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Gophers Add 17 Newcomers
12/20/2018 1:06:00 PM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Seventeen women make up the newest group of Golden Gophers set to join the team.
Updated to include the addition of Candesha Scott on Dec. 21, 2018; Jayla Campbell on Feb. 18, 2019; Megan Lundstrom on March 5, 2019; Sydney Kretlow on March 12, 2019; Maria Rickman on April 22; Nandini Satsangi on May 10; Octavia Cato on June 17; and Marta Kogucki on June 18.
MINNEAPOLIS – Director of track & field and cross country Matt Bingle is pleased to announce the addition of 17 women who have signed with the Golden Gophers.
The newest class of Gophers set to join the team for the 2019-20 season includes Lexy Berger, Devia Brown, Jayla Campbell, Octavia Cato, McKenzie Duwenhoegger, Camryn Huggans, Janielle Josephs, Marta Kogucki, Grace Kowalkowski, Taylor Kreitinger, Sydney Kretlow, Akilah Lewis, Megan Lundstrom, Maria Rickman, and Nandini Satsangi. Meanwhile, Monique Felix and Candesha Scott are new additions to the team in Jan. 2019. The newest group of Gophers includes four throwers, two pole vaulters, four sprinters, six distance runners, and one multi-event athlete.
Lexy Berger, Pole Vault, Rosemount High School (Rosemount, Minn.)
A native of Rosemount, Minn., Lexy Berger joins the Maroon & Gold as a pole vaulter out of Rosemount High School. Berger was the Minnesota Class AA state runner-up in pole vault as a junior, clearing 12-00.00, after placing sixth as a sophomore and eighth as a freshman.
Assistant Coach Zach Siegmeier on Berger: Lexi comes to us from Rosemount, Minnesota. She will be a great addition to our team and to our vault program. We are excited to welcome her here!
Devia Brown, Throws, Central Arizona College (Kingston, Jamaica)
Devia Brown joins the Gophers after beginning her collegiate career at Central Arizona College where she was named the 2018 NJCAA Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA. Brown recorded the third-best shot put mark in NJCAA history at 16.37m (53-08.50). She also scored 21 points at the national meet for Central Arizona, winning the discus with a career-best throw of 50.36m (165-02) while also placing third in the shot put and fourth in the javelin (career-best 41.74m, 136-11).
Assistant Coach Peter Miller on Brown: Devia is one of the best athletes ever to come into our program. Last year she won an NJCAA national title as a freshman and was named the National Field Athlete of the Year. On top of that, Devia has taken her academics very seriously at CAC and comes to Minnesota with a great GPA. We really value her willingness to put in the work necessary to be great, both in the classroom and the circle. We have been recruiting Devia for almost five years and look forward to her being a dominant force for us in the Big Ten and the NCAA. We are blessed to welcome her into our group, team and Gopher family!
Jayla Campbell, Sprints/Jumps, Rich Central High School (Chicago, Ill.)
Jayla Campbell joins the Gophers as a sprints and jumps specialist from Rich Central High School in Chicago. At the 2018 USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Championships, Campbell placed seventh in the 400m and 10th in triple jump. She owns career-best marks of 55.51 for 400m and 39-01 for triple jump.
Bingle on Campbell: Jayla is a great young woman who we are thankful chose the University of Minnesota. I am excited for the opportunity to coach her and to watch her develop over the years.
Octavia Cato, Sprints, Butler Community College (St. Louis, Mo.)
Octavia Cato joins the Gophers after spending the 2019 season at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, and the 2018 season at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, N.M. Most recently, she finished sixth in the 100 meters and ninth in the 200 meters at the 2019 NJCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships after winning the 100 meters and placing second in the 200 meters at the NJCAA Region VI Outdoor Championships. The 2019 indoor season saw her place third in the 60-meter dash in 7.40 seconds and sixth in the 200-meter dash at the national meet. She spent the 2018 season at New Mexico Junior College where she won a national title in the 4x100-meter dash. Cato has collegiate-best marks of 7.40 seconds in the 60-meter dash, 11.78 seconds in the 100-meter dash, and 23.82 seconds in the 200-meter dash (wind-aided). Cato is a 2017 graduate of McCluer South-Berkeley High School in Ferguson, Mo.
