University of Minnesota Athletics
B1G Meet On Deck for Gophers
5/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
| 2017 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships | |||||||||||
| Date | Friday, May 12-Sunday, May 14 | ||||||||||
| Location | Nittany Lion Outdoor Track | University Park, Pa. | ||||||||||
| Meet Info | Meet Home | Schedule | Heat Sheets | ||||||||||
| Coverage | Live Results | @GopherMCCTF | #Gophers | ||||||||||
| Notes | Minnesota | ||||||||||
| BTN | Sunday, May 14 at 6 p.m. CT | Additional Content on BTN2Go | ||||||||||
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) -- The University of Minnesota men's track & field program enters the championship segment of the outdoor campaign this weekend with the 2017 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships, May 12-14, at Penn State's Nittany Lion Outdoor Track.
Wieland Earns Big Ten Medal of Honor
Senior captain Luca Wieland was tabbed as the men's recipient of this year's Big Ten Medal of Honor as he closes out a historic career at Minnesota. As a sophomore, he became the 13th Gopher to earn an individual national championship when he captured the 2015 NCAA indoor heptathlon title while earning his first of two First Team All-America honors in the event. Wieland is also a three-time Big Ten champion and holds both of Minnesota's multi-events records, breaking his own heptathlon record (6,070 points) and the decathlon record (8,201 points) earlier this year. Wieland is a two-time Academic All-American as well as a two-time Academic All-Big and USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree.
A Quarter Century of Big Ten Success
Minnesota will look to build on a stretch of 25-straight seasons with an individual outdoor Big Ten champion this weekend in a streak that dates back to 1992.
Looking Back at the Indoor Season
The Minnesota distance medley relay team of Shane Streich, Jackson Wellenstein, Mitch Hechsel and Derek Wiebke earned Second Team All-America honors following a ninth-place showing at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships last week. Wiebke added a Big Ten title in the mile -- his first conference crown as a Gopher -- with a personal record of 4:01.85.
Rink Helps USATF to NACAC Title
Nick Rink finished eighth at the 2017 NACAC Cross Country Championships to help the U.S. Under-20 Men's Team win a gold medal earlier this year in Boca Raton, Fla. Rink covered the 6,500-meter course at South County Regional Park in 19:30.09 to finish eighth overall and fourth among U.S. competitors. The United States totaled 25 points in the team victory, besting Mexico with 31, Canada with 42 and Puerto Rico with 49.
Ali, Plasencia Rep 'U' at IAAF World Cross Country Championships
True freshman Hamza Ali and Minnesota Director of Men's Track & Field and Cross Country Steve Plasencia represented the University of Minnesota and the United States at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kamapla, Uganda. Ali finished 52nd overall in the men's U20 race, clocking a time of 26:14 for the eight-kilometer race at the Kololo Independence Grounds. Ali's time was third among American runners in the event. Plasencia served as head coach of the U.S. Men's Junior Team for the event.
Four to Lead in 2017
The Minnesota track & field program will feature four new captains for the 2017 season as Luca Wieland, Gian Ferretti, Mitch Hechsel and Charlie Lawrence will lead the Gophers throughout the year. Wieland, Ferretti and Hechsel were all honored as All-Americans during the 2016 season while Lawrence also served as captain of the cross country team this year and earned All-Big Ten honors.
Wieland Breaks School Decathlon Record
A native of Saarbrucken, Germany, Wieland won the decathlon at the Mt. SAC Multi-Events and Relays behind six outdoor personal records for a score of 8,201 points - the biggest point total in school history. The mark also stands as the third highest point total in the nation and the highest point total in the Big Ten this year. His decathlon score bests the previous school record of 7,862 set by Jack Szmanda in 2012.
Championship Schedule Continues
The Maroon & Gold continue to compete during the outdoor season with the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field First Round, May 25-27, in Austin, Texas. The 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships are set for June 7-10 in Eugene, Ore.
Alum: Ben Blankenship Wins National Title in Men's Mile
Ben Blankenship claimed his first career U.S. title earlier this year, winning the men's mile at the 2017 U.S. Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Blankenship, who made his Olympic debut last year in the 1,500 meters, pushed hard in the bell lap to finish with a time of 3:59.22. Meanwhile, a pair of former Gophers throwers competed in the men's weight throw with Sean Donnelly finishing third behind a new personal record of 23.57 meters (77-04.00 ft.) and Justin Barber finishing eighth at 20.55 meters (67-05.25 ft.).
Players Mentioned
