University of Minnesota Athletics
2008 Season in Review
3/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
2008 Season Honors
All-America
Hassan Mead
Chris Rombough
All-Midwest Region
Hassan Mead
Chris Rombough
Ben Blankenship
Matt Barrett
Mike Torchia
Mike McFarland
All-Big Ten First Team
Hassan Mead
Chris Rombough
Big Ten Athlete of the Year
Hassan Mead
Big Ten Runner of the Week
Hassan Mead (Sept. 30)
Hassan Mead (Oct. 21)
Academic All-Big Ten
Matt Barrett, Ben Kampg, Mike McFarland,
Ben Puhl, Mike Torchia
Fred O. Watson Award / Team MVP
Chris Rombough / Hassan Mead
The 2008 Season in Review
The Golden Gophers collected another impressive national finish to cap off the 2008 season, placing 15th at the NCAA Championships behind the All-America performances of Chris Rombough and Hassan Mead. Minnesota added a runner-up showing at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships and a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships during the championship portion of the 2008 campaign.
Minnesota at the NCAA Championships
Minnesota made its 20th appearance in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2008. The Gophers have competed in 11 of the last 12 Championships, missing out only in 2006. The best finish for the Gophers in NCAA history was a fourth-place showing in 1968, while most recently an eighth-place showing in 2007 tops the list. The 15th-place finish in 2008 is the 15th top-20 NCAA showing in Minnesota history.
Rombough Makes Minnesota History
Senior Chris Rombough became the first Golden Gopher to capture three All-America citations in a career. Rombough added his third national honor in 2008 with a 17th-place finish. He placed 14th in 2006 and 29th in 2007. Six other Gophers, including Hassan Mead, are two-time All-Americans.
Mead Makes His Mark at Big Tens and Region Meet
Sophomore Hassan Mead captured the individual Big Ten title, notching his name as the fifth Minnesota Gopher to win the Conference crown. Mead also collected medalist honors at the NCAA Midwest region meet before earning All-America accord with a 31st-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Mead, Rombough Share Team MVP Award
For the second consecutive season, the Fred O. Watson Award, Minnesota’s team MVP award, was shared by Hassan Mead and Chris Rombough. Rombough is a career three-time MVP recipient.
Mead Clocks Minnesota Record 8K Time
Hassan Mead ran the fastest 8-kilometer time in Minnesota history at the Pre-NCAA Meet Blue Race on Oct. 18. Mead clocked a time of 23 minutes, 33.1 seconds to break teammate Chris Rombough’s mark of 23:39.7, set at the same meet in 2007.
Minnesota Coaching Staff
Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia completed his 13th season leading the Minnesota program. Plasencia has guided the Gophers to NCAA Championships berths in 11 of his 13 years with his alma mater with the Gophers’ 2008 eighth-place NCAA finish the best since 1969. In July of 2008, Plasencia was named the Golden Gophers’ head men’s track & field coach. Volunteer assistant coach Jason Havey finished his first year with the Gophers.
The Golden Gopher Lineup
Seven Golden Gophers competed at the NCAA Championships. Following is a list of possible participants and a listing of any previous experience at the national meet.
Matt Barrett (Jr., Monroe, Wis./Monroe)
2008 - 160th, 31:23.6
Ben Blankenship (So., Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater/Mississippi State)
2008 - 100th, 30:55.1
Mike McFarland (So., Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead)
2007 - 161st, 31:36.5
2008 - 171st, 31:27.0
Hassan Mead (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Minneapolis South)
2007 - 43rd, 30:37.6 (All-American)
2008 - 31st, 30:06.2 (All-American)
Ben Puhl (Sr., Rochester, Minn./Century)
2007 - 208th, 32:19.5
2008 - 214th, 32:00.3
Chris Rombough (Sr., Fremont, Wis./New London)
2005 - 105th, 30:59.4
2006 - 14th, 31:16.9 (All-American)
2007 - 29th, 30:24.8 (All-American)
2008 - 17th, 29:54.5 (All-American)
Mike Torchia (So., Rochester, Minn./Lourdes)
2008 - 231st, 32:25.0
Hassan Mead Honored as the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Runner of the Year
Sophomore Hassan Mead was named the 2008 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Runner of the Year after capturing medalist honors at both the Big Ten Conference Championships and NCAA Midwest Region Championships. As the Big Ten champion, Mead was also honored as the Big Ten Athlete of the Year.
Gophers 15th in NCAA Championships, Rombough a Three-Time All-American
Golden Gopher senior Chris Rombough set Minnesota cross country history on Monday, becoming the first three-time All-American in school history as Minnesota finished 15th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Rombough finished 17th overall, covering the 10-kilometer course the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind., in a time of 29 minutes, 54.4 seconds. Rombough’s time is the fourth-fastest time in school history. His top finish at the NCAA meet was 14th in 2006, while he placed 29th in 2007.
“I’m proud of Chris,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “He’s a strong runner who loves cross country. He kept pounding away, moving up through the field. We are going to miss him.”
Mead didn’t run his best race but still managed to collect All-America honors with a 31st-place finish in a time of 30:06.2. The Gopher sophomore, who won both the Big Ten and NCAA Midwest Region individual titles, is the seventh runner to earn multiple All-America citations.
“Hassan fought back but he didn’t have a good day,” said Plasencia.
Plasencia also noted that Mead and most of the Gophers, other than Rombough, didn’t seem to have as much energy as he would have hoped. “Overall we had a mediocre performance today. We didn’t have a lot of zip. I’m thinking that running on that very difficult course at the regional meet may have taken a lot out of us. We didn’t start the race well and that left too much to make up. I guess it says something, though, when we aren’t necessarily pleased with a 15th-place finish at the NCAAs. We had higher hopes, higher expectations, but we just didn’t have the depth to pull it off.”
The Gophers were unable to finish with a tight pack of runners, as they had in the NCAA Midwest Region Championships nine days ago. Sophomore Ben Blankenship ran a solid race to finish as the Gophers’ number-three runner, clocking a time of 30:55.1 to place 100th overall, but the gap widened for the important fourth and fifth scorers.
Matt Barrett was the Gophers’ fourth runner to cross the finish line, placing 160th in a time of 31:23.6, followed by Mike McFarland in 171st in 31:27.0.
Also competing for Minnesota was Ben Puhl, who placed 214th in 32:00.3 and Mike Torchia in 231st in 32:25.0.
Oregon defended its team with title with 93 points and three runners in the top 10, including individual medalist Galen Rupp. Rupp used a kick in the final 800 meters to overtake Liberty’s Samuel Chelanga (29:08.0).
