University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers to Split Squad at Four Meets
4/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS - The Golden Gopher women's track & field team is split among the Drake Relays, Kip Janvrin Open, Janis Rider Invitational, and Longhorn Invitational in a four-meet week. Minnesota's distance runners are racing at Drake and Simpson College and the sprints, hurdles, throws, and jumps corps is headed to Austin, Texas, while members of the team also remain local to compete at Macalester College.
About the Longhorn Invitational
The 2017 Longhorn Invitational is set for April 28-29 at Mike A. Myers Stadium hosted by the University of Texas at Austin. Women's javelin (2 p.m. CT) and women's hammer throw (4 p.m. CT) are set for Friday with the majority of events scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CT Saturday.
About the Drake Relays
The Gophers are set to compete in the 5,000-meter run, 10,000-meter run, and 4x1600-meter relay at the 108th Drake Relays this week. The meet runs Wednesday through Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.
About the Kip Janvrin Open
Simpson College is set to host the Kip Janvrin Open this Thursday and Friday. Action is set to begin at 2 p.m. CT both days.
About the Janis Rider Invitational
Macalester College is set to host the annual Janis Rider Invitational this Saturday. Field events are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT with running events at 10 a.m. CT.
Last Time Out: Kansas Relays and Holst Invitational
Minnesota won the team title at the Kansas Relays Quadrangular with host Kansas, Southern Illinois, and Cal to wrap up the four-day Kansas Relays last week. The Gophers won 10 events and secured seven runner-up finishes to seal the team crown over host Kansas, 195.5 to 181.5. Minnesota won the shot put (Kiley Sabin, 15.55m, 51-00.25), high jump (Taylor Wiebke, 1.81m, 5-11.25), 100m hurdles (Kimberly Golding, 13.33), 400m hurdles (Rachel Schow, 59.24), 5,000m run (Patty O'Brien, 16:50.49), 200m (Emerald Egwim, 23.74), 4x100m (Golding, Spagnola, Egwim, Hawkins), 1,500m (Madeline Strandemo, 4:25.50), long jump (Shanique Wright, 5.97m, 19-07.00), and discus (Agnes Esser, 57.02m, 187-01).
Minnesota also won eight event titles while competing locally at the Holst Invitational hosted by Concordia St. Paul last weekend. Caitlin Dillon won the 3,000m steeplechase in a career-best 11:17.90, and Anne Haakenstad won the 800m in a career-best 2:13.75 to lead the Gophers. Unattached Gophers Titania Markland (400m, 53.79), Megan Hasz (1,500m, career-best 4:30.88), Meleah Biermaier (400m hurdles, 1:02.98), Ryan Crotty (javelin, 40.85m, 134-00), and Ashley Ramacher (high jump, 1.73m, 5-08.00) also won their respective events. Minnesota's unattached 4x400m relay team of Lindsey Greenlund, Biermaier, Val Larson, and Markland also won in a new meet and facility record of 3:52.10.
Gophers Post All-Time Top-10 Marks
Eleven individuals in eight events and one relay have already improved their ranks among all-time Gophers in their respective events, led by record-breaking performances from Emerald Egwim (400m) and Kiley Sabin (shot put).
1. Emerald Egwim, 400m (52.75)
1. Kiley Sabin, shot put (16.63m, 54-06.75)
2. Taylor Wiebke, high jump (1.81m, 5-11.25)
3. Emerald Egwim, 200m (23.74)
3. Temi Ogunrinde, hammer throw (61.09m, 200-05)
3. Kimberly Golding, Emerald Egwim, Emma Spagnola, Erin Hawkins, 4x100m relay (44.80)
5. Emma Spagnola, 400m hurdles (58.52)
6. Rachel Schow, 100m hurdles (13.89)
6. Angie Guenther, hammer throw (60.79m, 199-05)
T-6. Shay Nielsen, shot put (15.81m, 51-10.50)
7. Kimberly Golding, Emerald Egwim, Emma Spagnola, Rachel Schow, 4x100m relay (45.39)
7. Rachel Schow, 400m hurdles (59.24)
8. Erin Huls, 400m hurdles (59.25)
T-9. Lexi Kiefer, pole vault (3.95m, 12-11.50)
10. Nina Horvath, hammer throw (58.68m, 192-10)
USTFCCCA Releases Outdoor Week Three Rankings
No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4 LSU, and No. 5 USC make up the nation's top five in the week four outdoor NCAA Division I National Team Computer Rankings compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Two Big Ten Conference teams are among the top-25 in No. 15 Purdue and No. 22 Penn State. After a team win at the Kansas Relays, the Gophers are up to No. 31 according to the complete rankings; the week five rankings will be released on Monday, May 1.
