University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 20 Gophers Head to NCAA Regional
11/10/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
| 2014 NCAA Midwest Regional | |||||||||||
| Date | Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 | 12 p.m. | ||||||||||
| Location | Newman Golf Course | Bradley University | Peoria, Ill. | ||||||||||
| Tickets | Admission is free. | ||||||||||
| Distance | Women: 6K, 12 p.m. | Men: 10K, 1 p.m. | ||||||||||
| Coverage | Meet Central | Results | USTFCCCA Regional Site | Live Results | ||||||||||
Nov. 10, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS -. The No. 20 Minnesota women's cross country team begins its NCAA postseason at the 2014 NCAA Midwest Regional hosted by Bradley University this Friday in Peoria, Ill. The women's 6K race begins at noon CT, followed by the men's 10K at 1 p.m. CT.
Minnesota was the runner-up at the 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional after taking third in three-straight meets (2010, 2011, 2012). Before that, the Gophers won three-straight regional titles (2007, 2008, 2009). Minnesota has finished third or higher in 15 NCAA regional meets since 1982, including each of the last nine years. Iowa State has won the last four consecutive Midwest Regional team titles.
2013 Midwest Regional Rewind
Minnesota finished second at last year's Midwest Regional behind five top-25 performances. The Gophers finished with 59 points behind regional champion and host Iowa State (39 points), which was led by individual champion Crystal Nelson in 20:12.6.
Molly Kayfes led the Gophers as the individual runner-up in a career-best 20:20.9. Maggie Bollig (eighth), Laura Docherty (ninth), Becca Dyson (19th) and Katie Moraczewski (23rd) joined Kayfes in earning all-region honors. Liz Berkholtz came in 34th and Kelli Budd rounded out the Gopher finishers in 39th as Minnesota secured one of the region's two automatic qualifications to the 2013 NCAA Championship.
About the 2014 Midwest Regional
Bradley University will host an NCAA Cross Country Regional for the sixth time in school history and the 2014 Midwest Regional marks the fourth time in an 11-year span that Newman Golf Course has served as the site for an NCAA Regional. Bradley and Newman Golf Course have previously served as hosts for NCAA Regionals in 2010, 2007, 2004, 1996 and 1986.
Teams from 13 conferences including the Atlantic 10, Big 12, Big East, Big Sky, Big Ten, Conference USA, Horizon League, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Summit League, Southeastern and Western Athletic Conferences will square off at Newman Golf Course to compete for an automatic spot in the NCAA Championship, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Ind.
The teams racing at the 2014 NCAA Midwest Regional are: Bradley, Chicago State, Creighton, DePaul, Drake, Eastern Illinois, Illinois, Illinois Chicago, Illinois State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Loyola-Chicago, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts, Saint Louis, SIUE, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southeast Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Tulsa, UMKC, Western Illinois and Wichita State.
The top two teams and top four individuals not on an advancing team move on to the 2014 NCAA Championships, held in Terra Haute, Ind. At-large teams and individuals will be announced following the completion of all nine NCAA Regional championships.
Minnesota Against Midwest Regional Foes
Minnesota has faced 14 Midwest Regional teams this season, finishing behind only Iowa State (Griak, Wisconsin adidas Invitational) and Drake (Oz Memorial). The Gophers have raced against Drake, Illinois, Illinois State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State and SIUE.
USTFCCCA Rankings: Gophers Climb to No. 20
After a fifth-place showing at the Big Ten championships, Minnesota maintained its No. 20 ranking in the USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll. No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 Georgetown and No. 3 Oregon kept the top three spots as well. No. 5 Iowa State is the only other Midwest Region team ranked among the nation's top 30, but region foes Oklahoma State (10 votes) and Tulsa (6 votes) both received votes in the most recent poll.Minnesota climbed to number two in the most recent USTFCCCA Midwest Regional rankings after landing in the No. 3 spot in each of this year's previous rankings. The Gophers are second to regional favorite Iowa State and ahead of third-ranked host Bradley University, fourth-ranked Oklahoma State and fifth-ranked Tulsa.
Balance of Veterans, Rookies Make Up NCAA Roster
Minnesota's travel roster for the NCAA postseason includes five veterans returning to the national stage and five Gophers making their NCAA debuts. Ashlie Decker (2012, 2011, 2010), Liz Berkholtz (2013, 2012), Becca Dyson (2013, 2012-Alt.), Jamie Piepenburg (2012-Alt.) and Kaila Urick (2013-Alt.) lead the way for the Gophers.
With the most experience at the NCAA Midwest Regional, Decker is a two-time all-region honoree (2012, 2011). She was the second Gopher in 12th overall in 2011 and third on the team and 20th overall in 2012. Dyson earned All-Midwest Region honors a year ago, finishing 19th as the fourth Gopher. Berkholtz has raced at two Midwest Regionals, taking sixth on the team in both 2013 and 2012.
Meanwhile, Danielle Anderson, Kate Bucknam, Haley Johnson, Bailey Ness and Madeline Strandemo are set to make their NCAA postseason debuts at this year's meet.
Last Time Out: Rocky's Run
The Gophers concluded their home slate by hosting the 34th annual running of Rocky's Run at Les Bolstad Course last weekend.
Stacey Swateck led the Gophers as the sixth female finisher in 23:54. Marnie Kinnaird was the second Gopher in 24:06 as the 10th female finisher in the open 6K. Fellow Gophers Melissa Cabak (11th, 24:10), Chelsea Pettit (12th, 24:13), Andie Zeman (13th, 24:18) and Rebecca Rethwisch (14th, 24:19) earned top-15 finishes as well.
Career-Best Performances
Twenty Gophers have already recorded career-best 6K times this season, including seven of Minnesota's 10 postseason runners: Danielle Anderson (21:06.5), Liz Berkholtz (20:31.5), Becca Dyson (20:37.5), Haley Johnson (21:14.6), Bailey Ness (21:40), Madeline Strandemo (22:10.1) and Kaila Urick (20:52.2).
Up Next: 2014 NCAA Championships
The Gophers enter the Midwest Regional looking to secure their 10th-straight appearance at the NCAA national championship meet. The top two teams and top four individuals not on an advancing team from each regional move on to the 2014 NCAA Championships. Thirteen additional teams and 38 individuals are chosen through an at-large selection process following the regional competition.
The 2014 NCAA Championships will be hosted by Indiana State on Saturday, Nov. 22. This year marks the 11th time the nation's top 31 teams will compete for a national title in Cross Country Town, USA. The women's 6K race is set to begin at 11 a.m. CT with the men's 10K race to follow at 12:15 p.m. CT.
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Players Mentioned