Bingle on Cato: Octavia is a great young woman who will bring a lot of energy to the team. We believe she will have an instant impact for our program, and we're excited that she has chosen Minnesota.
Mckenzie Duwenhoegger, Throws, Alexandria Area High School (Alexandria, Minn.)
Mckenzie Duwenhoegger joins the Gophers as a standout shot put thrower from Alexandria, Minn., where she attends Alexandria Area High School. Duwenhoegger enters her senior year as a three-time Minnesota Class AA State Championship qualifier, most recently placing third in shot put as a junior with a throw of 42-04.25. She finished 11th as a sophomore and 10th as a freshman in the state shot put. A three-sport athlete, Duwenhoegger also competes in volleyball and basketball for the Cardinals.
Miller on Duwenhoegger: McKenzie is a great addition to our throws group. We targeted her as the best 2019 in the Midwest, and convincing her to stay home was our top priority. She is a great student, who plans to pursue a business degree here. She is also a great athlete, excelling in three sports for Alexandria. McKenzie came to our camp two summers ago, and after I saw her warm up for the first time, I knew she could help our team. I am extremely excited she decided to stay in state and help grow to tradition and culture of our throws program.
Monique Felix, Multi-Events, Marquette University (Sheboygan, Wis.)
Monique Felix joins the Gophers as a graduate student working on a Master's degree in Sport Management. Felix completed her undergraduate degree at Marquette University where she competed for the Golden Eagles for three seasons. She was the 2016 and 2017 BIG EAST champion in both the pentathlon and heptathlon, along with winning the BIG EAST outdoor high jump title in 2017. She owns career-best marks of 3,603 points in the pentathlon and 5,287 points in the heptathlon. A native of Sheboygan, Wis., Felix graduated from Sheboygan North High School where she was a seven-time state qualifier and earned all-state honors twice, including finishing as state triple jump runner-up as a senior.
Siegmeier on Felix: We are excited to welcome Monique to our program. She comes to us after a great career at Marquette University, and we are excited to see what she can do here.
Camryn Huggans, Throws, Campus High School (Haysville, Kan.)
Camryn Huggans joins the Maroon & Gold as a three-sport athlete from Campus High School in Haysville, Kan., where she plays volleyball and basketball in addition to competing in track & field. A three-time state qualifier in javelin at the KSHSAA Class 6A State Track & Field Championship, Huggans most recently placed eighth in javelin as a junior in 2018. She was the Class 6A state runner-up in the javelin as a sophomore in 2017 and placed 13th in javelin as a freshman in 2016 as well.
Miller on Huggans: Camryn is another well-rounded person and athlete who we look to make an immediate impact on our roster. She is a three-sport athlete and a near 4.0 student who has excelled in everything she does. She is an awesome young woman with lots of room to grow into being a full-time thrower. We are extremely excited to have her as part of our thrower family.
Janielle Josephs, Sprints, St. Andrew High School (Kingston, Jamaica)
Janielle Josephs joins the Gophers from Kingston, Jamaica, where she attended St. Andrew High School. A sprinter who has significant experience competing at the national level in Jamaica, Josephs has career-best times of 12.28 for 100m, 24.59 for 200m, and 53.24 for 400m. She placed third in the 400m and led off Jamaica's 4x400m relay at the 2018 Nassau CARIFTA Games. At the 2018 IAAF World Under-20 Championships, Josephs led off Jamaica's third-place 4x400m relay team, which ran a season-best 3:31.90. She finished as runner-up in the Under-20 400m at the 2018 JAAA National Junior Championships as well.