2008 NCAA Cross Country Championships
Monday, Nov. 24, 2008
LaVern Gibson Championship Course – 10K
Terre Haute, Ind.
Team Results
1. Oregon 1-4-8-36-44-(53)-(59) 93
2. Iona 2-5-34-37-69-(131)-(157) 147
3. Stanford 6-27-45-58-91-(148)-(161) 227
4. Wisconsin 21-28-32-71-77-(78)-180) 229
15. Minnesota 15-25-80-128-137-(177)-(193) 385
24. Michigan 54-61-108-146-153-(188)-(205) 522
25. Penn State 64-93-112-118-160-(173)-(194) 547
* 31 teams competed
Top Individuals
1. Galen Rupp (Oregon) 29:03.2
2. Samuel Chelanga (Liberty) 29:08.0
3. Andrew Ledwith (Iona) 29:25.4
4. David Kinsella (Portland) 29:26.5
5. Luke Puskedra (Oregon) 29:27.8
6. Mohamed Khadraoui (Iona) 29:29.3
7. Chris Derrick (Stanford) 29:29.4
8. John Kosgei (Oklahoma State) 29:32.4
9. Shadrac Kiptoo-Biwott (Oregon) 29:43.4
10. Kyle Perry (BYU) 29:46.1
Golden Gopher Finishes
17. (15) Chris Rombough 29:54.5
31. (25) Hassan Mead 30:06.2
100. (80) Ben Blankenship 30:55.1
160. (128) Matt Barrett 31:23.6
171. (137) Mike McFarland 31:27.0
214. (177) Ben Puhl 32:00.3
231. (193) Mike Torchia 32:25.0
Gophers Earn NCAA Automatic Berth With Runner-Up Finish at Regional
Minnesota, fueled by a one-two finish by All-Americans Hassan Mead and Chris Rombough, earned an automatic NCAA Championships berth by placing second at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 15.
The No. 14 Golden Gophers captured their 11th NCAA Championships appearance in 12 years by finishing in the top two in the regional team standings. Host Oklahoma State tallied 42 for the team title, while Minnesota finished second with 51.
“We knew going in that Hassan and Chris could compete at the front of the pack,” said Golden Gopher Steve Plasencia. “What we needed was for our other guys to push forward and they certainly came through for us today. Ben (Blankenship) ran with great confidence today and was a key contributor. We have conditioned ourselves to be successful at the longer 10K distance run in the NCAAs.”
Mead, also the 2008 Big Ten Conference medalist, became the fourth Golden Gopher to win the Midwest Region individual title. The sophomore covered the 10-kilometer course at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course in a time of 31 minutes, 15.65 seconds. He used a strong finish in the last 400 meters to push away for the win. Rombough was second in a time of 31:18.85.
Minnesota finished with six of its seven runners earning All-NCAA Midwest Region honors. Ben Blankenship, running his first Midwest Region meet after running in the South Region with Mississippi State a year ago, posted the best finish of his young Gopher career, placing 12th in a time of 31:28.45.
The final two Gopher scorers crossed the line back-to-back. Matt Barrett placed 19th in a time of 31:40.60, while Mike Torchia was 20th in 31:41.10. The sixth Gopher to earn all-region acclaim was Mike McFarland in 24th in a time of 31:56.85.
Also competing for the Gophers was Ben Puhl, who clocked a time of 32:19.95 and placed 40th overall.
2008 NCAA Midwest Region Cross Country Championships
Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008
Oklahoma State Golf Course – 6K
Stillwater, Okla.
Team Results
1. Oklahoma State 3-5-6-7-21-(38)-(44) 42
2. Minnesota 1-2-11-18-19-(23)-(39) 51
3. Tulsa 4-10-15-17-22-(31)-(73) 68
4. Iowa State 8-12-13-26-48-(49)-(66) 107
5. Missouri 16-25-32-37-58-(76)-(86) 160
* 23 teams competed
Top Individuals
1. Hassan Mead (MInnesota) 31:15.65
2. Chris Rombough (Minnesota) 31:18.85
3. John Kosgei (Oklahoma State) 31:19.75
4. John Beattie (Tulsa) 31:20.30
5. German Fernandez (Oklahoma State) 31:20.60
6. Ryan Vail (Oklahoma State) 31:20.65
7. David Chirchir (Oklahoma State) 31:20.65
8. Zach McFall (Iowa State) 31:21.65
9. Jeff Schirmer (Southern Illinois) 31:22.60
10. Mark Davidson (Tulsa) 31:23.80
Other Golden Gopher Finishes
12. (11) Ben Blankenship 31:28.45
19. (18) Matt Barrett 31:40.60
20. (19) Mike Torchia 31:41.10
24. (23) Mike McFarland 31:56.85
40. (39) Ben Puhl 32:19.95
Hassan Mead Honored as Big Ten Runner of the Year, Puhl Honored as Well
Hassan Mead was named the Big Ten Conference Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year, announced by the Conference officials. The conference postseason honor is determined by a vote of the Big Ten cross country coaches.
Mead concluded the Big Ten season by capturing the individual title at the Big Ten Championships held at Michigan. Mead covered the 8-kilometer course in a time of 24 minutes, 26.4 seconds, winning the crown by over nine seconds. The Minneapolis South High School graduate also picked up two Big Ten Runner of the Week accolades during the 2008 season.
Mead is the fifth Gopher to win the Big Ten title and the second in three years as teammate Rombough captured Big Ten medalist honors in 2006. Rombough was Minnesota’s first Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2006.
The Gophers had three champions prior to the Big Ten awarding Athlete of the Year honors. Gary Bjorklund was a three-time champion in 1969, 1970 and 1971. Other Minnesota champions were Fred Watson (1913-15) and Leonard Edelen in 1957.
Wisconsin’s Mick Byrne was honored as the 2008 Big Ten Coach of the Year, while Penn State rookie Kyle Dawson earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year accord.
The conference office also announced the honorees from each of the 10 men’s cross country squads for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The Minnesota recipient was senior Ben Puhl.
Mead Wins Big Ten Individual Title, Gophers Finish Third
Hassan Mead won the individual title at the Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Championships on Sunday, Nov. 2 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Mead and third-place finisher Chris Rombough led the Golden Gophers to a third-place finish in the team title chase.
Mead covered the 8-kilometer course at the University of Michigan Golf Course in a time of 24 minutes, 26.4 seconds, winning the crown that so narrowly escaped the Gopher harrier a year ago by over nine seconds in this his sophomore season. He placed second in 2007 as a true freshman, and led a good share of the race before being edged out in the final stretch.
