University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Ready for the Drake Relays
4/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Hamline Twilight
Wednesday
April 21, 2010
Hosted by Hamline – St. Paul, Minn.
Drake Relays
Thursday-Saturday
April 21-24, 2009
Hosted by Drake – Des Moines, Iowa
Macalester Invitational
Saturday
April 24, 2010
Hosted by Macalester – St. Paul, Minn.
Drake Relays, Two Local Meets on Tap This Week
The Minnesota women’s track & field team will compete in three meets this week, the Hamline Invitational, the Drake Relays and the Macalester Invitational.
The Hamline Invitational is Wednesday, April 21, in St. Paul. The Gopher throwers and pole vaulters highlight the Gopher contingent competing in this meet.
Minnesota’s talented middle distance/distance corps will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete in the prestigious Drake Relays on Thursday-Saturday, April 22-24.
A group of Gophers not traveling to the Drake Relays will compete at the Macalester Invitational on Saturday in St. Paul.
Drake Relays Once Again Draws Big Numbers
The Drake Relays carries the slogan, “America’s Athletic Classic” and in celebrating its 101st season, the Drake Relays will welcome over 7,200 athletes to the famous blue track of Drake Stadium. A total of 109 NCAA schools (all divisions) are expected to compete in the men’s event. In addition, athletes from 58 countries are expected to compete in the 2010 Drake Relays.
Minnesota History at the Drake Relays
Minnesota has competed in every Drake Relays in the last 25 years and has 20 titles to show for its effort. The Gophers’ first title Drake Relays title was won by Rocky Racette in the 5,000-meter run in 1979. Last year, Minnesota captured its 19th and 20th titles, winning the 4x800-meter and 4x1,600-meter relays.
Gopher 4x800m Relay Seeks Fourth Straight Title
The powerful Minnesota middle distance/distance machine has captured five Drake Relay titles in the past four years. The Gophers’ 4x800-meter relay heads into the 2010 Relays having the chance to go for its fourth consecutive crown. Gabriele Anderson was a part of the winning 4x800 in both 2007 and 2008. Also back from the 2009 champion foursome is Nikki Swenson. Newcomers to the relay in 2010 are Jamie Dittmar and Alena Brooks. The 4x800m relay competition will be held on Friday evening.
The Gophers’ distance medley and 4x1,600-meter relays should also contend for a Drake title this year. Running the DMR are Elizabeth Yetzer, Rikita Butler, Brooks and Megan Duwell. The lineup for the 4x1,600m relay is Swenson, Yetzer, Duwell and Anderson.
Multiple Drake Relays Titlists
Gabriele Anderson and Elizabeth Yetzer enter the 2010 Drake Relays with a total of three titles to their names, the most on the active Gopher roster. In addition to the 2007 and 2008 4x800m relay champions, Anderson was a part of the winning 4x1,600m relay in 2007. Yetzer helps the 2007 and 2009 4x1,600m relay to victories, as well as the 2007 distance medley relay. Nikki Swenson has been a member of two Drake Relays-winning relays.
Some Gophers Not Running Relays to Watch at the Drake Relays Open Events
While the spotlight of the Drake Relays in obviously place upon the relay events, there are several Golden Gophers competing in open events who have the chance to place well. Alicia Rue and Samantha Sonnenberg form a great 1-2 punch in the pole vault. A four-time Big Ten champ and a three-time All-American, Rue has yet to add a Drake Relays title to her resume. Stephanie Price, an All-NCAA Midwest Region performer in cross country, is entered in the 5,000 meters. Kelly Stalpes takes on the 400-meter hurdles after dropping nearly a second of her season-best in her last outing.
Throwers Pace the Gophers at LSU Alumni Gold Invitational
Freshman Jessica Cagle won the discus and sophomore DeAnne Hahn placed second in the hammer as the Golden Gopher throwers paced the efforts of the Minnesota women’s track & field team at the LSU Alumni Gold Invitational in Baton Rouge on April 17.
Cagle threw a personal-best toss of 167 feet, 1 inch to capture the only event title for the Gophers. The toss ranks as the ninth best in Gopher history. Cagle added another personal best in the shot put tying with teammate Caty Dongoske for eighth place with a mark of 45-3. Nikki Tzanakis finished third in the discus with a throw of 158-4.
Hahn also improved on her personal best in the hammer throw landing a heave of 186-3, the sixth-best throw in Minnesota history. She placed second overall in the event but was the top-finishing collegian.
