University of Minnesota Athletics
Griak Invitational Men's Gold Race Preview
9/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
The 2003 Griak Men's Gold Race field is nothing short of outstanding. Teams that placed second, third and fifth at the 2002 NCAA Championships will battle each other for the first time in the 2003 season. A total of eight teams that competed in the Griak a year ago, advanced to the national meet. Breaking down the field further, the top seven teams, and nine of the top 10, return to the Griak field. The race for team and individual supremacy will be a fun one to watch unfold.
Nine-time Griak champion Wisconsin is always a favorite to battle for the Griak title each season. A year ago, the Badgers placed eighth in the Griak, but went on win its fourth consecutive Big Ten Conference title and captured runner-up honors at the NCAA Championships. With five of their top seven runners returning, in addition to an excellent freshman class, Wisconsin is once again the team to beat.
Matt Tegenkamp, a junior, placed 12th at the 2002 NCAA Championships and enters the 2003 Griak as the top national placewinner. He is a two-time All-American and the defending Big Ten champion. Two other All-Americans join forces with Tegenkamp to pace the No. 2 ranked Badgers. Sophomore Bobby Lockhart was the top Wisconsin finisher at the Griak last year, placing eighth, then went on to All-America honors with a 23rd-place showing at nationals. Junior Josh Spiker missed the 2002 season with an injury and hopes to return to his 2001 All-America form this season.
No. 10-ranked Eastern Michigan placed third at the NCAA Championships and second in the Griak a year ago. The Eagles lost 2001 national champion Boaz Cheboiywo to graduation, yet have a talented squad built around senior Gavin Thompson. Thompson placed third in the Griak en route to a season-ending accomplishment of All-America honors with a 13th-place finish. Fellow senior Joel David placed 20th in the 2002 Griak.
Defending Griak champion Oregon seems poised for another run for the gold. The Ducks have three All-Americans - junior Ryan Andrus (34th), Eric Logsdon (41st), and senior Brett Holts (43rd) - returning to fuel their goal of bettering their fifth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships. The Ducks' finish matches their early-season national ranking of No. 5. Oregon captured its first Griak title in 2002 by compiling 96 points, nine better than runner-up Eastern Michigan. Andrus was only Duck in the top 10, placing eighth. Holts finished 16th.
Providence enters the 2003 Griak ranked No. 15, and looks to a trio of juniors in Patrick Guidera, Patrick Moulton and Dylan Wykes to take the Friars back to the NCAAs for the 26th time in school history. All three helped Providence to a 13th-place finish at the national meet last year.
Weber State placed 15th in the 2002 NCAAs and third in the Griak. The 2003 season will be a challenge to repeat those feats as the Wildcats have seven freshmen on the roster. Sophomore Riley Cook has been Weber State's top runner thus far in 2003.
Brigham Young has the defending Griak champion in junior Kip Kangogo. Kangogo covered the 8-kilometer course in a Griak record 23:38.9. The Cougars placed 16th in the 2002 NCAA Championships and are currently ranked No. 12 in the nation.
Minnesota (17th), Colorado State (27th) and Iowa (29th) close out the list of Griak teams that ran in the 2002 NCAA Championships. A hip injury has held Minnesota All-American Andrew Carlson out of early-season competition. In Carlson's absence, the No. 25 Golden Gophers look to All-Midwest Region runners Ryan Malmin and Ryan Ford to lead the way.
Seniors Bill Michel and Austin Vigil pace No. 23 Colorado State. Both Michel and Vigil earned All-Mountain West honors. The Rams also welcome back Josh Glaab, who was named the 2002 Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
Iowa, currently ranked No. 26, has four All-Midwest Region runners on the roster: Matt Esche, Micah VanDenend, Tony Rakaric and Dan Haut. Esche placed 14th in the Griak last season.
Other teams to watch are No. 19 Portland and No. 28 Texas. Montana junior Antony Ford is another contender for the individual crown. Ford earned All-America honors with a 16th-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships.
Providence's Ben Noad won Griak Men's Gold Race title in both 1997 and 1998 and remains the only runner to win multiple crowns in the men's Division I race. Wisconsin's Tegenkamp, the 2001 champion, and Brigham Young's Kangogo, the 2002 champion, have the chance to join Noad in the elite category. Thirty-one teams will line up to start the Men's Gold Race at the 2003 Roy Griak Invitational. The first 100 meters of the race is a dash uphill for position, teams and runners trying to distance themselves from the swarming pack of competitors. Watch which teams define themselves in this event for it is a solid bet that come NCAA Championships time in November, these teams will be there as well.