“Winning the title feels great,” said Mead, a Minneapolis South High School grad. “This was one of my goals on the season so I’m really happy I accomplished it. I ran a relaxed race. I made my move at about the 5K and went all the way.”
“Hassan moved into the lead going up the last big major hill and just continued to build a gap on the next runner,” said Plasencia. “Hassan just continues to add to his savvy as a runner. He’s able to build off his success. It’s exciting for us that Hassan is so talented and is just a sophomore. He has great days ahead of him.”
Rombough added the third-place finish in a time of 24:42.1. The Gopher senior completed his Big Ten cross country career with three top-five finishes at the Conference meet.
Mead is the fifth Gopher to win the Big Ten title and the second in three years as teammate Rombough captured Big Ten medalist honors in 2006. Gary Bjorklund won his third straight crown in 1971. Other Minnesota champions were Fred Watson (1913-15) and Leonard Edelen in 1957.
Wisconsin continued its dominance in collecting its 10th straight Big Ten title. The Badgers landed all five of their scoring runners in the top 14 to score 40 points. Michigan was second with 57, edging Minnesota (60) for runner-up honors.
“Our guys ran well today,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “We did a nice job of tightening up our pack. Though we placed third as a team, points-wise we were closer to Wisconsin than we did last year when we placed second.”
Matt Barrett has battled injury throughout his career, but turned in his best performance as a Gopher on Sunday placing 15th, just one spot from All-Big Ten honors, in a time of 25:01.4. Barrett’s effort caught Plasencia’s attention. “As happy as I am for Hassan, I’m also pleased for Matt. He’s fought hard and he’s starting to put it all together.”
Mike Torchia finished 16th with a time of 25:03.3, while Ben Blankenship completed the Gophers’ scoring five by finishing 26th in 25:16.3. Also competing were Sean Olson (32nd, 25:26.3), Mike McFarland (42nd, 25:33.0), Ben Puhl (46th, 25:36.5) and Ben Kampf (56th, 25:47.1).
2008 Big Ten Conference Cross Country Championships
Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008
Ann Arbor Golf Course – 6K
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Team Results
1. Wisconsin 2-4-7-13-14-(19)-(23) 40
2. Michigan 6-10-11-12-18-(27)-(30) 57
3. Minnesota 1-3-15-16-25-(31)-(40) 60
4. Penn State 5-22-24-34-48-(49)-(53) 133
5. Indiana 8-17-29-39-42-(43)-(58) 135
6. Michigan State 20-21-28-33-36-(47)-(59) 138
7. Iowa 9-32-37-45-46-(61)-(62) 169
8. Ohio State 26-35-41-52-55-(63)-(64) 209
9. Illinois 38-50-51-56-57-(60)-(70) 252
10. Purdue 44-54-65-66-67-(68)-(69) 296
Top Individuals
1. Hassan Mead (Minnesota) 24:26.4
2. Landon Peacock (Wisconsin) 24:35.9
3. Chris Rombough (Minnesota) 24:42.1
4. Christian Wagner (Wisconsin) 24:46.7
5. Kyle Dawson (Penn State) 24:48.2
6. Sean McNamara (Michigan) 24:48.7
7. Jack Bolas (Wisconsin) 24:50.5
8. Timothy McLeod (Indiana) 24:51.4
9. Jesse Luciano (Iowa) 24:52.2
10. Justin Switzer (Michigan) 24:53.7
11. Ciaran O’Lionard (Michigan) 24:56.2
12. Craig Forys (Michigan) 24:56.5
13. Stuart Eagon (Wisconsin) 25:00.1
14. Craig Miller (Wisconsin) 25:01.1
Other Golden Gopher Finishes
15. Matt Barrett 25:01.4
16. Mike Torchia 25:03.3
26. (25) Ben Blankenship 25:16.3
32. (31) Sean Olson 25:26.3
42. (40) Mike McFarland 25:33.0
46. Ben Puhl 25:36.5
56. Ben Kampf 25:47.1
Mead Clocks Minnesota Record Time at Pre-NCAA Meet
Sophomore Hassan Mead ran the fastest 8-kilometer time in Minnesota history to place third overall and pace the No. 14 Golden Gophers to a fifth-place finish in the Pre-NCAA Meet Blue Race, Oct. 18, in Terre Haute, Ind. Mead clocked a time of 23 minutes, 33.1 seconds to break teammate Chris Rombough’s mark of 23:39.7, set at the same meet in 2007.
Minnesota placed fifth as a team with 234 points, performing well on the course that will host the NCAA Championships in November. No. 6 Alabama won the Blue Race title with 89 points, followed by No. 16 Northern Arizona with 123, No. 9 Michigan with 146 and No. 13 Florida State in fourth with 212 points. No. 10 Stanford won the team crown in the White Race with 77 points.
“Hassan did a great job of working his way up through the field,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “Hassan was probably 50th at the mile mark but found David (Alabama’s Tyson David) and was able to go with him to create a bit of distance from the rest of the field. McNeill (Northern Arizona’s David McNeill) caught them down the last stretch. It was a very close finish.”
David won the individual title by just six-tenths of a second (23:30.1) over McNeill (23:30.7).
Rombough added an eighth-place finish for the Gophers, running a time of 23:47.3. The Gophers’ scoring was completed by Mike Torchia in 67th-place in a time of 24:38.3, Sean Olson in 72nd in 24:41.2 and Ben Blankenship in 84th in 24:47.8. Also competing were Ben Kampf, who finished 118th (25:04.7) and Mike McFarland, who placed 125th (25:06.8).
“We did a good job today with Hassan’s high finish and Chris having a nice day,” added Plasencia. “Sean also ran particularly well. Overall as a team, we took a step forward, which is important at a meet like this at this time of the season.”
2008 Pre-NCAA Meet
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008
LaVern Gibson National Cross Country Course – 8K
Terre Haute, Ind.
Team Results - Blue Race
1. Alabama 1-5-9-31-43-(148) 89
2. Northern Arizona 2-11-18-34-48-(65)-(70) 113
3. Michigan 10-14-30-42-50-(60)-(74) 146
4. Florida State 28-32-33-51-68-(193)-(260) 212
5. Minnesota 3-8-67-72-84-(118)-(125) 234
Top Individuals
1. Tyson David (Alabama) 23:30.1
2. David McNeill (Northern Arizona) 23:30.7
3. Hassan Mead (Minnesota) 23:33.1
4. Patrick Smyth (Notre Dame) 23:38.3
5. Augustus Maiyo (Alabama) 23:39.6
6. David McCarthy (Providence) 23:40.8
7. Mark Korir (Wyoming) 23:43.2
8. Chris Rombough (Minnesota) 23:47.3
9. Emanuel Bor (Alabama) 23:48.4
10. Ciaran O’Lionaird (Michigan) 23:50.6
Golden Gopher Finishes
66. Mike Torchia 24:38.3
72. Sean Olson 24:41.2
84. Ben Blankenship 24:47.8
118. Ben Kampf 25:04.7
125. Mike McFarland 25:06.8
Jim Drews Invitational
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008
Maple Grove Country Club – 8K
West Salem, Wis.
