University of Minnesota Athletics
Roehrig, Rue Post All-America Finishes
6/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Golden Gopher standouts Liz Roehrig and Alicia Rue captured All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday. Roehrig finished as the NCAA runner-up for the second straight season in the heptathlon, while Rue collected her first career outdoor All-America award.
Roehrig ended her Minnesota track career by tallying a school-record 5,892 points, the seventh and final time the fifth-year senior rewrote the Gopher record book in the event. She ends her Golden Gopher career as a five-time NCAA All-American.
Roehrig moved up to second place overall by running a time of 2:22.05 in the 800 meters to score 796 points. Oregon’s Brianne Theison ran a time of 2:14.77 to secure the national title and surpass 6,000 points with a winning tally of 6,086. Michigan’s Bettie Wade finished third with 5,876 points. Three Big Ten heptathletes finished in the top five with Penn State’s Gayle Hunter adding a fifth-place finish (5,797).
Theisen jumped to the heptathlon lead with big throw in javelin (148-0) and held a 67-point lead over second-place USC’s Nia Ali. Roehrig was in third place overall after scoring 635 points on a javelin toss of 125-8.
Wade had taken over the heptathlon lead after five events after sailing a leap of 20-9 1/4 to win the long jump event. Ali, the leader after day one, fell to second. Roehrig was in third and Theisen fourth with two events remaining.
Rue cleared 14-1 1/4 to tie for third with Notre Dame’s Mary Saxer. The Gopher junior earned her first NCAA outdoor All-America honor after collecting a pair of national honors at NCAA indoor meets.
Rue passed on the first two opening heights then clearing 13-5 1/4 on her first attempt. She cleared 13-9 1/4 on her second attempt and her final height on her first try. Rue attempted three jumps at a height of 14-5 1/4, which would have been a new school record.
Indiana State’s Kylie Hutson cleared 14-5 1/4 on her first attempt to win the national title.
The NCAA Championships conclude on Saturday. Gopher senior Heather Dorniden is the last Minnesota athlete with competition remaining. Dorniden will run in the 800 meters final at 12:19 p.m. CBS will provide two hours of live television coverage of the meet from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
Players Mentioned
