University of Minnesota Athletics
Border Battle Up Next For Gophers
1/17/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
| St. Thomas Invite | |||||||||||
| Date | Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 | ||||||||||
| Location | St. Thomas Fieldhouse, St. Paul, Minn. | ||||||||||
| Meet Info | Meet Info | Schedule and Heat Sheets | ||||||||||
| Time | 3:30 p.m. | ||||||||||
| Coverage | Live Results | @GopherWCCTF | #Gophers | ||||||||||
| Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual | |||||||||||
| Date | Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017 | ||||||||||
| Location | Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center, Madison, Wis. | ||||||||||
| Meet Info | Meet Info | Schedule | Heat Sheets | ||||||||||
| Time | 11:30 a.m. Field Events | 12 p.m. Running Events | ||||||||||
| Coverage | Live Results | @GopherWCCTF | #Gophers | ||||||||||
Jan. 17, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota women's track & field team is set to split the squad at a pair of meets this week. The Gophers will travel to Madison, Wis., for the third-annual Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual on Saturday. Meanwhile, those not traveling will compete locally at the St. Thomas Invite Friday evening in St. Paul, Minn.
About the 2017 Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual
The third-annual Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual is set for this Saturday hosted by the University of Wisconsin at UW's Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center. Field events kick off the day at 11:30 a.m. CT, beginning with men's high jump and women's weight throw. Running events get underway at noon CT with the women's mile. The final event of the day is the men's 4x400-meter relay, scheduled for 2:27 p.m. CT. In addition, an exhibition discus competition is set for 6 p.m. CT Friday evening at the McClain Turf.
About the 2017 St. Thomas Invite
The St. Thomas Invite is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. CT Friday at the St. Thomas Fieldhouse.
2016 Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual Rewind
The Gophers won 10 event titles en route to a 93-66 win over the Badgers in the second-annual Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual last year. Emerald Egwim led the Gophers with two titles, running career-best times in the 60-meter dash (7.63 seconds) and the 200-meter dash (24.78 seconds) to win both events. Kat Keller took home the crown in the 400-meter dash in 56.95, and the Gophers' 4x400-meter relay team of Erin Huls, Stacey Swatek, Kate Shelerud, and Titania Markland won in 3:49.38 as Minnesota swept the sprints.
The Gophers enjoyed similar success in the mid-distance events as Markland and Swatek took home titles in the 600-meter run and the 800-meter run, respectively. Kimberly Golding (8.41) and Emma Spagnola (8.45) took the top two spots in the 60-meter hurdles, rounding out the Gophers' titles on the track.
In the field events, Jess Lehman won the long jump at 6.03m (19-09.50). Sofie Albrechtsen won the high jump by clearing 1.77m (5-09.75), and Shanique Wright jumped 12.08m (39-07.75) to win the triple jump title.
2016 St. Thomas Invite Rewind
The Gophers won eight event titles at last year's UST Invite led by Allie Heifort, who won both the shot put (13.04m, 42-9.50) and the weight throw (17.16m, 56-03.75). Kelly Flynn won the long jump with a season-best jump of 5.27m (17-03.50). On the track, Jamie Piepenburg (mile), Caitlin Dillon (800m), and Lindsey Smits (400m) earned event titles. Two Gophers picked up event titles while competing unattached as well: Lexi Kiefer (pole vault, 3.80m, 12-05.50) and Rachel Schow (60-meter dash, 7.81 seconds).
Last Time Out: Gophers Win 10 Titles at Minnesota Open
The Gophers took home 10 event titles as the team hosted the Minnesota Open last weekend. Minnesota won four field events and six events on the track in its first full meet of the 2017 season. The Gophers dominated the throwing events as Kiley Sabin (shot put, 15.75m/51-08.25) and Agnes Esser (weight throw, 18.60m/61-00.25) won their respective events. Minnesota won two of the three titles in the jumps as Shanique Wright won the triple jump at 12.32m (40-05.00) and Taylor Wiebke won high jump at 1.78m (4-11.50).
On the track, the Gophers won the 60-meter hurdles (Emma Spagnola, 8.34), 60-meter dash (Tayler Whittler, 7.54), 200-meter dash (Emerald Egwim, 25.27), mile (Tamara Gorman, 5:01.25), 3,000-meter run (Madeline Strandemo, 9:39.94), and the 4x400-meter relay.
Minnesota Welcomes 23 Newcomers
The Gophers' 2017 roster includes 23 newcomers. Freshmen Hannah Arason, Jane Baude, Meleah Biermaier, Jenna Conzemius, Ryan Crotty, Carissa Dock, Delaney Eigenberger, Alyssa Faucett, Maddie Gourley, Lindsey Greenlund, Bethany Hasz, Megan Hasz, Brieasha Hobbs, Abby Kohut-Jackson, Val Larson, Natalie Manders, Zetta Mason, Elyse Prescott, Ashley Ramacher, Kelli Schmidt, Rebekah Walter, and Sarah Werking join the Minnesota family while senior sprinter Tayler Whittler comes to Minnesota as a transfer from DePaul University. The Gophers' roster also includes 18 redshirt freshmen set to make their official collegiate debuts this year.