Bingle on Josephs: We are excited to welcome Janielle to the team. She is a great addition as a person and as an athlete. She has competed at a very high level for Jamaica, and we believe that she will do that for our program.
Marta Kogucki, Distance, Lyons Township High School (La Grange, Ill.)
Marta Kogucki joins the Gophers as a distance runner from Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Ill. A three-time state qualifier in the 4x800m relay, Kogucki placed third in the 4x800m relay team at the 2019 IHSA 3A State Track & Field Championships as a senior. She also placed seventh in the 4x800m relay and 22nd in the 1,600m as a junior in 2018 after taking 14th in the 4x800m relay as a sophomore in 2017. Kogucki also made two appearances at the IHSA 3A State Cross Country Championship. She placed 25th in the team race and 33rd overall as Lyons' second runner as a senior in 2018 after leading Lyons to a third-place team finish with a 21st-place showing in the team race (29th overall) as a junior in 2017.
Hopkins on Kogucki: We are very excited to have Marta join the Gopher distance squad. Marta has improved every year of high school, and I have every confidence she will continue to improve throughout college. She chose Minnesota for the architecture program, and I'm excited that we get to see where her running can take her as well!
Grace Kowalkowski, Pole Vault, De Pere High School (De Pere, Wis.)
A native of De Pere, Wis., Grace Kowalkowski joins the Gophers as a pole vaulter from De Pere High School. She owns a career-best mark of 3.66m (12-00.00) and placed third at the WIAA Division 1 State Championships as a junior in 2018 and as a sophomore in 2017 after finishing as state runner-up as a freshman in 2016.
Siegmeier on Kowalkowski: We are very excited to welcome Grace to Minnesota! She will be a great addition to our vault program and our team.
Taylor Kreitinger, Mid-Distance, Byron High School (Byron, Minn.)
A native of Byron, Minn., who attends Byron High School, Taylor Kreitinger joins the Gophers as a stand-out soccer player and mid-distance runner. On the track, Kreitinger enters her senior season as a three-time state qualifier in the 800m and has finished as Minnesota Class A runner-up in the 800m in each of the last two seasons. She already has eight top-nine state finishes to her name along with being an all-state soccer player.
Assistant Coach Sarah Hopkins on Kreitinger: Taylor has had great success in a variety of track events from the 4x200 to the 1600m and has played soccer from a young age. She has a young training age on the track and is just scratching the surface of her capabilities. We are excited to see what she can do when she focuses on track!
Sydney Kretlow, Middle-Distance, Owatonna High School (Owatonna, Minn.)
Sydney Kretlow joins the Gophers as a middle-distance runner from Owatonna High School where she is a three-sport athlete as a standout soccer player and gymnast along with competing in track & field. On the track, Kretlow placed ninth in the 800m run at the 2017 Minnesota Class AA State Track & Field Championship as a sophomore.
Hopkins on Kretlow: We are so excited to welcome Syd to the gopher family. Syd is an awesome all-around athlete who has played soccer and done gymnastics at the high school level along with track and field. Syd has a young training age and we are looking forward to getting her on the track year round and seeing what she is capable of in the middle distance events!
Akilah Lewis, Sprints, Concorde Athletics (Arouca, Trinidad & Tobago)
Akilah Lewis joins the Gophers as a standout sprinter from Arouca, Trinidad & Tobago, where she has competed for Concorde Athletics Track & Field Club. At the 2018 IAAF World Under-20 Championships, Lewis placed 11th in the 100m in 11.65 seconds. Lewis owns personal best times of 11.51 for 100m and 24.20 for 200m, running her 100m PR at the 2018 Nassau CARIFTA Games and her 200m PR at the 2018 Port-of-Spain NAAATT Sunset Meet.
Bingle on Lewis: We are excited to add Akilah to the University of Minnesota. She is a great young woman who is extremely talented. She will fit well into our program as a person and athlete. She made the 2018 World Junior Championships, so she brings some big meet experience to our team.
