University of Minnesota Athletics
NCAA West Prelim Up Next
5/23/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
| NCAA West Prelim | |||||||||||
| Date | Thursday-Saturday, May 25-27, 2017 | ||||||||||
| Location | Mike A. Myers Stadium | University of Texas | Austin, Texas | ||||||||||
| Meet Info | NCAA Meet Info | Host Info | Schedule | Start Lists | ||||||||||
| Time | 11 a.m. CT Thursday | 12 p.m. CT Friday | 1 p.m. CT Saturday | ||||||||||
| Coverage | Live Results | Live Video | @GopherWCCTF | @TexasTFXC | #Gophers | #NCAATF | ||||||||||
May 23, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 17 University of Minnesota women's track & field team is set to compete at the 2017 NCAA West Prelim this Thursday through Saturday. Texas is hosting the meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
About the NCAA West Prelim
The NCAA preliminary meets are scheduled for May 25-27 with the West Prelim in Austin, Texas, and the East Prelim in Lexington, Ky. The top 12 individual competitors and top 12 relay teams from each preliminary round site advance to the NCAA national championship.
Tickets for the 2017 NCAA West Prelim are now on sale with all-meet tickets priced at $35 for adults, $25 for college students, youth, and seniors. Single-day tickets are priced at $15 for adults and $10 for college students, youth, and seniors and will be on sale on Sunday, May 28. All seats are general admission. Tickets may be purchased online at TexasSports.com or by calling (512) 471-3333.
The individual event student-athletes and relay teams accepted into the NCAA Championships based on their performance at preliminary round competition will be announced and posted on NCAA.com the week prior to the national meet.
Gophers at the NCAA West Prelim
Eighteen individuals are set to represent the Maroon & Gold at the 2017 NCAA West Prelim. Minnesota's 18 representatives will compete in 11 different events with four Gophers competing in two events. For the second-straight year, Agnes Esser and Angie Guenther will both compete in both the hammer throw and the discus and Emma Spagnola is a qualifier in both the 100m hurdles and the 400m hurdles. Kiley Sabin is set to compete in both the shot put and the discus as well. Guenther leads the Gophers as a four-time NCAA West Prelim qualifier while Emerald Egwim, Esser, and Spagnola are all making their third-straight NCAA preliminary round appearances; eight Gophers are making their NCAA West Prelim debuts.
Minnesota's complete list of competitors is made up of: Emerald Egwim (400m), Agnes Esser (discus, hammer throw), Cami Gilson (pole vault), Kimberly Golding (100m hurdles), Angie Guenther (discus, hammer throw), Nina Horvath (hammer throw), Erin Huls (400m hurdles), Bailey Ness (10,000m), Shay Nielsen (shot put), Temi Ogunrinde (hammer throw), Kiley Sabin (shot put, discus), Rachel Schow (400m hurdles), Lindsey Smits (400m hurdles), Emma Spagnola (100m hurdles, 400m hurdles), Madeline Strandemo (3,000m steeplechase), Heta Tuuri (high jump), Taylor Wiebke (high jump), and Shanique Wright (triple jump).
2016 NCAA West Prelim Rewind
Seven Gophers advanced past the NCAA West Prelim a year ago, joining heptathlete Jess Lehman in representing the Maroon & Gold at the NCAA Championship round as the multi-events are not contested at the preliminary meets. Heta Tuuri made her NCAA West Prelim debut and tied for first place in the high jump at 1.80m (5-10.75) while Agnes Esser finished as runner-up in the discus with a Minnesota's program record mark of 57.91m (190-0). In the triple jump, Shanique Wright recorded a career-best mark of 13.03m (42-09) on her second attempt to move finish fourth overall. Fellow Gophers Liz Berkholtz (ninth place, 10,000m), Nicolle Murphy (eighth place, javelin), Lyndsey Thorpe (seventh place, hammer throw), and Kaila Urick (12th place, 3,000m steeplechase) also led the Gophers at the preliminary meet last year.
Last Time Out: Big Ten Championship
Minnesota finished as team runner-up at this year's B1G Championship led by Big Ten champions Emerald Egwim (400m), Temi Ogunrinde (hammer throw), and Madeline Strandemo (3,000m steeplechase). Purdue took home the team title with 133 points, followed by the runner-up Gophers with 105.5 points. Penn State (101), Ohio State (84.5), and Michigan (79) rounded out the top five in the team race. The Gophers scored points in 14 different events at the meet.
Gophers Post All-Time Top-10 Marks
Sixteen individuals and two relay teams have already improved their ranks among all-time Gophers in their respective events, led by record-breaking performances from Emerald Egwim (400m), Kimberly Golding (100m hurdles) Madeline Strandemo (3,000m steeplechase), Kiley Sabin (shot put), and Taylor Wiebke (1.85m, 6-00.75).
1. Emerald Egwim, 400m (51.99)
1. Kimberly Golding, 100m hurdles (12.98)
1. Madeline Strandemo, 3,000m steeplechase (9:51.83)
1. Kiley Sabin, shot put (16.65m, 54-07.50)
1. Taylor Wiebke, high jump (1.85m, 6-00.75)
2. Emma Spagnola, 100m hurdles (13.02)
2. Emma Spagnola, 400m hurdles (57.88)
3. Emerald Egwim, 200m (23.74)
3. Agnes Esser, hammer throw (61.66m, 202-03)
3. Kimberly Golding, Emerald Egwim, Emma Spagnola, Erin Hawkins, 4x100m relay (44.80)
4. Temi Ogunrinde, hammer throw (61.44m, 201-07)
T-5. Nina Horvath, hammer throw (60.86m, 199-08)
6. Rachel Schow, 100m hurdles (13.89)
T-6. Shay Nielsen, shot put (15.81m, 51-10.50)
7. Bailey Ness, 10,000m (34:17.74)
7. Cami Gilson, pole vault (4.04m, 13-03.00)
7. Angie Guenther, hammer throw (60.79m, 199-05)
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-8. Lexi Kiefer, pole vault (4.00m, 13-01.50)
9. Kiley Sabin, discus (53.57m, 175-09)
USTFCCCA Releases Outdoor Week Eight Rankings
The Gophers come in at No. 17 for the second-straight week as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released the week eight outdoor NCAA Division I National Team Computer Rankings. No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Arkansas, No. LSU, No. 4 USC, and No. 5 Texas A&M make up the nation's top five heading into the NCAA preliminary meets. No. 16 Purdue joins the No. 17 Gophers in representing the B1G among the nation's top 25.
The Gophers closed out the regular season atop the USTFCCCA Women's Event Squad Leader list for the best foursome in the country by event in the hammer throw (squad average, 61.10m, 200-05).
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 joined 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.
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 Serve as 2017 Captains
The seven Gophers leading this year's squad are Cami Gilson, Kimberly Golding, Angie Guenther, Erin Hawkins, Titania Markland, Nicolle Murphy, and Madeline Strandemo. Markland and Murphy returned to the Gophers' leadership group after serving as captains last season while Strandemo was a captain for Minnesota's cross country team last fall. The remaining four Gophers are in their first seasons as captains.
2016 Outdoor Season Rewind
After earning a share of the 2016 B1G title, Minnesota 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.
Follow the Gophers Online
GopherSports.com is your home for all Minnesota Women's Track & Field news. Be sure to follow Gopher Women's Track & Field and Cross Country on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for behind the scenes info and the latest updates on the program.
Up Next: 2017 NCAA Championship
The qualifiers out of the East and West preliminary meets will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships held June 7-10 in Eugene, Ore.
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Players Mentioned
