University of Minnesota Athletics
2004 Golden Gopher Men's Cross Country Season in Review
12/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
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The 2004 Season in Review
The Minnesota men’s cross country squad continued their tradition of success in 2004 with an eighth straight trip to the NCAA Championships. The Golden Gophers tied for 18th place at the national meet, marking the fourth top-20 finish under the direction of head coach Steve Plasencia.
The Gophers ran an experienced team at the NCAA Championships with four of their seven runners being seniors. One such senior, Andrew Carlson ended his Minnesota cross country career on a high note earning coaches’ All-America honors for the second time. Junior Ryan Malmin topped the Gophers individually with a 28th-place finish, earning coaches’ All-America honors for his effort.
Minnesota won the NCAA Midwest Region team title landing five runners in the top 20, with all five earning all-region acclaim. Carlson posted the third-fastest time in school history to win his second career Midwest Region crown and in turn was named the Midwest Region Runner of the Year. Plasencia was also honored as the Midwest Region Coach of the Year. Other all-region honorees were Malmin, Antonio Vega, Ryan Ford and Josh DoBell.
The Big Ten Championships was a big day for Carlson, who placed fourth overall to earn the Gophers’ first All-Big Ten First Team accolade since 1996. The Gophers placed fourth.
A Quick Look to the Future
Minnesota will lose five seniors with 13 NCAA Championship races among them. Only five letterwinners will return for 2005 but four have NCAA experience, led by the All-American Malmin and Erik Grumstrup, a fifth-year senior who redshirted the 2004 season.
Carlson Earns Second Team MVP Honor
Golden Gopher senior Andrew Carlson was honored as the Fred O. Watson Award recipient as the Minnesota men's cross country team's most valuable runner. Carlson also won the award in 2002 and isP the 12th runner in Gopher history to earn the award multiple times.
Carlson won also recognized as the 2004 Midwest Region Runner of the Year. He captured his second Midwest Region individual title in leading the Gophers to the NCAA Championships. Carlson captured his second career All-America honors in helping the Gophers to an 18th-place finish at the national meet.
Head coach Steve Plasencia joined his top senior harrier in garnering Midwest Region honors. Plasencia was named the 2004 Midwest Region Coach of the Year. He also earned the honor in 1999 and 2001 after leading Minnesota to regional titles. The Gophers have advanced to the NCAA Championships in a school-record eight straight seasons under Plasencia's direction.
A total of 10 Golden Gophers were awarded varsity letters. Senior Ryan Ford, only the second Minnesota runner to compete in four NCAA Championships in a career, was awarded his fourth varsity letter. Earning their third varsity letter were Carlson, Michael Bialick and Ryan Malmin. Josh DoBell, Martin Robeck and Antonio Vega are two-time letterwinners. First-year varsity letterwinners were Justin Grunewald, Ben Hanson and Trent Riter.
Among an Elite Group
Minnesota is among an elite group of schools who have made at least eight consecutive trip to the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships. The Golden Gophers made their eighth straight appearance in 2004. Schools and consecutive appearance streaks are: Arkansas (31), Colorado (13), Minnesota (8), North Carolina State (10), Providence (10), Stanford (11), William & Mary (8) and Wisconsin (33).
Minnesota at the NCAAs
Minnesota made its 16th appearance in the NCAA Championships. The Golden Gophers’ first trip to the NCAAs was in 1964 and their highest finish was fourth in 1968. In the current streak of eight straight NCAA berths under head coach Steve Plasencia, Minnesota’s best finish was 15th in 1999.
Carlson Wins Second Midwest Title
Minnesota senior Andrew Carlson won the 2004 NCAA Midwest Region individual crown in a time of 29:48.44, the third fastest time in school history. Carlson also won the regional title in 2002 and went on to earn coaches’ All-America honors with a 32nd-place finish (30:29.2).
Mostly Minnesotan
Teams are allowed to enter seven runners in the national championship race. Minnesota’s contingent will be heavy on native Minnesotans with seven of the eight on the traveling roster hailing from the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Ryan Ford Runs in Fourth NCAA Meet
Senior Ryan Ford will become just the second Golden Gopher to compete in the NCAA Cross Country Championships four times in a career. Ford joins Will McComb, who competed in Championships from 1999 to 2002.
Making the Coach Look Good
The decision of who was going to serve as the team alternate for the NCAA Midwest Region Championships was a tough one for Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. Senior Josh DoBell was a candidate but Plasencia decided to place him among the seven runners for the meet. DoBell make Plasencia’s decision look brilliant by earning his postseason honor, all-region, with a 20th place finish with a career-best time of 31:05.78.
