University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Men Finish Eighth at NCAA Championships
3/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Aaron Studt, R.J. McGinnis and Chris Rombough captured All-America honors to lead the Minnesota men’s track & field team to a eighth-place finish at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Golden Gophers’ top-10 showing is the highest since a seventh-place finish in 2003.
“I’m proud of the guys,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “We were able to score points in a variety of areas. This finish is a very significant for our program.”
Studt earned his second All-America honor of the Championships adding a fifth-place finish in the weight throw to his sixth-place in the shot put on Friday. The Gopher senior landed matched his career-best effort in the weight throw of 69 feet, 7 1/2 inches to capture his first national accolade in the event and his fourth overall.
McGinnis struggled in the pole vault during the second day of the heptathlon but still earned All-America honors with a sixth-place finish with 5,676 points. The Big Ten champ started the day in second place and maintained that position after the second day’s first event, the 60-meter hurdles. McGinnis clocked a career-best time 8.10 seconds, finishing fourth to tally 957 points. The pole vault proved to be the difference for McGinnis. He cleared just 13-5 1/4 to score just 645 points, last in the field. McGinnis fought back with a solid performance in the 1,000 meters, clocking a time of 2:39.92 to secure sixth place overall. The national honor is McGinnis’ first in his Gopher career.
Rombough added a seventh-place finish for the Gophers in the 3,000-meter run, clocking a time of 8:15.11. The Gopher senior anchored the Minnesota distance medley relay to a third-place finish on Friday. Rombough suffered a sprained ankle in the DMR and was questionable to even compete in the 3,000 meters. After a full day of treatment, Rombough was able to give it a go and seemed to compete without any discomfort.
Matt Fisher competed for the Gophers in the high jump and placed ninth with a height of 7-0 1/4.
The Gophers had two other heptathletes in the field with Jack Szmanda placing ninth and Brock Spandl 10th. Both used top performances in the pole vault to move into the top 10. Spandl won the event with a height of 17-0 3/4, while Szmanda was second at 16-8 3/4. Spandl ran a time of 8.23 in the 60-meter hurdles and 2:46.46 in the 1,000 meters. Szmanda clocked a time of 8.56 in the 60m hurdles and 2:43.08 in the 1,000 meters.
“I’m proud of the guys,” said Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia. “We were able to score points in a variety of areas. This finish is a very significant for our program.”
Studt earned his second All-America honor of the Championships adding a fifth-place finish in the weight throw to his sixth-place in the shot put on Friday. The Gopher senior landed matched his career-best effort in the weight throw of 69 feet, 7 1/2 inches to capture his first national accolade in the event and his fourth overall.
McGinnis struggled in the pole vault during the second day of the heptathlon but still earned All-America honors with a sixth-place finish with 5,676 points. The Big Ten champ started the day in second place and maintained that position after the second day’s first event, the 60-meter hurdles. McGinnis clocked a career-best time 8.10 seconds, finishing fourth to tally 957 points. The pole vault proved to be the difference for McGinnis. He cleared just 13-5 1/4 to score just 645 points, last in the field. McGinnis fought back with a solid performance in the 1,000 meters, clocking a time of 2:39.92 to secure sixth place overall. The national honor is McGinnis’ first in his Gopher career.
Rombough added a seventh-place finish for the Gophers in the 3,000-meter run, clocking a time of 8:15.11. The Gopher senior anchored the Minnesota distance medley relay to a third-place finish on Friday. Rombough suffered a sprained ankle in the DMR and was questionable to even compete in the 3,000 meters. After a full day of treatment, Rombough was able to give it a go and seemed to compete without any discomfort.
Matt Fisher competed for the Gophers in the high jump and placed ninth with a height of 7-0 1/4.
The Gophers had two other heptathletes in the field with Jack Szmanda placing ninth and Brock Spandl 10th. Both used top performances in the pole vault to move into the top 10. Spandl won the event with a height of 17-0 3/4, while Szmanda was second at 16-8 3/4. Spandl ran a time of 8.23 in the 60-meter hurdles and 2:46.46 in the 1,000 meters. Szmanda clocked a time of 8.56 in the 60m hurdles and 2:43.08 in the 1,000 meters.
Players Mentioned
HJ
/ Men's Track & FieldJS
/ Men's Track & Field
DIS
/ Men's Track & Field
PV
/ Men's Track & Field
THR
/ Men's Track & Field
PV
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