Megan Lundstrom, Distance, Davies High School (Fargo, N.D.)
Megan Lundstrom joins the Gophers as a distance runner from Fargo, N.D., where she competes for Davies High School. As a junior, she anchored Fargo Davies' state champion 4x800m relay team and placed second in the 1600m, sixth in the 3200m, and seventh in the 800m at the North Dakota Class A State Track & Field Championships. As a sophomore, she was a four-time state qualifier, taking third in the 4x800m relay, seventh in the 1600m, ninth in the 3200m, 17th in the 800m. Her freshman year, she placed 13th in the 1600m as well. In cross country this fall, Lundstrom led Fargo Davies to the Class A state title, leading the team and placing fourth overall on the way to the team's third-consecutive state championship. Lundstrom has career-best times of 5:05 for the 1600m and 11:04 for the 3200m.
Hopkins on Lundstrom: Megan came to camp last summer, and I immediately knew she would be a great addition to our group. Not only has she run some impressive times, she is a team-first kid that is at her best when she is racing for her team. She has a relatively young training age as she grew up playing volleyball and didn't start cross country until her sophomore year of high school. She has been a top track and XC runner in the state of North Dakota for her whole high school career, and we are excited to see what she can do as she grows as a distance runner and is challenged daily in training and racing.
Maria Rickman, Distance, Edina High School (Edina, Minn.)
Maria Rickman joins the Gophers as a standout distance runner from Edina High School. A four-time Minnesota Class AA Cross Country State Championship participant, Rickman helped Edina to four-straight top-three team finishes, including back-to-back state titles in as a freshman in 2015 and sophomore in 2016. On the track, Rickman entered her senior season already a four-time Minnesota Class AA state championship qualifier, most notably helping the Hornets to back-to-back state titles in the 4x800m relay as a freshman in 2016 and a sophomore in 2017; Rickman and her Edina teammates set a Minnesota Class AA Track & Field State Championship meet record and Minnesota all-time record in the 4x800m relay at 8:59.69 in 2016. Most recently, Rickman placed fifth in the 1600m at the state meet as a junior.
Hopkins on Rickman: We are very excited to add Maria Rickman to the Gopher family. Maria has had a breakthrough last year with consistently strong performances on the course and on the track where she has built herself into one of the top milers in the state and one of the top cross country runners in the Heartland Region, leading her team to Nike Cross Nationals this past fall. Edina does an awesome job of getting the most out of their athletes while also leaving a lot in the tank for the next level of college competition.
Nandini Satsangi, Distance, Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Md.)
Nandini Satsangi joins the Gophers as a distance runner from Poolesville High School in Poolesville, Md. A four-time state cross country participant, Satsangi finished as state runner-up as both a freshman and a senior and led Poolesville to four-straight top-eight team finishes. On the track, she enters her senior season with seven top-10 finishes at the state meet, including winning state titles in the 1600m as a junior and the 3200m as a sophomore.
Hopkins on Satsangi: We are so excited to welcome Nandini to the team! Her mom ran for Minnesota in college, so it is fun to have a second generation Gopher joining the team. Nandini has had a great high school career in Maryland and is just scratching the surface of what she is capable of, so we are excited to get her to Minnesota and continue her progress.
Candesha Scott, Javelin, Central Arizona College (Grenada)
Candesha Scott joins the Gophers after beginning her collegiate career at Central Arizona College where she competed in the multi-events along with the javelin. She was the 2018 NJCAA national champion in the javelin with a throw of 48.39m (158-09) as a sophomore after finishing as national runner-up during her freshman season in 2017. Scott owns a javelin career-best mark of 51.13m (167-09), which earned gold and set a girls under-20 Carifta Games record at the 2016 Carifta Games in St. George's, Grenada. Scott also placed third in javelin at the 2015 Carifta Games. She represented Grenada in the javelin at the 2016 IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland as well.
