University of Minnesota Athletics
Defending Champs Ready For Big Ten Championships
10/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Golden Gopher Cross Country This Week:
2008 Big Ten Conference Cross Country Championships
Sunday, Nov. 2
Women 9:45 a.m. (CT)
Men 10:30 a.m. (CT)
U-M Golf Course
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Golden Gopher Watch List Nov. 2, 2008
Big Ten Championships Up Next - The Minnesota men’s and women’s cross country teams travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to compete in the 2008 Big Ten Conference Cross Country Championships on Sunday, Nov. 2. The 6-kilometer women’s race begins at 9:45 a.m. (CT), followed immediately by the 8-kilometer men’s race at 10:30 a.m. (CT). Michigan is hosting the Championships at the U-M Golf Course.
Golden Gopher Women Look to Defend Title - The Minnesota women’s cross country team is the defending team champion, having won their first BIg Ten cross country crown a year ago. The Gophers graduated only one runner from that squad. Junior Megan Duwell has been the Gophers’ number-one runner all season.
Mead and Rombough Pace Golden Gopher Men - The Minnesota men’s cross country team have two runners, All-Americans Hassan Mead and Chris Rombough, who are expected to contend for the individual Big Ten title. As a true freshman last season, Mead ran to runner-up honors and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Rombough was fourth in 2007 after winning it all in 2006.
BTN Coverage - The Big Ten Network will provide some coverage of the Big Ten Championships on the Big Ten Tonight Show on Sunday evening (9 p.m. CT) and on Monday’s Big Ten Women’s Show (6:30 p.m. CT).
Gophers Head to the Big Ten Championships
The No. 7 Minnesota women’s cross country team kicks off the championship portion of their schedule traveling to the 2008 Big Ten Cross Country Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Sunday, Nov. 2. Michigan will play host to the event, the 28th Big Ten women’s meet, at the U-M Golf Course. The women’s race, 6 kilometers in length, begins at 9:45 a.m. CT).
Big Ten Honors
The top seven finishers will be awarded All-Big Ten First-Team honors. Runners placing eighth through 14th will receive second-team All-Big Ten accord.
Seven From Big Ten in Nation’s Top 21
For the third consecutive season, the Big Ten Championships features four teams ranked among the top 10 in the nation, vying for conference supremacy. Defending champion Minnesota tops the list at No. 7, followed by No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Michigan State and No. 10 Illinois.
The Golden Gophers have only faced Michigan State in head-to-head competition this season, defeating the Spartans by one spot (third-fourth) and 17 points (198-215) at the Pre-NCAA Meet. The Gophers have not faced Michigan or Illinois this season.
Not to be overlooked are three additional nationally ranked teams in the field: No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 19 Penn State and No. 21 Iowa.
Minnesota is the Defending Big Ten Champion
Minnesota is the defending Big Ten Conference champion and a favorite to contend for the title again in 2008. The 2007 individual champion was Iowa senior Diane Nukori.
Minnesota at the Big Ten Meet
Even before Minnesota won its first Big Ten title in 2007, the Golden Gophers were one of the most consistent upper-echelon team finishers in the 27-year history of the event. Overall, the Golden Gophers have placed in the top five, or the upper echelon, in the Big Ten in 20 of 27 championships. The Gophers have had one runner win the Big Ten individual title: Eileen Donaghy in 1987.
Big Ten Championships History
Wisconsin has won 13 of 27 team titles in the history of Big Ten Women’s Cross Country. Five teams (Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue) have yet to win a cross country team championship. Following is a listing of team champions:
Wisconsin: 1983, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 91, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00
Michigan: 1992, 93, 94, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06
Indiana: 1989, 90
Michigan State: 1981, 01
Iowa: 1982
Minnesota 2007
The Golden Gopher Lineup
Nine Golden Gophers will compete at the Big Ten Championships. Following their name is a listing of any previous experience at the Big Ten Championships.
Gabriele Anderson (Sr., Perham, Minn./Perham)
2006 - 27th, 21:55
2007 - 14th, 20:32.60
Jamie Cheever (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest)
2006 - 24th, 21:41
2007 - 16th, 20:37.32
Heather Dorniden (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount)
2006 - 34th, 22:08
2007 - 19th, 20:42.55
Megan Duwell (Jr., West Bend, Wis./West Bend West)
2006 - 53rd, 22:49
2007 - 30th, 21:00.58
Amy Laskowske (Jr., Palatine, Ill./Palatine)
2006 - 33rd, 22:04
Felicitas Mensing (Neuhausen, Germany/Kepler Gym./Coastal Carolina)
Nikki Swenson (So., Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd)
2007 - 44th, 21:28.91
Mallory Van Ness (Jr., Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View/Missouri)
2007 - 27th, 20:57.85
Elizabeth Yetzer (Jr., Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North)
2006 - 28th, 21:56
2007 - 15th, 20:36.14
Golden Gophers Ranked No. 7
Minnesota is ranked No. 7 in this week’s the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division I poll. The Gophers spent two weeks earlier this season ranked No. 4, the highest in school history.
Golden Gopher Coaching Staff
Gary Wilson, the dean of the Big Ten women’s cross country coaches, is in his 24th season heading the Minnesota program. He is assisted by volunteer assistant head coach, Sarah Hesser, who is in her fourth season on the coaching staff after competing for the Golden Gophers. Kallie Suske is also a volunteer assistant.
Players Mentioned
