Steele, a junior from Eden Prairie, Minn., edged South Carolina's Otis Harris and teammate Mitch Potter in a photo-finish to become the first Golden Gopher to win a national crown since 1971. Steele was clocked at 44.57, a new Minnesota record and the fastest time in the world this season. Harris' official time is the same as Steele's time, with Potter taking third with a career-best time of 44.58.
Steele is the ninth Gopher to win a track & field national title. He is, however, the first sprinter to do so.
"Not even in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen," said Steele. "Mitch and I came in with the goal to go 1-2 in the 400 but I just felt I had to do my part. My goal was always just to make it to the next round. In the final we all crossed the line together, when I saw my name come up first on the scoreboard as the winner I had no idea what to do. This is such a surprise. It's great."
"What a great effort," said Golden Gopher head coach Phil Lundin. "The ability to run world-class times while going through round after round, first prelims then semifinals and then the final is amazing."
The Gophers' 4x400-meter relay placed second in earning All-America honors and cementing Minnesota's top-10 team finish. Steele and Potter were joined by Andy Wohlin and Mikael Jakobsson and posted a school-record time of 3:02.33 in the Championships' final event. LSU won the title with a time of 3:02.01.
Karl Erickson landed a throw of 62 feet, 10 3/4 inches to collect his second All-America honor in the shot put and of his Gopher career. Erickson also placed fifth at this year's indoor national championship. Nebraska's Carl Myerscough won the title on his final throw with an effort of 71-11. Erickson also competed in the discus but was unable to land a throw far enough to advance to the final. Erickson finished in 22nd with a throw of 169-7. The Big Ten champion in the event fouled on his final two attempts in the trials.
Martin Robeck contributed to the team scoring with an eighth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run. Robeck ran a time of 3:44.04 to earn his first All-America honor in an individual event. Stanford's Grant Robison won the title with a time of 3:40.39.
Lynden Reder placed 16th in the hammer with a throw of 197 feet, 2 inches. Reder, making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships, landed his best throw in his first of three throws in the preliminary rounds.
Kevin Netzer finished in a tie for 16th in the high jump. Netzer cleared 7-0 1/4 but was eliminated after missing three attempts at 7-1 3/4. Southern California's David Jaworski won the event with a height of 7-5 3/4.
Will McComb placed 20th in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 29:33.66. Arkansas claimed the top two places with Dan Lincoln (28:20.20) edging teammate Alistair Cragg (28:20.29) by nine hundreths of a second.
Jakobsson advanced to the semifinal of the 400-meter hurdles but did not qualify for the final. Jakobsson ran a time of 51.27 to finish 15th.
Trent Riter placed sixth in his first-round heat of the 800-meter run with a time of 1:53.06.
Arkansas captured the men's team title with 59 points. Auburn was second with 50. Minnesota scored 29 points for its ninth-place showing, matching the Gophers' best national finish under Coach Lundin.
Minnesota All-Americans at 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Competitor Event Place Adam Steele 400m First 4x400m Relay Second Mitch Potter 400m Third 4x400m Relay Second Mikael Jakobsson 4x400m Relay Second Andy Wohlin 4x400m Relay Second Karl Erickson Shot Put Fifth Martin Robeck 1,500m Eighth Golden Gopher Men Capture Big Ten Title
The Minnesota men's track & field used a 1-2-4 finish in the 400-meter dash to power its way to the Big Ten men's track & field title at the 2003 Big Ten Men's Track & Field Championships at Bierman Stadium in Minneapolis, on May 19. The Golden Gophers scored 168.5 points to Purdue's runner-up total of 148.0.
Junior Mitch Potter captured his first 400-meter title outdoors, cruising to the win in a time of 46.39 seconds. Adam Steele was a close second in 46.73, while Andy Wohlin added a fourth-place showing in 47.38.
In claiming its fifth outdoor title in school history, Minnesota set a new Big Ten record for points scored in the outdoor championships. The Gophers' total of 168.5 bettered the mark of 160 set by Michigan in winning the 1980 Big Ten Outdoor crown.
"I'm elated and tired emotionally because it's three days and you don't know the outcome for three days," said Minnesota head coach Phil Lundin. "You just kind of go up and down riding the rollercoaster of emotions from event to event. I'm just tired but very, very happy."
Purdue countered Minnesota's 23-point outburst in the 400-meters with an impressive sweep of the top four places in the 100-meter dash but the Gophers depth throughout the competition proved to be difference.
"Our balance won this meet for us," added Lundin. "We have always prided ourselves on trying to create a balanced team, trying to competitive in all the events. That's hard. With limited scholarships, it's tough to do that in all areas. We have athletes placing in all events except a few and there's not many schools that can say that anymore."
The Gophers scored points in 20 of the 21 events. The pole vault was the only event missing. Minnesota did not enter an athlete in the competition this weekend.
š_ With a trio of 400-meter runners like Potter, Steele and Wohlin on the roster, the 4x400-meter relay is a sure bet for success. Mikael Jakobsson, the Gophers' 400-meter hurdles specialist, joined Wohlin, Steele and Potter to form the Big Ten champion 4x400-meter relay. The Gophers posted a time of 3:09.06 in defending their crown from a year ago.
Minnesota's other individual champion was sophomore Karl Erickson, who won his second title in the discus. Erickson's winning effort traveled 186 feet, 4 inches.
In a heart-breaking loss to Wisconsin in the 2002 Big Ten Outdoor Championships, the Badgers used a huge comeback in the 5,000-meter run to provide the necessary points to take a 4.5 point victory over the Gophers. In 2003, the Gophers' 5,000-meter runners pushed the Gophers' lead out of the reach of a strong Purdue team. Gopher sophomore Andrew Carlson placed second (14:21.73), while freshman Erik Grumstrup added an eighth-place finish (14:35.27) to tally nine points and the Minnesota title celebration was on.
