University of Minnesota Athletics
2004 Golden Gopher Men's Track Season in Review
6/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
- Click Here for Golden Gopher Season in Review Release
The Minnesota men's track and field team learned the lesson that as tough as it is to climb the mountain to the top, it's even tougher staying there.
Following a 2003 season that included a Big Ten title and a pair of top 10 NCAA finishes, the Golden Gophers were no longer the hunters in 2004, they became the hunted. The talent of this Minnesota squad was no longer a secret and teams were gunning for Gophers.
While the 2004 season was successful, the coaches and student-athletes would admit that they did not achieve the levels they had hoped during the season. The Gophers finished 15th in both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships and placed second to the rival Wisconsin Badgers in both Big Ten meets.
The 2004 season was the culmination of two of the most prolific careers in Golden Gopher history as Adam Steele and Mitch Potter graduated from the Minnesota program to professional contracts and dreams of Olympic glory. The duo combined on the 4x400-meter relay to provide some of the most exciting moments in Minnesota history. Their final collegiate race ended with a school record, a national runner-up finish and their final of so many All-America honors.
Travis Brandstatter's rise to the elite decathletes was one of the most exciting storylines from the season. Brandstatter burst on to the scene in his first NCAA Championships appearance and captured All-America honors with a fourth-place finish in school-record fashion. He also won the Big Ten title in the event.
Thrower Lynden Reder wrote the final chapter on his Golden Gopher career as well. Reder earned All-America honors in the weight throw during the indoor season, but he will go down as simply the best hammer thrower to ever don the maroon and gold. Reder broke the school record in the event a total of eight times during his career, including three in his senior season.
The Golden Gophers' final tally of the 2004 season still displays plenty of success. Head coach Phil Lundin's charges featured 11 individuals who earned All-America honors 20 times in eight different events. A total of 13 school records in 10 events were broken during the season as well.
- Click Here for Golden Gopher Season in Review Release
The Minnesota men's track and field team learned the lesson that as tough as it is to climb the mountain to the top, it's even tougher staying there.
Following a 2003 season that included a Big Ten title and a pair of top 10 NCAA finishes, the Golden Gophers were no longer the hunters in 2004, they became the hunted. The talent of this Minnesota squad was no longer a secret and teams were gunning for Gophers.
While the 2004 season was successful, the coaches and student-athletes would admit that they did not achieve the levels they had hoped during the season. The Gophers finished 15th in both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships and placed second to the rival Wisconsin Badgers in both Big Ten meets.
The 2004 season was the culmination of two of the most prolific careers in Golden Gopher history as Adam Steele and Mitch Potter graduated from the Minnesota program to professional contracts and dreams of Olympic glory. The duo combined on the 4x400-meter relay to provide some of the most exciting moments in Minnesota history. Their final collegiate race ended with a school record, a national runner-up finish and their final of so many All-America honors.
Travis Brandstatter's rise to the elite decathletes was one of the most exciting storylines from the season. Brandstatter burst on to the scene in his first NCAA Championships appearance and captured All-America honors with a fourth-place finish in school-record fashion. He also won the Big Ten title in the event.
Thrower Lynden Reder wrote the final chapter on his Golden Gopher career as well. Reder earned All-America honors in the weight throw during the indoor season, but he will go down as simply the best hammer thrower to ever don the maroon and gold. Reder broke the school record in the event a total of eight times during his career, including three in his senior season.
The Golden Gophers' final tally of the 2004 season still displays plenty of success. Head coach Phil Lundin's charges featured 11 individuals who earned All-America honors 20 times in eight different events. A total of 13 school records in 10 events were broken during the season as well.
