University of Minnesota Athletics
Fall Finale on Deck for Gophers
11/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) -- The Minnesota men's cross country program will send a small contingency of unattached runners to this Friday's Fall Finale at St. John's in Collegeville, Minn. The men's eight-kilometer race is slated to kick off at 5 p.m. CT.
Success at SJU
The Gophers have been incredibly successful at the meet in recent years -- with four-straight individual titles at the meet (Connor Olson, 2015), (Matthew Jergenson, 2014), (Aaron Bartnik, 2013), (Blayne Dulian, 2012).
Gophers Earn Three All-B1G Honors
Three Gophers earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors at the 2016 Big Ten Cross Country Championships on Sunday at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn. Charlie Lawrence (ninth), Matt Welch (13th) and Connor Olson (14th) led the Gophers to a fourth-place finish at the meet.
Lawrence to Lead Gophers
Redshirt junior Charlie Lawrence has been named team captain for the Maroon & Gold this season after a standout season in 2015. A native of Foley, Minn., Lawrence was an NCAA All-Region honoree last year and factored into the team's scoring in all six races that he competed in. He also set a new personal six-kilometer record (19:06.2) and matched his best finish as a Gopher (fifth) and personal eight-kilometer record (24:15.5).
New Look to Gophers Roster
The University of Minnesota men's cross country roster will boast seven newcomers in 2016 with Hamza Ali, Alec Basten, Owen Hoeft, Jack Manderscheid, Alex Plasencia, Nick Rink and Hunter Staack joining the Maroon & Gold. Eleven of Minnesota's 19 runners this year are either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen as the team looks to replace a talented senior class from one year ago that included All-Big Ten and NCAA All-Region selections Adam Zutz and Aaron Bartnik.
Blankenship, Mead Shine at Olympics
Gopher alums Ben Blankenship and Hassan Mead didn't disappoint in their Olympic debuts earlier this year in Rio de Janeiro. Blankenship finished eighth in the 1,500 meters (3:51.09) while Mead placed 11th in the 5,000 meters (13:09.81). Both competitors were All-Americans and Big Ten champions for the Gophers and Minnesota Director of Men's Track & Field and Cross Country Steve Plasencia.
Success Under Plasencia
Now in his 21st season at the helm of the Minnesota men's cross country program, Director of Men's Track & Field and Cross Country Steve Plasencia has continued to guide the Gophers program to successful season after successful season. During his 20-year tenure, the Gophers have earned 15 NCAA Championship bids as well as three NCAA regional titles. Plasencia has also coached the Gophers to a total of 12 All-America honors and 36 All-Big Ten honors. A two-time All-American for the Gophers, Plasencia still holds the school record for a 10-kilometer race. Plasencia was named the 2015 USTFCCCA Midwest Coach of the Year.
Players Mentioned
