University of Minnesota Athletics
Griak Women's Gold Race Boasts Strong Field
9/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
By: Lexi Diederich, Gopher Athletic Communications
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota is set to host the 2014 Roy Griak Invitational at Les Bolstad Cross Country Course this weekend. The meet includes 10 college and high school races, highlighted by the Jack Johnson Women's Gold Division I Race.
The 2014 edition of the Women's Gold Race features runners from 37 teams nation-wide battling for the top spots in this six-kilometer race.
Nine teams from last year's meet will not be returning, but a staggering 21 teams who did not race in 2013 have a chance to compete this year. Six teams that competed in the 2013 NCAA Championships and three conference champions will also be there.
Seven of the top 10 teams from the 2013 Griak return to the 2014 field in Michigan State (second), Butler (third), Minnesota (fourth), Iowa State (fifth), Vanderbilt (6th), Grand Valley State (ninth) and Arizona State (10th).
In addition, Illinois State (12th), Missouri (14th), Central Michigan (15th), Weber State (16th), South Dakota (17th), Colorado State (18th), South Dakota State (23rd), Nebraska (24th) and Drake (25th) return to Les Bolstad Course for this year's race.
Among the individual veterans returning to this year's meet is the 2013 champion Shelby Houlihan, who won in 20:35. She returns as a senior representing Arizona State.
Minnesota's top three returners from last year's Griak are Liz Berkholtz (24th), Becca Dyson (49th) and Kaila Urick (51st). Senior Ashlie Decker (117th) ran unattached last year, but will rejoin the Gophers this time around; Decker placed 18th overall at the 2012 meet.
The Gophers graduated several of their top Griak finishers from last season, led by 2013 seniors Laura Docherty (11th), Katie Moraczewski (15th) and Maggie Bollig (23rd). Minnesota placed fourth in the team standings behind Arizona, Michigan State and Butler last year; the Gophers will face two of these three opponents again at this year's race.
Berkholtz, Dyson and Urick have already had a promising start to the 2014 season. At the BYU Autumn Classic earlier this month, the trio made up Minnesota's top three finishers. Dyson finished second overall behind Andrea Harrison of BYU. Meanwhile, Decker, a redshirt senior, is one of the Gophers' most experienced runners. She enters this year's race as a four-time Griak competitor, including one unattached race.
Twenty-one teams will toe the line at Les Bolstad Course for the first time in at least a year, including many for the first time ever, at the 2014 Women's Gold Race. Baylor, Boise State, BYU, California, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Lehigh, Marquette, Miami (Ohio), Navy, Nevada, North Carolina, SIU-Edwardsville, Southern Utah, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas-Arlington, UMKC, Utah State and Western Michigan join the Griak field this year. Of these teams, Boise State competed in 2012 and finished seventh, with then sophomore Marisa VanderMalle (20th) leading the way.
Minnesota (20th) is one of the six 2013 NCAA Championship participants competing at this year's Griak. The other teams who also made NCAA Championship appearances are Butler (third), Michigan State (sixth), Iowa State (13th), Vanderbilt (27th) and BYU (28th).
Among last year's NCAA qualifiers appearing at this year's Griak, Butler, Iowa State, Michigan State, Minnesota and Vanderbilt have all received recognition in this year's USTFCCCA Division I national coaches poll. Griak newcomer Boise State and returning team Weber State are also nationally ranked. Returning Griak teams Michigan State (Big Ten), Weber State (Big Sky), and Iowa State (Big 12) won their respective conference titles in 2013 as well.
The 2013 Griak runner-up, Michigan State, is one to contend with this year. The Spartans return top runners sophomore Rachele Schulist (ninth), senior Leah O'Connor (12th) and junior Katie Landwehr (13th). Early in the 2014 season, O'Connor already has a win in the books, with Schulist right behind her at the 2014 Spartan Invitational.
Also racing at the Spartan Invitational was Grand Valley State, a team within Division II athletics that often opts up to compete in NCAA Division I races. Currently, the Lakers find themselves in a powerful position, ranked first in the USTFCCCA Division II coach's poll. The 2013 Division II national champion Lakers will compete in the Gold Race this year. At their Griak debut last year, the team placed ninth; the Lakers return senior Allyson Winchester (47th) and sophomore Kendra Foley (69th).
With a field of strong returners and newcomers alike, the 2014 Jack Johnson Women's Gold Race is expected to be a delight for cross country fans. The race is the sixth competition at the 2014 Roy Griak Invitational and is scheduled to begin at 1:10 p.m. this Saturday. The Griak begins at 9 a.m. with the Suzy Wilson Women's Maroon Division III race.
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