University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Minnesota Open
Players Mentioned
Gophers Earn 20 Wins at Minnesota Open
1/11/2020 7:00:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Minnesota set four new Minnesota Open records in the first home meet of the season.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Golden Gopher track & field program kicked off the 2020 home schedule on Saturday as the Maroon & Gold combined to win 20 event titles at the Minnesota Open including four meet records.
Competing at the recently renovated University of Minnesota Fieldhouse on campus, the Gophers split the win total evenly with the men and women each claiming 10 titles.
Men's Highlights
On the men's side, the Maroon & Gold picked up 10 event wins in the first action of the season at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse including a trio of Minnesota Open record performances.
All-American Jonathan Tharaldsen headlined a strong showing in the field events for Minnesota with a win, a personal record and a meet record in the men's shot put. With a throw of 19.87 meters (65-02.25 ft.), Tharaldsen bested the previous meet record by a meter while the performance jumps the redshirt senior up to second all-time at Minnesota in the discipline. Kevin Nedrick was the runner-up for the Gophers.
Kieran McKeag followed suit in the men's weight throw with a win of 21.55 meters (70-08.00 ft.) – a new Minnesota Open record. McKeag led a 1-2-3-4 finish by the Gophers in the event with Kaleb Siekmeier finishing as the runner-up at 20.61 meters (67-07.00 ft.) – a mark that put Siekmeier ninth all-time at Minnesota.
Sammie Houston claimed the third meet record for the Maroon & Gold with a win of 15.36 meters (50-04.75 ft.) in the men's triple jump.
In Minnesota's second competition of the year, Maroon & Gold newcomer Michael Burke joined Tharaldsen and Houston as two-time event champions with Burke picking up another win in the men's high jump after clearing 2.15 meters (7-00.50 ft.).
On the track, Elliott Davis earned the win in the men's 400 meters at 48.99 while Josh Tracy paced a 1-2-3-4 finish for Minnesota in the men's 400 meters at 1:20.54. The duo were later joined by Jonathan Webb and Grant Fuller to close out the meet with a win in the men's 4x400 meter relay at 3:20.03.
Additionally, the Gophers earned two wins from unattached competitors as Conor McManamon won the men's 60-meter hurdles at 8.36 while Marquez Clerveaux claimed the men's 200-meter title at 22.37.
Women's Highlights
The Gopher women took home seven titles on the track led by Amira Young and Val Larson, who won individual events and ran on Minnesota's winning 4x400-meter relay team. Young won her second-straight 200-meter dash title in 25.32 seconds while Larson won the 400-meter dash in 56.88 seconds. The duo joined Natalie Windels and Kayla Vogt to make up the Maroon & Gold's first-place 4x400-meter relay team, which clocked a time of 3:52.08, as well.
Other top women's performances on the track saw Rachel Schow win the 60-meter hurdles in a season-best time of 8.62 seconds and Sophie Schmitz win the mile in a career-best time of 4:55.95. Erin Huls won the 600 meters in 1:35.27 while Molly Roach took home top honors in the 800 meters (2:16.47) as well.
The Gopher women swept the jumps as Lorean Murray won triple jump, Ashley Ramacher won high jump, and Hannah Morris and Ayesha Champagnie tied for first place in long jump. Morris and Champagnie tied to set a new Minnesota Open meet record with identical winning jumps of 5.88 meters (19-03.50).
Tess Keyzers led the Gopher women in the throws as the top collegiate finisher in both shot put, where she placed second overall with a mark of 16.35 meters (53-07.75 ft.), and weight throw, where she was fourth overall (18.76 meters, 61-06.75 ft.).
Minnesota also posted 10 of the top 12 finishes in the 3,000-meter run led by Abby Kohut-Jackson, who finished second overall as the top collegiate runner in 9:43.77. Six of the 10 Gophers in the race recorded career-best times led by Lindsey Greenlund in third overall (9:51.88).
Event Champions
Michael Burke, men's high jump
Kieran McKeag, men's weight throw
Jonathan Tharaldsen, men's shot put
Mike Herauf, men's pole vault
Josh Tracy, men's 600-meter run
Elliott Davis, men's 400-meter run
Jonathan Webb, Elliott Davis, Grant Fuller, Josh Tracy, men's 4x400-meter relay
Rachel Schow, women's 60-meter hurdles
Amira Young, women's 200-meter dash
Val Larson, women's 400-meter dash
Erin Huls, women's 600-meter run
Molly Roach, women's 800-meter run
Natalie Windels, Kayla Vogt, Amira Young, Val Larson, women's 4x400-meter relay
Sophie Schmitz, women's mile
Ashley Ramacher, women's high jump
Lorean Murray, women's triple jump
Hannah Morris, women's long jump (tie)
Ayesha Champagnie, women's long jump (tie)
Up Next
Next weekend, the Gophers are set to compete at Iowa's Larry Wieczorek Invite on Friday and Saturday in Iowa City, Iowa, while a group also competes locally at the UST Opener hosted by St. Thomas on Friday.
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