Miller on Scott: Candesha is a great young woman who has battled through a lot to get this opportunity. We are very excited to add a talent like hers to our program, and we feel like she can help take our team to the next level. Bringing an athlete with this type of international experience and success into our program is a rare opportunity. We are very excited to see what she can do in Maroon and Gold!
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MINNEAPOLIS – Director of track & field and cross country Matt Bingle is pleased to announce the addition of 17 women who have signed with the Golden Gophers.
The newest class of Gophers set to join the team for the 2019-20 season includes Lexy Berger, Devia Brown, Jayla Campbell, Octavia Cato, McKenzie Duwenhoegger, Camryn Huggans, Janielle Josephs, Marta Kogucki, Grace Kowalkowski, Taylor Kreitinger, Sydney Kretlow, Akilah Lewis, Megan Lundstrom, Maria Rickman, and Nandini Satsangi. Meanwhile, Monique Felix and Candesha Scott are new additions to the team in Jan. 2019. The newest group of Gophers includes four throwers, two pole vaulters, four sprinters, six distance runners, and one multi-event athlete.
Lexy Berger, Pole Vault, Rosemount High School (Rosemount, Minn.)
A native of Rosemount, Minn., Lexy Berger joins the Maroon & Gold as a pole vaulter out of Rosemount High School. Berger was the Minnesota Class AA state runner-up in pole vault as a junior, clearing 12-00.00, after placing sixth as a sophomore and eighth as a freshman.
Assistant Coach Zach Siegmeier on Berger: Lexi comes to us from Rosemount, Minnesota. She will be a great addition to our team and to our vault program. We are excited to welcome her here!
Devia Brown, Throws, Central Arizona College (Kingston, Jamaica)
Devia Brown joins the Gophers after beginning her collegiate career at Central Arizona College where she was named the 2018 NJCAA Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA. Brown recorded the third-best shot put mark in NJCAA history at 16.37m (53-08.50). She also scored 21 points at the national meet for Central Arizona, winning the discus with a career-best throw of 50.36m (165-02) while also placing third in the shot put and fourth in the javelin (career-best 41.74m, 136-11).
Assistant Coach Peter Miller on Brown: Devia is one of the best athletes ever to come into our program. Last year she won an NJCAA national title as a freshman and was named the National Field Athlete of the Year. On top of that, Devia has taken her academics very seriously at CAC and comes to Minnesota with a great GPA. We really value her willingness to put in the work necessary to be great, both in the classroom and the circle. We have been recruiting Devia for almost five years and look forward to her being a dominant force for us in the Big Ten and the NCAA. We are blessed to welcome her into our group, team and Gopher family!
Jayla Campbell, Sprints/Jumps, Rich Central High School (Chicago, Ill.)
Jayla Campbell joins the Gophers as a sprints and jumps specialist from Rich Central High School in Chicago. At the 2018 USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Championships, Campbell placed seventh in the 400m and 10th in triple jump. She owns career-best marks of 55.51 for 400m and 39-01 for triple jump.
Bingle on Campbell: Jayla is a great young woman who we are thankful chose the University of Minnesota. I am excited for the opportunity to coach her and to watch her develop over the years.
Octavia Cato, Sprints, Butler Community College (St. Louis, Mo.)
Octavia Cato joins the Gophers after spending the 2019 season at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, and the 2018 season at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, N.M. Most recently, she finished sixth in the 100 meters and ninth in the 200 meters at the 2019 NJCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships after winning the 100 meters and placing second in the 200 meters at the NJCAA Region VI Outdoor Championships. The 2019 indoor season saw her place third in the 60-meter dash in 7.40 seconds and sixth in the 200-meter dash at the national meet. She spent the 2018 season at New Mexico Junior College where she won a national title in the 4x100-meter dash. Cato has collegiate-best marks of 7.40 seconds in the 60-meter dash, 11.78 seconds in the 100-meter dash, and 23.82 seconds in the 200-meter dash (wind-aided). Cato is a 2017 graduate of McCluer South-Berkeley High School in Ferguson, Mo.
