University of Minnesota Athletics
Midwest Regional Up Next for No. 21 Gophers
11/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
| 2015 NCAA Midwest Regional | |||||||||||
| Date | Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 | ||||||||||
| Location | Rim Rock Farm | Lawrence, Kan. | ||||||||||
| Meet Info | Meet Info | Women's Entries | USTFCCCA Region Central | ||||||||||
| Time | 12 p.m. CT Women's 6K | 1 p.m. CT Men's 10K | ||||||||||
| Coverage | Live Results | @GopherWCCTF | ||||||||||
Nov. 9, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 21 Golden Gopher women's cross country team heads to the 2015 Midwest Regional this Friday. The women's 6K race begins at 12 p.m. CT at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kan., on the campus of the University of Kansas.
Minnesota is in search of its 11th-straight NCAA Championship bid. The Gophers have received automatic qualification in each of the last two seasons, placing second in the Midwest Region.
2014 Midwest Regional Rewind
Behind top-10 finishes from Liz Berkholtz and Kaila Urick, the Gophers earned a runner-up team finish and secured their 10th-straight NCAA Championship berth at the 2014 Midwest Regional. Berkholtz and Urick each clocked career-best 6K times en route to their top-10 finishes. Berkholtz finished sixth in 20:16.9, followed by Urick in eighth in 20:25.9.
Rounding out Minnesota's scoring finishes were Becca Dyson in 17th (20:43.8), Danielle Anderson in 24th (career-best 20:53.4) and Haley Johnson in 70th (21:28.7). The Gophers scored 125 points to secure their runner-up showing behind regional favorite Iowa State (66 points) and ahead of third-place Bradley (175) and fourth-place Tulsa (180).
About the 2015 Midwest Regional
The top cross country runners and teams in the Midwest will descend on Lawrence, Kan., and Rim Rock Farm for the 2015 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships this Friday. The meet, which serves as the qualifying meet for the NCAA Championships, will begin at 12 p.m. CT. Admission to the distance running showcase is free to the public but will include a $10 parking charge per vehicle.
The top two teams from each of nine regional meets automatically advance to the 2015 NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday, Nov. 21. Teams receiving at-large bids will fill the remaining 13 spots at the national meet, and the at-large teams will be revealed Saturday, Nov. 14 following the conclusion of the nine regional meets. After teams have been determined, 38 additional individuals per gender are selected to compete at the NCAA Championships.
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. Liz Berkholtz (2014, 2013, 2013), Haley Johnson (2014), Jamie Piepenburg (2014-Alt., 2012-Alt.), Madeline Strandemo (2014-Alt.), and Kaila Urick (2014, 2013-Alt.) lead the Gophers with experience at the Midwest Regional.
Berkholtz is the most experienced Gopher heading into Friday's race. A 2014 All-Midwest Region honoree, Berkholtz led the Gophers and was sixth overall at the Midwest Regional last season. She has had three top-50 finishes during her career, placing 32nd in 2013 and 50th in 2012 as the sixth Gopher runner both years. Urick earned All-Midwest region honors a year ago as well, finishing eighth as the second Gopher after serving as an alternate in 2013. Johnson finished 70th overall as Minnesota's fifth runner last season as well.
Strandemo and Piepenburg will make their racing debuts as the Midwest Regional after serving as alternates in the past. In addition, Emily Betz, Tamara Gorman, Patty O'Brien, Stacey Swatek, and Tess Wasowicz are set to make their NCAA postseason debuts this week.
Gophers at the Midwest Regional
Minnesota was the runner-up at both the 2014 and 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional meets 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 16 NCAA regional meets since 1982, including each of the last 10 years. Iowa State has won the last five consecutive Midwest Regional team titles.
Last Time Out: Gophers Host Rocky's Run
Taylor Mikkalson, Molly Eastman, and Emily Castanias led the Gophers as Minnesota hosted its final home meet of the season last weekend. The 35th annual running of Rocky's Run saw 133 finishers complete the six-kilometer race at Les Bolstad Course. Mikkalson was the fifth female finisher in the open 6K, placing 37th overall in 23:35.1. Eastman was the sixth female in 23:43.5, folllowed by Castanias in seventh in 24:12.6. Melissa Cabak (24:35.1) and Nicole Heitzman (24:40.3) completed Minnesota's top five runners in 12th and 14th, respectively.
Two Gophers Earn All-Big Ten Honors
Liz Berkholtz and Kaila Urick led the Gophers to a fourth-place team finish at the Big Ten Championship. The duo earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors with top-14 finishes. Berkholtz ran a season-best 20:18.7 for 11th place while Urick also posted a season-best time of 20:29.0 for 14th.
The top nine Gophers all ran career or season best times as Minnesota finished fourth in the team standings. Haley Johnson (19th, 20:38.7), Madeline Strandemo (20th, 20:41.3) and Jamie Piepenburg (44th, 21:15.1) rounded out Minnesota's scoring finishes, all earning career-best times.
National No. 10 Penn State took the B1G team title with 53 points, followed by No. 7 Michigan (58), No. 18 Michigan State (104) and the No. 21 Gophers (106).
Career-Best Performances
Twenty-four Gophers have recorded career-best 6K times this season, including eight of Minnesota's 10 postseason runners: Emily Betz (21:25.8), Tamara Gorman (21:25.0), Haley Johnson (20:38.7), Patty O'Brien (21:39.2), Jamie Piepenburg (21:15.1), Madeline Strandemo (20:41.3), Stacey Swatek (21:32.9), and Tess Wasowicz (22:05.9).
Gophers at the NCAA Championship
Minnesota's highest team finish at the NCAA championships came in 2005 when the Gophers finished ninth. All-Americans Ladia Albertson-Junkans and Emily Brown led Minnesota's efforts. The ninth-place showing was the first of five-straight top-12 finishes. Minnesota's most recent All-American is Stephanie Price, who finished 31st in 2010. The Gophers' all-time highest individual finisher at the NCAA championships is Megan Duwell, who took eighth overall in 2009.
USTFCCCA Rankings Update
After a fourth-place showing at the Big Ten Championship, Minnesota moved up to No. 21 in the most recent USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll. No. 1 New Mexico, No. 2 Colorado and No. 3 Arkansas make up the top three spots. Oregon and Providence enter the regional competition tied for the No. 4 spot. Four Big Ten teams rank in the nation's top 30 as No. 7 Michigan, No. 10 Penn State and No. 18 Michigan State join the Gophers among the nation's best.
Minnesota holds the number three spot in the Midwest Regional ranking entering this week's race. The Gophers are third behind regional foes Oklahoma State and Iowa State, which rank 13th and 16th in the national poll, respectively.
Up Next: 2015 NCAA Championship
The top 31 teams in the nation will race at the 2015 NCAA Championship hosted by the University of Louisville at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park on Saturday, Nov. 21. The women's 6K race is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT, followed by the men's 10K race at 12 p.m. CT.
Tickets will be available upon arrival at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park (no advance sales). Fees will be collected as fans park, and the price is $10 per person.
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Players Mentioned
