University of Minnesota Athletics
Golden Gopher Women's Cross Country Kicks Off 2004 Season
9/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
"We are looking for our solid performers from a year ago to become big-time runners this season," said Wilson. "Depth is not a problem. Depth is important but we need the type of athletes up front that can run with anyone. We are looking for some people to step forward for us in that capacity."
A strong contender for the Gophers' number-one spot in the lineup is fifth-year senior Darja Vasiljeva. Vasiljeva missed the 2003 season with a hamstring injury that required surgery. During her junior season in 2002, Vasiljeva placed third at the Big Ten Championships, earned all-region honors in running the fastest 6-kilometer time in school history and advanced to her third career NCAA Championships.
"Darja has made very good progress since her surgery but management of her comeback is the most important part," said Wilson. "We need to focus on her comeback and point later in the season when the meets count most. We have hope that she will be completely back to the form she was when she placed third in the Big in 2002. No one remembers how you perform in early-season meet, it's the Big Ten, Midwest Region and NCAA meets that count here. She needs to be patient."
Two Golden Gopher who earned All-Midwest Region honors a year ago return in senior Zoe Nagell and sophomore Emily Brown. Nagell really came into her own in 2003 and was the team's top finisher at both the Big Ten and NCAA Midwest Region Championships. After earning cross country MVP honors, she missed last spring's outdoor track season with a bout of mononucleosis but has had a good summer of training and should be one of the Gophers' leaders this fall.
"Zoe is a perfect example of having the tunnel vision we need for this team to have this season," said Wilson. "Zoe had a fantastic junior season and made huge strides as a cross country runner. She can't press to take that next step. She has to just work hard and trust that it will happen. We are looking for big things from Zoe this fall."
Brown is somewhat of a question mark heading into the season after undergoing foot surgery in April. She reshirted the 2002 season after the same surgery on the opposite foot. Wilson says she is progressing and is hopeful that she will be able to contribute in the second half of the season.
As Wilson stated previously, this year's Gopher squad has plenty of depth. The list of runners with a solid shot at capturing spots in the top seven is long and talented. In addition to Nagell and Brown, five other Gophers (Carly Emil, Jen Hess, Stacia Kalinoski, Amy Lindner, Harper McConnell) who competed in either the conference or region championship meets last season, return with hopes of working their way up the list of finishers.
Juniors Hess and Emil have plenty of experience in championship meets having earned spots in the Gophers' top seven as both freshmen and sophomores. Junior Harper McConnell burst on the scene in 2003 to share the team's most improved runner award. Lindner, a junior, and Kalinoski, a sophomore, both gained their first exposure to championship competition last season.
Another large freshman class joins the Golden Gopher roster this season. Highlighting the list of rookies are Minnesota natives, Ladia Albertson-Junkans, Gabriele Anderson and Annie Yetzer.
Over the two decades of Wilson's coaching career, he has become renown for finding the diamond in the rough, for finding an athlete who likely joins the team with walk-on status and works her way into a serious team contributor.
"I pride myself on giving walk-on athletes a chance to compete and develop," says the Gophers' veteran coach. "We've had several success stories in our history of runners who walked on and became stars. You never know who will be the next rising star among the walk-ons."
Wilson can point to the 2003 success of all-region runner Zoe Nagell as a case in point. Nagell, a former walk-on, added her name to a long list of walk-ons to go on to earn honors, a list that includes runners such as Big Ten champion Eileen Donaghy, Chris Rowe and Corinne Nimtz.
Who will be the next one? "Time will tell, " says Wilson. "This is what makes cross country so much fun."
The pieces are in place for Wilson's 20th season at Minnesota to be a successful one. When talent, experience, depth and youthful exuberance are combined, a good outcome is in order. Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson has been at this game for a long time. Twenty years in fact. But, it is in the 2004 women's cross country season that Wilson brings back perhaps his strongest team in terms of potential and depth. The eight letter- winning veterans forming the back bone of this Minnesota team have the definite goal of returning to the NCAA Championships.
"We are looking for our solid performers from a year ago to become big-time runners this season," said Wilson. "Depth is not a problem. Depth is important but we need the type of athletes up front that can run with anyone. We are looking for some people to step forward for us in that capacity."
A strong contender for the Gophers' number-one spot in the lineup is fifth-year senior Darja Vasiljeva. Vasiljeva missed the 2003 season with a hamstring injury that required surgery. During her junior season in 2002, Vasiljeva placed third at the Big Ten Championships, earned all-region honors in running the fastest 6-kilometer time in school history and advanced to her third career NCAA Championships.
"Darja has made very good progress since her surgery but management of her comeback is the most important part," said Wilson. "We need to focus on her comeback and point later in the season when the meets count most. We have hope that she will be completely back to the form she was when she placed third in the Big in 2002. No one remembers how you perform in early-season meet, it's the Big Ten, Midwest Region and NCAA meets that count here. She needs to be patient."
Two Golden Gopher who earned All-Midwest Region honors a year ago return in senior Zoe Nagell and sophomore Emily Brown. Nagell really came into her own in 2003 and was the team's top finisher at both the Big Ten and NCAA Midwest Region Championships. After earning cross country MVP honors, she missed last spring's outdoor track season with a bout of mononucleosis but has had a good summer of training and should be one of the Gophers' leaders this fall.
"Zoe is a perfect example of having the tunnel vision we need for this team to have this season," said Wilson. "Zoe had a fantastic junior season and made huge strides as a cross country runner. She can't press to take that next step. She has to just work hard and trust that it will happen. We are looking for big things from Zoe this fall."
Brown is somewhat of a question mark heading into the season after undergoing foot surgery in April. She reshirted the 2002 season after the same surgery on the opposite foot. Wilson says she is progressing and is hopeful that she will be able to contribute in the second half of the season.
As Wilson stated previously, this year's Gopher squad has plenty of depth. The list of runners with a solid shot at capturing spots in the top seven is long and talented. In addition to Nagell and Brown, five other Gophers (Carly Emil, Jen Hess, Stacia Kalinoski, Amy Lindner, Harper McConnell) who competed in either the conference or region championship meets last season, return with hopes of working their way up the list of finishers.
Juniors Hess and Emil have plenty of experience in championship meets having earned spots in the Gophers' top seven as both freshmen and sophomores. Junior Harper McConnell burst on the scene in 2003 to share the team's most improved runner award. Lindner, a junior, and Kalinoski, a sophomore, both gained their first exposure to championship competition last season.
Another large freshman class joins the Golden Gopher roster this season. Highlighting the list of rookies are Minnesota natives, Ladia Albertson-Junkans, Gabriele Anderson and Annie Yetzer.
Over the two decades of Wilson's coaching career, he has become renown for finding the diamond in the rough, for finding an athlete who likely joins the team with walk-on status and works her way into a serious team contributor.
"I pride myself on giving walk-on athletes a chance to compete and develop," says the Gophers' veteran coach. "We've had several success stories in our history of runners who walked on and became stars. You never know who will be the next rising star among the walk-ons."
Wilson can point to the 2003 success of all-region runner Zoe Nagell as a case in point. Nagell, a former walk-on, added her name to a long list of walk-ons to go on to earn honors, a list that includes runners such as Big Ten champion Eileen Donaghy, Chris Rowe and Corinne Nimtz.
Who will be the next one? "Time will tell, " says Wilson. "This is what makes cross country so much fun."
The pieces are in place for Wilson's 20th season at Minnesota to be a successful one. When talent, experience, depth and youthful exuberance are combined, a good outcome is in order.
Players Mentioned
