University of Minnesota Athletics
Price Big Ten Runner-Up, Gopher Finish Third
10/31/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Minnesota junior Stephanie Price ran to a runner-up finish and was joined by two teammates on the all-conference team as the Golden Gopher women’s cross country team placed third in the Big Ten Cross Country Championships on Sunday.
The Gophers tallied 90 points, 16 off of Michigan State’s winning total of 74. Michigan edged Minnesota for second with 88 points. Wisconsin hosted the meet at its new Zimmer Championships Course in Verona, Wis.
“I thought we ran a really nice team race,” said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. “When you finish in third by two points of course there are a million places you could look at for where you could have picked up those points. But, I couldn’t be prouder of this team. They are a great, hard-working, group of young women.”
Price covered the 6-kilometer course in a time of 19 minutes, 55.5 seconds, the fastest time in Golden Gopher history over that distance and the first time a Gopher clocked a sub-20 minutes time. This is the first time Minnesota competed at the Zimmer Course. In the 30-year history of the Big Ten meet, Price’s second-place finish is only bettered by Gopher alum Eileen Donaghy who won the individual crown in 1987.
Price ran with the lead pack from the opening gun then broke away from the rest of the field with eventual Big Ten champion Emily McLeod. McLeod used a late surge to win by less than 2 seconds, running a time of 19:53.8.
“The race is still kind of a blur,” said Price after the awards ceremony. “The race was fast from the start. It was fun. This course really moves.”
Price earns All-Big Ten First Team accord with her finish. Teammates redshirt freshman Missa Varpness and senior Nikki Swenson earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors with their performances as well.
Varpness placed 11th in her first Big Ten race of her career, clocking a time of 20:38.4. Swenson, a multiple conference awardwinner in her Gopher track career, collected her first Big Ten cross country honor with a 13th-place showing in a time of 20:45.3.
Ashlie Decker, a true freshman, was the fourth finisher for the Gophers, placing 19th in a time of 20:52.6. Minnesota scored three freshmen in its top five. Redshirt freshman Katie Moraczewski was the Gophers’ fifth runner, finishing 46th in a time of 21:28.8.
Also competing for the Gophers were Kayla Wagner, who finished 49th in 21:31.9; Kelly Wilson, who was 60th in 21:45.5; Rachel Drake, who placed 68th in 21:57.0 and Laura Docherty, who finished 72nd in 22:05.8.
Minnesota’s next competition is the NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 13, in Peoria, Ill.
The Gophers tallied 90 points, 16 off of Michigan State’s winning total of 74. Michigan edged Minnesota for second with 88 points. Wisconsin hosted the meet at its new Zimmer Championships Course in Verona, Wis.
“I thought we ran a really nice team race,” said Golden Gopher head coach Gary Wilson. “When you finish in third by two points of course there are a million places you could look at for where you could have picked up those points. But, I couldn’t be prouder of this team. They are a great, hard-working, group of young women.”
Price covered the 6-kilometer course in a time of 19 minutes, 55.5 seconds, the fastest time in Golden Gopher history over that distance and the first time a Gopher clocked a sub-20 minutes time. This is the first time Minnesota competed at the Zimmer Course. In the 30-year history of the Big Ten meet, Price’s second-place finish is only bettered by Gopher alum Eileen Donaghy who won the individual crown in 1987.
Price ran with the lead pack from the opening gun then broke away from the rest of the field with eventual Big Ten champion Emily McLeod. McLeod used a late surge to win by less than 2 seconds, running a time of 19:53.8.
“The race is still kind of a blur,” said Price after the awards ceremony. “The race was fast from the start. It was fun. This course really moves.”
Price earns All-Big Ten First Team accord with her finish. Teammates redshirt freshman Missa Varpness and senior Nikki Swenson earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors with their performances as well.
Varpness placed 11th in her first Big Ten race of her career, clocking a time of 20:38.4. Swenson, a multiple conference awardwinner in her Gopher track career, collected her first Big Ten cross country honor with a 13th-place showing in a time of 20:45.3.
Ashlie Decker, a true freshman, was the fourth finisher for the Gophers, placing 19th in a time of 20:52.6. Minnesota scored three freshmen in its top five. Redshirt freshman Katie Moraczewski was the Gophers’ fifth runner, finishing 46th in a time of 21:28.8.
Also competing for the Gophers were Kayla Wagner, who finished 49th in 21:31.9; Kelly Wilson, who was 60th in 21:45.5; Rachel Drake, who placed 68th in 21:57.0 and Laura Docherty, who finished 72nd in 22:05.8.
Minnesota’s next competition is the NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 13, in Peoria, Ill.
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
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