University of Minnesota Athletics
Big Ten Champions...Again!!!
11/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
The Minnesota women’s cross country team defended its Big Ten title on Sunday, collecting 63 points, edging Wisconsin (67) by just four points. Junior Megan Duwell paced the Golden Gophers with a fourth-place finish, covering the 6-kilometer course on the University of Michigan Golf Course in a time of 20 minutes, 29.7 seconds. Duwell earns All-Big Ten First Team honors for her performance.
The story of the race for the Gophers was the late surge by senior Gabriele Anderson. Anderson climbed to a 10th-place finish, passing three Badgers in the last 300 meters of the race. Anderson clocked a time of 21:07.2 and earned All-Big Ten Second Team accord.
“The race didn’t play out like I thought it might,” said Anderson. “I wasn’t quite where I thought I could be, but I have confidence in my kick. Wisconsin ran really well. I’m glad I was able to make up enough ground to make a difference. You obviously don’t know at the time. I guess we really needed it. We knew coming in that the race would be a tight battle. I’m really happy and honored to win another Big Ten title in my senior season.”
The Gophers know very well how important each and every team point can be. Minnesota captured the first Big Ten title in school history just a year ago, and by a single point over Michigan State. This season, it was only four points separating first and second place. Obviously Anderson’s heroics were instrumental, but the efforts of the remaining scoring Gophers cannot be overlooked.
Junior Amy Laskowske grabbed the final spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team by placing 14th in a time of 21:22.8. Mallory Van Ness and Jamie Cheever tallied the final points for the Gophers with back-to-back finishes in 17th place (21:27.5) and 18th place (21:31.2), respectively.
“We didn’t necessarily run our best race, but we ran a smart race,” said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. “Wow we just kept rallying, in the last 1,000 meters, the last 500 meters, the last 300 meters. Gabe (Gabriele Anderson) was our hero catching those three Wisconsin kids.”
Minnesota has built a reputation of winning with depth. It took more than depth to win today, it also took a solid dose of heart.
“Our pack from our first runner to our fifth was as tight as we would have liked,” Wilson added. “But I’ll tell you one thing. When our three, four and five separated a bit from our top two, they just kept plugging away.”
The Gophers need that mentality since Wisconsin and Michigan State, who finished third with 83 points, took the race out at an extremely fast pace. Midway though the race, the Gophers were nowhere to be found on the leaderboard.
“I heard the team scores at the midway point and thought, oh no, this is not good,” Wilson stated. “Wisconsin was out there pounding it. Michigan State went out hard. All I could think was that we needed to keep our composure. Turns out we did what needed to be done to be to come out on top. I’m extremely proud of this team.”
Duwell’s fourth-place finish is the highest Gopher finish since 2006 (Emily Brown third). The junior from West Bend, Wis., has been the Gophers’ number-one runner all season.
“I went out knowing I needed to get in good position right away,” said Duwell. “I was able to keep contact with the top group and then work off them. I tried to make a move at the end but they stayed with me. It was a good race.”
On the team title, Duwell said the confidence of winning last season was more of a factor than feeling like the Gophers entered the 2008 Championships with a target on their back. “We went into the meet expecting that anything would happen. We went out there and put it all on the line. I’m excited how it turned out.”
Four other Gophers competed in the meet. Felicitas Mensing finished 31st with a time of 21:50.4, followed by Heather Dorniden in 32nd in 21:52.9. Nikki Swenson placed 61st with a time of 22:33.6. Elizabeth Yetzer was 80th in 23:24.8.
No. 7 ranked Minnesota will now prepare for the 2008 NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Nov. 15 in Stillwater, Okla.
The story of the race for the Gophers was the late surge by senior Gabriele Anderson. Anderson climbed to a 10th-place finish, passing three Badgers in the last 300 meters of the race. Anderson clocked a time of 21:07.2 and earned All-Big Ten Second Team accord.
“The race didn’t play out like I thought it might,” said Anderson. “I wasn’t quite where I thought I could be, but I have confidence in my kick. Wisconsin ran really well. I’m glad I was able to make up enough ground to make a difference. You obviously don’t know at the time. I guess we really needed it. We knew coming in that the race would be a tight battle. I’m really happy and honored to win another Big Ten title in my senior season.”
The Gophers know very well how important each and every team point can be. Minnesota captured the first Big Ten title in school history just a year ago, and by a single point over Michigan State. This season, it was only four points separating first and second place. Obviously Anderson’s heroics were instrumental, but the efforts of the remaining scoring Gophers cannot be overlooked.
Junior Amy Laskowske grabbed the final spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team by placing 14th in a time of 21:22.8. Mallory Van Ness and Jamie Cheever tallied the final points for the Gophers with back-to-back finishes in 17th place (21:27.5) and 18th place (21:31.2), respectively.
“We didn’t necessarily run our best race, but we ran a smart race,” said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. “Wow we just kept rallying, in the last 1,000 meters, the last 500 meters, the last 300 meters. Gabe (Gabriele Anderson) was our hero catching those three Wisconsin kids.”
Minnesota has built a reputation of winning with depth. It took more than depth to win today, it also took a solid dose of heart.
“Our pack from our first runner to our fifth was as tight as we would have liked,” Wilson added. “But I’ll tell you one thing. When our three, four and five separated a bit from our top two, they just kept plugging away.”
The Gophers need that mentality since Wisconsin and Michigan State, who finished third with 83 points, took the race out at an extremely fast pace. Midway though the race, the Gophers were nowhere to be found on the leaderboard.
“I heard the team scores at the midway point and thought, oh no, this is not good,” Wilson stated. “Wisconsin was out there pounding it. Michigan State went out hard. All I could think was that we needed to keep our composure. Turns out we did what needed to be done to be to come out on top. I’m extremely proud of this team.”
Duwell’s fourth-place finish is the highest Gopher finish since 2006 (Emily Brown third). The junior from West Bend, Wis., has been the Gophers’ number-one runner all season.
“I went out knowing I needed to get in good position right away,” said Duwell. “I was able to keep contact with the top group and then work off them. I tried to make a move at the end but they stayed with me. It was a good race.”
On the team title, Duwell said the confidence of winning last season was more of a factor than feeling like the Gophers entered the 2008 Championships with a target on their back. “We went into the meet expecting that anything would happen. We went out there and put it all on the line. I’m excited how it turned out.”
Four other Gophers competed in the meet. Felicitas Mensing finished 31st with a time of 21:50.4, followed by Heather Dorniden in 32nd in 21:52.9. Nikki Swenson placed 61st with a time of 22:33.6. Elizabeth Yetzer was 80th in 23:24.8.
No. 7 ranked Minnesota will now prepare for the 2008 NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Nov. 15 in Stillwater, Okla.
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
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