Bingle on Cato: Octavia is a great young woman who will bring a lot of energy to the team. We believe she will have an instant impact for our program, and we're excited that she has chosen Minnesota.
Mckenzie Duwenhoegger, Throws, Alexandria Area High School (Alexandria, Minn.)
Mckenzie Duwenhoegger joins the Gophers as a standout shot put thrower from Alexandria, Minn., where she attends Alexandria Area High School. Duwenhoegger enters her senior year as a three-time Minnesota Class AA State Championship qualifier, most recently placing third in shot put as a junior with a throw of 42-04.25. She finished 11th as a sophomore and 10th as a freshman in the state shot put. A three-sport athlete, Duwenhoegger also competes in volleyball and basketball for the Cardinals.
Miller on Duwenhoegger: McKenzie is a great addition to our throws group. We targeted her as the best 2019 in the Midwest, and convincing her to stay home was our top priority. She is a great student, who plans to pursue a business degree here. She is also a great athlete, excelling in three sports for Alexandria. McKenzie came to our camp two summers ago, and after I saw her warm up for the first time, I knew she could help our team. I am extremely excited she decided to stay in state and help grow to tradition and culture of our throws program.
Monique Felix, Multi-Events, Marquette University (Sheboygan, Wis.)
Monique Felix joins the Gophers as a graduate student working on a Master's degree in Sport Management. Felix completed her undergraduate degree at Marquette University where she competed for the Golden Eagles for three seasons. She was the 2016 and 2017 BIG EAST champion in both the pentathlon and heptathlon, along with winning the BIG EAST outdoor high jump title in 2017. She owns career-best marks of 3,603 points in the pentathlon and 5,287 points in the heptathlon. A native of Sheboygan, Wis., Felix graduated from Sheboygan North High School where she was a seven-time state qualifier and earned all-state honors twice, including finishing as state triple jump runner-up as a senior.
Siegmeier on Felix: We are excited to welcome Monique to our program. She comes to us after a great career at Marquette University, and we are excited to see what she can do here.
Camryn Huggans, Throws, Campus High School (Haysville, Kan.)
Camryn Huggans joins the Maroon & Gold as a three-sport athlete from Campus High School in Haysville, Kan., where she plays volleyball and basketball in addition to competing in track & field. A three-time state qualifier in javelin at the KSHSAA Class 6A State Track & Field Championship, Huggans most recently placed eighth in javelin as a junior in 2018. She was the Class 6A state runner-up in the javelin as a sophomore in 2017 and placed 13th in javelin as a freshman in 2016 as well.
Miller on Huggans: Camryn is another well-rounded person and athlete who we look to make an immediate impact on our roster. She is a three-sport athlete and a near 4.0 student who has excelled in everything she does. She is an awesome young woman with lots of room to grow into being a full-time thrower. We are extremely excited to have her as part of our thrower family.
Janielle Josephs, Sprints, St. Andrew High School (Kingston, Jamaica)
Janielle Josephs joins the Gophers from Kingston, Jamaica, where she attended St. Andrew High School. A sprinter who has significant experience competing at the national level in Jamaica, Josephs has career-best times of 12.28 for 100m, 24.59 for 200m, and 53.24 for 400m. She placed third in the 400m and led off Jamaica's 4x400m relay at the 2018 Nassau CARIFTA Games. At the 2018 IAAF World Under-20 Championships, Josephs led off Jamaica's third-place 4x400m relay team, which ran a season-best 3:31.90. She finished as runner-up in the Under-20 400m at the 2018 JAAA National Junior Championships as well.
Bingle on Josephs: We are excited to welcome Janielle to the team. She is a great addition as a person and as an athlete. She has competed at a very high level for Jamaica, and we believe that she will do that for our program.
Marta Kogucki, Distance, Lyons Township High School (La Grange, Ill.)
