University of Minnesota Athletics
Five Future Gopher Tracksters Compete at Nike Outdoor Championships
6/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Lakeville North (Minn.) graduate Elizabeth Yetzer heads into the meet with her sights set on defending her title in the 2-mile run. Last year, Yetzer won the event with a time of 10 minutes, 15.73 seconds, over four seconds faster than her nearest competitor. She also placed fourth in the 1-mile run in 2005 with a time of 4: 43.12. Yetzer is entered in just the 2-mile event this year.
Yetzer has just completed one of the finest high school running careers in Minnesota history. She successfully defended her Minnesota state titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters to finish with seven state championships, including two from cross country, in her career.
The Golden Gopher men’s track team will have four incoming freshmen compete at the Nike meet: Mike Torchia (Rochester, Minn.), Aaron Studt (Ripon, Wis.), Andy Lindberg (Green Bay, Wis.) and Tim Bruhn (Lakeville, Minn.).
Torchia, a graduate of Rochester Lourdes High School, will compete in the 2-mile run at the Nike Outdoor Championships. Torchia captured state titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, setting an all-class state record in the 3,200 meters of 8:59.19.
Studt, a graduate of Ripon High School, will compete this weekend in both the shot put and discus. He won both events at the Wisconsin D2 state meet two weeks ago. Studt landed the nation’s top indoor mark in the high school ranks in the shot put of 65 feet, 3 1/2 inches at the TFA Indoor Championships.
Lindberg, a Green Bay Southwest High School graduate, is a two-time Wisconsin D1 champion in the pole vault. Lindberg cleared 15-10 this season, the third- best height cleared in Wisconsin high school history.
Bruhn is a Lakeville North graduate who will compete in the 4x1 mile relay at the Nike meet. He was a member of the state champion 4x800-meter relay for Lakeville North.
In other news, future Gopher high jumper Matt Fisher (Green Bay, Wis./East) won the title at the recent adidias Golden West Invitational in Folsom, Calif. Fisher, who captured his second Wisconsin D1 crown at the 2006 state meet, cleared 6-9 to win the invitational title.
