University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers to Host Rocky's Run Sunday
11/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota women's cross country team will host the 36th annual running of Rocky's Run at 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday morning.The open six-kilometer race is open to the public and provides runners with the chance to race on the Gophers' Les Bolstad Course.
About the 2016 Rocky's Run
Rocky's Run is open to the public with a registration fee of $10 and race-day registration only. The terrain is rolling grass with many turns. It is accurately measured, and spikes are permitted. Experience running on grass will help on this course.
Rocky's Run was founded in 1981 to honor former Gopher runner Rochelle "Rocky" Racette, who died in a car accident that fall at the age of 22. While at the University of Minnesota, Racette was an All-American in track & field and cross country and champion of the Big Ten and Drake Relays 5,000-meter titles. The annual race is staged by the many members of the running community who knew and loved her. Racette's legacy lives on through the memory of those who knew her, and through Rocky's Run and the scholarship for which it raises money.
2015 Rocky's Run Rewind
Taylor Mikkalson, Molly Eastman, and Emily Castanias led the Gophers at the 35th annual running of Rocky's Run, which saw 133 finishers complete the 6K 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, followed 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.
Gophers Climb to No. 26 in National Poll
Following the Gophers' fourth-place showing at the Big Ten Conference Cross Country Championship last weekend, Minnesota is back among the nation's top-30 teams, coming in at No. 26 in this week's USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll. The Gophers opened the season at No. 26, slipped to No. 28, climbed to a season-high ranking of No. 25, and then received votes in three-straight polls before getting back into the top 30 this week.
The Gophers remain the third-ranked team in the Midwest Region this week. Iowa State and Oklahoma are the region's top two ranked teams, respectively, and Missouri and Tulsa round out the top five behind the Gophers in third.
Last Time Out: Big Ten Championship
Behind top-20 finishes from Madeline Strandemo, Megan Hasz, and Bethany Hasz, the Gophers earned a fourth-place team finish at the 2016 Big Ten Cross Country Championship. Strandemo led the Gophers in eighth place, clocking a time of 21:10.2. Rookies Megan Hasz and Bethany Hasz each earned top-20 finishes in their B1G debuts with M. Hasz taking 11th in 21:24.9 and B. Hasz coming in 20th in 21:41.5. Redshirt freshman Abby Kargol also made her Big Ten debut as the fourth Gopher finisher in 41st place overall, recording a time of 22:19.3, and Bailey Ness rounded out Minnesota's scoring finishers right behind Kargol in 42nd place (22:20.7).
On the rolling hills of Minnesota's Les Bolstad Course, Michigan took home the B1G team title with 63 points, edging team runner-up Penn State (70 points) and third-place finisher Michigan State (80). Minnesota scored 120 points in fourth, followed by Ohio state in fifth (130). The Wolverines claimed their first Big Ten team title since 2012. Michigan's Erin Finn cruised to her second-straight individual title in 20:37.3, earning a 25.5 second victory over runner-up Katherina Receveur of Indiana.
Career-Best Marks
Twenty-five Gophers have recorded career-best 6K times this season, and freshman Megan Hasz owns the fastest time on the team this season at 20:44.0. Twelve Gophers have recorded 5K personal records as well.
Gophers Name Captain Quartet
Redshirt juniors Danielle Anderson, Anne Haakenstad, Madeline Strandemo, and Tess Wasowicz are serving as captains as Minnesota looks to continue its 11-year streak of NCAA Championship berths.
Newcomers Galore
Minnesota's roster includes 11 true freshmen and seven redshirt freshmen. True freshmen Bethany Hasz; Megan Hasz, and Elyse Prescott are competing in uniform for the Gophers this season; fellow rookies include Jane Baude, Carissa Dock, Delaney Eigenberger, Lindsey Greenlund, Abby Kohut-Jackson, Zetta Mason, Kelli Schmidt, and Sarah Werking.
Up Next: NCAA Midwest Regional
The Gophers travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for the NCAA Midwest Regional on Friday, Nov. 11, where Minnesota will look to secure a 12th-straight bid to the NCAA Championships.
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Players Mentioned