Following is a complete list of the Golden Gopher scorers in the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
First Place (10 points) 400m Mitch Potter 46.39 4x400m Relay Mikael Jakobsson, Andy Wohlin 3:09.06 Adam Steele, Mitch Potter Discus Karl Erickson 186-4 Second Place (8 points) 400m Adam Steele 46.73 5,000m Andrew Carlson 14:21.73 400m Hurdles Mikael Jakobsson 50.08 Long Jump Steffen Landgraf 24-8 1/2 High Jump Kevin Netzer 7-1 3/4 Third Place (6 points) 200m Mitch Potter 21.18 1,500m Martin Robeck 3:53.67 3,000m Steeplechase Luke Mullranin 8:57.89 4x100m Relay Matt Taylor, Ben Taylor 40.58 Robb Merritt, Mikael Jakobsson Shot Put Karl Erickson 62-8 Discus Ben Nyquist 171-7 Fourth Place (5 points) 200m Robb Merritt 21.18 400m Andy Wohlin 47.38 1,500m Neil Hanson 3:53.79 10,000m Andrew Carlson 31:45.42 Decathlon Jason Swenson 6,944 Fifth Place (4 points) 100m Robb Merritt 10.58 800m Trent Riter 3:50.62 1,500m Ben Hanson 3:54.26 High Jump (tie) Josh Paulson 6-11 Sixth Place (3 points) 200m Adam Steele 21.23 Triple Jump Chris Dixon 51-0 1/4 Hammer Lynden Reder 197-1 Seventh Place (2 points) 100m Ben Taylor 10.75 10,000m Will McComb 31:52.83 110m Hurdles Joronne Williamson 14:45 Triple Jump Thomas Flensborg-Madsen 50-10 3/4 High Jump John Albert 6-11 Eighth Place (1 point) 100m Matt Taylor 10.75 5,000m Erik Grumstrup 14:35.27 Javelin Jason Swenson 199-3 Potter and Lundin Garner Big Ten Honors
Minnesota sprinter Mitch Potter and Golden Gopher head men's track & field coach Phil Lundin were named as the Men's Athlete of the Championships and Big Ten Coach of the Year, respectively.
Potter led the Golden Gophers to the team title in the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships last weekend by capturing Big Ten titles in the 400-meter dash and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay. He also claimed a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash. Potter's efforts contributed 26 points toward the Gophers' record-breaking team total of 168.5.
Coach Lundin collected the third Big Ten Coach of the Year honor of his Minnesota coaching career. Lundin was also previously honored with Coach of the Year accolades after directing the Gophers to back-to-back Big Ten outdoor titles in 1998 and 1999.
The Big Ten also awarded its Athlete of the Year (Ohio State thrower Dan Taylor) and Freshman of the Year (Michigan distance runner Nick Willis) honors.
Minnesota Seventh at NCAA Indoor Championships
Minnesota had all eight of its athletes competing in the NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., leave with All-America honors. The Golden Gophers finished in seventh place with 21 points, Minnesota's highest NCAA Indoor Championships finish since placing sixth in 1993.
Arkansas cruised to the team title with 52 points. Auburn placed second with 28 points.
Senior Toby Henkels collected his sixth All-America award, placing fourth in the 800-meters with a time of 1 minute, 48.26 seconds. Michigan's Nate Brannen won the title with a time of 1:47.79.
The Golden Gophers' 1,600-meter relay placed fourth as well, crossing the finish line in a clocking of 3:06.27. Mikael Jakobsson, Andy Wohlin, Adam Steele and Mitch Potter earned All-America honors for the second straight season, matching their fourth-place finish from 2002. LSU captured the relay title with a time of 3:04.79. Potter, Steele and Jakobsson are three-time All-Americans in the event.
Potter added All-America honors in the 400-meters with a fifth-place finish with a time of 46.02 seconds. Tennessee's Gary Kikaya sprinted to the title with a time of 45.71. Potter has captured All-America honors in each of his three NCAA Indoor Championships appearance and now has a total of seven All-America accolades in his Golden Gopher career.
Sophomore Karl Erickson captured the first All-America award of his career with a fifth-place finish in the shot put. Erickson tossed the shot a distance of 63 feet, 7 inches. Nebraska's Carl Myerscough won the event with a throw of 70-6.
The Gophers' medley relay team of Neil Hanson, Steele, Henkels and Martin Robeck placed sixth to garner All-America honors.
Minnesota All-Americans at 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Competitor Event Place Toby Henkels 800m Fourth Distance Medley Relay Sixth Karl Erickson Shot Put Fifth Mitch Potter 400m Fifth 4x400m Relay Fourth Adam Steele 4x400m Relay Fourth Distance Medley Relay Sixth Mikael Jakobsson 4x400m Relay Fourth Andy Wohlin 4x400m Relay Fourth Martin Robeck Distance Medley Relay Sixth Neil Hanson Distance Medley Relay Sixth Gophers Edged by Badgers at Big Ten Indoor Meet
Wisconsin edged Minnesota by just two points, 133.5 to 131.5, to capture the 2003 Big Ten indoor track & field championship at the conference meet at Champaign, Ill.
Junior Will McComb provided one of the best moments for the Gophers, capturing a surprise title in the 5,000-meter run. Without previously competing in the event this season, McComb ran an outstanding race, posting a time of 14 minutes, 14.37 seconds to take the conference title.
Both of Minnesota's relays won Big Ten crowns and were also named first-team All-Big Ten. Toby Henkels, Adam Steele, Zach Edmonson and Martin Robeck ran the distance medley relay that captured the title in a time of 9:52.77. Henkels was also a member of the 2000 indoor distance medley relay, the only other Minnesota medley team to take the indoor conference title.
Mikael Jakobsson, Andy Wohlin, Steele and Mitch Potter were members of the first-place 4x400-meter relay that clocked in at 3:12.83. This is the first time in Gopher history that Minnesota has won the 4x400 relay title or captured two relay titles in the same indoor championship.
In addition to their relay honors, Potter and Steele earned individual Big Ten titles. Potter finished first in the 400 meters with a time of 47.14, while Steele won the 600 meters in 1:18.94. Jakobsson finished behind Steele in the 400 meters with a time of 47.52 to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Following is a complete list of the Golden Gopher scorers in the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships.
