University of Minnesota Athletics
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Photo by: Becky Miller
Best of 2019-20: B1G Mile
4/30/2020 1:24:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Bethany Hasz and Abby Kohut-Jackson both earned top-five finishes in the Big Ten mile.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Golden Gopher track & field and cross country program had many memorable moments in 2019-20 worth revisiting and celebrating despite the indoor season ending and the outdoor season being canceled on March 12, 2020, when the Big Ten Conference and NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns.
One of those memorable moments was a pair of top-five finishes in the B1G women's mile final by Gophers Bethany Hasz and Abby Kohut-Jackson. Hasz came in third in 4:44.09 and Kohut-Jackson was fifth in 4:45.29, securing 10 points for the Gophers in the team standings at the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships.
"It was great to have two finalists in the mile," distance coach Sarah Hopkins said. "It's always nice to know you can work together and make moves together. It's also just nice to have a warm-up buddy and not have all the pressure on one person. As the race progressed, it went out pretty slow, so when Bethany went to the front, Abby went with her. They were able to work together and not feel like they were fighting alone."
Hasz and Kohut-Jackson also relished the opportunity to race together in the B1G mile final.
"This was my first time racing in the mile final, but I'd watched the event before at the Big Ten meet, so I knew how crazy some mile finals could get," Kohut-Jackson said. "I was super excited to have Bethany in the race with me because she is such a smart racer. Stepping up to the line, I had the usual nerves in my stomach, but I was ready to race gutsy and try to get whatever points I could for the team.
"The race started out a little bit conservatively, and Bethany took the lead in the middle. Knowing she was aiming to pick up the pace, I tried not to think too much and just went to the front to help her out."
Minnesota fans saw two maroon uniforms leading the charge as the race progressed. With valuable team points on the line, Hasz and Kohut-Jackson accepted the challenge before them.
"It ended up going out pretty slow, so I moved to the front about 500 meters in," Hasz said. "It was really nice to have Abby move right up with me so we could work together and get it moving faster. It still ended up coming down to the last lap or two, and we ended up getting passed by a couple of people but that was really expected when you have a couple people with crazy kicks."
"When Bethany took the lead, I made the tactical move to get right up next to her so that I could help her out and give myself the best chance I could to be in a good position," Kohut-Jackson said. "The next thing I knew, we were leading the field together, and it was a really special moment to share as teammates. I remember seeing our other Gopher teammates and coaches cheering like crazy, and I felt really powerful with all that energy behind me and Bethany at my side. The feeling of running for something bigger than myself really impacted me in that moment."
"The thing that stands out the most was crossing the finish line and turning around to see Abby finishing right after me," Hasz said. "It was really exciting to see how much she's improved in the last year, so it was a fun weekend getting to do four different races with her."
With their third-place and fifth-place finishes in the mile, Hasz and Kohut-Jackson combined to secure 10 points for the Maroon & Gold on the way to the team's runner-up B1G finish. Hasz also finished second in the 3,000 meters and seventh in the 5,000 meters, totaling 16 points for Minnesota, while Kohut-Jackson took fourth in the 3,000 meters and 12th in the 5,000 meters as well.
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One of those memorable moments was a pair of top-five finishes in the B1G women's mile final by Gophers Bethany Hasz and Abby Kohut-Jackson. Hasz came in third in 4:44.09 and Kohut-Jackson was fifth in 4:45.29, securing 10 points for the Gophers in the team standings at the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships.
"It was great to have two finalists in the mile," distance coach Sarah Hopkins said. "It's always nice to know you can work together and make moves together. It's also just nice to have a warm-up buddy and not have all the pressure on one person. As the race progressed, it went out pretty slow, so when Bethany went to the front, Abby went with her. They were able to work together and not feel like they were fighting alone."
Hasz and Kohut-Jackson also relished the opportunity to race together in the B1G mile final.
"This was my first time racing in the mile final, but I'd watched the event before at the Big Ten meet, so I knew how crazy some mile finals could get," Kohut-Jackson said. "I was super excited to have Bethany in the race with me because she is such a smart racer. Stepping up to the line, I had the usual nerves in my stomach, but I was ready to race gutsy and try to get whatever points I could for the team.
"The race started out a little bit conservatively, and Bethany took the lead in the middle. Knowing she was aiming to pick up the pace, I tried not to think too much and just went to the front to help her out."
Minnesota fans saw two maroon uniforms leading the charge as the race progressed. With valuable team points on the line, Hasz and Kohut-Jackson accepted the challenge before them.
"It ended up going out pretty slow, so I moved to the front about 500 meters in," Hasz said. "It was really nice to have Abby move right up with me so we could work together and get it moving faster. It still ended up coming down to the last lap or two, and we ended up getting passed by a couple of people but that was really expected when you have a couple people with crazy kicks."
"When Bethany took the lead, I made the tactical move to get right up next to her so that I could help her out and give myself the best chance I could to be in a good position," Kohut-Jackson said. "The next thing I knew, we were leading the field together, and it was a really special moment to share as teammates. I remember seeing our other Gopher teammates and coaches cheering like crazy, and I felt really powerful with all that energy behind me and Bethany at my side. The feeling of running for something bigger than myself really impacted me in that moment."
"The thing that stands out the most was crossing the finish line and turning around to see Abby finishing right after me," Hasz said. "It was really exciting to see how much she's improved in the last year, so it was a fun weekend getting to do four different races with her."
With their third-place and fifth-place finishes in the mile, Hasz and Kohut-Jackson combined to secure 10 points for the Maroon & Gold on the way to the team's runner-up B1G finish. Hasz also finished second in the 3,000 meters and seventh in the 5,000 meters, totaling 16 points for Minnesota, while Kohut-Jackson took fourth in the 3,000 meters and 12th in the 5,000 meters as well.
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