University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Men's Track Set For Drake Relays
4/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Thursday-Saturday, April 26-29
Des Moines, Iowa
Gustavus Adolphus Drake Alternative Meet
Saturday, April 29
St. Peter, Minn.
10:30 a.m.
2006 Minnesota Men’s Outdoor T&F Watch List
Minnesota Competes in Historic Drake Relays - Minnesota will compete in the 97th Annual Drake Relays, Thursday-Saturday, April 26-29. Five relays and a handful of individual athletes will compete for the Golden Gophers. Overall, over 8,000 athletes representing over 700 teams will compete at America’s Athletic Class in Des Moines, Iowa.
Drake Alternative Meet on Saturday - Members of the Gopher squad not competing at the Drake Relays will travel to St. Peter, Minn. to compete in the Drake Alternative Meet at Gustavus Adolphus.
Buzard, Albert and Netzer Compete in Elite Events at Drake - Sprinter Aaron Buzard and high jumpers John Albert and Kevin Netzer will compete in Drake Specials - events featuring the highest level of competition at the Drake Relays.
Nine Gophers on NCAA Regional Qualifier List - Minnesota has nine athletes who have collected NCAA Midwest Region Championships qualifying performances. Throwers Karl Erickson and Adam Schnaible and sprinter Aaron Buzard have each qualified in two events. Antonio Vega has also marked a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Championships in the 10,000-meter run.
Golden Gophers Travel to Drake Relays
The Minnesota men’s track & field team will send five relays and several of their top individual performers to compete in the Drake Relay, April 26-29, in Des Moines, Iowa. The Golden Gophers will also compete in the Gustavus Adolphus Drake Alternative Meet in St. Peter, Minn., on Saturday.
America’s Athletic Classic - The Drake Relays
The 2006 Drake Relays marks the 97th running of the prestigious event known as America’s Athletic Classic. Over 8,000 athletes, representing over 700 teams, will compete in the four-day spectacle.
Gophers Heading to Drake
The Golden Gophers will field relays in the 4x200m, 4x800m, 4x1,600m the sprint medley and the distance medley events. Individuals will compete in the 400m, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, discus and hammer.
4x200m: Andy Newman, Adewole Adebayo, Sayfe Jassim, Jason Erickson
4x400m: Adewole Adebayo, Walter Langkau, Robb Merritt, Aaron Buzard
4x800m: Ben Hanson, Walter Langkau, Hans Storvick, Trent Riter
4x1,60m: Eddie Kibira, Ryan Malmin, Erik Grumstrup, Michael VanBeusekom
SMR: Andy Newman, Jason Erickson, Sayfe Jassim, Eddie Kibira
400m: Aaron Buzard
Long jump: Derek Gearman
Triple jump: Derek Gearman
High Jump: John Albert, Kevin Netzer
Shot Put: Karl Erickson, Adam Schnaible
Discus: Karl Erickson
Hammer: Adam Schnaible
Gopher Successes at Drake
Minnesota has 44 titles in Drake Relays competition over the years, including seven relay crowns. The Golden Gophers’ 4x1,600m relay enters the 2006 Relays looking to defend its title won a year ago, though they will do so with only Ryan Malmin returning to the foursome. Trent Rite and Ben Hanson joined Malmin on the relay last year but will be running on the Gophers’ 4x800m relay this season.
This 400m is Special
Junior All-American Aaron Buzard will compete in the 400-meter dash Special at Drake on Saturday. Buzard placed eighth in the elite 400-meter Special race a year ago with a time of 47.04 seconds. He will see a familiar face in the race this year, former Gopher All-American Mitch Potter. The duo were members of the Gophers’ record-setting and national runner-up 4x400m relay in 2004 with Buzard running the third leg and Potter the anchor.
Netzer, Albert Competes in High Jump Special
Minnesota’s talented high jumpers Kevin Netzer and John Albert will compete in the Drake high jump special event on Saturday. Netzer and Albert, All-Americans in the event, have both cleared 7-feet this season.
Antonio Vega and Ryan Malmin Post Qualifying Times
The Oregon Invitational’s Distance Carnival is an event that provides a perfect setting for running fast times. Antonio Vega and Ryan Malmin used last weekend’s (April 21) environment to their advantage running a pair of qualifying times. Vega provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships with a time of 29:17.91 in the 10,000-meter run, the ninth-fastest clocking in school history. Malmin notched an NCAA Midwest regional qualifying time of 9:01.24 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Miller Puts His Name on the List
Sophomore Peter Miller became the third Golden Gopher thrower to land a regional qualifying distance in the shot put this season. Miller marked a throw of 55-5 3/4 (16.91m) at the Musco Twilight Invitational last weekend to join teammates Karl Erickson and Adam Schnaible on the Gophers’ list heading to the NCAA Midwest Region Championships in the event.
Buzard Qualifying in Second Sprinting Event
Aaron Buzard has now gathered regional qualifying times in both the 200- and 400-meter dashes. Buzard won the 200m at the Musco Twilight Invitational last Saturday with a career-best time of 21.19 seconds. That mark matches the NCAA regional qualifying standard.
Players Mentioned