No Team Results
Golden Gopher Finishes
6. Ben Puhl 25.06.6
22. Paul Hilsen 25:41.8
40. Tim Bruhn 26:06.1
53. Joe McFarland 26:14.5
Mead’s Runner-Up Finish Paces Gophers to Fourth Place at Griak Invitational
Hassan Mead’s runner-up finish led Minnesota to a fourth place team finish in the men’s Gold race at the Roy Griak Invitational at the Les Bolstad Golf Course.
Mead covered 8,000 meters in 24:08 as the Gophers repeated their fourth place finish from a year ago with 107 points. Adams State (Colo.), the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division II, surprised the Division I field by running away with the team title with 75 points. Iowa State was second with 89 points and Brigham Young was third with 91 points.
Through the first two miles, the lead pack consisted of about 10 runners before Auburn’s Elkanah Kibet took off and set the pace. Mead followed and also broke away from the pack, but Kibet was too strong the rest of the way and cruised to the individual title in 23:56.
Mead took advantage of the home crowd to earn his runner-up finish. “Coming into the race I kind of had some pressure on me a little bit, but I blocked that out and focused on the race,” said the sophomore from Minneapolis. “I knew my competitors were there, but I couldn’t really pay attention because I had to get through the race. I was glad to have a big-time audience and it was great.”
Minnesota’s Chris Rombough, who was third in last year’s Griak, got off to a slow start, but steadily worked his way through the field to finish 13th in 24:35. Mike Torchia added a 21st place finish for the Gophers in 24:55. Matt Barrett edged teammate Mike McFarland by one second to place 35th in 25:13.
Mark Korir of Wyoming had a spirited finishing kick to pass several runners down the stretch and finish third in 24:11. Stephan Shay of Brigham Young was two seconds behind and placed fourth, while Reuben Chebon-Mwei was Adams State’s top finisher at 24:16. The Grizzlies had three runners among the top 11 finishers and six of the top 28 individuals.
Roy Griak Invitational
Saturday, Sept. 24, 2008
Les Bolstad Golf Course – 8K
Falcon Heights, Minn.
Team Results
1. Adams State 5-9-11-23-27-(28) 75
2. Iowa State 8-10-12-19-40-(41)-(46) 89
3. Brigham Young 4-6-16-32-33-(44)-(57) 91
4. Minnesota 2-13-21-35-36-(62)-(66) 107
* 25 teams competed
Top Individuals
1. Elkanah Kibet (Auburn) 23:55.3
2. Hassan Mead (Minnesota) 24:07.4
3. Mark Korir (Wyoming) 24:10.2
4. Stephan Shay (BYU) 24:12.3
5. Reuben Chebon-Mwei (Adams State) 24:15.6
6. Kyle Perry (BYU) 24:16.7
7. Felix Kibioywo (Auburn) 24:17.9
8. Hillary Bor (Iowa State) 24:18.7
9. Aaron Braun (Adams State) 24:20.1
10. Kiel Uhl (Iowa State) 24:21.9
Golden Gopher Finishes
13. Chris Rombough 24:34.9
21. Mike Torchia 24:54.9
35. Matt Barrett 25:13.0
36. Mike McFarland 25:13.5
63. (62) Ben Blankenship 25:31.8
69. (66) Ben Kampf 25:35.0
81. Sean Olson 25:45.2
82. Ben Puhl 25:46.2
135. Paul Hilsen 26:30.2
169. Joe McFarland 27:08.0
2008 Aztec Invitational
The Minnesota men’s cross country team placed third at the Aztec Invitational, hosted by San Diego State at Balboa Park in San Diego on Sept. 13. Sophomore Mike Torchia paced the Golden Gophers with a 12th-place finish, covering the 8-kilometer course in a time of 25 minutes, 19 seconds.
Minnesota competed without its top two runners, All-Americans Chris Rombough and Hassan Mead. The Gophers’ powerful one-two punch will make their season debut at the Roy Griak Invitational.
Sophomore Mike McFarland added a top-20 showing for the Gophers, finishing 19th with a time of 25:35. A pair of Gophers running their first meet for the Maroon and Gold followed with sophomore transfer Ben Blankenship finishing 21st in 25:39 and redshirt freshman Sean Olson in 23rd in 25:40. Senior Ben Puhl completed the Gopher scoring in 36th place in 25:57.
Also competing for the Gophers were Ben Kampf, who placed 40th (26:02), Paul Hilsen, who finished 54th (26:13) and Tim Bruhn, who finished 92nd (26:57).
“We are in a good position to keep progressing,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “We started to establish a bit of an order in competing for out top spots on the team.”
Brigham Young cruised to the team title with 32 points, claiming four places in the top 10. Northern Arizona was second with 96. Azusa Pacific’s Aron Rono won medalist honors with a time of 24:16.
2008 Aztec Invitational
Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008
Balboa Park - 8K
San Diego, Calif.
Team Results
1. BYU 3-5-6-8-10-(16)-(19) 32
2. Northern Arizona 2-17-21-27-29-(50)-(64) 96
3. Minnesota 12-28-20-22-31-(34)-(45) 103
4. Air Force 7-9-23-46-48-(55)-(62) 133
* 16 teams competed
Top Individuals
1. Aron Rono (Azusa Pacific) 24:16
2. Morten Bostrom (Northern Arizona) 24:34
3. Kyle Perry (BYU) 24:42
4. Jordan Chipangama (Central Arizona) 24:44
5. Brandon Herbert (BYU) 24:54
6. Stephan Shay (BYU) 25:02
7. Matt Williams (Air Force) 25:03
8. Richard Nelson (BYU) 25:06
9. Diego Estrada (Unattached) 25:07
10. Sean Houseworth (Air Force) 25:13
Golden Gopher Finishes
13. (12) Mike Torchia 25:19
19. (18) Mike McFarland 25:35
21. (20) Ben Blankenship 25:39
33. (22) Sean Olson 25:47
36. (31) Ben Puhl 25:57
40. (34) Ben Kampf 26:02
54. (45) Paul Hilsen 26:13
62. Tim Bruhn 26:57
All-America
Hassan Mead
Chris Rombough
All-Midwest Region
Hassan Mead
Chris Rombough
Ben Blankenship
Matt Barrett
Mike Torchia
Mike McFarland
All-Big Ten First Team
Hassan Mead
Chris Rombough
Big Ten Athlete of the Year
Hassan Mead
Big Ten Runner of the Week
Hassan Mead (Sept. 30)
Hassan Mead (Oct. 21)
Academic All-Big Ten
Matt Barrett, Ben Kampg, Mike McFarland,
Ben Puhl, Mike Torchia
Fred O. Watson Award / Team MVP
Chris Rombough / Hassan Mead
The 2008 Season in Review
The Golden Gophers collected another impressive national finish to cap off the 2008 season, placing 15th at the NCAA Championships behind the All-America performances of Chris Rombough and Hassan Mead. Minnesota added a runner-up showing at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships and a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships during the championship portion of the 2008 campaign.
