University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Men's Track Announces Early 2007 Signees
11/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Minnesota head track & field coach Phil Lundin announced that Blake Bowers, Paul Hoplin, Tyler Kleinhuizen and Hassan Mead have signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Golden Gophers track team for the 2007-08 school year.
“This is the most talented class we have signed during an early period,” said Lundin. “Each one of these young men are ranked in the top 25 of returning high school athletes in their respective events.”
Bowers is a native of Sherwood, N.D., and a senior at Sherwood High School. Bowers was a triple state champion in 2006, winning the 200 meters, 400 meters and 800 meters at the North Dakota Division B State Championships. His time of 48.19 seconds set a new North Dakota record in the 400-meter dash. Bowers defended his state title in the 800 meters in a time of 1:57.83, while winning the 200m in 22:04. Bowers was qualified to compete in the 100 meters as well, clocking a season-best time of 10.8, the second-fastest time in the state in 2006.
Hoplin is a 6-8 javelin thrower from Grand Forks, N.D., and Grand Forks Red River High School. Hoplin is a two-time North Dakota Division A state champion, winning the title in 2005 with a throw of 184-0 and bettering that with a toss of 195-2 to capture the 2006 crown. His personal best is a throw of 201-7. Hoplin is ranked No. 6 in the event among high school athletes returning in 2007.
Kleinhuizen, a native of Forest Lake, Minn. (Forest Lake High School), is a two-time all-state honoree in the throwing events. Kleinhuizen placed third in the 2006 Minnesota Class AA State Championships in the shot put with a throw of 53-11 1/2. In 2005, Kleinhuizen placed third in the discus (158-9). The top-rated returning high school thrower in Minnesota, Kleinhuizen threw a personal-best mark of 58-9 in the shot put during the 2006 season.
Mead will compete for both the Golden Gopher cross country and track teams. Mead, a native of Somalia, made quite the impact in his first and only high school cross country season in Minnesota. After moving to the Twin Cities from Seattle in November of 2005, Mead ran to an undefeated season as a member of the Minneapolis South High School squad. Mead won the Class AA title in a championship course record time of 15:10.7. Competing for Emerald Ridge High School in Washington, Mead placed 12th at the Washington state cross country meet as a junior. On the track, Mead placed fourth in the 3,200-meter run (9:15.93) and sixth in the 1,600-meter run (4:19.51) at the 2006 Minnesota Class AA state meet.
“This is the most talented class we have signed during an early period,” said Lundin. “Each one of these young men are ranked in the top 25 of returning high school athletes in their respective events.”
Bowers is a native of Sherwood, N.D., and a senior at Sherwood High School. Bowers was a triple state champion in 2006, winning the 200 meters, 400 meters and 800 meters at the North Dakota Division B State Championships. His time of 48.19 seconds set a new North Dakota record in the 400-meter dash. Bowers defended his state title in the 800 meters in a time of 1:57.83, while winning the 200m in 22:04. Bowers was qualified to compete in the 100 meters as well, clocking a season-best time of 10.8, the second-fastest time in the state in 2006.
Hoplin is a 6-8 javelin thrower from Grand Forks, N.D., and Grand Forks Red River High School. Hoplin is a two-time North Dakota Division A state champion, winning the title in 2005 with a throw of 184-0 and bettering that with a toss of 195-2 to capture the 2006 crown. His personal best is a throw of 201-7. Hoplin is ranked No. 6 in the event among high school athletes returning in 2007.
Kleinhuizen, a native of Forest Lake, Minn. (Forest Lake High School), is a two-time all-state honoree in the throwing events. Kleinhuizen placed third in the 2006 Minnesota Class AA State Championships in the shot put with a throw of 53-11 1/2. In 2005, Kleinhuizen placed third in the discus (158-9). The top-rated returning high school thrower in Minnesota, Kleinhuizen threw a personal-best mark of 58-9 in the shot put during the 2006 season.
Mead will compete for both the Golden Gopher cross country and track teams. Mead, a native of Somalia, made quite the impact in his first and only high school cross country season in Minnesota. After moving to the Twin Cities from Seattle in November of 2005, Mead ran to an undefeated season as a member of the Minneapolis South High School squad. Mead won the Class AA title in a championship course record time of 15:10.7. Competing for Emerald Ridge High School in Washington, Mead placed 12th at the Washington state cross country meet as a junior. On the track, Mead placed fourth in the 3,200-meter run (9:15.93) and sixth in the 1,600-meter run (4:19.51) at the 2006 Minnesota Class AA state meet.
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