University of Minnesota Athletics
Duwell Third, Gophers SIxth in Pre-NCAA White Race
10/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Minnesota senior Megan Duwell placed third in the Pre-NCAA White Race to pace the No. 8 Golden Gophers to an eighth-place finish in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday. The Pre-NCAA Meet is held on the LaVern Gibson Championship Course, the site of the NCAA Cross Country Championships each fall.
Duwell covered the 6-kilometer course in a time of 20:31.5, a solid time considering soft track conditions. Duwell finished 4.2 seconds after Illinois’ Angela Bizarri, who won the race in a time of 20:27.8. Washington’s Kendra Schaf was second in 20:29.0.
Minnesota tallied a team score of 214 points. Defending national champion Washington collected three top-five finishes to easily win the team title with 59 points. Florida was the team runner-up with 89, followed by Princeton (126), Syracuse (191) and Illinois (206). Colorado won the Blue Race team crown with 94 points.
“I was pleased with the way our team was able to focus through adversity on this whole road trip,” said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. “I think it’s going to one of those type of seasons where we are going to have to work very hard for everything we get. From a race standpoint, we got out a little too slow as a team. We continued to battle, but against this good of competition, any mistakes are magnified.”
The Gophers travel posed a challenge. Delays and finally a rearranged flight schedule got the squad to Terre Haute but the stage was already set. It was past midnight before the team settled into their hotel rooms for the night.
Wilson recognized the efforts of the two youngest Gophers on the trip, sophomore Stephanie Price and freshman Kayla Wagner. “These two ran very well today,” he said. “We needed them to step up and they have.”
Price notched her highest team finish of her Gopher career running to the team’s No. 2 spot. She placed 43rd overall in a time of 21:32.3. Wagner was the Gophers’ fourth finisher, 57th overall, in 21:41.7.
The other scorers for the Gophers were Elizabeth Yetzer, who finished 53rd in a time of 21:40.2 and Nikki Swenson, who placed 58th in 21:42.2. Closing out the Gophers competing were Heather Dorniden in 62nd in 21:43.8 and Amy Laskowske in 80th in 21:51.1.
The Pre-NCAA event holds an open race in addition to the White and Blue Races. Gopher senior Mallory Van Ness captured the open race title with a time of 21:51.2.
“Seeing Mallory win the race was pretty cool,” added Wilson. “We have great depth; we were able to have a solid finish in the White Race, and also have four runners finish in the top 13 of the open race.”
Claire Rindo added a seventh-place showing in the open race in a time of 22:27.6. Katie Dyson was 10th in 22:35.4, while Kelly Wilson was 13th in 22:44.7.
Minnesota also competed with a squad at the Tori Neubauer Invitational in West Salem, Wis., on Saturday. The Gophers, led by Jamie Dittmar’s 23rd-place finish (22:36.9) placed seventh.
Duwell covered the 6-kilometer course in a time of 20:31.5, a solid time considering soft track conditions. Duwell finished 4.2 seconds after Illinois’ Angela Bizarri, who won the race in a time of 20:27.8. Washington’s Kendra Schaf was second in 20:29.0.
Minnesota tallied a team score of 214 points. Defending national champion Washington collected three top-five finishes to easily win the team title with 59 points. Florida was the team runner-up with 89, followed by Princeton (126), Syracuse (191) and Illinois (206). Colorado won the Blue Race team crown with 94 points.
“I was pleased with the way our team was able to focus through adversity on this whole road trip,” said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. “I think it’s going to one of those type of seasons where we are going to have to work very hard for everything we get. From a race standpoint, we got out a little too slow as a team. We continued to battle, but against this good of competition, any mistakes are magnified.”
The Gophers travel posed a challenge. Delays and finally a rearranged flight schedule got the squad to Terre Haute but the stage was already set. It was past midnight before the team settled into their hotel rooms for the night.
Wilson recognized the efforts of the two youngest Gophers on the trip, sophomore Stephanie Price and freshman Kayla Wagner. “These two ran very well today,” he said. “We needed them to step up and they have.”
Price notched her highest team finish of her Gopher career running to the team’s No. 2 spot. She placed 43rd overall in a time of 21:32.3. Wagner was the Gophers’ fourth finisher, 57th overall, in 21:41.7.
The other scorers for the Gophers were Elizabeth Yetzer, who finished 53rd in a time of 21:40.2 and Nikki Swenson, who placed 58th in 21:42.2. Closing out the Gophers competing were Heather Dorniden in 62nd in 21:43.8 and Amy Laskowske in 80th in 21:51.1.
The Pre-NCAA event holds an open race in addition to the White and Blue Races. Gopher senior Mallory Van Ness captured the open race title with a time of 21:51.2.
“Seeing Mallory win the race was pretty cool,” added Wilson. “We have great depth; we were able to have a solid finish in the White Race, and also have four runners finish in the top 13 of the open race.”
Claire Rindo added a seventh-place showing in the open race in a time of 22:27.6. Katie Dyson was 10th in 22:35.4, while Kelly Wilson was 13th in 22:44.7.
Minnesota also competed with a squad at the Tori Neubauer Invitational in West Salem, Wis., on Saturday. The Gophers, led by Jamie Dittmar’s 23rd-place finish (22:36.9) placed seventh.
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
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