The Gophers lead the USTFCCCA Women's Event Squad Leader list for the best foursome in the country by event in the 400m hurdles with a squad average of 59.38 and the discus with a squad average of 50.74m.
Minnesota Welcomes 23 Newcomers
The Gophers' 2017 roster includes 23 newcomers, including two who have competed in uniform as true freshmen this season in Brieasha Hobbs and Natalie Manders. Fellow 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, Abby Kohut-Jackson, Val Larson, Zetta Mason, Elyse Prescott, Ashley Ramacher, Kelli Schmidt, Rebekah Walter, and Sarah Werking also join the Minnesota family while senior sprinter Tayler Whittler made her Gopher debut as a graduate student from DePaul University in the indoor season. The Gophers' roster also includes 18 redshirt freshmen making their official collegiate debuts this year.
Outdoor Track & Field Schedule
The Gophers' outdoor schedule has the team traveling to 19 meets in 11 different states: Florida, North Carolina, California, Minnesota, Arizona, Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Rhode Island this season.
Gophers Sign 15 for 2017-18
The Minnesota women's track & field and cross country program is pleased to announce the addition of 15 student-athletes who have signed for the 2017-18 season. Ayesha Champagnie (Kingston, Jamaica), Karlie Place (River Falls, Wis.), Hailey Poole (Worden, Mont.), Molly Roach (Bloomington, Minn.), and Tate Sweeney (Edina, Minn.) join early signees Nayoka Clunis (Kingston, Jamaica), 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.) to make up the newest Gophers.
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 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.
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.
2017 Indoor Season Rewind
Minnesota finished fourth at the Big Ten Indoor Championship led by Madeline Strandemo's B1G title in the mile and Agnes Esser's runner-up showing in the weight throw. Double-digit points in the weight throw, 60-meter hurdles, and high jump propelled the Gophers to a fourth-place showing overall with 70 points in the team race. Penn State won the team title with 96.50 points, claiming a 2.50-point victory over runner-up Purdue (94 points). Ohio State (83), Minnesota (70), and Indiana (69) rounded out the top five teams.
The Gophers saw 20 performances land on the program's all-time indoor top-10 list with changes in 12 different events. Three Minnesota indoor program records fell, including Kiley Sabin's record-breaking performance in the shot put (17.17m, 56-04.00). Emerald Egwim improved on her own program record in the 400m dash (52.73), and Kimberly Golding and Emma Spagnola tied for the top 60m hurdles time in program history at 8.13 seconds. In addition, three Gophers posted the second-best marks in program history in four different events: Strandemo (mile, 4:38.88; 3,000m, 9:17.54); Taylor Wiebke (high jump, 1.79m, 5-10.50), and Esser (weight throw, 20.94m, 68-08.50).
Egwim (400m), Golding (60m hurdles), Sabin (shot put), and Spagnola (60m hurdles) all represented Minnesota at the NCAA Indoor Championship and went on to earn Second Team All-American honors. The team's four individual indoor qualifiers was the most since the program sent five individuals and a relay to the 2008 NCAA indoor meet.
2017 Senior Salute
The Gophers honored 18 seniors during the Parents Day Invite: Danielle Anderson, Caitlin Dillon, Megan Flanagan, Cami Gilson, Kimberly Golding, Angie Guenther, Anne Haakenstad, Erin Hawkins, Allie Heifort, Bolade Jinadu, Kailee Kamps, Kat Keller, Naomi Ollila, Carlin Schulz, Tess Wasowicz, Violet Weibel, Laura Werking, and Tayler Whittler.
Up Next: Local Meets
Members of the team will compete locally at the Tommie Twilight next Wednesday, May 3 and at the Hamline Meet of the Un-Saintly on Friday, May 5.
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Players Mentioned
