University of Minnesota Athletics
Track/Cross Country Add Talented Recruiting Class
4/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
The Minnesota women’s track & field/cross country programs have climbed to a pinnacle of success in recent seasons, earning Big Ten Conference titles and several top 15 NCAA finishes. Another talented recruiting class with 17 student-athletes is signed and set to join the Golden Gophers next fall, poised to help keep Minnesota among the nation’s elite.
“I am extremely excited to add these young women to our team,” said Golden Gopher head track & field coach Matt Bingle. “We believe that this group has a lot of potential to help us stay in the upper tier of the Big Ten. We are excited to see how they can develop once they become Gophers.”
“Since we are graduating quite a number of our elite athletes it was crucial we reloaded with an excellent class of middle distance and distance runners,” added Golden Gopher women’s cross country coach Gary Wilson. “We feel we have more than accomplished that goal, which is very exciting for the future.”
The Golden Gophers’ class consists of eight student-athletes from Minnesota, six from Wisconsin, one from Nebraska, a student-athlete from Trinidad and a junior college transfer from the British Virgin Islands. The following student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Gophers next fall.
Maggie Bollig (Cross Plains, Wis.) is an 11-time all-state performer in cross country and track for Middleton High School. Bollig placed fourth in the last two Wisconsin Division I Cross Country Championships. She placed third in the 800 meters (2:15) and sixth (5:08) in the 1,600 meters at the state track meet as a junior. As a sophomore, Bollig was a member of the state champion 4x800-meter relay.
Alena Brooks (Diego Martin, Trinidad) will join her Junior National Team teammate Nyoka Giles on the Gopher roster next season. Brooks, who attends the Diego Martin Government Secondary School, has top times of 55.11 seconds in the 400 meters and 2:12.23 in the 800 meters.
Kelli Budd (Omaha, Neb.) captured the 2008 Nebraska Class A cross country crown (14:57.7) in her senior season at Omaha Marian High School. Budd placed 11th (18.14) at the Foot Locker Midwest Region Championships and 65th at the Foot Locker National Championships. She was a two-time state runner-up in 2006 and 2007, after placing fourth in the 2005 state meet as a freshman. Budd is also a Nebraska Class A runner-up in the 3,200-meter run as both a sophomore and junior.
Jessica Cagle (Grand Rapids, Minn.) is the Minnesota all-class record holder in the discus with a throw of 162 feet, 4 inches. Cagle landed the record-setting toss to win the 2008 Minnesota Class A title, after finishing as the state runner-up in the event as a sophomore. She was also an all-state performer in the shot put last spring, placing fifth (40-1 3/4). Her career best in the shot put is 42-1.
Laura Docherty (St. Paul, Minn.) is a two-time all-state cross country runner from Cretin-Derham Hall High School. Docherty placed 12th in the 2007 Minnesota Class AA Cross Country Championships and 25th in 2008. She was the 2008 Roy Griak Invitational Girls’ Gold Race runner-up.
Bianca Dougan (Tortola, British Virgin Islands) will join the Gophers after two seasons at Central Arizona College. Dougan helped the Vaqueros to the 2008 NJCAA national title and was a member of the national champion 4x400-meter relay. She owns personal bests in the 400 meters of 56.10 seconds and the 400-meter hurdles of 1:02.76.
Rachel Drake (White Bear Lake, Minn.) is a two-time all-state performer in cross country for White Bear Lake High School. Drake placed 13th as a junior and 15th as a senior in the Minnesota Class AA Cross Country Championships.
Katie Hill (Onalaska, Wis.) competed in two Wisconsin Division I Cross Country Championships, placing 36th in 2007 and 29th in 2008, but when spring rolled around she competed in soccer rather than track at Onalaska High School. Her senior season will be different as Hill takes to the track for the first time in her high school career. Hill helped Onalaska win the Mississippi Valley Conference cross country team titles as both a junior and senior, extending their conference team winning streak to 18 years.
Melissa Flucke (Ashwaubenon, Wis.) is the defending Wisconsin Division I state champion in the pole vault and currently has a career-best leap of 12-1 on her vaulting resume at Ashwaubenon High School. Flucke places third at state as a sophomore in the pole vault and has made three trips to state in the high jump as well.
Katie Moraczewski (White Bear Lake, Minn.) has finished in the top 10 of the Minnesota Class AA Cross Country Championships in each of her last three seasons of her White Bear Lake High School career. Moraczewski’s top finish was fourth as a junior in 2007, while she added a fifth-place showing in 2008 and ninth in 2006.
