University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Bruin Legends of Track & Field Invitational
Gophers Leave California with Nine Titles
4/1/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
UCLA Results | Hamline Results
LOS ANGELES (GopherSports.com) - The No. 19 University of Minnesota men's track & field program added six titles on Saturday at UCLA's Legends of Track & Field Invitational, bringing the Gophers' weekend haul to nine individual wins in California as well as four titles back home at the Hamline Invitational from unattached freshmen.
"We had a good weekend," Minnesota Director of Mens' Track & Field and Cross Country Steve Plasencia said. "I was pleased with our competitiveness, and it was great to see a lot of our guys get rewarded for the effort."
Glen Harold and Tyler Tappe finished as the top two performers in the pole vault on Saturday with Harold besting his teammate on an attempt of 4.90 meters (16-00.75 ft.). Tappe's best mark was 4.75 meters (15-07.00 ft.)
Meanwhile the Gophers 4x400 meter relay team of Brad Neumann, Nate Roese, Mitch Hechsel and Josh Tracy clocked a 3:11.76 to win the invitational competition at Drake Stadium. The group added several other notable finishes over the weekend including Hechsel and Tracy's 1-2 finish in the 800 meters on Friday night at the Bob Larsen Distance Carnival. Roese added a runner-up finish in the invitational 400 meters (47.72) while Neumann posted a second-place showing in the invitational 200 meters (10.56) and also helped the 4x100 meter relay team to a second-place finish (40.94).
The Maroon & Gold picked up a pair of titles from Jonathan Webb on Saturday as the sprinter picked up titles in the collegiate 100 meters (10.61) and the collegiate 200 meters (21.44). Matthew Baker won the collegiate 400-meter hurdles (54.00), and Sammie Houston won the collegiate triple jump (14.17 meters, 46-05.75 ft.).
Ryan Lockard added a second-place finish in the high jump (2.17 meters, 7-01.25 ft.) while Jon Tollefson finished third in the invitational 110-meter hurdles (14.44). Eric Walker was the runner-up in the collegiate 110-meter hurdles (14.71).
The Gophers opened the weekend on Friday with wins from Hechsel (800 meters, 1:49.16), Evan Ferlic (1,500 meters, 3:52.15) and Luca Wieland (shot put, 14.69 meters, 48-02.25 ft.).
Meanwhile at the Hamline Invitational, the Gophers picked up four titles from unattached freshmen.
The Maroon & Gold claimed the top five spots and six of the top seven positions in the 1,500 meters with Nick Rink (3:53.79) leading the pack followed by Alec Basten (3:56.34), Jack Manderscheid (3:57.11), Owen Hoeft (3:57.14) and Hunter Staack (3:57.41). Alex Plasencia finished seventh (3:58.24).
Jon Nerdal (59.12 meters, 193-11 ft.) and Kieran McKeag (55.24 meters, 181-03 ft.) claimed the top two spots in the hammer throw, respectively, while McKeag added a title of his own in the shot put (17.13 meters, 56-02.50 ft.). Ben Gucinski won the high jump (2.00 meters, 6-06.75 ft.)
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