First Place (10 points) 400m Mitch Potter 47.14 600m Adam Steele 1:18.94 5,000m Will McComb 14:14.37 Distance Medley Relay Toby Henkels, Adam Steele 9:52.77 Zach Edmonson, Neil Hanson 4x400m Relay Mikael Jakobsson, Andy Wohlin 3:12.83 Adam Steele, Mitch Potter Second Place (8 points) 400m Mikael Jakobsson 47.52 Third Place (6 points) 60m Hurdles Nick Lagos 7.96 400m Andy Wohlin 47.82 800m Toby Henkels 1:50.71 Long Jump Thomas Flensbor-Madsen 24-6 1/4 Weight Lynden Reder 63-7 3/4 Fourth Place (5 points) Long Jump Steffen Landgraf 24-4 1/2 Shot Put Karl Erickson 60-10 1/2 Fifth Place (4 points) 800m Trent Riter 1:51.79 Mile Neil Hanson 4:08.99 High Jump (tie) Kevin Netzer 6-10 3/4 High Jump (tie) Josh Paulson 6-10 3/4 Triple Jump Thomas Flensborg-Madsen 50-2 Heptathlon Travis Brandstatter 5,116 Sixth Place (3 points) Mile Martin Robeck 4:10.56 Seventh Place (2 points) 200m Mitch Potter 21.77 3,000m Will McComb 8:16.54 Heptathlon Jayme Pantekoek 4,891 Eighth Place (1 point) 200m Mikael Jakobsson 21.99 High Jump (tie) John Albert 6-9 2003 Honors List
NCAA Champion: Adam Steele (400m outdoor) National Coach of the Year: Phil Lundin All-Americans: Karl Erickson: shot put (I), shot put (O) Neil Hanson: Distance medley relay (I) Toby Henkels: 800m (I), Distance medley relay (I) Mikael Jakobsson: 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) Mitch Potter: 400m (I), 4x400m relay (I), 400m (O), 4x400m relay (O) Martin Robeck: Distance medley relay (I), 1,500m (O) Adam Steele: Distance medley relay (I), 4x400m relay (I), 400m (O), 4x400m relay (O) Andy Wohlin: 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) Midwest Region Indoor and Outdoor Athlete of the Year: Mitch Potter Midwest Region Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year: Phil Lundin Big Ten Coach of the Year: Phil Lundin Big Ten Athlete of the Outdoor Championships: Mitch Potter Big Ten Champions (All-Big Ten First Team): Zach Edmonson: Distance medley relay (I) Karl Erickson: Discus (O) Toby Henkels: Distance medley relay (I) Mikael Jakobsson: 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) Will McComb: 5,000m (I) Mitch Potter: 400m (I), 4x400m relay (I), 400m (O), 4x400m relay (O) Martin Robeck: Distance medley relay (I) Adam Steele: 600m (I), Distance medley relay (I), 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) Andy Wohlin: 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) All-Big Ten Second Team (Runner-up finishes) Andrew Carlson: 5,000m (O) Mikael Jakobsson: 400m (I), 400m hurdles (O) Steffen Landgraf: Long jump (O) Kevin Netzer: High jump (O) Adam Steele: 400m (O) Verizon Academic All-District (team) Mikael Jakobsson (2) Academic All-Big Ten: Sam Adegoke, John Albert, Michael Bialick, Josh Dobell, Vince Donahoe, Mike Ehlers, Scott Ferguson, Thomas Flensborg-Madsen, Erik Grumstrup, Ben Hanson, Mikael Jakobsson, Steffen Landgraf, Ryan Malmin, Luke Mullranin, Erik Quam, Curt Schoenfelder, Adam Steele, Matt Taylor, Andy Tilstra The 2003 Season - Meet-by-Meet Review
* - Denotes New School Record
Jan. 11 - Northwest Open Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Chris Dixon, triple jump, 48-8 1/4 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-10 3/4 4x400m relay (Swenson, Ferguson, Steele, Wohlin), 3:18.11 Jan. 18 - Minnesota Open Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Josh Paulson, high jump, 7-0 1/4 Erik Grumstrup, mile, 4:13.94 4x400m relay (Swenson, Steele, Wohlin, Donahoe), 3:15.48 Jan. 25 - Minnesota Gold Country Classic Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Toby Henkels, 600m, 1:19.64 Martin Robeck, 800m, 1:51.76 Thomas Flensborg-Madsen, long jump, 23-2 Chris Dixon, triple jump, 49-4 1/2 Lynden Reder, weight, 61-7 1/2 Josh Paulson, high jump, 6-10 1/4 Feb. 1 - Panther Classic Cedar Falls, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, shot put, 59-3 Steffen Landgraf, long jump, 24-1 1/2 Will McComb, 3,000m, 8:27.22 Other school-record performances: Ben Taylor, 60m, prelims, 6.81* Feb. 8 - Nebraska Adidas Classic Lincoln, Neb. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Mitch Potter, 400m, 46.67 4x400m Relay (Potter, Wohlin, Steele, Jakobsson), 3:09.52 Feb. 14-15 - Iowa State Cyclone Classic Ames, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Mitch Potter, 400m, 45.89* 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), 3:06.03* Distance medley relay, (Henkels, Steele, Riter, Robeck), 9:40.41 Feb. 21 - Snowshoe Open Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Matt Taylor, 60m, 6.90 Andy Wohlin, 200m, 21.84 Doug Swenson, 400m, 49.87 Thomas Flenborg-Madsen, long jump, 23-7 Lynden Reder, weight, 62-7 1/4 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-11 March 1-2 - Big Ten Indoor Championships Champaign, Ill. Team Scores: 1. Wisconsin 133.5; 2. Minnesota 131.5; 3. Purdue 123; 4. Ohio State 98; 5. Indiana 67; 6. Michigan 51.5; 7. Penn State 42; 8. Illinois 26; 9. Iowa 18.5; 10. Michigan State 11 Minnesota event champions: Mitch Potter, 400m, 47.14 Adam Steele, 600m, 1:18.94 Will McComb, 5,000m, 14:14.37 Distance medley relay (Henkels, Steele, Edmonson, Robeck), 9:52.77 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter) 3:12.83 March 8 - Alex Wilson Invitational South Bend, Ind. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: None School-record performances: Toby Henkels, 800m, second, 1:48.23* Will McComb, 3,000m, second, 8:00.46* March 8 - NCAA Qualifying Meet Ames, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: None March 14-15 - NCAA Indoor Championships Fayetteville, Ark. Team Scores: 1. Arkansas 54; 2. Auburn 30; 3. LSU 25; 7. Minnesota 21; 8. Indiana 20; t13. Michigan 16; t15. Ohio State 15; t17. Purdue 12; t44. Wisconsin 4. (61 teams scored) Minnesota event champions: None Minnesota competitors: Toby Henkels, 800m, fourth, All-America, 1:48.26 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), fourth, All-America, 3:06.27 Mitch Potter, 400m, fifth, All-America, 46.02 Karl Erickson, shot put, fifth, All-America, 63-7 3/4 Distance medley relay (N. Hanson, Steele, Henkels, Robeck), sixth, All-America, 9:35.18 Mikael Jakobsson, 400m, 14th, 47.09 March 21-22 - Baldy Castillo Inv. Tempe, Ariz. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, shot put, 63-7 3/4; discus 186-1 Steffen Landgraf, long jump, 24-1 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-9 1/2 Luke Mullranin, 3,000m steeplechase, 9:12.86 School-record performances: Lynden Reder, hammer, second, 196-4 March 28-29 - Adidas Raleigh Relays Raleigh, N.C. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: None School-record performances: 4x1,500m relay (Malmin, McComb, Ford, B. Hanson), third, 15:46.66 - school record established - first time event contested April 2-5 - Texas Relays Austin, Texas No team scores. Minnesota event champions: 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), 3:04.92 School-record performances: Lynden Reder, hammer, fifth, 203-0* April 11-12 - Oregon Pepsi Classic Eugene, Ore. Team Scores: 1. Oregon 211; 2. Minnesota 171.3; 3. Washington; 4. Colorado Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, shot put, 59-3; discus 187-0 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-10 3/4 Mitch Potter, 400m, 45.76 4x100m relay (M. Taylor, B. Taylor, Merritt, Wohlin), 40.97 Andy Wohlin, 200m, 21.43 Trent Riter, 800m, 1:15.59 April 12 - St. Thomas Inv. St. Paul, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Steve Williamson, 110m hurdles, 14.84 Scott Ferguson, 400m hurdles, 53.67 Andy Tilstra, discus, 139-1 Scott Berggren, high jump, 6-6 3/4 April 17 - Mt. SAC Relays Walnut, Calif. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: None April 19 - Northern Iowa Open Cedar Falls, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Scott Ferguson, 400m hurdles, 54.00 Karl Erickson, discus, 189-0 April 24-26 - Drake Relays Des Moines, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Mitch Potter, 400m, 45.16* May 3 - Iowa Musco Twilight Meet Iowa City, Iowa Team results: 1. Illinois 128.5; 2. Minnesota 104.5; 3. Northern Iowa 89.5; 4. Iowa 81; 12 teams scored Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, shot put, 62-3 1/4; discus, 196-10 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-9 1/2 Neil Hanson, 1,500m, 3:47.09 May 9 - Minnesota Qualifier Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Matt Taylor, 100m, 10.87 Mitch Potter, 200m, 20.96 Trent Riter, 400m, 49.67 Martin Robeck, 800m, 1:50.65 Joronne Williams, 110 hurdles, 14.78 Steffen Landgraf, long jump, 24-7 Chris Dixon, triple jump, 49-4 Karl Erickson, shot put, 63-4; discus, 188-5 Mike Ehlers, hammer, 187-2 Jason Swenson, javelin, 218-10 John Albert, high jump, 6-7 1/2 May 16-18 - Big Ten Outdoor Championships Minneapolis, Minn. Team results: 1. Minnesota 168.5; 2. Purdue 148; 3. Indiana 113; 4. Ohio State 111.5; 5. Penn State 81; 6. Wisconsin 61; 7. Michigan 56; 8. Illinois 44; 9. Iowa 27; 10. Michigan State 9 Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, discus, 186-4 Mitch Potter, 400m, 46.39 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), 3:09.06 May 30-31 - NCAA Midwest Regional Lincoln, Neb. Team results: 1. Minnesota 65.5; 2. Texas A&M 61; t3. Texas Tech 56; t3. Nebraska 56 (33 teams scored) Minnesota event champions: Mikael Jakobsson, 400m hurdles, 49.86 Mitch Potter, 400m, 44.93* June 11-14 - NCAA Outdoor Championships Sacramento, Calif. Team results: 1. Arkansas 59; 2. Auburn 50; 3. Southern California 41.5; 4. LSU 36; 5. Nebraska 33; 6. Florida 32; t7. Tennessee 30, t7. Stanford 30; 9. Minnesota 29 (73 teams scored) Minnesota event champions: Adam Steele, 400m, 44.57* - NATIONAL CHAMPION Minnesota competitors: 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), second, All-America, 3:02.33* Mitch Potter, 400m, third, All-America, 44.58 Karl Erickson, shot put, fifth, All-America, 62-10 3/4; discus, 22nd, 169-7 Martin Robeck, 1,500m, eighth, All-America, 3:44.04 Mikael Jakobsson, 400m hurdles, 15th, 51.27 Lynden Reder, hammer, 16th, 197-2 Kevin Netzer, high jump, t16th, 7-0 1/4 Will McComb, 10,000m, 20th, 29:33.66 Trent Riter, 800m, prelims, 1:53.06
The 2003 Season in Review
Perhaps yet another shot of the agony of defeat provided the Minnesota men's track & field program with the determination necessary to perpetuate the 2003 season into one of the most successful in Golden Gopher history.
The Gophers lost the 2003 indoor Big Ten crown to Wisconsin by two points. That outcome added to the frustration of losing a big lead in the final two events of the 2002 outdoor championships to that same Badger team. Minnesota was a team on a mission as the 2003 outdoor season began.
The drive to amend for those close losses certainly did produce dividends. Minnesota not only won the Big Ten outdoor title, the Gophers posted the highest team score in conference history winning with 168.5 points. The victory was even sweeter as it took place on the Gophers' home track in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative Minnesota crowd.
The team will tell you that winning the conference title was its main goal and that anything afterward was just icing on the cake. Well, this Gopher team cooked up some pretty great tasting icing.