Minnesota at the NCAA Championships
Minnesota made its 20th appearance in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2008. The Gophers have competed in 11 of the last 12 Championships, missing out only in 2006. The best finish for the Gophers in NCAA history was a fourth-place showing in 1968, while most recently an eighth-place showing in 2007 tops the list. The 15th-place finish in 2008 is the 15th top-20 NCAA showing in Minnesota history.
Rombough Makes Minnesota History
Senior Chris Rombough became the first Golden Gopher to capture three All-America citations in a career. Rombough added his third national honor in 2008 with a 17th-place finish. He placed 14th in 2006 and 29th in 2007. Six other Gophers, including Hassan Mead, are two-time All-Americans.
Mead Makes His Mark at Big Tens and Region Meet
Sophomore Hassan Mead captured the individual Big Ten title, notching his name as the fifth Minnesota Gopher to win the Conference crown. Mead also collected medalist honors at the NCAA Midwest region meet before earning All-America accord with a 31st-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Mead, Rombough Share Team MVP Award
For the second consecutive season, the Fred O. Watson Award, Minnesota’s team MVP award, was shared by Hassan Mead and Chris Rombough. Rombough is a career three-time MVP recipient.
Mead Clocks Minnesota Record 8K Time
Hassan Mead ran the fastest 8-kilometer time in Minnesota history at the Pre-NCAA Meet Blue Race on Oct. 18. Mead clocked a time of 23 minutes, 33.1 seconds to break teammate Chris Rombough’s mark of 23:39.7, set at the same meet in 2007.
Minnesota Coaching Staff
Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia completed his 13th season leading the Minnesota program. Plasencia has guided the Gophers to NCAA Championships berths in 11 of his 13 years with his alma mater with the Gophers’ 2008 eighth-place NCAA finish the best since 1969. In July of 2008, Plasencia was named the Golden Gophers’ head men’s track & field coach. Volunteer assistant coach Jason Havey finished his first year with the Gophers.
The Golden Gopher Lineup
Seven Golden Gophers competed at the NCAA Championships. Following is a list of possible participants and a listing of any previous experience at the national meet.
Matt Barrett (Jr., Monroe, Wis./Monroe)
2008 - 160th, 31:23.6
Ben Blankenship (So., Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater/Mississippi State)
2008 - 100th, 30:55.1
Mike McFarland (So., Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead)
2007 - 161st, 31:36.5
2008 - 171st, 31:27.0
Hassan Mead (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Minneapolis South)
2007 - 43rd, 30:37.6 (All-American)
2008 - 31st, 30:06.2 (All-American)
Ben Puhl (Sr., Rochester, Minn./Century)
2007 - 208th, 32:19.5
2008 - 214th, 32:00.3
Chris Rombough (Sr., Fremont, Wis./New London)
2005 - 105th, 30:59.4
2006 - 14th, 31:16.9 (All-American)
2007 - 29th, 30:24.8 (All-American)
2008 - 17th, 29:54.5 (All-American)
Mike Torchia (So., Rochester, Minn./Lourdes)
2008 - 231st, 32:25.0
Hassan Mead Honored as the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Runner of the Year
Sophomore Hassan Mead was named the 2008 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Runner of the Year after capturing medalist honors at both the Big Ten Conference Championships and NCAA Midwest Region Championships. As the Big Ten champion, Mead was also honored as the Big Ten Athlete of the Year.
Gophers 15th in NCAA Championships, Rombough a Three-Time All-American
Golden Gopher senior Chris Rombough set Minnesota cross country history on Monday, becoming the first three-time All-American in school history as Minnesota finished 15th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Rombough finished 17th overall, covering the 10-kilometer course the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind., in a time of 29 minutes, 54.4 seconds. Rombough’s time is the fourth-fastest time in school history. His top finish at the NCAA meet was 14th in 2006, while he placed 29th in 2007.
“I’m proud of Chris,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “He’s a strong runner who loves cross country. He kept pounding away, moving up through the field. We are going to miss him.”
Mead didn’t run his best race but still managed to collect All-America honors with a 31st-place finish in a time of 30:06.2. The Gopher sophomore, who won both the Big Ten and NCAA Midwest Region individual titles, is the seventh runner to earn multiple All-America citations.
“Hassan fought back but he didn’t have a good day,” said Plasencia.
Plasencia also noted that Mead and most of the Gophers, other than Rombough, didn’t seem to have as much energy as he would have hoped. “Overall we had a mediocre performance today. We didn’t have a lot of zip. I’m thinking that running on that very difficult course at the regional meet may have taken a lot out of us. We didn’t start the race well and that left too much to make up. I guess it says something, though, when we aren’t necessarily pleased with a 15th-place finish at the NCAAs. We had higher hopes, higher expectations, but we just didn’t have the depth to pull it off.”
The Gophers were unable to finish with a tight pack of runners, as they had in the NCAA Midwest Region Championships nine days ago. Sophomore Ben Blankenship ran a solid race to finish as the Gophers’ number-three runner, clocking a time of 30:55.1 to place 100th overall, but the gap widened for the important fourth and fifth scorers.
Matt Barrett was the Gophers’ fourth runner to cross the finish line, placing 160th in a time of 31:23.6, followed by Mike McFarland in 171st in 31:27.0.
Also competing for Minnesota was Ben Puhl, who placed 214th in 32:00.3 and Mike Torchia in 231st in 32:25.0.
Oregon defended its team with title with 93 points and three runners in the top 10, including individual medalist Galen Rupp. Rupp used a kick in the final 800 meters to overtake Liberty’s Samuel Chelanga (29:08.0).
2008 NCAA Cross Country Championships
Monday, Nov. 24, 2008
LaVern Gibson Championship Course – 10K
Terre Haute, Ind.