Marta Kogucki joins the Gophers as a distance runner from Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Ill. A three-time state qualifier in the 4x800m relay, Kogucki placed third in the 4x800m relay team at the 2019 IHSA 3A State Track & Field Championships as a senior. She also placed seventh in the 4x800m relay and 22nd in the 1,600m as a junior in 2018 after taking 14th in the 4x800m relay as a sophomore in 2017. Kogucki also made two appearances at the IHSA 3A State Cross Country Championship. She placed 25th in the team race and 33rd overall as Lyons' second runner as a senior in 2018 after leading Lyons to a third-place team finish with a 21st-place showing in the team race (29th overall) as a junior in 2017.
Hopkins on Kogucki: We are very excited to have Marta join the Gopher distance squad. Marta has improved every year of high school, and I have every confidence she will continue to improve throughout college. She chose Minnesota for the architecture program, and I'm excited that we get to see where her running can take her as well!
Grace Kowalkowski, Pole Vault, De Pere High School (De Pere, Wis.)
A native of De Pere, Wis., Grace Kowalkowski joins the Gophers as a pole vaulter from De Pere High School. She owns a career-best mark of 3.66m (12-00.00) and placed third at the WIAA Division 1 State Championships as a junior in 2018 and as a sophomore in 2017 after finishing as state runner-up as a freshman in 2016.
Siegmeier on Kowalkowski: We are very excited to welcome Grace to Minnesota! She will be a great addition to our vault program and our team.
Taylor Kreitinger, Mid-Distance, Byron High School (Byron, Minn.)
A native of Byron, Minn., who attends Byron High School, Taylor Kreitinger joins the Gophers as a stand-out soccer player and mid-distance runner. On the track, Kreitinger enters her senior season as a three-time state qualifier in the 800m and has finished as Minnesota Class A runner-up in the 800m in each of the last two seasons. She already has eight top-nine state finishes to her name along with being an all-state soccer player.
Assistant Coach Sarah Hopkins on Kreitinger: Taylor has had great success in a variety of track events from the 4x200 to the 1600m and has played soccer from a young age. She has a young training age on the track and is just scratching the surface of her capabilities. We are excited to see what she can do when she focuses on track!
Sydney Kretlow, Middle-Distance, Owatonna High School (Owatonna, Minn.)
Sydney Kretlow joins the Gophers as a middle-distance runner from Owatonna High School where she is a three-sport athlete as a standout soccer player and gymnast along with competing in track & field. On the track, Kretlow placed ninth in the 800m run at the 2017 Minnesota Class AA State Track & Field Championship as a sophomore.
Hopkins on Kretlow: We are so excited to welcome Syd to the gopher family. Syd is an awesome all-around athlete who has played soccer and done gymnastics at the high school level along with track and field. Syd has a young training age and we are looking forward to getting her on the track year round and seeing what she is capable of in the middle distance events!
Akilah Lewis, Sprints, Concorde Athletics (Arouca, Trinidad & Tobago)
Akilah Lewis joins the Gophers as a standout sprinter from Arouca, Trinidad & Tobago, where she has competed for Concorde Athletics Track & Field Club. At the 2018 IAAF World Under-20 Championships, Lewis placed 11th in the 100m in 11.65 seconds. Lewis owns personal best times of 11.51 for 100m and 24.20 for 200m, running her 100m PR at the 2018 Nassau CARIFTA Games and her 200m PR at the 2018 Port-of-Spain NAAATT Sunset Meet.
Bingle on Lewis: We are excited to add Akilah to the University of Minnesota. She is a great young woman who is extremely talented. She will fit well into our program as a person and athlete. She made the 2018 World Junior Championships, so she brings some big meet experience to our team.
Megan Lundstrom, Distance, Davies High School (Fargo, N.D.)