Minnesota tallied a pair of top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, finishing seventh in door and ninth outdoor. Adam Steele ran to the ninth individual NCAA title and the first since 1971, when he won the 400-meter outdoor. His time of 44.57 not only set a new school record but was also the fastest time in the world at that point of the season.
A total of eight Golden Gopher earned All-America honors in 2003. Three relays - the distance medley and 4x400m indoor and the 4x400m outdoor - also ran to All-America distinction. Nine Gophers were crowned as Big Ten champions. In addition, nine school records fell a total of 11 times.
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.
Steele Wins 400-Meter Title, Gophers Ninth at NCAAs
Adam Steele captured the national title in the 400-meter dash, leading the Minnesota men's track & field team to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
Steele, a junior from Eden Prairie, Minn., edged South Carolina's Otis Harris and teammate Mitch Potter in a photo-finish to become the first Golden Gopher to win a national crown since 1971. Steele was clocked at 44.57, a new Minnesota record and the fastest time in the world this season. Harris' official time is the same as Steele's time, with Potter taking third with a career-best time of 44.58.
Steele is the ninth Gopher to win a track & field national title. He is, however, the first sprinter to do so.
"Not even in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen," said Steele. "Mitch and I came in with the goal to go 1-2 in the 400 but I just felt I had to do my part. My goal was always just to make it to the next round. In the final we all crossed the line together, when I saw my name come up first on the scoreboard as the winner I had no idea what to do. This is such a surprise. It's great."
"What a great effort," said Golden Gopher head coach Phil Lundin. "The ability to run world-class times while going through round after round, first prelims then semifinals and then the final is amazing."
The Gophers' 4x400-meter relay placed second in earning All-America honors and cementing Minnesota's top-10 team finish. Steele and Potter were joined by Andy Wohlin and Mikael Jakobsson and posted a school-record time of 3:02.33 in the Championships' final event. LSU won the title with a time of 3:02.01.
Karl Erickson landed a throw of 62 feet, 10 3/4 inches to collect his second All-America honor in the shot put and of his Gopher career. Erickson also placed fifth at this year's indoor national championship. Nebraska's Carl Myerscough won the title on his final throw with an effort of 71-11. Erickson also competed in the discus but was unable to land a throw far enough to advance to the final. Erickson finished in 22nd with a throw of 169-7. The Big Ten champion in the event fouled on his final two attempts in the trials.
Martin Robeck contributed to the team scoring with an eighth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run. Robeck ran a time of 3:44.04 to earn his first All-America honor in an individual event. Stanford's Grant Robison won the title with a time of 3:40.39.
Lynden Reder placed 16th in the hammer with a throw of 197 feet, 2 inches. Reder, making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships, landed his best throw in his first of three throws in the preliminary rounds.
Kevin Netzer finished in a tie for 16th in the high jump. Netzer cleared 7-0 1/4 but was eliminated after missing three attempts at 7-1 3/4. Southern California's David Jaworski won the event with a height of 7-5 3/4.
Will McComb placed 20th in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 29:33.66. Arkansas claimed the top two places with Dan Lincoln (28:20.20) edging teammate Alistair Cragg (28:20.29) by nine hundreths of a second.
Jakobsson advanced to the semifinal of the 400-meter hurdles but did not qualify for the final. Jakobsson ran a time of 51.27 to finish 15th.
Trent Riter placed sixth in his first-round heat of the 800-meter run with a time of 1:53.06.
Arkansas captured the men's team title with 59 points. Auburn was second with 50. Minnesota scored 29 points for its ninth-place showing, matching the Gophers' best national finish under Coach Lundin.
Minnesota All-Americans at 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Competitor Event Place Adam Steele 400m First 4x400m Relay Second Mitch Potter 400m Third 4x400m Relay Second Mikael Jakobsson 4x400m Relay Second Andy Wohlin 4x400m Relay Second Karl Erickson Shot Put Fifth Martin Robeck 1,500m Eighth Golden Gopher Men Capture Big Ten Title
The Minnesota men's track & field used a 1-2-4 finish in the 400-meter dash to power its way to the Big Ten men's track & field title at the 2003 Big Ten Men's Track & Field Championships at Bierman Stadium in Minneapolis, on May 19. The Golden Gophers scored 168.5 points to Purdue's runner-up total of 148.0.
Junior Mitch Potter captured his first 400-meter title outdoors, cruising to the win in a time of 46.39 seconds. Adam Steele was a close second in 46.73, while Andy Wohlin added a fourth-place showing in 47.38.
In claiming its fifth outdoor title in school history, Minnesota set a new Big Ten record for points scored in the outdoor championships. The Gophers' total of 168.5 bettered the mark of 160 set by Michigan in winning the 1980 Big Ten Outdoor crown.
"I'm elated and tired emotionally because it's three days and you don't know the outcome for three days," said Minnesota head coach Phil Lundin. "You just kind of go up and down riding the rollercoaster of emotions from event to event. I'm just tired but very, very happy."
Purdue countered Minnesota's 23-point outburst in the 400-meters with an impressive sweep of the top four places in the 100-meter dash but the Gophers depth throughout the competition proved to be difference.
"Our balance won this meet for us," added Lundin. "We have always prided ourselves on trying to create a balanced team, trying to competitive in all the events. That's hard. With limited scholarships, it's tough to do that in all areas. We have athletes placing in all events except a few and there's not many schools that can say that anymore."
The Gophers scored points in 20 of the 21 events. The pole vault was the only event missing. Minnesota did not enter an athlete in the competition this weekend.
š_ With a trio of 400-meter runners like Potter, Steele and Wohlin on the roster, the 4x400-meter relay is a sure bet for success. Mikael Jakobsson, the Gophers' 400-meter hurdles specialist, joined Wohlin, Steele and Potter to form the Big Ten champion 4x400-meter relay. The Gophers posted a time of 3:09.06 in defending their crown from a year ago.
Minnesota's other individual champion was sophomore Karl Erickson, who won his second title in the discus. Erickson's winning effort traveled 186 feet, 4 inches.