- Click Here for 2004 Golden Gopher 2004 Season in Review
The 2004 Season in Review
The Minnesota men’s cross country squad continued their tradition of success in 2004 with an eighth straight trip to the NCAA Championships. The Golden Gophers tied for 18th place at the national meet, marking the fourth top-20 finish under the direction of head coach Steve Plasencia.
The Gophers ran an experienced team at the NCAA Championships with four of their seven runners being seniors. One such senior, Andrew Carlson ended his Minnesota cross country career on a high note earning coaches’ All-America honors for the second time. Junior Ryan Malmin topped the Gophers individually with a 28th-place finish, earning coaches’ All-America honors for his effort.
Minnesota won the NCAA Midwest Region team title landing five runners in the top 20, with all five earning all-region acclaim. Carlson posted the third-fastest time in school history to win his second career Midwest Region crown and in turn was named the Midwest Region Runner of the Year. Plasencia was also honored as the Midwest Region Coach of the Year. Other all-region honorees were Malmin, Antonio Vega, Ryan Ford and Josh DoBell.
The Big Ten Championships was a big day for Carlson, who placed fourth overall to earn the Gophers’ first All-Big Ten First Team accolade since 1996. The Gophers placed fourth.
A Quick Look to the Future
Minnesota will lose five seniors with 13 NCAA Championship races among them. Only five letterwinners will return for 2005 but four have NCAA experience, led by the All-American Malmin and Erik Grumstrup, a fifth-year senior who redshirted the 2004 season.
Carlson Earns Second Team MVP Honor
Golden Gopher senior Andrew Carlson was honored as the Fred O. Watson Award recipient as the Minnesota men's cross country team's most valuable runner. Carlson also won the award in 2002 and isP the 12th runner in Gopher history to earn the award multiple times.
Carlson won also recognized as the 2004 Midwest Region Runner of the Year. He captured his second Midwest Region individual title in leading the Gophers to the NCAA Championships. Carlson captured his second career All-America honors in helping the Gophers to an 18th-place finish at the national meet.
Head coach Steve Plasencia joined his top senior harrier in garnering Midwest Region honors. Plasencia was named the 2004 Midwest Region Coach of the Year. He also earned the honor in 1999 and 2001 after leading Minnesota to regional titles. The Gophers have advanced to the NCAA Championships in a school-record eight straight seasons under Plasencia's direction.
A total of 10 Golden Gophers were awarded varsity letters. Senior Ryan Ford, only the second Minnesota runner to compete in four NCAA Championships in a career, was awarded his fourth varsity letter. Earning their third varsity letter were Carlson, Michael Bialick and Ryan Malmin. Josh DoBell, Martin Robeck and Antonio Vega are two-time letterwinners. First-year varsity letterwinners were Justin Grunewald, Ben Hanson and Trent Riter.
Among an Elite Group
Minnesota is among an elite group of schools who have made at least eight consecutive trip to the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships. The Golden Gophers made their eighth straight appearance in 2004. Schools and consecutive appearance streaks are: Arkansas (31), Colorado (13), Minnesota (8), North Carolina State (10), Providence (10), Stanford (11), William & Mary (8) and Wisconsin (33).
Minnesota at the NCAAs
Minnesota made its 16th appearance in the NCAA Championships. The Golden Gophers’ first trip to the NCAAs was in 1964 and their highest finish was fourth in 1968. In the current streak of eight straight NCAA berths under head coach Steve Plasencia, Minnesota’s best finish was 15th in 1999.
Carlson Wins Second Midwest Title
Minnesota senior Andrew Carlson won the 2004 NCAA Midwest Region individual crown in a time of 29:48.44, the third fastest time in school history. Carlson also won the regional title in 2002 and went on to earn coaches’ All-America honors with a 32nd-place finish (30:29.2).
Mostly Minnesotan
Teams are allowed to enter seven runners in the national championship race. Minnesota’s contingent will be heavy on native Minnesotans with seven of the eight on the traveling roster hailing from the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Ryan Ford Runs in Fourth NCAA Meet
Senior Ryan Ford will become just the second Golden Gopher to compete in the NCAA Cross Country Championships four times in a career. Ford joins Will McComb, who competed in Championships from 1999 to 2002.
Making the Coach Look Good
The decision of who was going to serve as the team alternate for the NCAA Midwest Region Championships was a tough one for Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. Senior Josh DoBell was a candidate but Plasencia decided to place him among the seven runners for the meet. DoBell make Plasencia’s decision look brilliant by earning his postseason honor, all-region, with a 20th place finish with a career-best time of 31:05.78.
Players Mentioned
