University of Minnesota Athletics
Bingle Previews Sprints, Jumps and Multi-Events
1/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS - The Golden Gopher women's track and field season gets underway with the season-opening Minnesota Open this Saturday. Director of women's cross country and track & field Matt Bingle, who coaches the Gophers' sprinters, jumpers and multi-event student-athletes, takes a look at Minnesota's line-up heading into the 2015 season.
"I'm anxious to see how the season comes together," Bingle said. "My expectations are high. The biggest thing I want to see are improvements on how we execute and how we take care of things off the track, including being more mature about competition. That's going to be the key to our season."
With a balance of new and veteran student-athletes, Bingle is cautiously optimistic about the team's upcoming season.
Sprints & Hurdles
Minnesota returns Erin Hawkins, Jessica Waldvogel and Titania Markland as the most experienced sprinters this season. All three rank among the top all-time Gopher sprinters as Hawkins is eighth in the 100m (11.78) and ninth in the 200m (24.23) and Markland (seventh, 54.91) and Waldvogel (ninth, 55.15) are both among the top 10 Minnesota 400m runners in program history.
"Titania had an awesome fall with very consistent training," Bingle said. "She was very healthy and worked hard every day. The sky is the limit for her.
"Jess Waldvogel had a great fall as well. She did a great job of leading by example and taking charge of the group. Her strength levels are higher. Erin Hawkins' training has been off the charts. It's going to be interesting to see who we are and who performs well."
Half of the Gophers' program record-holding 4x400-meter relay team returns in Waldvogel and Markland, but the team will need to replace seniors Megan Geyen and Te'Shon Adderley from the first Minnesota 4x400m team to advance to the outdoor NCAA championship. The Gophers are also without 2014 Big Ten 600-meter champion Alena Brooks, who completed her eligibility during last year's indoor season.
Fortunately, a group of young sprinters is ready to step into contributing roles this season. Redshirt sophomores Kat Keller and Thana Hussein, redshirt freshmen Natalie Broome and Natasha Moore, and true freshmen Temi Ogunrinde, Bolade Jinadu and Emerald Egwim will look to fit into the mix.
"They've all been challenged this fall, but I want to see how they handle it when it's actual competition," Bingle said. "It's up to them. We need them to nudge their way up and fight for travel spots. I'm hoping that freshman Emerald Egwim can contribute. She in particular has a lot of potential."
Frances Conlin is the lone returner in group of young hurdlers in Emma Spagnola, Jen Anderson and Lindsey Smits. Spagnola begins her collegiate track & field career with a personal best of 13.84 in the 100m hurldes and 59.48 in the 400m hurdles.
Multi-Events
The Gophers look to pick up where they left off in the pentathlon and heptathlon as Minnesota returns Alex Beckman, Amanda Beckman, Jess Herauf and Audra Winter, who all placed among the top eight at the B1G championship a year ago.
"I expect big things from the group overall," Bingle said. "Hopefully they can build off where they ended last year and focus on the process. They work very well together and are four good people. They're a fun group to coach."
Herauf returns to the track after a strong fall training season. A Second Team All-American in the pentathlon a year ago, she ranks second in Gopher history with career-bests of 4,172 in the pentathlon and 5,490 in the heptathlon.
"Jess had a great fall," Bingle said. "We changed her training and had a more low-key approach to it but she's been very focused. Our biggest goal for her is to stay healthy through the whole year, so we're doing things differently. I feel good about where she is now."
Jumps & Pole Vault
In addition to bolstering the hurdle lineup, true freshman Emma Spagnola joins Nicole Murphey and Kelly Flynn to make up the Gopher long jumpers. Bingle felt Spagnola had a strong fall season and is anxious to see how she competes at the college level.
The Gophers return Katie Murgic, Cami Gilson and Sara Tseng in the pole vault. Murgic, a redshirt senior, ranks fifth indoor (4.02m) and sixth outdoor (4.04m) in Gopher program history and tied for fifth at the Big Ten Championship a year ago. Likewise, Gilson also ranks among Minnesota's top vaulters all-time, landing sixth indoor (4.00m) and eighth outdoor (3.98m).
"Cami and Katie both had a really good fall season," Bingle said. "Both of them cleared or were attempting to clear PR bars in practice off short approaches. They are very mature, focused and coachable. We think they each can be a force in the Big Ten. They've done a good job leading as well."
Redshirt freshmen Allie Funk and Alex Flucke are ready to step into contributing roles, and true freshman Macy Narr rounds out the Minnesota pole vaulters.
Fans will get their first glimpse at the 2015 Gophers this Saturday when the Maroon & Gold host the season-opening Minnesota Open at noon CT at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse.
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Players Mentioned
