University of Minnesota Athletics
Join the Gophers for Jack's Run
10/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
| Jack's Twilight Run | |||||||||||
| Date | Friday, Oct. 23, 2015 | ||||||||||
| Location | Les Bolstad Course, Falcon Heights, Minn. | ||||||||||
| Meet Info | Open 6K | Race-day registration only | ||||||||||
| Time | 6:30 p.m. CT | ||||||||||
Oct. 21, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 22 Golden Gophers are back in action at home at Les Bolstad Course this Friday when they host Jack's Twilight Run at 6:30 p.m. CT. The 6K race is open to the public with race-day registration only.
About Jack's Twilight Run
This year marks the eighth annual running of Jack's Twilight Run. The 6K race will feature a spectator-friendly looped route through Les Bolstad Course. Glow sticks will line the course, and all runners will receive a glow stick anklet.
Jack's Twilight Run honors the late Minnesota equipment manager Jack Johnson. Johnson will always be a part of the Minnesota women's cross country and track programs. After serving as the Golden Gophers' equipment manager for over three decades, Johnson passed away in February 2006 after a battle with cancer.
Participation in the race is free, but donations are encouraged. A Jack's Run hat will be given to those donating $20 or more. All proceeds from the race go toward the Jack Johnson Scholarship. The race is open to the public with same-day registration only.
2014 Jack's Twilight Run Rewind
Eight Gophers ran season or career-best times at Jack's Twilight Run last year. Madeline Strandemo ran a career-best 22:10.1 as the second female finisher in the open 6K race. She took second to unattached Gopher Emily Castanias (22:03.4).
Behind Strandemo, who took 18th overall, the next three Gopher finishers all had lifetime or season-best times. Stacey Swatek was the fourth female finisher in a lifetime-best 22:16.9 (21st overall), followed by Chelsea Pettit (season-best 22:43.7) and Marnie Kinnaird (season-best 22:51.4).
Last Time Out: Wisconsin adidas Invitational & Tori Neubauer Invitational
Minnesota secured a 15th-place team finish with 429 points, just eight points behind No. 25 Princeton and No. 13 Michigan State in a tie for 13th. The Gophers were led by Liz Berkholtz, who was just six seconds shy of her 6K career-best time in 20:22.7 for 36th place finish.
Among the 14 Gophers who raced at the adidas Invitational, eight ran career-best 6K times. Only 22 seconds separated the top four Gopher finishers in the "A" race. Haley Johnson was the second Gopher in a career-best 20:40.8 for 67th place, followed by Kaila Urick (20:52.5) in 86th and Madeline Strandemo in a career-best 20:54.1 for 91st place. Tamara Gorman was Minnesota's fifth runner in 149th place in a career-best 21:26.1.
Members of the team also raced at the Tori Neubauer Invitational where 12 Gophers recorded career-best 6K times and another four earned season-best times, led by career-best times from the top four Gophers in Molly Eastman (22:30.21), Nicole Heitzman (22:47.98), Delaney Sinnen (22:56.01) and Caitlin Dillon (23:00.41).
Gophers Move Up to No. 22 in USTFCCCA Rankings
Minnesota climbed one place to No. 22 in the nation but fell to third in the Midwest Region according to this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national poll and regional rankings.
No. 1 New Mexico maintained its top ranking, but the rest of the top five changed this week as No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Colorado, No. 4 Arkansas and No. 5 Oregon now make up the USTFCCCA's top five teams. The Big Ten has six teams receiving national recognition; behind No. 2 Michigan are No. 15 Penn State, No. 21 Michigan State, No. 22 Minnesota, No. 30 Purdue, and Wisconsin (received three votes).
No. 11 Iowa State tops the Midwest Region rankings, and No. 23 Oklahoma State snuck ahead of the Gophers for second in the region this week despite landing one place behind No. 22 Minnesota in the national poll.
Race at Les Bolstad Course
Local runners and cross country fans alike have two upcoming opportunities to race on the Golden Gophers' home course at Les Bolstad Golf Course, including Jack's Twilight Run this Friday. Minnesota will also host Rocky's Run at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8.
Join the Gophers in one or both of these open six-kilometer races and toe the line on Minnesota's home cross country course. Both events will feature race-day registration only.
Up Next: Big Ten Championships
The Gophers kick off the championship portion of the season with the 2015 Big Ten Cross Country Championships on Sunday, Nov. 1. The women's 6K race is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. CT at the Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course on Chicago's north side hosted by Northwestern.
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Players Mentioned
