University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, November 9
Peoria, Ill.
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
at
NCAA Midwest Regional
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NCAA Midwest Regional Up Next
11/5/2018 3:34:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
No. 23 Minnesota looks to secure an NCAA Championship bid at the Midwest Regional on Friday in Peoria, Ill.
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 23 University of Minnesota women's cross country team begins the NCAA postseason at the NCAA Midwest Regional this Friday. Bradley University is serving as host of the meet, and the women's 6K race is set for 11 a.m. CT at Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Ill.
About the NCAA Midwest Regional
The NCAA Division I Midwest Regional Cross Country Championships will be on Friday, November 9, 2018 at Newman Golf Course. Bradley University last hosted the NCAA Midwest Regional in 2014 at the same site on Newman Golf Course.
2017 NCAA Midwest Regional Rewind
Megan Hasz, Madeline Strandemo, and Bethany Hasz earned all-region honors to lead Minnesota to a third-place finish at the 2017 NCAA Midwest Regional. The top three Gophers earned top-seven finishes led by M. Hasz's fifth-place showing in 20:18.8 followed by Strandemo in sixth place (20:19.7) and B. Hasz in seventh (20:21.0). Abby Kohut-Jackson (21:13.6) and Bailey Ness (21:14.3) both posted career-best 6K times, placing 50th and 51st, respectively, to round out Minnesota's scoring finishes. The Gophers placed third in the team race with 119 points behind host Iowa State (90 points) and Oklahoma State (103 points).
Gophers' NCAA Midwest Regional Roster
Minnesota's NCAA postseason roster includes five individuals who have previously raced at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Patty O'Brien, Bethany Hasz, Megan Hasz, Elyse Prescott, and Abby Kohut-Jackson. Molly Eastman and Zetta Mason return to the national stage after serving as alternates in 2016 and 2017, respectively, while Olivia Hummel, Anastasia Korzenowski, and Jaycie Thomsen will make their NCAA Midwest Regional debuts.
Patty O'Brien (Alternate, 2017; 97th, 21:20.6, 2016; Alternate, 2015)
Bethany Hasz (12th, 20:32.6, 2016; 7th, 20:20.98, 2017)
Megan Hasz (9th, 20:27.7, 2016; 5th, 20:18.76, 2017)
Elyse Prescott (60th, 21:19.84, 2017; Alternate, 2016)
Abby Kohut-Jackson (50th, 21:13.57, 2017)
Molly Eastman (Alternate, 2016)
Zetta Mason (Alternate, 2017)
Olivia Hummel (debut)
Anastasia Korzenowski (debut)
Jaycie Thomsen (debut)
Gophers' History at the NCAA Midwest Regional
Minnesota has won three Midwest Regional titles, winning consecutive crowns in 2007, 2008, and 2009. The Gophers have also produced two Midwest Regional individual champions in Rasa Michniovaite (1998) and Stephanie Price (2010). Minnesota has finished third or higher in 18 NCAA regional meets since 1982.
Last Time Out: Rocky's Run
Minnesota hosted the 38th annual running of Rocky's Run at Les Bolstad Course last weekend. Tate Sweeney finished as the female champion in fifth place overall in 22:59.4, followed by runner-up Sarah Werking in 23:01.3 and Libby Halmaier in third in 23:23.0. Carissa Dock (23:30.8) and Ally Smith (23:48.8) rounded out the top five, and the Gophers had nine of the top 10 female finishers. The race was open to the public and saw 91 finishers complete the 6K course in a mix of rain and snow with the temperature hovering around 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Duo Earns All-Big Ten Honors
Bethany Hasz placed fifth and Megan Hasz took 12th to earn All-Big Ten honors at the 2018 Big Ten Cross Country Championship. B. Hasz posted a career-best 6K time of 20:14.1, and her fifth-place finish was the highest B1G finish of her career after she placed 10th a year ago and was 20th as a freshman in 2016. Earning an All-Big Ten First Team nod for the first time in her collegiate cross country career, B. Hasz also moved into fourth on Minnesota's all-time 6K performers list with her PR. Meanwhile, M. Hasz clocked a season-best time of 20:30.5 to finish 12th overall and earn her third All-Big Ten cross country award of her career with a place on this year's second team. In the team race, Minnesota scored 167 points for a sixth-place finish.