Team Results
1. Oregon 1-4-8-36-44-(53)-(59) 93
2. Iona 2-5-34-37-69-(131)-(157) 147
3. Stanford 6-27-45-58-91-(148)-(161) 227
4. Wisconsin 21-28-32-71-77-(78)-180) 229
15. Minnesota 15-25-80-128-137-(177)-(193) 385
24. Michigan 54-61-108-146-153-(188)-(205) 522
25. Penn State 64-93-112-118-160-(173)-(194) 547
* 31 teams competed
Top Individuals
1. Galen Rupp (Oregon) 29:03.2
2. Samuel Chelanga (Liberty) 29:08.0
3. Andrew Ledwith (Iona) 29:25.4
4. David Kinsella (Portland) 29:26.5
5. Luke Puskedra (Oregon) 29:27.8
6. Mohamed Khadraoui (Iona) 29:29.3
7. Chris Derrick (Stanford) 29:29.4
8. John Kosgei (Oklahoma State) 29:32.4
9. Shadrac Kiptoo-Biwott (Oregon) 29:43.4
10. Kyle Perry (BYU) 29:46.1
Golden Gopher Finishes
17. (15) Chris Rombough 29:54.5
31. (25) Hassan Mead 30:06.2
100. (80) Ben Blankenship 30:55.1
160. (128) Matt Barrett 31:23.6
171. (137) Mike McFarland 31:27.0
214. (177) Ben Puhl 32:00.3
231. (193) Mike Torchia 32:25.0
Gophers Earn NCAA Automatic Berth With Runner-Up Finish at Regional
Minnesota, fueled by a one-two finish by All-Americans Hassan Mead and Chris Rombough, earned an automatic NCAA Championships berth by placing second at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 15.
The No. 14 Golden Gophers captured their 11th NCAA Championships appearance in 12 years by finishing in the top two in the regional team standings. Host Oklahoma State tallied 42 for the team title, while Minnesota finished second with 51.
“We knew going in that Hassan and Chris could compete at the front of the pack,” said Golden Gopher Steve Plasencia. “What we needed was for our other guys to push forward and they certainly came through for us today. Ben (Blankenship) ran with great confidence today and was a key contributor. We have conditioned ourselves to be successful at the longer 10K distance run in the NCAAs.”
Mead, also the 2008 Big Ten Conference medalist, became the fourth Golden Gopher to win the Midwest Region individual title. The sophomore covered the 10-kilometer course at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course in a time of 31 minutes, 15.65 seconds. He used a strong finish in the last 400 meters to push away for the win. Rombough was second in a time of 31:18.85.
Minnesota finished with six of its seven runners earning All-NCAA Midwest Region honors. Ben Blankenship, running his first Midwest Region meet after running in the South Region with Mississippi State a year ago, posted the best finish of his young Gopher career, placing 12th in a time of 31:28.45.
The final two Gopher scorers crossed the line back-to-back. Matt Barrett placed 19th in a time of 31:40.60, while Mike Torchia was 20th in 31:41.10. The sixth Gopher to earn all-region acclaim was Mike McFarland in 24th in a time of 31:56.85.
Also competing for the Gophers was Ben Puhl, who clocked a time of 32:19.95 and placed 40th overall.
2008 NCAA Midwest Region Cross Country Championships
Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008
Oklahoma State Golf Course – 6K
Stillwater, Okla.
Team Results
1. Oklahoma State 3-5-6-7-21-(38)-(44) 42
2. Minnesota 1-2-11-18-19-(23)-(39) 51
3. Tulsa 4-10-15-17-22-(31)-(73) 68
4. Iowa State 8-12-13-26-48-(49)-(66) 107
5. Missouri 16-25-32-37-58-(76)-(86) 160
* 23 teams competed
Top Individuals
1. Hassan Mead (MInnesota) 31:15.65
2. Chris Rombough (Minnesota) 31:18.85
3. John Kosgei (Oklahoma State) 31:19.75
4. John Beattie (Tulsa) 31:20.30
5. German Fernandez (Oklahoma State) 31:20.60
6. Ryan Vail (Oklahoma State) 31:20.65
7. David Chirchir (Oklahoma State) 31:20.65
8. Zach McFall (Iowa State) 31:21.65
9. Jeff Schirmer (Southern Illinois) 31:22.60
10. Mark Davidson (Tulsa) 31:23.80
Other Golden Gopher Finishes
12. (11) Ben Blankenship 31:28.45
19. (18) Matt Barrett 31:40.60
20. (19) Mike Torchia 31:41.10
24. (23) Mike McFarland 31:56.85
40. (39) Ben Puhl 32:19.95
Hassan Mead Honored as Big Ten Runner of the Year, Puhl Honored as Well
Hassan Mead was named the Big Ten Conference Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year, announced by the Conference officials. The conference postseason honor is determined by a vote of the Big Ten cross country coaches.
Mead concluded the Big Ten season by capturing the individual title at the Big Ten Championships held at Michigan. Mead covered the 8-kilometer course in a time of 24 minutes, 26.4 seconds, winning the crown by over nine seconds. The Minneapolis South High School graduate also picked up two Big Ten Runner of the Week accolades during the 2008 season.
Mead is the fifth Gopher to win the Big Ten title and the second in three years as teammate Rombough captured Big Ten medalist honors in 2006. Rombough was Minnesota’s first Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2006.
The Gophers had three champions prior to the Big Ten awarding Athlete of the Year honors. Gary Bjorklund was a three-time champion in 1969, 1970 and 1971. Other Minnesota champions were Fred Watson (1913-15) and Leonard Edelen in 1957.
Wisconsin’s Mick Byrne was honored as the 2008 Big Ten Coach of the Year, while Penn State rookie Kyle Dawson earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year accord.
The conference office also announced the honorees from each of the 10 men’s cross country squads for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The Minnesota recipient was senior Ben Puhl.
Mead Wins Big Ten Individual Title, Gophers Finish Third
Hassan Mead won the individual title at the Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Championships on Sunday, Nov. 2 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Mead and third-place finisher Chris Rombough led the Golden Gophers to a third-place finish in the team title chase.
Mead covered the 8-kilometer course at the University of Michigan Golf Course in a time of 24 minutes, 26.4 seconds, winning the crown that so narrowly escaped the Gopher harrier a year ago by over nine seconds in this his sophomore season. He placed second in 2007 as a true freshman, and led a good share of the race before being edged out in the final stretch.
“Winning the title feels great,” said Mead, a Minneapolis South High School grad. “This was one of my goals on the season so I’m really happy I accomplished it. I ran a relaxed race. I made my move at about the 5K and went all the way.”