In a heart-breaking loss to Wisconsin in the 2002 Big Ten Outdoor Championships, the Badgers used a huge comeback in the 5,000-meter run to provide the necessary points to take a 4.5 point victory over the Gophers. In 2003, the Gophers' 5,000-meter runners pushed the Gophers' lead out of the reach of a strong Purdue team. Gopher sophomore Andrew Carlson placed second (14:21.73), while freshman Erik Grumstrup added an eighth-place finish (14:35.27) to tally nine points and the Minnesota title celebration was on.
Following is a complete list of the Golden Gopher scorers in the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
First Place (10 points) 400m Mitch Potter 46.39 4x400m Relay Mikael Jakobsson, Andy Wohlin 3:09.06 Adam Steele, Mitch Potter Discus Karl Erickson 186-4 Second Place (8 points) 400m Adam Steele 46.73 5,000m Andrew Carlson 14:21.73 400m Hurdles Mikael Jakobsson 50.08 Long Jump Steffen Landgraf 24-8 1/2 High Jump Kevin Netzer 7-1 3/4 Third Place (6 points) 200m Mitch Potter 21.18 1,500m Martin Robeck 3:53.67 3,000m Steeplechase Luke Mullranin 8:57.89 4x100m Relay Matt Taylor, Ben Taylor 40.58 Robb Merritt, Mikael Jakobsson Shot Put Karl Erickson 62-8 Discus Ben Nyquist 171-7 Fourth Place (5 points) 200m Robb Merritt 21.18 400m Andy Wohlin 47.38 1,500m Neil Hanson 3:53.79 10,000m Andrew Carlson 31:45.42 Decathlon Jason Swenson 6,944 Fifth Place (4 points) 100m Robb Merritt 10.58 800m Trent Riter 3:50.62 1,500m Ben Hanson 3:54.26 High Jump (tie) Josh Paulson 6-11 Sixth Place (3 points) 200m Adam Steele 21.23 Triple Jump Chris Dixon 51-0 1/4 Hammer Lynden Reder 197-1 Seventh Place (2 points) 100m Ben Taylor 10.75 10,000m Will McComb 31:52.83 110m Hurdles Joronne Williamson 14:45 Triple Jump Thomas Flensborg-Madsen 50-10 3/4 High Jump John Albert 6-11 Eighth Place (1 point) 100m Matt Taylor 10.75 5,000m Erik Grumstrup 14:35.27 Javelin Jason Swenson 199-3 Potter and Lundin Garner Big Ten Honors
Minnesota sprinter Mitch Potter and Golden Gopher head men's track & field coach Phil Lundin were named as the Men's Athlete of the Championships and Big Ten Coach of the Year, respectively.
Potter led the Golden Gophers to the team title in the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships last weekend by capturing Big Ten titles in the 400-meter dash and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay. He also claimed a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash. Potter's efforts contributed 26 points toward the Gophers' record-breaking team total of 168.5.
Coach Lundin collected the third Big Ten Coach of the Year honor of his Minnesota coaching career. Lundin was also previously honored with Coach of the Year accolades after directing the Gophers to back-to-back Big Ten outdoor titles in 1998 and 1999.
The Big Ten also awarded its Athlete of the Year (Ohio State thrower Dan Taylor) and Freshman of the Year (Michigan distance runner Nick Willis) honors.
Minnesota Seventh at NCAA Indoor Championships
Minnesota had all eight of its athletes competing in the NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., leave with All-America honors. The Golden Gophers finished in seventh place with 21 points, Minnesota's highest NCAA Indoor Championships finish since placing sixth in 1993.
Arkansas cruised to the team title with 52 points. Auburn placed second with 28 points.
Senior Toby Henkels collected his sixth All-America award, placing fourth in the 800-meters with a time of 1 minute, 48.26 seconds. Michigan's Nate Brannen won the title with a time of 1:47.79.
The Golden Gophers' 1,600-meter relay placed fourth as well, crossing the finish line in a clocking of 3:06.27. Mikael Jakobsson, Andy Wohlin, Adam Steele and Mitch Potter earned All-America honors for the second straight season, matching their fourth-place finish from 2002. LSU captured the relay title with a time of 3:04.79. Potter, Steele and Jakobsson are three-time All-Americans in the event.
Potter added All-America honors in the 400-meters with a fifth-place finish with a time of 46.02 seconds. Tennessee's Gary Kikaya sprinted to the title with a time of 45.71. Potter has captured All-America honors in each of his three NCAA Indoor Championships appearance and now has a total of seven All-America accolades in his Golden Gopher career.
Sophomore Karl Erickson captured the first All-America award of his career with a fifth-place finish in the shot put. Erickson tossed the shot a distance of 63 feet, 7 inches. Nebraska's Carl Myerscough won the event with a throw of 70-6.
The Gophers' medley relay team of Neil Hanson, Steele, Henkels and Martin Robeck placed sixth to garner All-America honors.
Minnesota All-Americans at 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Competitor Event Place Toby Henkels 800m Fourth Distance Medley Relay Sixth Karl Erickson Shot Put Fifth Mitch Potter 400m Fifth 4x400m Relay Fourth Adam Steele 4x400m Relay Fourth Distance Medley Relay Sixth Mikael Jakobsson 4x400m Relay Fourth Andy Wohlin 4x400m Relay Fourth Martin Robeck Distance Medley Relay Sixth Neil Hanson Distance Medley Relay Sixth Gophers Edged by Badgers at Big Ten Indoor Meet
Wisconsin edged Minnesota by just two points, 133.5 to 131.5, to capture the 2003 Big Ten indoor track & field championship at the conference meet at Champaign, Ill.
Junior Will McComb provided one of the best moments for the Gophers, capturing a surprise title in the 5,000-meter run. Without previously competing in the event this season, McComb ran an outstanding race, posting a time of 14 minutes, 14.37 seconds to take the conference title.
Both of Minnesota's relays won Big Ten crowns and were also named first-team All-Big Ten. Toby Henkels, Adam Steele, Zach Edmonson and Martin Robeck ran the distance medley relay that captured the title in a time of 9:52.77. Henkels was also a member of the 2000 indoor distance medley relay, the only other Minnesota medley team to take the indoor conference title.
Mikael Jakobsson, Andy Wohlin, Steele and Mitch Potter were members of the first-place 4x400-meter relay that clocked in at 3:12.83. This is the first time in Gopher history that Minnesota has won the 4x400 relay title or captured two relay titles in the same indoor championship.