Gophers Slip to No. 23 in USTFCCCA Poll
The Gophers dropped two places to No. 23 in the nation according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Week Six National Coaches' Poll. The Big Ten Conference still has six teams ranked among the nation's top 30 in No. 7 Michigan, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 11 Wisconsin (tied), No. 13 Penn State, No. 14 Indiana, and No. 23 Minnesota (tied). Northwestern received one vote this week as well. Iowa State remains the top team in the Midwest Region, followed by Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Kansas. The week seven national poll is set to be released following NCAA regional competition on Monday, Nov. 12.
Gophers Make Debuts
Gophers Maria Eastman and Olivia Hummel made their debuts for the Maroon & Gold this season, and redshirt freshmen Bit Klecker, Anastasia Korzenowski, Molly Roach, Sophie Schmitz, Tate Sweeney, and Jaycie Thomsen all competed in uniform for the first time in their careers. Gopher rookies Libby Halbmaier, Elena Hayday, Taylor Krone, Becca Langer, and Courtney West have all raced unattached as well.
Gophers Celebrate Track & Field Stadium Grand Opening
The University of Minnesota and Gopher Athletics celebrated a new era of track and field with the grand opening of the University of Minnesota Track and Field Stadium on Monday, Sept. 17. Located in the heart of the new Athletes Village area, this facility will become synonymous with track & field excellence in the Midwest. It will not only provide a first-class experience for the Gophers, but it will also provide a wonderful venue for the state's largest amateur meets and a Minnesota option for USA Track & Field to place its marquee events in the Upper Midwest.
The University of Minnesota Track and Field Stadium gives Minnesota its first opportunity in more than 15 years to host home outdoor meets, including Big Ten and NCAA competition. The facility features a nine-lane track with the Beynon 2000 surface, full-field event hosting capabilities, versatile configuration, fully enclosed, heated warm-up and cool down areas, and grandstands with the capacity to host major competitions.
Who is Back?
The Gophers return four of their seven runners from the 2017 NCAA Championship in Megan Hasz, Abby Kohut-Jackson, Bethany Hasz, and Elyse Prescott along with alternates Patty O'Brien and Zetta Mason. Bethany Hasz and Megan Hasz return after earning NCAA all-region and All-Big Ten honors last season.
Who is New?
Five rookies joined the Gophers this season in Libby Halbmaier (Minnetonka, Minn.), Elena Hayday (Bloomington, Minn.), Taylor Krone (Anoka, Minn.), Becca Langer (Waukesha, Wis.), and Courtney West (Dodge Center, Minn.). Junior Maria Berg (New Prague, Minn.) is another newcomer for the Maroon & Gold after she transferred to the University of Minnesota after competing for Minnesota Duluth in both cross country and track & field as a freshman during the 2016-17 season and competing in cross country during the 2017 season.
Seven redshirt freshmen made their debuts racing in uniform for the Gophers after competing unattached last fall: Sam Baer (St. Louis Park, Minn.), Bit Klecker (Hopkins, Minn.), Anastasia Korzenowski (Chanhassen, Minn.), Molly Roach (Bloomington, Minn.), Sophie Schmitz (Willmar, Minn.), Tate Sweeney (Edina, Minn.), and Jaycie Thomsen (Maple Grove, Minn.). Redshirt sophomores Kayla Baker (Cloquet, Minn.), Maria Eastman (Victoria Minn.), and Olivia Hummel (Woodbury, Minn.) also made their debuts for the Maroon & Gold this fall.
Six Gophers Serving as Captains
Molly Eastman, Abby Lange, Patty O'Brien, Paige Peschel, Elyse Prescott, and Kelsey Sather are leading the Gophers as captains this fall. O'Brien and Peschel return to Minnesota's leadership group as fifth-year seniors and second-year captains joined by fellow fifth-year senior Eastman. Lange and Sather are both redshirt juniors for the Gophers, and Prescott rounds out Minnesota's six captains as she enters her junior season.
Home Meets
Minnesota hosted six home meets at Les Bolstad Course this fall: Intrasquad 5K (Aug. 31), Oz Memorial Run (Sept. 7), 33rd annual Roy Griak Invitational (Sept. 29), Jack's Twilight Run (Oct. 19), and Rocky's Run (Nov. 4).
