University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 4 Gophers Third in Pre-NCAA Meet
10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
The No. 4 Minnesota women’s cross country team placed third in the Blue Race of the Pre-NCAA Meet in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday. The Golden Gophers were led by junior Megan Duwell, who finished 18th overall in a field of 278 competitors.
The Pre-NCAA Meet featured 22 nationally ranked team running on the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course, the course that will play host to the NCAA Championships in November. Top-ranked Washington flexed its muscle, landing its five scoring runners in the top 16 finishes to tally 36 points and easily capture the team title in the Blue Race. Villanova, ranked No. 13, ran very well to earn runner-up honors with 126 points, followed by Minnesota with 198 points, No. 9 Michigan State with 215 and No. 15 Florida in fifth with 233. No. 3 Florida State and No. 5 Princeton tied for the title in the White Race with 89 points. No. 11 Michigan was third with 168 points.
Duwell covered the 6-kilometer course in a time of 20 minutes, 45.2 seconds, her career-best clocking at that distance and the 15th-best time in school history. North Carolina’s Brianna Felnagle captured medalist honors with a time of 20:02.4.
The Gophers were able to pack the remainder of their scoring runners enabling their team finish to climb into the top three. Senior Gabriele Anderson finished 40th with a time of 21:13.1, edging teammate senior Felicitas Mensing, who finished 42nd in 21:13.9. Junior Mallory Van Ness posted a time of 21:16.5 to place 46th, while junior Amy Laskowske completed the scoring with a 52nd-place showing in 21:18.4.
“We fought hard today,” said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. “The field went out extremely fast in the first kilometer of the race. We wanted to take that first K at our normal pace, and we stayed poised, but that also meant we needed to keep fighting and fighting...working very hard to pass people as the race progressed. It was a tough race, but a good race for us. I’m pleased with our outcome.”
Others competing for the Gophers were Jamie Cheever, who placed 70th in 21:29.0; and Heather Dorniden, who finished 81st in a time of 21:36.9.
Sophomore Nikki Swenson led five Golden Gophers who competed in the Pre-NCAA Open Race. Swenson finished seventh overall with a time of 21:42.6. Junior Elizabeth Yetzer also collected a top-10 finish, placing ninth in 21:43.9. Senior Meghan Mason ran to a 14th-place finish in 21:56.9, followed by Sally Paulson in 19th in 22:05.1 and junior Ariella DePrenger-Gottfried in 26th in a time of 22:09.4.
Individually, Wilson recognized two Gopher transfers for their performances on Saturday. “Meghan Mason was a star today,” said Wilson. “She ran an unbelievable race in the open competition today. Then Felicitas Mensing ran her best race today as well. She kept pushing up through the field, passing people and brought her teammates with her.”
Minnesota also sent a squad to the Tori Neubauer Invitational hosted by UW-LaCrosse in West Salem, Wis., on Saturday. The Gophers finished second with 82 points, edged by a single point for the team title by South Dakota State (81).
The Gophers posted 11th through 14th-place finishes, led by junior Kelly Wilson, who covered the 6-kilometer course in a time of 22:19.7. Wilson was followed by Challis Larson in 12th place (22:22.6), Julie Schwengler in 13th place (22:24.3) and Stephanie Price in 14th place (22:54.5). Rounding out the scoring was Katie Dyson in 32nd place in 22:49.2.
Minnesota now looks head to the Big Ten Championships on Nov. 2. The Gophers will host the Jack’s Run, a fundraising event, on Oct. 25.
The Pre-NCAA Meet featured 22 nationally ranked team running on the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course, the course that will play host to the NCAA Championships in November. Top-ranked Washington flexed its muscle, landing its five scoring runners in the top 16 finishes to tally 36 points and easily capture the team title in the Blue Race. Villanova, ranked No. 13, ran very well to earn runner-up honors with 126 points, followed by Minnesota with 198 points, No. 9 Michigan State with 215 and No. 15 Florida in fifth with 233. No. 3 Florida State and No. 5 Princeton tied for the title in the White Race with 89 points. No. 11 Michigan was third with 168 points.
Duwell covered the 6-kilometer course in a time of 20 minutes, 45.2 seconds, her career-best clocking at that distance and the 15th-best time in school history. North Carolina’s Brianna Felnagle captured medalist honors with a time of 20:02.4.
The Gophers were able to pack the remainder of their scoring runners enabling their team finish to climb into the top three. Senior Gabriele Anderson finished 40th with a time of 21:13.1, edging teammate senior Felicitas Mensing, who finished 42nd in 21:13.9. Junior Mallory Van Ness posted a time of 21:16.5 to place 46th, while junior Amy Laskowske completed the scoring with a 52nd-place showing in 21:18.4.
“We fought hard today,” said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. “The field went out extremely fast in the first kilometer of the race. We wanted to take that first K at our normal pace, and we stayed poised, but that also meant we needed to keep fighting and fighting...working very hard to pass people as the race progressed. It was a tough race, but a good race for us. I’m pleased with our outcome.”
Others competing for the Gophers were Jamie Cheever, who placed 70th in 21:29.0; and Heather Dorniden, who finished 81st in a time of 21:36.9.
Sophomore Nikki Swenson led five Golden Gophers who competed in the Pre-NCAA Open Race. Swenson finished seventh overall with a time of 21:42.6. Junior Elizabeth Yetzer also collected a top-10 finish, placing ninth in 21:43.9. Senior Meghan Mason ran to a 14th-place finish in 21:56.9, followed by Sally Paulson in 19th in 22:05.1 and junior Ariella DePrenger-Gottfried in 26th in a time of 22:09.4.
Individually, Wilson recognized two Gopher transfers for their performances on Saturday. “Meghan Mason was a star today,” said Wilson. “She ran an unbelievable race in the open competition today. Then Felicitas Mensing ran her best race today as well. She kept pushing up through the field, passing people and brought her teammates with her.”
Minnesota also sent a squad to the Tori Neubauer Invitational hosted by UW-LaCrosse in West Salem, Wis., on Saturday. The Gophers finished second with 82 points, edged by a single point for the team title by South Dakota State (81).
The Gophers posted 11th through 14th-place finishes, led by junior Kelly Wilson, who covered the 6-kilometer course in a time of 22:19.7. Wilson was followed by Challis Larson in 12th place (22:22.6), Julie Schwengler in 13th place (22:24.3) and Stephanie Price in 14th place (22:54.5). Rounding out the scoring was Katie Dyson in 32nd place in 22:49.2.
Minnesota now looks head to the Big Ten Championships on Nov. 2. The Gophers will host the Jack’s Run, a fundraising event, on Oct. 25.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
2025 Griak Invitational Hype
Friday, September 19
Cinematic Recap: 2025 Oz Memorial
Tuesday, September 02
Cinematic Recap: 2024 NCAA Championships
Monday, November 25
NCAA Championship Send Off
Thursday, November 21