“Hassan moved into the lead going up the last big major hill and just continued to build a gap on the next runner,” said Plasencia. “Hassan just continues to add to his savvy as a runner. He’s able to build off his success. It’s exciting for us that Hassan is so talented and is just a sophomore. He has great days ahead of him.”
Rombough added the third-place finish in a time of 24:42.1. The Gopher senior completed his Big Ten cross country career with three top-five finishes at the Conference meet.
Mead is the fifth Gopher to win the Big Ten title and the second in three years as teammate Rombough captured Big Ten medalist honors in 2006. Gary Bjorklund won his third straight crown in 1971. Other Minnesota champions were Fred Watson (1913-15) and Leonard Edelen in 1957.
Wisconsin continued its dominance in collecting its 10th straight Big Ten title. The Badgers landed all five of their scoring runners in the top 14 to score 40 points. Michigan was second with 57, edging Minnesota (60) for runner-up honors.
“Our guys ran well today,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “We did a nice job of tightening up our pack. Though we placed third as a team, points-wise we were closer to Wisconsin than we did last year when we placed second.”
Matt Barrett has battled injury throughout his career, but turned in his best performance as a Gopher on Sunday placing 15th, just one spot from All-Big Ten honors, in a time of 25:01.4. Barrett’s effort caught Plasencia’s attention. “As happy as I am for Hassan, I’m also pleased for Matt. He’s fought hard and he’s starting to put it all together.”
Mike Torchia finished 16th with a time of 25:03.3, while Ben Blankenship completed the Gophers’ scoring five by finishing 26th in 25:16.3. Also competing were Sean Olson (32nd, 25:26.3), Mike McFarland (42nd, 25:33.0), Ben Puhl (46th, 25:36.5) and Ben Kampf (56th, 25:47.1).
2008 Big Ten Conference Cross Country Championships
Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008
Ann Arbor Golf Course – 6K
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Team Results
1. Wisconsin 2-4-7-13-14-(19)-(23) 40
2. Michigan 6-10-11-12-18-(27)-(30) 57
3. Minnesota 1-3-15-16-25-(31)-(40) 60
4. Penn State 5-22-24-34-48-(49)-(53) 133
5. Indiana 8-17-29-39-42-(43)-(58) 135
6. Michigan State 20-21-28-33-36-(47)-(59) 138
7. Iowa 9-32-37-45-46-(61)-(62) 169
8. Ohio State 26-35-41-52-55-(63)-(64) 209
9. Illinois 38-50-51-56-57-(60)-(70) 252
10. Purdue 44-54-65-66-67-(68)-(69) 296
Top Individuals
1. Hassan Mead (Minnesota) 24:26.4
2. Landon Peacock (Wisconsin) 24:35.9
3. Chris Rombough (Minnesota) 24:42.1
4. Christian Wagner (Wisconsin) 24:46.7
5. Kyle Dawson (Penn State) 24:48.2
6. Sean McNamara (Michigan) 24:48.7
7. Jack Bolas (Wisconsin) 24:50.5
8. Timothy McLeod (Indiana) 24:51.4
9. Jesse Luciano (Iowa) 24:52.2
10. Justin Switzer (Michigan) 24:53.7
11. Ciaran O’Lionard (Michigan) 24:56.2
12. Craig Forys (Michigan) 24:56.5
13. Stuart Eagon (Wisconsin) 25:00.1
14. Craig Miller (Wisconsin) 25:01.1
Other Golden Gopher Finishes
15. Matt Barrett 25:01.4
16. Mike Torchia 25:03.3
26. (25) Ben Blankenship 25:16.3
32. (31) Sean Olson 25:26.3
42. (40) Mike McFarland 25:33.0
46. Ben Puhl 25:36.5
56. Ben Kampf 25:47.1
Mead Clocks Minnesota Record Time at Pre-NCAA Meet
Sophomore Hassan Mead ran the fastest 8-kilometer time in Minnesota history to place third overall and pace the No. 14 Golden Gophers to a fifth-place finish in the Pre-NCAA Meet Blue Race, Oct. 18, in Terre Haute, Ind. Mead clocked a time of 23 minutes, 33.1 seconds to break teammate Chris Rombough’s mark of 23:39.7, set at the same meet in 2007.
Minnesota placed fifth as a team with 234 points, performing well on the course that will host the NCAA Championships in November. No. 6 Alabama won the Blue Race title with 89 points, followed by No. 16 Northern Arizona with 123, No. 9 Michigan with 146 and No. 13 Florida State in fourth with 212 points. No. 10 Stanford won the team crown in the White Race with 77 points.
“Hassan did a great job of working his way up through the field,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “Hassan was probably 50th at the mile mark but found David (Alabama’s Tyson David) and was able to go with him to create a bit of distance from the rest of the field. McNeill (Northern Arizona’s David McNeill) caught them down the last stretch. It was a very close finish.”
David won the individual title by just six-tenths of a second (23:30.1) over McNeill (23:30.7).
Rombough added an eighth-place finish for the Gophers, running a time of 23:47.3. The Gophers’ scoring was completed by Mike Torchia in 67th-place in a time of 24:38.3, Sean Olson in 72nd in 24:41.2 and Ben Blankenship in 84th in 24:47.8. Also competing were Ben Kampf, who finished 118th (25:04.7) and Mike McFarland, who placed 125th (25:06.8).
“We did a good job today with Hassan’s high finish and Chris having a nice day,” added Plasencia. “Sean also ran particularly well. Overall as a team, we took a step forward, which is important at a meet like this at this time of the season.”
2008 Pre-NCAA Meet
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008
LaVern Gibson National Cross Country Course – 8K
Terre Haute, Ind.
Team Results - Blue Race
1. Alabama 1-5-9-31-43-(148) 89
2. Northern Arizona 2-11-18-34-48-(65)-(70) 113
3. Michigan 10-14-30-42-50-(60)-(74) 146
4. Florida State 28-32-33-51-68-(193)-(260) 212
5. Minnesota 3-8-67-72-84-(118)-(125) 234
Top Individuals
1. Tyson David (Alabama) 23:30.1
2. David McNeill (Northern Arizona) 23:30.7
3. Hassan Mead (Minnesota) 23:33.1
4. Patrick Smyth (Notre Dame) 23:38.3
5. Augustus Maiyo (Alabama) 23:39.6
6. David McCarthy (Providence) 23:40.8
7. Mark Korir (Wyoming) 23:43.2
8. Chris Rombough (Minnesota) 23:47.3
9. Emanuel Bor (Alabama) 23:48.4
10. Ciaran O’Lionaird (Michigan) 23:50.6
Golden Gopher Finishes
66. Mike Torchia 24:38.3
72. Sean Olson 24:41.2
84. Ben Blankenship 24:47.8
118. Ben Kampf 25:04.7
125. Mike McFarland 25:06.8
Jim Drews Invitational
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008
Maple Grove Country Club – 8K
West Salem, Wis.