Up Next: NCAA Championship
The 2018 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Zimmer Championship Course in Madison, Wis. The women's 6K will start at 10:45 a.m. CT and the men's 10K will begin at 11:45 a.m. CT. More information for the national championships is available on NCAA.com.
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About the NCAA Midwest Regional
The NCAA Division I Midwest Regional Cross Country Championships will be on Friday, November 9, 2018 at Newman Golf Course. Bradley University last hosted the NCAA Midwest Regional in 2014 at the same site on Newman Golf Course.
2017 NCAA Midwest Regional Rewind
Megan Hasz, Madeline Strandemo, and Bethany Hasz earned all-region honors to lead Minnesota to a third-place finish at the 2017 NCAA Midwest Regional. The top three Gophers earned top-seven finishes led by M. Hasz's fifth-place showing in 20:18.8 followed by Strandemo in sixth place (20:19.7) and B. Hasz in seventh (20:21.0). Abby Kohut-Jackson (21:13.6) and Bailey Ness (21:14.3) both posted career-best 6K times, placing 50th and 51st, respectively, to round out Minnesota's scoring finishes. The Gophers placed third in the team race with 119 points behind host Iowa State (90 points) and Oklahoma State (103 points).
Gophers' NCAA Midwest Regional Roster
Minnesota's NCAA postseason roster includes five individuals who have previously raced at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Patty O'Brien, Bethany Hasz, Megan Hasz, Elyse Prescott, and Abby Kohut-Jackson. Molly Eastman and Zetta Mason return to the national stage after serving as alternates in 2016 and 2017, respectively, while Olivia Hummel, Anastasia Korzenowski, and Jaycie Thomsen will make their NCAA Midwest Regional debuts.
Patty O'Brien (Alternate, 2017; 97th, 21:20.6, 2016; Alternate, 2015)
Bethany Hasz (12th, 20:32.6, 2016; 7th, 20:20.98, 2017)
Megan Hasz (9th, 20:27.7, 2016; 5th, 20:18.76, 2017)
Elyse Prescott (60th, 21:19.84, 2017; Alternate, 2016)
Abby Kohut-Jackson (50th, 21:13.57, 2017)
Molly Eastman (Alternate, 2016)
Zetta Mason (Alternate, 2017)
Olivia Hummel (debut)
Anastasia Korzenowski (debut)
Jaycie Thomsen (debut)
Gophers' History at the NCAA Midwest Regional
Minnesota has won three Midwest Regional titles, winning consecutive crowns in 2007, 2008, and 2009. The Gophers have also produced two Midwest Regional individual champions in Rasa Michniovaite (1998) and Stephanie Price (2010). Minnesota has finished third or higher in 18 NCAA regional meets since 1982.
Last Time Out: Rocky's Run
Minnesota hosted the 38th annual running of Rocky's Run at Les Bolstad Course last weekend. Tate Sweeney finished as the female champion in fifth place overall in 22:59.4, followed by runner-up Sarah Werking in 23:01.3 and Libby Halmaier in third in 23:23.0. Carissa Dock (23:30.8) and Ally Smith (23:48.8) rounded out the top five, and the Gophers had nine of the top 10 female finishers. The race was open to the public and saw 91 finishers complete the 6K course in a mix of rain and snow with the temperature hovering around 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Duo Earns All-Big Ten Honors
Bethany Hasz placed fifth and Megan Hasz took 12th to earn All-Big Ten honors at the 2018 Big Ten Cross Country Championship. B. Hasz posted a career-best 6K time of 20:14.1, and her fifth-place finish was the highest B1G finish of her career after she placed 10th a year ago and was 20th as a freshman in 2016. Earning an All-Big Ten First Team nod for the first time in her collegiate cross country career, B. Hasz also moved into fourth on Minnesota's all-time 6K performers list with her PR. Meanwhile, M. Hasz clocked a season-best time of 20:30.5 to finish 12th overall and earn her third All-Big Ten cross country award of her career with a place on this year's second team. In the team race, Minnesota scored 167 points for a sixth-place finish.
