University of Minnesota Athletics
Six Gophers Head to U.S. Olympic Trials
6/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) - The Minnesota men's track & field program will send six competitors - two current student-athletes and four alums - to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, July 1-10, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Senior All-Americans Goaner Deng (800 meters) and Sean Donnelly (hammer throw) will join All-American Gopher greats Hassan Mead (10,000 meters, 5,000 meters), Harun Abda (800 meters), Ben Blankenship (1,500 meters) and Zach Siegmeier (pole vault).
The top three finishers with the Olympic qualifying standard in each event will represent the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
10,000 Meters/5,000 Meters Preview (Mead)
10,000 Finals | Friday, July 1 | 8:15 p.m. CT | Coverage: NBC/Stream
5,000 First Round | Monday, July 4 | 7:02 p.m. CT
5,000 Finals | Saturday, July 9 | 7:20 p.m. CT | Coverage: NBC/Stream
An eight-time All-American and a nine-time Big Ten champion for the Gophers, Hassan Mead made his international debut last year at the 2015 IIAF World Championships in Beijing, China - finishing 15th in the 10,000 meters. The Minneapolis, Minn., native finished third in the 10,000 meters at last year's 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships and ranks third among qualifiers for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials with a time of 27:33.04. Mead still owns Minnesota records in the outdoor 10,000 meters (28:12.74), the outdoor 5,000 meters (13:28.45), the indoor 5,000 meters (13:33.42) and the 8,000 meters in cross country (23:29).
800 Meters Preview (Deng/Abda)
First Round | Friday, July 1 | 6:15 p.m. CT
Semifinals | Saturday, July 2 | 2:00 p.m. CT
Finals | Monday, July 4 | 7:51 p.m. CT | Coverage: NBCSN/Stream
Former Gopher teammates Goaner Deng and Harun Abda - two of the fastest 800 meter runners in Minnesota history -- will face off for the second year in a row with Abda qualifying at 1:46.33 and Deng qualifying at 1:46.81. A 13-time All-American from Fridley, Minn., Abda is the most decorated All-American in program history as well as a six-time Big Ten champion. He owns six school records --- the outdoor 800 meters (1:46.38), the indoor 800 meters (1:46.97), the indoor 600 meters (1:15.80), the indoor distance medley relay (9:29.22), the outdoor 4x800 meter relay (7:18.18) and the outdoor distance medley relay (9:36.21). Meanwhile, Deng closed out his senior season with his fifth All-America honor during the 2016 outdoor campaign. A three-time All-Big Ten honoree from Apple Valley, Minn., Deng served as a team captain this year and the third fastest outdoor 800 meters in school history during the 2016 campaign.
Pole Vault Preview (Siegmeier)
Qualifying | Saturday, July 2 | 12:30 p.m. CT
Finals | Monday, July 4 | 5:30 p.m. CT | Coverage: Stream
Two-time Gophers All-American and three-time Big Ten champion (one indoor, two outdoor) Zach Siegmeier qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials with a personal record 5.60 meters (18-04.5 ft.). The Lakewood, Ill., native is a former Minnesota captain and was the inaugural recipient of the Garry Bjorklund Award - given to the Gophers' most valuable player.
Hammer Throw Preview (Donnelly)
Qualifying & Finals | Wednesday, July 6 | 7 p.m. CT
Sean Donnelly's only season of eligibility with the Maroon & Gold won't soon be forgotten. The Willoughby, Ohio native shattered the school hammer throw record (74.35 meters/243-11 ft.) in his Gophers debut and went on to earn First Team All-America honors behind a fourth-place finish at the national championships - the highest finish in the event in program history. Donnelly's mark ranks sixth among the field for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He also finished third in the weight throw at the 2016 USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships. Donnelly was a four-time NCAA Division III national champion and an eight-time Division III All-American at Mount Union before joining the Gophers.
1,500 Meter Preview (Blankenship)
First Round | Thursday, July 7 | 9:21 p.m. CT
Semifinals | Friday, July 8 | 6:12 p.m. CT
Finals | Sunday, July 10 | 7:20 p.m. CT | Coverage: NBC/Stream
A native of Stillwater, Minn., Ben Blankenship enters the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with a qualifying mark of 3:35.48 - third best among the field. A four-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten honoree for the Gophers, Blankenship won three individual conference crowns while helping the program to five total Big Ten titles. He still holds the school record for the indoor mile (3:57.87), the indoor 3,000 meters (7:52.52) and the outdoor 1,500 meters (3:39.77). Blankenship anchored the U.S. distance medley relay squad to a new world record (9:15.50) at the 2015 IAAF/BTC World Relays and set a new course record (3:55.8) to win the 2016 Medtronic TC One Mile earlier this year.
