University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Women Set for Big Ten Outdoor Meet
5/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Big Ten Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Friday-Sunday – May 14-16, 2010
Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex
Hosted by Indiana – Bloomington, Ind.
2010 Minnesota Women’s Track & Field Watch List
• Golden Gophers Set for Big Ten Outdoor Championships - The Minnesota women’s track & field team travels to Bloomington, Ind., this weekend (May 14-16) to compete in the Big Ten Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Indiana plays host to the event in the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex. Events begin on Friday at 11:15 a.m. with the heptathlon’s 100-meter hurdles.
• BTN Coverage of the Big Ten Championships - The Big Ten Network (BTN) will air a special from the Big Ten Championships on May 22 at 3 p.m. (CT).
• Returning Big Ten Champs- Minnesota’s Megan Duwell (10,000 meters) and Alicia Rue (pole vault) will seek to defend their Big Ten crowns this weekend.
• A Young Gopher Team to Compete - Graduated are Heather Dorniden and Liz Roehrig, two Gophers who won 11 Big Ten titles between them. The 2010 Gopher squad is loaded with young talent with 11 freshmen and eight sophomores on the roster heading to Bloomington.
Gophers Head to the Big Ten Championships
The Minnesota women’s track & field team begins the championship portion of their outdoor season as the Golden Gophers head to the Big Ten Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Bloomington, Ind.. Indiana plays host to the 28th annual outdoor track championships. Action gets underway on Friday, May 14, at 11:15 a.m. CT with the heptathlon 100-meter hurdles. Competition runs through Sunday, May 16.
Big Ten Network Covers Track Championships
The Big Ten Network will televise the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships on a tape-delayed basis on May 22 at 3 p.m. (CT). The BTN broadcast team of Tom Werme, Rod Woodson, Rebecca Haarlow and Larra Overton will call the action.
Minnesota History at the Big Ten Outdoor Meet
Minnesota has captured one Big Ten outdoor track title (2006) and has finished among the top four in eight of the last 11 seasons. The Gophers finished third a year ago. The Gophers have won three Big Ten titles at the indoor track championships (2007, 2008, 2009).
Rue, Duwell are Defending Champions
Minnesota’s Alicia Rue and Megan Duwell return to the Big Ten Outdoor Championships with hopes of defending their Conference titles.
Rue won her first Big Ten outdoor pole vault title in grand fashion a year ago setting a Big Ten record with a vault of 14-3 1/4. In addition to her 2009 outdoor crown, Rue owns indoor titles in 2008 and 2009.
Duwell made some history of her own becoming the first Gopher to win the 10,000-meter run (34:45.70). It was her first 10K of her collegiate career.
A Different Type of Gopher Team
The Golden Gophers came into last year’s Championships with a roster loaded with experienced talent such has perennial Big Ten title contenders Heather Dorniden and Liz Roehrig, who between them won 11 Big Ten crowns. The 2010 version of the Minnesota squad includes 11 freshmen and eight sophomores. Despite the youthful trend, the Gophers still return 71 points from last year’s Championships.
Duwell Looks to Continue Sensational Senior Season
Distance runner Megan Duwell has enjoyed quite the senior year competing both in cross country and track. Duwell finished seventh in the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships, the highest Gopher finish ever, while covering the 6-kilometer national course in a school-record time of 20:06.9. She then smashed her own school record in earning All-America honors at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track Championships in the 5,000-meter run (15:59.23). Duwell has already broken the Gopher outdoor 5,000-meter record (16:04.55) as well.
Big Time BIg Ten Double for Duwell and Laskowske
Megan Duwell and Amy Laskowske will provide a solid one-two punch for the Gophers in the long distance events. Duwell and Laskowske finished first and second in the 10,000-meter run a year ago, then returned to add more points (Laskowske, sixth - Duwell, seventh) in the 5,000-meter run. Duwell’s missed the remainder of the 2009 season with a foot injury after her Big Ten marathon performance. Laskowske went on to earn All-America honors in the 10,000 meters.