Gophers Slip to No. 23 in USTFCCCA Poll
The Gophers dropped two places to No. 23 in the nation according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Week Six National Coaches' Poll. The Big Ten Conference still has six teams ranked among the nation's top 30 in No. 7 Michigan, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 11 Wisconsin (tied), No. 13 Penn State, No. 14 Indiana, and No. 23 Minnesota (tied). Northwestern received one vote this week as well. Iowa State remains the top team in the Midwest Region, followed by Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Kansas. The week seven national poll is set to be released following NCAA regional competition on Monday, Nov. 12.
Gophers Make Debuts
Gophers Maria Eastman and Olivia Hummel made their debuts for the Maroon & Gold this season, and redshirt freshmen Bit Klecker, Anastasia Korzenowski, Molly Roach, Sophie Schmitz, Tate Sweeney, and Jaycie Thomsen all competed in uniform for the first time in their careers. Gopher rookies Libby Halbmaier, Elena Hayday, Taylor Krone, Becca Langer, and Courtney West have all raced unattached as well.
Gophers Celebrate Track & Field Stadium Grand Opening
The University of Minnesota and Gopher Athletics celebrated a new era of track and field with the grand opening of the University of Minnesota Track and Field Stadium on Monday, Sept. 17. Located in the heart of the new Athletes Village area, this facility will become synonymous with track & field excellence in the Midwest. It will not only provide a first-class experience for the Gophers, but it will also provide a wonderful venue for the state's largest amateur meets and a Minnesota option for USA Track & Field to place its marquee events in the Upper Midwest.
The University of Minnesota Track and Field Stadium gives Minnesota its first opportunity in more than 15 years to host home outdoor meets, including Big Ten and NCAA competition. The facility features a nine-lane track with the Beynon 2000 surface, full-field event hosting capabilities, versatile configuration, fully enclosed, heated warm-up and cool down areas, and grandstands with the capacity to host major competitions.
Who is Back?
The Gophers return four of their seven runners from the 2017 NCAA Championship in Megan Hasz, Abby Kohut-Jackson, Bethany Hasz, and Elyse Prescott along with alternates Patty O'Brien and Zetta Mason. Bethany Hasz and Megan Hasz return after earning NCAA all-region and All-Big Ten honors last season.
Who is New?
Five rookies joined the Gophers this season in Libby Halbmaier (Minnetonka, Minn.), Elena Hayday (Bloomington, Minn.), Taylor Krone (Anoka, Minn.), Becca Langer (Waukesha, Wis.), and Courtney West (Dodge Center, Minn.). Junior Maria Berg (New Prague, Minn.) is another newcomer for the Maroon & Gold after she transferred to the University of Minnesota after competing for Minnesota Duluth in both cross country and track & field as a freshman during the 2016-17 season and competing in cross country during the 2017 season.
Seven redshirt freshmen made their debuts racing in uniform for the Gophers after competing unattached last fall: Sam Baer (St. Louis Park, Minn.), Bit Klecker (Hopkins, Minn.), Anastasia Korzenowski (Chanhassen, Minn.), Molly Roach (Bloomington, Minn.), Sophie Schmitz (Willmar, Minn.), Tate Sweeney (Edina, Minn.), and Jaycie Thomsen (Maple Grove, Minn.). Redshirt sophomores Kayla Baker (Cloquet, Minn.), Maria Eastman (Victoria Minn.), and Olivia Hummel (Woodbury, Minn.) also made their debuts for the Maroon & Gold this fall.
Six Gophers Serving as Captains
Molly Eastman, Abby Lange, Patty O'Brien, Paige Peschel, Elyse Prescott, and Kelsey Sather are leading the Gophers as captains this fall. O'Brien and Peschel return to Minnesota's leadership group as fifth-year seniors and second-year captains joined by fellow fifth-year senior Eastman. Lange and Sather are both redshirt juniors for the Gophers, and Prescott rounds out Minnesota's six captains as she enters her junior season.
Home Meets
Minnesota hosted six home meets at Les Bolstad Course this fall: Intrasquad 5K (Aug. 31), Oz Memorial Run (Sept. 7), 33rd annual Roy Griak Invitational (Sept. 29), Jack's Twilight Run (Oct. 19), and Rocky's Run (Nov. 4).
Up Next: NCAA Championship
The 2018 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Zimmer Championship Course in Madison, Wis. The women's 6K will start at 10:45 a.m. CT and the men's 10K will begin at 11:45 a.m. CT. More information for the national championships is available on NCAA.com.
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