University of Minnesota Athletics
Dorniden, Yetzer Earn Automatic NCAA Track Berths
5/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Heather Dorniden and Elizabeth Yetzer earned NCAA automatic berths at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Saturday in Norman, Okla. Minnesota will be represented by five athletes at the national meet hosted by the University of Arkansas on June 10-13.
Dorniden was denied her third consecutive Midwest Region title in the 800 meters but the Golden Gopher All-American still have what she came to Norman for an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. Dorniden ran a time of 2:05.70 for second place a tenth of a second behind North Dakota State senior Laura Hermanson (2:05.60). Dorniden took the lead from the opening gun and battled with Hermanson throughout. The talent pair ran most of the last lap shoulder-to-shoulder before Hermanson made a push in the final 100 meters. Nikki Swenson also scored points for the Gophers in the event with a seventh-place finish in a time of 2:11.72.
Yetzer finished second in the 1,500-meter run with a career-best time of 4:24.20 to earn her ticket into the national meet. She took the lead in the race with a lap to go but was passed by Texas Tech’s Gladys Kipsang on the backstretch. Yetzer hung with Kipsang the rest of the race, finishing a meter and a half second behind the winner. Ladia Albertson-Junkans competed in the race and posted a time of 4:38.82.
Liz Roehrig enjoyed a great day in the high jump and placed third, grabbing an NCAA Championships qualifier, clearing a height of 5-11 1/4. That height matches her season high. She had three attempts at the height of 6-0 1/4, which would have bettered her own school record by a quarter on an inch. Texas’ Destinee Hooker won with a height of 6-3 1/4, then attempt three jumps at an NCAA record height of 6-7. Roehrig will have the choice of whether to compete in the open high jump at the NCAA Championships. She is ranked second nationally in the heptathlon and may choose to forego the open high jump competition to concentrate on her specialty.
The Gophers’ 4x100-meter relay bought the baton around the track in a season-best time of 45.40 seconds to finish seventh in the event. The foursome of Chimerem Okoroji, Nyoka Giles, Chioma Omeoga and Adrienne Thomas clocked the third-fastest time in school history.
Jamie Cheever ran her final track competition of her Gopher career placing 15th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:59.81.
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DeAnne Hahn landed a top throw of 46-9 1/2 in the women’s shot put but did not advance to the final. She also competed in the hammer throw on Friday.
Minnesota scored 38.50 points to finish sixth of 34 teams that scored in the Midwest Regional meet. Texas A&M cruised to the team title with 96 points.
The five Golden Gophers headed for the NCAA meet are Dorniden (800m), Yetzer (1,500m), Roehrig (heptathlon), Amy Laskowske (10,000m) and Alicia Rue (pole vault).
Players Mentioned