In addition to their relay honors, Potter and Steele earned individual Big Ten titles. Potter finished first in the 400 meters with a time of 47.14, while Steele won the 600 meters in 1:18.94. Jakobsson finished behind Steele in the 400 meters with a time of 47.52 to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Following is a complete list of the Golden Gopher scorers in the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships.
First Place (10 points) 400m Mitch Potter 47.14 600m Adam Steele 1:18.94 5,000m Will McComb 14:14.37 Distance Medley Relay Toby Henkels, Adam Steele 9:52.77 Zach Edmonson, Neil Hanson 4x400m Relay Mikael Jakobsson, Andy Wohlin 3:12.83 Adam Steele, Mitch Potter Second Place (8 points) 400m Mikael Jakobsson 47.52 Third Place (6 points) 60m Hurdles Nick Lagos 7.96 400m Andy Wohlin 47.82 800m Toby Henkels 1:50.71 Long Jump Thomas Flensbor-Madsen 24-6 1/4 Weight Lynden Reder 63-7 3/4 Fourth Place (5 points) Long Jump Steffen Landgraf 24-4 1/2 Shot Put Karl Erickson 60-10 1/2 Fifth Place (4 points) 800m Trent Riter 1:51.79 Mile Neil Hanson 4:08.99 High Jump (tie) Kevin Netzer 6-10 3/4 High Jump (tie) Josh Paulson 6-10 3/4 Triple Jump Thomas Flensborg-Madsen 50-2 Heptathlon Travis Brandstatter 5,116 Sixth Place (3 points) Mile Martin Robeck 4:10.56 Seventh Place (2 points) 200m Mitch Potter 21.77 3,000m Will McComb 8:16.54 Heptathlon Jayme Pantekoek 4,891 Eighth Place (1 point) 200m Mikael Jakobsson 21.99 High Jump (tie) John Albert 6-9 2003 Honors List
NCAA Champion: Adam Steele (400m outdoor) National Coach of the Year: Phil Lundin All-Americans: Karl Erickson: shot put (I), shot put (O) Neil Hanson: Distance medley relay (I) Toby Henkels: 800m (I), Distance medley relay (I) Mikael Jakobsson: 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) Mitch Potter: 400m (I), 4x400m relay (I), 400m (O), 4x400m relay (O) Martin Robeck: Distance medley relay (I), 1,500m (O) Adam Steele: Distance medley relay (I), 4x400m relay (I), 400m (O), 4x400m relay (O) Andy Wohlin: 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) Midwest Region Indoor and Outdoor Athlete of the Year: Mitch Potter Midwest Region Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year: Phil Lundin Big Ten Coach of the Year: Phil Lundin Big Ten Athlete of the Outdoor Championships: Mitch Potter Big Ten Champions (All-Big Ten First Team): Zach Edmonson: Distance medley relay (I) Karl Erickson: Discus (O) Toby Henkels: Distance medley relay (I) Mikael Jakobsson: 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) Will McComb: 5,000m (I) Mitch Potter: 400m (I), 4x400m relay (I), 400m (O), 4x400m relay (O) Martin Robeck: Distance medley relay (I) Adam Steele: 600m (I), Distance medley relay (I), 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) Andy Wohlin: 4x400m relay (I), 4x400m relay (O) All-Big Ten Second Team (Runner-up finishes) Andrew Carlson: 5,000m (O) Mikael Jakobsson: 400m (I), 400m hurdles (O) Steffen Landgraf: Long jump (O) Kevin Netzer: High jump (O) Adam Steele: 400m (O) Verizon Academic All-District (team) Mikael Jakobsson (2) Academic All-Big Ten: Sam Adegoke, John Albert, Michael Bialick, Josh Dobell, Vince Donahoe, Mike Ehlers, Scott Ferguson, Thomas Flensborg-Madsen, Erik Grumstrup, Ben Hanson, Mikael Jakobsson, Steffen Landgraf, Ryan Malmin, Luke Mullranin, Erik Quam, Curt Schoenfelder, Adam Steele, Matt Taylor, Andy Tilstra The 2003 Season - Meet-by-Meet Review
* - Denotes New School Record
Jan. 11 - Northwest Open Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Chris Dixon, triple jump, 48-8 1/4 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-10 3/4 4x400m relay (Swenson, Ferguson, Steele, Wohlin), 3:18.11 Jan. 18 - Minnesota Open Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Josh Paulson, high jump, 7-0 1/4 Erik Grumstrup, mile, 4:13.94 4x400m relay (Swenson, Steele, Wohlin, Donahoe), 3:15.48 Jan. 25 - Minnesota Gold Country Classic Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Toby Henkels, 600m, 1:19.64 Martin Robeck, 800m, 1:51.76 Thomas Flensborg-Madsen, long jump, 23-2 Chris Dixon, triple jump, 49-4 1/2 Lynden Reder, weight, 61-7 1/2 Josh Paulson, high jump, 6-10 1/4 Feb. 1 - Panther Classic Cedar Falls, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, shot put, 59-3 Steffen Landgraf, long jump, 24-1 1/2 Will McComb, 3,000m, 8:27.22 Other school-record performances: Ben Taylor, 60m, prelims, 6.81* Feb. 8 - Nebraska Adidas Classic Lincoln, Neb. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Mitch Potter, 400m, 46.67 4x400m Relay (Potter, Wohlin, Steele, Jakobsson), 3:09.52 Feb. 14-15 - Iowa State Cyclone Classic Ames, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Mitch Potter, 400m, 45.89* 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), 3:06.03* Distance medley relay, (Henkels, Steele, Riter, Robeck), 9:40.41 Feb. 21 - Snowshoe Open Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Matt Taylor, 60m, 6.90 Andy Wohlin, 200m, 21.84 Doug Swenson, 400m, 49.87 Thomas Flenborg-Madsen, long jump, 23-7 Lynden Reder, weight, 62-7 1/4 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-11 March 1-2 - Big Ten Indoor Championships Champaign, Ill. Team Scores: 1. Wisconsin 133.5; 2. Minnesota 131.5; 3. Purdue 123; 4. Ohio State 98; 5. Indiana 67; 6. Michigan 51.5; 7. Penn State 42; 8. Illinois 26; 9. Iowa 18.5; 10. Michigan State 11 Minnesota event champions: Mitch Potter, 400m, 47.14 Adam Steele, 600m, 1:18.94 Will McComb, 5,000m, 14:14.37 Distance medley relay (Henkels, Steele, Edmonson, Robeck), 9:52.77 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter) 3:12.83 March 8 - Alex Wilson Invitational South Bend, Ind. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: None School-record performances: Toby Henkels, 800m, second, 1:48.23* Will McComb, 3,000m, second, 8:00.46* March 8 - NCAA Qualifying Meet Ames, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: None March 14-15 - NCAA Indoor Championships Fayetteville, Ark. Team Scores: 1. Arkansas 54; 2. Auburn 30; 3. LSU 25; 7. Minnesota 21; 8. Indiana 20; t13. Michigan 16; t15. Ohio State 15; t17. Purdue 12; t44. Wisconsin 4. (61 teams scored) Minnesota event champions: None Minnesota competitors: Toby Henkels, 800m, fourth, All-America, 1:48.26 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), fourth, All-America, 3:06.27 Mitch Potter, 400m, fifth, All-America, 46.02 Karl Erickson, shot put, fifth, All-America, 63-7 3/4 Distance medley relay (N. Hanson, Steele, Henkels, Robeck), sixth, All-America, 9:35.18 Mikael Jakobsson, 400m, 14th, 47.09 March 21-22 - Baldy Castillo Inv. Tempe, Ariz. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, shot put, 63-7 3/4; discus 186-1 Steffen Landgraf, long jump, 24-1 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-9 1/2 Luke Mullranin, 3,000m steeplechase, 9:12.86 School-record performances: Lynden Reder, hammer, second, 196-4 March 28-29 - Adidas Raleigh Relays Raleigh, N.C. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: None School-record performances: 4x1,500m relay (Malmin, McComb, Ford, B. Hanson), third, 15:46.66 - school record established - first time event contested April 2-5 - Texas Relays Austin, Texas No team scores. Minnesota event champions: 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), 3:04.92 School-record performances: Lynden Reder, hammer, fifth, 203-0* April 11-12 - Oregon Pepsi Classic Eugene, Ore. Team Scores: 1. Oregon 211; 2. Minnesota 171.3; 3. Washington; 4. Colorado Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, shot put, 59-3; discus 187-0 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-10 3/4 Mitch Potter, 400m, 45.76 4x100m relay (M. Taylor, B. Taylor, Merritt, Wohlin), 40.97 Andy Wohlin, 200m, 21.43 Trent Riter, 800m, 1:15.59 April 12 - St. Thomas Inv. St. Paul, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Steve Williamson, 110m hurdles, 14.84 Scott Ferguson, 400m hurdles, 53.67 Andy Tilstra, discus, 139-1 Scott Berggren, high jump, 6-6 3/4 April 17 - Mt. SAC Relays Walnut, Calif. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: None April 19 - Northern Iowa Open Cedar Falls, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Scott Ferguson, 400m hurdles, 54.00 Karl Erickson, discus, 189-0 April 24-26 - Drake Relays Des Moines, Iowa No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Mitch Potter, 400m, 45.16* May 3 - Iowa Musco Twilight Meet Iowa City, Iowa Team results: 1. Illinois 128.5; 2. Minnesota 104.5; 3. Northern Iowa 89.5; 4. Iowa 81; 12 teams scored Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, shot put, 62-3 1/4; discus, 196-10 Kevin Netzer, high jump, 6-9 1/2 Neil Hanson, 1,500m, 3:47.09 May 9 - Minnesota Qualifier Minneapolis, Minn. No team scores. Minnesota event champions: Matt Taylor, 100m, 10.87 Mitch Potter, 200m, 20.96 Trent Riter, 400m, 49.67 Martin Robeck, 800m, 1:50.65 Joronne Williams, 110 hurdles, 14.78 Steffen Landgraf, long jump, 24-7 Chris Dixon, triple jump, 49-4 Karl Erickson, shot put, 63-4; discus, 188-5 Mike Ehlers, hammer, 187-2 Jason Swenson, javelin, 218-10 John Albert, high jump, 6-7 1/2 May 16-18 - Big Ten Outdoor Championships Minneapolis, Minn. Team results: 1. Minnesota 168.5; 2. Purdue 148; 3. Indiana 113; 4. Ohio State 111.5; 5. Penn State 81; 6. Wisconsin 61; 7. Michigan 56; 8. Illinois 44; 9. Iowa 27; 10. Michigan State 9 Minnesota event champions: Karl Erickson, discus, 186-4 Mitch Potter, 400m, 46.39 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), 3:09.06 May 30-31 - NCAA Midwest Regional Lincoln, Neb. Team results: 1. Minnesota 65.5; 2. Texas A&M 61; t3. Texas Tech 56; t3. Nebraska 56 (33 teams scored) Minnesota event champions: Mikael Jakobsson, 400m hurdles, 49.86 Mitch Potter, 400m, 44.93* June 11-14 - NCAA Outdoor Championships Sacramento, Calif. Team results: 1. Arkansas 59; 2. Auburn 50; 3. Southern California 41.5; 4. LSU 36; 5. Nebraska 33; 6. Florida 32; t7. Tennessee 30, t7. Stanford 30; 9. Minnesota 29 (73 teams scored) Minnesota event champions: Adam Steele, 400m, 44.57* - NATIONAL CHAMPION Minnesota competitors: 4x400m relay (Jakobsson, Wohlin, Steele, Potter), second, All-America, 3:02.33* Mitch Potter, 400m, third, All-America, 44.58 Karl Erickson, shot put, fifth, All-America, 62-10 3/4; discus, 22nd, 169-7 Martin Robeck, 1,500m, eighth, All-America, 3:44.04 Mikael Jakobsson, 400m hurdles, 15th, 51.27 Lynden Reder, hammer, 16th, 197-2 Kevin Netzer, high jump, t16th, 7-0 1/4 Will McComb, 10,000m, 20th, 29:33.66 Trent Riter, 800m, prelims, 1:53.06