Megan Lundstrom joins the Gophers as a distance runner from Fargo, N.D., where she competes for Davies High School. As a junior, she anchored Fargo Davies' state champion 4x800m relay team and placed second in the 1600m, sixth in the 3200m, and seventh in the 800m at the North Dakota Class A State Track & Field Championships. As a sophomore, she was a four-time state qualifier, taking third in the 4x800m relay, seventh in the 1600m, ninth in the 3200m, 17th in the 800m. Her freshman year, she placed 13th in the 1600m as well. In cross country this fall, Lundstrom led Fargo Davies to the Class A state title, leading the team and placing fourth overall on the way to the team's third-consecutive state championship. Lundstrom has career-best times of 5:05 for the 1600m and 11:04 for the 3200m.
Hopkins on Lundstrom: Megan came to camp last summer, and I immediately knew she would be a great addition to our group. Not only has she run some impressive times, she is a team-first kid that is at her best when she is racing for her team. She has a relatively young training age as she grew up playing volleyball and didn't start cross country until her sophomore year of high school. She has been a top track and XC runner in the state of North Dakota for her whole high school career, and we are excited to see what she can do as she grows as a distance runner and is challenged daily in training and racing.
Maria Rickman, Distance, Edina High School (Edina, Minn.)
Maria Rickman joins the Gophers as a standout distance runner from Edina High School. A four-time Minnesota Class AA Cross Country State Championship participant, Rickman helped Edina to four-straight top-three team finishes, including back-to-back state titles in as a freshman in 2015 and sophomore in 2016. On the track, Rickman entered her senior season already a four-time Minnesota Class AA state championship qualifier, most notably helping the Hornets to back-to-back state titles in the 4x800m relay as a freshman in 2016 and a sophomore in 2017; Rickman and her Edina teammates set a Minnesota Class AA Track & Field State Championship meet record and Minnesota all-time record in the 4x800m relay at 8:59.69 in 2016. Most recently, Rickman placed fifth in the 1600m at the state meet as a junior.
Hopkins on Rickman: We are very excited to add Maria Rickman to the Gopher family. Maria has had a breakthrough last year with consistently strong performances on the course and on the track where she has built herself into one of the top milers in the state and one of the top cross country runners in the Heartland Region, leading her team to Nike Cross Nationals this past fall. Edina does an awesome job of getting the most out of their athletes while also leaving a lot in the tank for the next level of college competition.
Nandini Satsangi, Distance, Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Md.)
Nandini Satsangi joins the Gophers as a distance runner from Poolesville High School in Poolesville, Md. A four-time state cross country participant, Satsangi finished as state runner-up as both a freshman and a senior and led Poolesville to four-straight top-eight team finishes. On the track, she enters her senior season with seven top-10 finishes at the state meet, including winning state titles in the 1600m as a junior and the 3200m as a sophomore.
Hopkins on Satsangi: We are so excited to welcome Nandini to the team! Her mom ran for Minnesota in college, so it is fun to have a second generation Gopher joining the team. Nandini has had a great high school career in Maryland and is just scratching the surface of what she is capable of, so we are excited to get her to Minnesota and continue her progress.
Candesha Scott, Javelin, Central Arizona College (Grenada)
Candesha Scott joins the Gophers after beginning her collegiate career at Central Arizona College where she competed in the multi-events along with the javelin. She was the 2018 NJCAA national champion in the javelin with a throw of 48.39m (158-09) as a sophomore after finishing as national runner-up during her freshman season in 2017. Scott owns a javelin career-best mark of 51.13m (167-09), which earned gold and set a girls under-20 Carifta Games record at the 2016 Carifta Games in St. George's, Grenada. Scott also placed third in javelin at the 2015 Carifta Games. She represented Grenada in the javelin at the 2016 IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland as well.
Miller on Scott: Candesha is a great young woman who has battled through a lot to get this opportunity. We are very excited to add a talent like hers to our program, and we feel like she can help take our team to the next level. Bringing an athlete with this type of international experience and success into our program is a rare opportunity. We are very excited to see what she can do in Maroon and Gold!
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Dyandra Gray | 2025 All-American
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