University of Minnesota Athletics
SDSU, UW-Eau Claire Meets Up Next for Gophers
10/1/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
| 2014 Blugold Invitational | |||||||||||
| Date | Friday, Oct. 3, 2014 | 4 p.m. | ||||||||||
| Location | Whitetail Golf Course, Colfax, Wis. | ||||||||||
| Distance | College Women: 6K | College Men: 8K | ||||||||||
| 2014 SDSU Classic | |||||||||||
| Date | Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 | 10:30 a.m. | ||||||||||
| Location | Edgebrook Golf Course, Brookings, S.D. | ||||||||||
| Distance | College Women: 5K | College Men: 8K | ||||||||||
Oct. 1, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS - Following a seventh-place showing at the Roy Griak Invitational last weekend, the No. 26 Minnesota women's cross country team is slated to compete at two meets this weekend. The Gophers will split up for the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Invite on Friday and the SDSU Classic on Saturday.
About the 2014 SDSU Classic
This Saturday, Minnesota's top runners will travel to Brookings, S.D., for the SDSU Classic. The Gophers have historically had success at the meet, winning the team title in each of the past nine years. The race will be a 5K consisting of 1K-2K-2K loops. It is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
Becca Dyson (sixth, 17:51.96), Liz Berkholtz (eighth, 18:03.56), Kaila Urick (10th, 18:08.90) and Kate Bucknam (13th, 18:13.94) are the lone Gophers returning to the SDSU Classic from the Minnesota lineup that won the meet a year ago. Danielle Anderson, Megan Bailey, Haley Johnson, Taylor Mikkalson, Bailey Ness, Jamie Piepenburg, Madeline Strandemo and Stacey Swatek will complete the Maroon & Gold lineup at the SDSU Classic this year.
About the 2014 Blugold Invite
The Gophers not competing at the SDSU Classic are set to race at the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Invite in Colfax, Wis., this Friday. The 6K race is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
Last Time Out: Roy Griak Invitational
The Gophers finished seventh of 35 teams in the Jack Johnson Women's Gold Division I Race at the 2014 Roy Griak Invitational. Kaila Urick and Danielle Anderson led the Gophers. Urick placed 25th overall in 22:01.1, and Anderson, running just her third collegiate cross country race, was 35th in 22:09.9.
Gophers Climb to No. 26
Minnesota moved up to No. 26 in the nation according to this week's USTFCCCA national coaches poll. The Gophers climbed two spots from No. 28 after defeating then-No. 22 Vanderbilt and then-No. 11 Butler at the Griak last weekend. Minnesota remained No. 3 in the Midwest Regional rankings, following region leader Iowa State and Oklahoma State.
2013 SDSU Classic Rewind
Last year at the SDSU Classic, Minnesota finished first among 12 teams. The Gophers claimed the top 10 individual places for a perfect team score of 15 led by Molly Kayfes in first overall, followed by Maggie Bollig, Laura Docherty, Katie Moraczewski, Kelli Budd, Becca Dyson, Rachel Drake, Liz Berkholtz, Kaitlin Mincke and Kaila Urick in the top 10.
2013 Blugold Invite Rewind
The Gophers came in first overall at the 2013 Blugold Invite, where runners from 25 teams competed. Haley Johnson and Taylor Mikkalson each recorded career-best times to lead the Gophers, and Minnesota posted a team score of 44 led by Johnson's fourth-place finish. Johnson recorded a 6K time of 22:09.10, and Mikkalson also bettered a career-best mark and took sixth in 22:17.02. Running unattached, Ashlie Decker finished fifth in 22:12.14.
Up Next: Wisconsin adidas Invite & Tori Neubauer Invite
The Gophers are off from racing next weekend but will again split the squad at two meets Oct. 17-18.
On Friday, Oct. 17, the Gophers will head to Madison, Wis., to compete in the sixth annual Wisconsin adidas Invitational. The 6K race will be held at Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course.
Minnesota will also race at the annual Tori Neubauer Invitational. The 6K race, in honor of Tori Neubauer, will take place in West Salem, Wis., at the Maple Grove Country Club, on Saturday, Oct. 18.
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Players Mentioned
