University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Open Up with Oz Memorial
9/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
| Oz Memorial | |||||||||||
| Date | Friday, Sept. 9, 2016 | ||||||||||
| Location | Les Bolstad Golf Course | Falcon Heights, Minn. | ||||||||||
| Women's Teams | Minnesota, Drake, South Dakota State, Wisconsin, Iowa State (Men) | ||||||||||
| Time | 6:30 p.m. Women's Race | 7 p.m. Men's Race | ||||||||||
| Coverage | @GopherMCCTF | Results | ||||||||||
Sept. 8, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) -- The University of Minnesota men's cross country program opens up the 2016 season on Friday, Sept. 9 with the Oz Memorial at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn.
The men's race is scheduled to run at 7 p.m. CT with the women's competition starting at 6:30 p.m. Drake, Wisconsin, South Dakota State and Iowa State are slated to join the Gophers in the season opener.
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.
Gophers Rewind: 2015 Oz Memorial
All-Big Ten and NCAA All-Region selection Obsa Ali ran the fastest time ever by a Gopher at the Oz Memorial last year as the Maroon & Gold finished second in their 2015 season opener. Ali clocked a 19:04.4 in the six-kilometer race to finish fourth followed by NCAA All-Region pick Charlie Lawrence in fifth. Minnesota totaled 39 points as the runner-up, behind South Dakota State at 34.
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.
Up Next: Griak Invitational
Minnesota returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 24 with the 31st annual Roy Griak Invitational at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn. Named in honor of legendary Gophers coach Roy Griak and regarded as one of the top cross country meets in the nation, the Griak Invitational features a total of 10 races between the high school and college levels.
Players Mentioned