Following in Big Brothers’ Footsteps, Well, Kind of...
Sophomore DeAnne Hahn was been ranked first or second in the Big Ten in the hammer throw all season. She enters the Big Ten meet seeded second with a throw of 189-7. The Gopher thrower would like nothing more to add more Big Ten championships to the Hahn family trophy case. Older brother Damion was a three-time Big Ten wrestling champion from 2002-04. Damion was also a three-time All-American and a two-time NCAA champion. DeAnne placed third in both the shot put (46-6) and hammer (176-6) as a true freshman in the 2009 Big Ten Championships.
Events to Watch for the Gophers
The following events are important in the Gophers’ hopes to contend for the Big Ten title.
The 100 meters – Kylie Peterson is the key runner for the Gophers. She is seeded fourth in the event with a time of 11.58. She did run a wind-aided 11.47, and has lowered her times consistently in her sophomore season.
The 400-meter hurdles – Kelly Stalpes comes into the Big Tens ranked fifth in the event with a time of 59.60. Stalpes is just below the cutoff time for a potential NCAA berth so the Big Ten meet will be an important meet for the Gopher sophomore.
The 800 meters – No more Heather Dorniden but the Gophers do have a lot of experience and talent to toe to the line in the 800 meters. Gabriele Anderson, who has placed second in the event in her career at the Indoor Championships, leads the way for the Gophers. Among the others who could run at this distance are 2009 NCAA Championships participant Nikki Swenson, Jamie Dittmar and freshman Alena Brooks.
The 1,500 meters – Anderson plays a key role at this distance as well. The Gophers have three runners ranked in the top eight: Anderson (6), Elizabeth Yetzer (7) and Swenson (8).
Long Distance – As already mentioned, Megan Duwell and Amy Laskowske need to provide a big scoring punch for the Gophers in these events.
The Pole Vault – Alicia Rue has struggled during the 2010 outdoor season but she has the potential to sky to the top of the pack with a good meet. Rue is a two-time All-American in the event. Samantha Sonnenberg has excelled during her junior season. After earning her first All-America honor at the 2010 NCAA indoor meet, Sonnenberg in ranked fourth in the Big Ten entering the meet.
The Long Jump – Watch for redshirt freshman Todea-Kay Willis and sophomore Adrienne Thomas to contend for the awards stand. Willis is seeded seventh (19-6 1/4) and Thomas eighth (19-4 1/4).
The Throws – In addition to Hahn in the shot put and hammer, the Gophers expect to score solid points in the discus with Jessica Cagle and Nikki Tzanakis. Cagle, a true freshman, is tied for the No. 4 seed (167-1), while Tzanakis is sixth (166-8).
Gophers Continue Drake Relays Success
Minnesota continued its dominance of the 4x800-meter relay at the Drake Relays cruising to its fourth consecutive title at “America’s Athletic Classic” in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, April 23 The Golden Gopher foursome of Nikki Swenson, Alena Brooks, Jamie Dittmar and Gabriele Anderson captured the victory in a time of 8 minutes, 33.98 seconds over nine seconds faster than runner-up Nebraska. Swenson and Anderson won their third Drake Relays crown in the event.
Minnesota won its second title of the 2010 Drake Relays on Saturday, April 24, defending its title in the4x1,600-meter relay. The Gopher foursome of Nikki Swenson, Elizabeth Yetzer, Megan Duwell and Gabriele Anderson clocked a Drake Relays record time of 18 minutes, 58.82 seconds. The title is Minnesota’s 22nd at the annual relays dubbed, “America’s Athletic Classic.”
Swenson and Anderson were members of the Gophers’ winning 4x800-meter and 4x1,600-meter relays. Anderson finished her Gopher career with five Drake Relays title. Swenson, a junior, has four. Yetzer added her fourth career Drake Relays title as well.
Duwell Breaks Her Own 5K Record at Sun Angel
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