The 2003 Griak Men's Gold Race field is nothing short of outstanding. Teams that placed second, third and fifth at the 2002 NCAA Championships will battle each other for the first time in the 2003 season. A total of eight teams that competed in the Griak a year ago, advanced to the national meet. Breaking down the field further, the top seven teams, and nine of the top 10, return to the Griak field. The race for team and individual supremacy will be a fun one to watch unfold.
Nine-time Griak champion Wisconsin is always a favorite to battle for the Griak title each season. A year ago, the Badgers placed eighth in the Griak, but went on win its fourth consecutive Big Ten Conference title and captured runner-up honors at the NCAA Championships. With five of their top seven runners returning, in addition to an excellent freshman class, Wisconsin is once again the team to beat.
Matt Tegenkamp, a junior, placed 12th at the 2002 NCAA Championships and enters the 2003 Griak as the top national placewinner. He is a two-time All-American and the defending Big Ten champion. Two other All-Americans join forces with Tegenkamp to pace the No. 2 ranked Badgers. Sophomore Bobby Lockhart was the top Wisconsin finisher at the Griak last year, placing eighth, then went on to All-America honors with a 23rd-place showing at nationals. Junior Josh Spiker missed the 2002 season with an injury and hopes to return to his 2001 All-America form this season.
No. 10-ranked Eastern Michigan placed third at the NCAA Championships and second in the Griak a year ago. The Eagles lost 2001 national champion Boaz Cheboiywo to graduation, yet have a talented squad built around senior Gavin Thompson. Thompson placed third in the Griak en route to a season-ending accomplishment of All-America honors with a 13th-place finish. Fellow senior Joel David placed 20th in the 2002 Griak.
Defending Griak champion Oregon seems poised for another run for the gold. The Ducks have three All-Americans - junior Ryan Andrus (34th), Eric Logsdon (41st), and senior Brett Holts (43rd) - returning to fuel their goal of bettering their fifth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships. The Ducks' finish matches their early-season national ranking of No. 5. Oregon captured its first Griak title in 2002 by compiling 96 points, nine better than runner-up Eastern Michigan. Andrus was only Duck in the top 10, placing eighth. Holts finished 16th.
Providence enters the 2003 Griak ranked No. 15, and looks to a trio of juniors in Patrick Guidera, Patrick Moulton and Dylan Wykes to take the Friars back to the NCAAs for the 26th time in school history. All three helped Providence to a 13th-place finish at the national meet last year.
Weber State placed 15th in the 2002 NCAAs and third in the Griak. The 2003 season will be a challenge to repeat those feats as the Wildcats have seven freshmen on the roster. Sophomore Riley Cook has been Weber State's top runner thus far in 2003.
Brigham Young has the defending Griak champion in junior Kip Kangogo. Kangogo covered the 8-kilometer course in a Griak record 23:38.9. The Cougars placed 16th in the 2002 NCAA Championships and are currently ranked No. 12 in the nation.
Minnesota (17th), Colorado State (27th) and Iowa (29th) close out the list of Griak teams that ran in the 2002 NCAA Championships. A hip injury has held Minnesota All-American Andrew Carlson out of early-season competition. In Carlson's absence, the No. 25 Golden Gophers look to All-Midwest Region runners Ryan Malmin and Ryan Ford to lead the way.
Seniors Bill Michel and Austin Vigil pace No. 23 Colorado State. Both Michel and Vigil earned All-Mountain West honors. The Rams also welcome back Josh Glaab, who was named the 2002 Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
Iowa, currently ranked No. 26, has four All-Midwest Region runners on the roster: Matt Esche, Micah VanDenend, Tony Rakaric and Dan Haut. Esche placed 14th in the Griak last season.
Other teams to watch are No. 19 Portland and No. 28 Texas. Montana junior Antony Ford is another contender for the individual crown. Ford earned All-America honors with a 16th-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships.
Providence's Ben Noad won Griak Men's Gold Race title in both 1997 and 1998 and remains the only runner to win multiple crowns in the men's Division I race. Wisconsin's Tegenkamp, the 2001 champion, and Brigham Young's Kangogo, the 2002 champion, have the chance to join Noad in the elite category.