2017 Track & Field Schedule
The Gophers' indoor schedule is made up of 12 meets, including three home meets at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse: Minnesota Open (Jan. 14), Jack Johnson Classic (Jan. 27-28), and Parents Day Invite (Feb. 18). The outdoor schedule has Minnesota traveling to 18 meets in 10 different states. In total, the team will compete in 15 different states in 2017.
Who's Back?
The Gophers return 11 of 19 point scorers from last year's B1G championship team. Among those returners are six Minnesota program record-holders in Emerald Egwim (indoor 400m, indoor 4x400m, outdoor 4x400m), Agnes Esser (discus), Kimberly Golding (indoor 60m hurdles, outdoor 100m hurdles), Erin Hawkins (indoor 4x400m, outdoor 4x400m), Kat Keller (indoor 4x400m, outdoor 4x400m), and Titania Markland (indoor 4x400m, outdoor 4x400m).
Minnesota's returners also include five all-time No. 2 performers in program history in Titania Markland (indoor 400m), Nicolle Murphy (outdoor javelin), Emma Spagnola (indoor 60m hurdles, outdoor 100m hurdles), Madeline Strandemo (outdoor 3,000m steeplechase), and Heta Tuuri (outdoor high jump).
Gophers Sign 10 for 2017-18
The Minnesota women's track & field and cross country program is pleased to announce the addition of 10 student-athletes who have signed for the 2017-18 season. Erin Dunning (Ashwaubenon, Wis.), Allison Gerads (Champlin, Minn.), Alexis Hurst (Robbinsdale, Minn.), Tess Keyzers (Little Chute, Wis.), Elizabeth "Bit" Klecker (Minneapolis), Anastasia Korzenowski (Chanhassen, Minn.), Lorean Murray (Kingston, Jamaica), Sophie Schmitz (Willmar, Minn.), and Jaycie Thomsen (Plymouth, Minn.) will join the Gophers as freshmen next season while Nayoka Clunis (Kingston, Jamiaca) comes to the University of Minnesota as a junior after competing for Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kan., for two seasons.
USTFCCCA Releases Preseason National Poll
Oregon, Arkansas, Georgia, USC, and Texas come in as the nation's preseason top five in the NCAA Division I National Team Computer Rankings compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Two Big Ten Conference teams land among the nation's preseason top-25 in No. 10 Purdue and No. 12 Michigan. The Gophers come in No. 68 among 138 women's teams in the complete rankings, which are complied by mathematical formulae based on national descending order lists and data taken from previous seasons. For the preseason ranking and early-season rankings, data will be taken from previous seasons as well as the current season. The next rankings will be released on Jan. 23.
Seven Gophers to Captain 2017 Squad
The seven Gophers who will lead the defending Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field co-champions are Cami Gilson, Kimberly Golding, Angie Guenther, Erin Hawkins, Titania Markland, Nicolle Murphy, and Madeline Strandemo. Markland and Murphy return to the Gophers' leadership group after serving as captains last season while Strandemo was a captain for Minnesota's cross country team this fall. The remaining four Gophers enter their first seasons as captains.
2016 Cross Country Season Rewind
The Gophers wrapped up the 2016 cross country season with three NCAA All-Midwest Region honorees, two All-Big Ten Conference honorees, and one NCAA individual national qualifier. Madeline Strandemo represented Minnesota at the NCAA Championship with a 51st-place showing, running her second fastest 6K time of her career in 20:31.5.
Strandemo, Megan Hasz, and Bethany Hasz led Minnesota with all-region showings at the NCAA Midwest Regional after Strandemo and M. Hasz picked up Second Team All-Big Ten honors. The duo led host Minnesota to a fourth-place team finish at the B1G Championship.
2016 Indoor Season Rewind
The Gophers capped the 2016 indoor track & field season with a fourth-place showing at the Big Ten Conference Indoor Championship led by Titania Markland's 600-meter title and Jess Lehman's pentathlon title. Minnesota scored 89 points to finish fourth, its highest indoor team finish since also placing fourth in 2014. Michigan took home the team title with 109 points, followed by Purdue (102 points) and Penn State (96.50 points) in the top three.
2016 Outdoor Season Rewind
Led by B1G event titles from Jess Lehman (heptathlon) and Nicolle Murphy (javelin) and points from 16 different Gophers, Minnesota secured its second outdoor and fifth overall Big Ten Conference title in program history last spring. The Gophers sealed a share of the B1G title with a fourth-place finish by the 4x400-meter relay team of Erin Hawkins, Kat Keller, Emerald Egwim, and Titania Markland; the Gophers entered the final event trailing Michigan by one point, 102-101, and the 4x400m team finished one place ahead of the Wolverines to finish the meet tied at 106 points each.
Minnesota then finished tied for 22nd place in the team standings at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship, marking the program's highest finish since placing 18th in 2009. Eight Gophers competed at the NCAA Championship, the most since eight also competed at the 2008 national meet. Five Gophers earned All-American honors in Agnes Esser (discus), Jess Lehman (heptathlon), Nicolle Murphy (javelin), Lyndsey Thorpe (hammer throw), and Shanique Wright (triple jump), marking the most individual All-Americans in a single season in program history.
Up Next: Jack Johnson Classic
The Gophers host the Jack Johnson Classic next Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, Jan. 28 at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse.
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Players Mentioned