Stormy Nesbit (Roseville, Minn.) is a three-time all-state sprinter from Roseville Area High School. Nesbit placed third in the 100 meters (12.27) at the 2008 Minnesota Class AA Track & Field Championships, while adding a pair of bronze-medal finishes as a member of the 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter relays. Nesbit is also a triple jumper with a career best of 38-10 1/2.
Casey Opitz (Eden Prairie, Minn.) won the 2008 Minnesota Class AA cross country title leading her Eden Prairie High School squad to the team title as well. Opitz and Eden Prairie were state runner-ups in 2007. She owns a pair of state titles on the track as well, winning the 2008 3,200-meter run crown and as part of the 4x800-meter relay in 2007. Opitz was also an all-state honoree in the 1,600 meters; a race where she owns a personal best of 5:03.59.
Chelsey Simon (Hixton, Wis.) is a three-time Wisconsin Division 3 track champion, who will train for the heptathlon as a Golden Gopher after she completed her Whitehall High School career. Simon is the two-time defending 100 meter dash titlist, winning last spring in a personal-best time of 12.39 seconds. In addition to her 100-meter title, Simon won the 200 meters (25.52), placed fifth in the long jump and ran a leg of the runner-up 4x200-meter relay. Overall, Simon is a nine-time all-state track athlete.
Bre Valle (Minnetonka, Minn.) earned all-state honors a year ago representing Minnetonka High School at the Minnesota Class AA Cross Country Championships. Valle placed 24th in 2008. She was also a member of the state runner-up 4x800-meter relay last spring.
Jamie Vandenberg (Niagara, Wis.) is a three-time defending Wisconsin Division 3 champion in the 400-meter dash from Niagara High School. After running a career best of 56.15 seconds to win the 400-meter title a year ago, Vandenberg captured a second title in the meet winning the 800 meters in 2:13.29. Vandenberg was also a first-team all-conference selection in basketball and volleyball.
Missa Varpress (Montevideo, Minn.) is a two-time all-state middle-distance runner from Montevideo High School. Varpress won the Minnesota Class A title in the 800 meters (2:14.42) in 2008 after running to runner-up honors as a sophomore.
Kayla Wagner (Baldwin, Wis.) won the 2008 Roy Griak Girls’ Maroon title last fall and went on to a second-place finish at the Wisconsin Division 2 Cross Country Championships. Competing for Baldwin/Woodville High School, Wagner is a three-time all-state honoree with a seventh-place cross country finish in 2007 and a runner-up showing in the 2008 state meet in the 3,200 meters (10:38).
“I am extremely excited to add these young women to our team,” said Golden Gopher head track & field coach Matt Bingle. “We believe that this group has a lot of potential to help us stay in the upper tier of the Big Ten. We are excited to see how they can develop once they become Gophers.”
“Since we are graduating quite a number of our elite athletes it was crucial we reloaded with an excellent class of middle distance and distance runners,” added Golden Gopher women’s cross country coach Gary Wilson. “We feel we have more than accomplished that goal, which is very exciting for the future.”
The Golden Gophers’ class consists of eight student-athletes from Minnesota, six from Wisconsin, one from Nebraska, a student-athlete from Trinidad and a junior college transfer from the British Virgin Islands. The following student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Gophers next fall.
Maggie Bollig (Cross Plains, Wis.) is an 11-time all-state performer in cross country and track for Middleton High School. Bollig placed fourth in the last two Wisconsin Division I Cross Country Championships. She placed third in the 800 meters (2:15) and sixth (5:08) in the 1,600 meters at the state track meet as a junior. As a sophomore, Bollig was a member of the state champion 4x800-meter relay.
Alena Brooks (Diego Martin, Trinidad) will join her Junior National Team teammate Nyoka Giles on the Gopher roster next season. Brooks, who attends the Diego Martin Government Secondary School, has top times of 55.11 seconds in the 400 meters and 2:12.23 in the 800 meters.
Kelli Budd (Omaha, Neb.) captured the 2008 Nebraska Class A cross country crown (14:57.7) in her senior season at Omaha Marian High School. Budd placed 11th (18.14) at the Foot Locker Midwest Region Championships and 65th at the Foot Locker National Championships. She was a two-time state runner-up in 2006 and 2007, after placing fourth in the 2005 state meet as a freshman. Budd is also a Nebraska Class A runner-up in the 3,200-meter run as both a sophomore and junior.
Jessica Cagle (Grand Rapids, Minn.) is the Minnesota all-class record holder in the discus with a throw of 162 feet, 4 inches. Cagle landed the record-setting toss to win the 2008 Minnesota Class A title, after finishing as the state runner-up in the event as a sophomore. She was also an all-state performer in the shot put last spring, placing fifth (40-1 3/4). Her career best in the shot put is 42-1.