The competition on the track was fierce as the field was sprinkled with LSU-alum Olympic talent. The meet was run in open and invitational races.
The Gophers’ 4x100-meter relay captured a fifth-place finish running a season-best and all-time No. 9 time of 45.74 seconds. The relay consisted of Chimerem Oronoji, Chioma Omeoga, Todea-Kay Willis and Kylie Peterson. Peterson also competed in the invitational 100- and 200-meter races. She was 10th in the 100 meters (11.76) and 12th in the 200 meters (24.59).
Adrienne Thomas clocked a personal-best in the open 200-meter dash posting a time of 24.58 seconds. She also finished fourth in the open long jump with a leap of 18-11 3/4.
Kelly Stalpes cut nearly a second off her season-best time in the 400-meter hurdles running a time of 1:00.44 to finish eighth. Stalpes led off the Gophers’ 4x400-meter relay that also posted an eighth-place showing in 3:45.69. She was joined by Rikita Butler, Omeoga and Thomas.
“We had some nice performances today, especially in the throws,” said Golden Gopher head coach Matt Bingle. “On the track we were challenged by some very talented athletes. Our training continues to go well. This was a chance to compete against a very competitive field to see where some of our runners stood.”
Long Distance Runners Find Success at Mt. SAC
Amy Laskowske placed third in the Mt. SAC Relay’s Invitational 10,000-meter run April 15 in Walnut, Calif. Laskowske clocked a time of 33 minutes, 59.70 seconds which currently ranks among the top 20 in the nation in the event so far this season.
Mallory Van Ness placed 10th in the race with a personal-best time of 34:57.93, good for the sixth-best time in Gopher history. Senior Meghan Mason also ran her way on to the Minnesota all-time top-10 list to ninth with her time of 35:25.58 in the Olympic Development Open section of the race.
Two Gophers competed in the University Open 10,000 meters. Kelly Wilson placed 12th in a time of 36:27.44, while Katie Dyson was 20th in 36:48.11.
Duwell Breaks Her Own Record
Senior Megan Duwell broke her own Minnesota school record in the 5,000-meter run at the Sun Angel Classic on April 10. Duwell placed second overall, the first collegian, clocking a time of 16 minutes, 4.55 seconds, over three seconds faster than her previous record time. Duwell’s time currently ranks 13th in the country.
Alena Brooks Earns Two Silver Medals in Caribbean Games
Minnesota freshman Alena Brooks captured two silver medals representing her homeland of Trinidad & Tobago in the 2010 Carifta Games in George Town, Cayman Islands on April 2-3. Brooks ran a time of 2 minutes, 8.97 seconds to finish second in the 800-meter run. She also anchored the 4x400-meter relay (3:37.32) to a gold medal, making up ground on her leg and nearly catching champion Jamaica at the tape. Brooks also competed in the 400-meter dash, finishing fourth in a time of 54.83 seconds.
Gabe Anderson Granted Sixth Season of Outdoor Track Eligibility
Track/cross country standout Gabriele Anderson was honored with the Richard “Pinky” McNamara Student-Athlete Achievement Award at the recent U of M Scholar-Athlete Awards Ceremony. The award is given to a student-athlete who has inspired all by making an extraordinary effort to succeed despite difficult circumstances, persevering during a time of tremendous adversity and/or overcoming a great challenge.
After helping the Gopher cross country team to back-to-back Big Ten titles, Anderson embarked on her senior track season in 2009 with high expectations. She ran a runner-up finish in the mile helping the Gophers win another Big Ten indoor track team title. Then in April, she was diagnosed with adenoid cystic caranoma (a cancer of the neck). With an uncertain future and knowing of her battle ahead, Anderson decided to run one more race before treatment five days ahead of her. She responded by running a career-best time, the seventh-fastest time in school history, in the 1,500-meter run. Anderson underwent surgery and treatment while her team wore “Gabe” patches on their uniforms. She made a successful petition to the NCAA for a sixth season and will complete her Minnesota track career this outdoor season.
The Golden Gopher Coaching Staff
Matt Bingle is in his fourth season as the Golden Gophers head women’s track & field coach and his eighth overall coaching in the Minnesota program. Bingle is a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year honoree. Bingle heads an extremely experienced coaching staff that includes assistants Gary Wilson (25th season, third as an assistant coach after 21 years as head coach) and Lynne Anderson (30th season).
Players Mentioned
