University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Head to B1G Championship
10/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
| 2015 Big Ten Championship | |||||||||||
| Date | Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015 | ||||||||||
| Location | Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course, Chicago | ||||||||||
| Meet Info | Big Ten Championship Central | ||||||||||
| Time | Men's 8K at 10:45 a.m. CT | Women's 6K at 11:45 a.m. CT | ||||||||||
| Coverage | Results | @GopherWCCTF | @BigTenChamps | #B1GXC | ||||||||||
Oct. 27, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 22 Minnesota women's cross country team begins championship season this weekend at the 2015 Big Ten Championships hosted by Northwestern University. The women's 6K race is set for 11:45 a.m. CT Sunday at the Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course in Chicago.
2014 Big Ten Championships Rewind
The top five Gophers all ran career-best times and two more ran season-best times as Minnesota finished fifth in the team standings at the 2014 Big Ten Cross Country Championships. Michigan State took the team title with 26 points, followed by Wisconsin (55), Michigan (93), Ohio State (127) and the Gophers (139) to round out the top five. MSU senior Leah O'Connor won the individual crown in 19:26.3.
Liz Berkholtz (16th, 20:31.5), Becca Dyson (18th, 20:37.5) and Kaila Urick (30th, 20:52.2) led Minnesota's charge with then career-best 6K times. The Gophers' fourth and fifth runners also ran career-best times in their Big Ten debuts as Danielle Anderson was 35th overall in 21:06.5 and Haley Johnson finished 43rd in 21:14.6.
About the 2015 Big Ten Championships
Northwestern will host the 2015 Big Ten Championships on Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course, located at 3600 N. Recreation Dr., in Chicago. The men's race will begin at 10:45 a.m. CT, while the women's field will follow at 11:45 a.m CT. The awards presentation is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CT and will be open to the public. This is a free event, and parking will be available for fans along W. Montrose Dr. and N. Simonds Dr., located north of the course, and Recreation Dr., located west of the course.
Gophers at B1G Championships
Minnesota's Big Ten roster is made up of Liz Berkholtz, Emily Betz, Tamara Gorman, Haley Johnson, Patty O'Brien, Jamie Piepenburg, Madeline Strandemo, Stacey Swatek, and Kaila Urick. The group includes five Gophers making their B1G debut in Betz, Gorman, O'Brien, Strandemo, and Swatek.
Minnesota returns four of its top seven from last year's B1G Championship: Berkholtz (16th overall), Urick (30th), Johnson (43rd), and Piepenburg (70th). Berkholtz is making her fourth-straight Big Ten appearance after placing 48th in 2012 and 31st in 2013. Piepenburg is set for her third B1G cross country race as well, having placed 70th in 2012. Urick also makes her third trip to the B1G Championship after being the Gophers' third finisher last season and serving as an alternate in 2013. Strandemo will race in her first Big Ten meet after serving as an alternate last season as well.
Last Time Out: Alama Leads Gophers at Jack's Run
Courtney Alama and Bailey Ness earned top-30 finishes to lead the Gophers at the eighth annual running of Jack's Twilight Run at Les Bolstad Course last weekend. On a cool, rainy evening, 80 runners participated in the open 6K race.
Alama (23:11.1) came in 28th place overall as the second female finisher, followed by Ness in a season-best 23:12.7 in 29th place overall as the third female finisher. Danielle Anderson (23:20.1), Taylor Mikkalson (23:27.3), Tess Wasowicz (23:30.1), and Molly Eastman (23:43.8) completed Minnesota's top seven runners.
Gophers Rank 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 the most recent 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 as No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Colorado, No. 4 Arkansas and No. 5 Oregon 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.
Big Ten Network to Provide Delayed Coverage
The Big Ten Network plans to air delayed coverage of the 2015 B1G Championship at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Up Next: Rocky's Run/NCAA Midwest Regional
The Gophers host Rocky's Run at Les Bolstad Course at 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 8 before competing in the NCAA Midwest Regional meet on Friday, Nov. 13 in Lawrence, Kan.
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Players Mentioned