Laura Docherty (St. Paul, Minn.) is a two-time all-state cross country runner from Cretin-Derham Hall High School. Docherty placed 12th in the 2007 Minnesota Class AA Cross Country Championships and 25th in 2008. She was the 2008 Roy Griak Invitational Girls’ Gold Race runner-up.
Bianca Dougan (Tortola, British Virgin Islands) will join the Gophers after two seasons at Central Arizona College. Dougan helped the Vaqueros to the 2008 NJCAA national title and was a member of the national champion 4x400-meter relay. She owns personal bests in the 400 meters of 56.10 seconds and the 400-meter hurdles of 1:02.76.
Rachel Drake (White Bear Lake, Minn.) is a two-time all-state performer in cross country for White Bear Lake High School. Drake placed 13th as a junior and 15th as a senior in the Minnesota Class AA Cross Country Championships.
Katie Hill (Onalaska, Wis.) competed in two Wisconsin Division I Cross Country Championships, placing 36th in 2007 and 29th in 2008, but when spring rolled around she competed in soccer rather than track at Onalaska High School. Her senior season will be different as Hill takes to the track for the first time in her high school career. Hill helped Onalaska win the Mississippi Valley Conference cross country team titles as both a junior and senior, extending their conference team winning streak to 18 years.
Melissa Flucke (Ashwaubenon, Wis.) is the defending Wisconsin Division I state champion in the pole vault and currently has a career-best leap of 12-1 on her vaulting resume at Ashwaubenon High School. Flucke places third at state as a sophomore in the pole vault and has made three trips to state in the high jump as well.
Katie Moraczewski (White Bear Lake, Minn.) has finished in the top 10 of the Minnesota Class AA Cross Country Championships in each of her last three seasons of her White Bear Lake High School career. Moraczewski’s top finish was fourth as a junior in 2007, while she added a fifth-place showing in 2008 and ninth in 2006.
Stormy Nesbit (Roseville, Minn.) is a three-time all-state sprinter from Roseville Area High School. Nesbit placed third in the 100 meters (12.27) at the 2008 Minnesota Class AA Track & Field Championships, while adding a pair of bronze-medal finishes as a member of the 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter relays. Nesbit is also a triple jumper with a career best of 38-10 1/2.
Casey Opitz (Eden Prairie, Minn.) won the 2008 Minnesota Class AA cross country title leading her Eden Prairie High School squad to the team title as well. Opitz and Eden Prairie were state runner-ups in 2007. She owns a pair of state titles on the track as well, winning the 2008 3,200-meter run crown and as part of the 4x800-meter relay in 2007. Opitz was also an all-state honoree in the 1,600 meters; a race where she owns a personal best of 5:03.59.
Chelsey Simon (Hixton, Wis.) is a three-time Wisconsin Division 3 track champion, who will train for the heptathlon as a Golden Gopher after she completed her Whitehall High School career. Simon is the two-time defending 100 meter dash titlist, winning last spring in a personal-best time of 12.39 seconds. In addition to her 100-meter title, Simon won the 200 meters (25.52), placed fifth in the long jump and ran a leg of the runner-up 4x200-meter relay. Overall, Simon is a nine-time all-state track athlete.
Bre Valle (Minnetonka, Minn.) earned all-state honors a year ago representing Minnetonka High School at the Minnesota Class AA Cross Country Championships. Valle placed 24th in 2008. She was also a member of the state runner-up 4x800-meter relay last spring.
Jamie Vandenberg (Niagara, Wis.) is a three-time defending Wisconsin Division 3 champion in the 400-meter dash from Niagara High School. After running a career best of 56.15 seconds to win the 400-meter title a year ago, Vandenberg captured a second title in the meet winning the 800 meters in 2:13.29. Vandenberg was also a first-team all-conference selection in basketball and volleyball.
Missa Varpress (Montevideo, Minn.) is a two-time all-state middle-distance runner from Montevideo High School. Varpress won the Minnesota Class A title in the 800 meters (2:14.42) in 2008 after running to runner-up honors as a sophomore.
Kayla Wagner (Baldwin, Wis.) won the 2008 Roy Griak Girls’ Maroon title last fall and went on to a second-place finish at the Wisconsin Division 2 Cross Country Championships. Competing for Baldwin/Woodville High School, Wagner is a three-time all-state honoree with a seventh-place cross country finish in 2007 and a runner-up showing in the 2008 state meet in the 3,200 meters (10:38).
Players Mentioned
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