No Team Results
Golden Gopher Finishes
6. Ben Puhl 25.06.6
22. Paul Hilsen 25:41.8
40. Tim Bruhn 26:06.1
53. Joe McFarland 26:14.5
Mead’s Runner-Up Finish Paces Gophers to Fourth Place at Griak Invitational
Hassan Mead’s runner-up finish led Minnesota to a fourth place team finish in the men’s Gold race at the Roy Griak Invitational at the Les Bolstad Golf Course.
Mead covered 8,000 meters in 24:08 as the Gophers repeated their fourth place finish from a year ago with 107 points. Adams State (Colo.), the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division II, surprised the Division I field by running away with the team title with 75 points. Iowa State was second with 89 points and Brigham Young was third with 91 points.
Through the first two miles, the lead pack consisted of about 10 runners before Auburn’s Elkanah Kibet took off and set the pace. Mead followed and also broke away from the pack, but Kibet was too strong the rest of the way and cruised to the individual title in 23:56.
Mead took advantage of the home crowd to earn his runner-up finish. “Coming into the race I kind of had some pressure on me a little bit, but I blocked that out and focused on the race,” said the sophomore from Minneapolis. “I knew my competitors were there, but I couldn’t really pay attention because I had to get through the race. I was glad to have a big-time audience and it was great.”
Minnesota’s Chris Rombough, who was third in last year’s Griak, got off to a slow start, but steadily worked his way through the field to finish 13th in 24:35. Mike Torchia added a 21st place finish for the Gophers in 24:55. Matt Barrett edged teammate Mike McFarland by one second to place 35th in 25:13.
Mark Korir of Wyoming had a spirited finishing kick to pass several runners down the stretch and finish third in 24:11. Stephan Shay of Brigham Young was two seconds behind and placed fourth, while Reuben Chebon-Mwei was Adams State’s top finisher at 24:16. The Grizzlies had three runners among the top 11 finishers and six of the top 28 individuals.
Roy Griak Invitational
Saturday, Sept. 24, 2008
Les Bolstad Golf Course – 8K
Falcon Heights, Minn.
Team Results
1. Adams State 5-9-11-23-27-(28) 75
2. Iowa State 8-10-12-19-40-(41)-(46) 89
3. Brigham Young 4-6-16-32-33-(44)-(57) 91
4. Minnesota 2-13-21-35-36-(62)-(66) 107
* 25 teams competed
Top Individuals
1. Elkanah Kibet (Auburn) 23:55.3
2. Hassan Mead (Minnesota) 24:07.4
3. Mark Korir (Wyoming) 24:10.2
4. Stephan Shay (BYU) 24:12.3
5. Reuben Chebon-Mwei (Adams State) 24:15.6
6. Kyle Perry (BYU) 24:16.7
7. Felix Kibioywo (Auburn) 24:17.9
8. Hillary Bor (Iowa State) 24:18.7
9. Aaron Braun (Adams State) 24:20.1
10. Kiel Uhl (Iowa State) 24:21.9
Golden Gopher Finishes
13. Chris Rombough 24:34.9
21. Mike Torchia 24:54.9
35. Matt Barrett 25:13.0
36. Mike McFarland 25:13.5
63. (62) Ben Blankenship 25:31.8
69. (66) Ben Kampf 25:35.0
81. Sean Olson 25:45.2
82. Ben Puhl 25:46.2
135. Paul Hilsen 26:30.2
169. Joe McFarland 27:08.0
2008 Aztec Invitational
The Minnesota men’s cross country team placed third at the Aztec Invitational, hosted by San Diego State at Balboa Park in San Diego on Sept. 13. Sophomore Mike Torchia paced the Golden Gophers with a 12th-place finish, covering the 8-kilometer course in a time of 25 minutes, 19 seconds.
Minnesota competed without its top two runners, All-Americans Chris Rombough and Hassan Mead. The Gophers’ powerful one-two punch will make their season debut at the Roy Griak Invitational.
Sophomore Mike McFarland added a top-20 showing for the Gophers, finishing 19th with a time of 25:35. A pair of Gophers running their first meet for the Maroon and Gold followed with sophomore transfer Ben Blankenship finishing 21st in 25:39 and redshirt freshman Sean Olson in 23rd in 25:40. Senior Ben Puhl completed the Gopher scoring in 36th place in 25:57.
Also competing for the Gophers were Ben Kampf, who placed 40th (26:02), Paul Hilsen, who finished 54th (26:13) and Tim Bruhn, who finished 92nd (26:57).
“We are in a good position to keep progressing,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “We started to establish a bit of an order in competing for out top spots on the team.”
Brigham Young cruised to the team title with 32 points, claiming four places in the top 10. Northern Arizona was second with 96. Azusa Pacific’s Aron Rono won medalist honors with a time of 24:16.
2008 Aztec Invitational
Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008
Balboa Park - 8K
San Diego, Calif.
Team Results
1. BYU 3-5-6-8-10-(16)-(19) 32
2. Northern Arizona 2-17-21-27-29-(50)-(64) 96
3. Minnesota 12-28-20-22-31-(34)-(45) 103
4. Air Force 7-9-23-46-48-(55)-(62) 133
* 16 teams competed
Top Individuals
1. Aron Rono (Azusa Pacific) 24:16
2. Morten Bostrom (Northern Arizona) 24:34
3. Kyle Perry (BYU) 24:42
4. Jordan Chipangama (Central Arizona) 24:44
5. Brandon Herbert (BYU) 24:54
6. Stephan Shay (BYU) 25:02
7. Matt Williams (Air Force) 25:03
8. Richard Nelson (BYU) 25:06
9. Diego Estrada (Unattached) 25:07
10. Sean Houseworth (Air Force) 25:13
Golden Gopher Finishes
13. (12) Mike Torchia 25:19
19. (18) Mike McFarland 25:35
21. (20) Ben Blankenship 25:39
33. (22) Sean Olson 25:47
36. (31) Ben Puhl 25:57
40. (34) Ben Kampf 26:02
54. (45) Paul Hilsen 26:13
62. Tim Bruhn 26:57
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Cross CountryCinematic Recap: 2025 Griak Invitational
Monday, September 29
Cinematic Recap: 2024 NCAA Regional
Sunday, November 17
Oz Memorial Highlights
Sunday, September 01
Big Ten Championship Highlights
Tuesday, November 07