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Photo by: Becky Miller
Josephs Named B1G Freshman of the Year
5/12/2020 2:05:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Gopher freshman sprinter Janielle Josephs has been honored by the Big Ten Conference.
MINNEAPOLIS – University of Minnesota freshman Janielle Josephs has been named the Big Ten Conference Women's Track & Field Freshman of the Year as the B1G announced its 2020 award recipients on Tuesday.
Josephs wrapped up her first season competing for the Golden Gophers with a third-place finish in the 400 meters and a sixth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, where she clocked season-best times in both events. Josephs ran 13 races during the indoor campaign with appearances in the 400 meters, 200 meters, and 4x400-meter relay. The Kingston, Jamaica native ended the season ranked third among all-time Gophers in the 400 meters at 53.81 seconds, and she served as anchor for the 10th-fastest 4x400m relay team in program history at 3:39.98.
Josephs is the seventh Gopher to earn B1G Freshman of the Year honors and the program's first since 2018. She joins Aubrey Schmitt (1998 outdoor), Tahesia Harrigan (2002 outdoor), Liz Roehrig (2005 indoor), Liz Podominick (2005 outdoor), Heather Dorniden (2006 indoor and 2006 outdoor), and Ashley Ramacher (2018 outdoor) among Minnesota's B1G Freshman of the Year honorees.
Along with Josephs, a pair of Gophers were honored as B1G Sportsmanship Award recipients as Tate Sweeney received the women's award and Collin Sieffert received the men's award for the Maroon & Gold.
During the 2020 indoor season, Bethany Hasz was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Women's Track Athlete of the Year and Peter Miller received the USTFCCCA Midwest Men's Assistant Coach of the Year award. The Gophers women finished as B1G team runner-up while the men finished third. Minnesota had 13 entries to the NCAA Indoor Championships before the indoor season ended on March 12, 2020, when the Big Ten and NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns.
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Josephs wrapped up her first season competing for the Golden Gophers with a third-place finish in the 400 meters and a sixth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, where she clocked season-best times in both events. Josephs ran 13 races during the indoor campaign with appearances in the 400 meters, 200 meters, and 4x400-meter relay. The Kingston, Jamaica native ended the season ranked third among all-time Gophers in the 400 meters at 53.81 seconds, and she served as anchor for the 10th-fastest 4x400m relay team in program history at 3:39.98.
Josephs is the seventh Gopher to earn B1G Freshman of the Year honors and the program's first since 2018. She joins Aubrey Schmitt (1998 outdoor), Tahesia Harrigan (2002 outdoor), Liz Roehrig (2005 indoor), Liz Podominick (2005 outdoor), Heather Dorniden (2006 indoor and 2006 outdoor), and Ashley Ramacher (2018 outdoor) among Minnesota's B1G Freshman of the Year honorees.
Along with Josephs, a pair of Gophers were honored as B1G Sportsmanship Award recipients as Tate Sweeney received the women's award and Collin Sieffert received the men's award for the Maroon & Gold.
During the 2020 indoor season, Bethany Hasz was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Women's Track Athlete of the Year and Peter Miller received the USTFCCCA Midwest Men's Assistant Coach of the Year award. The Gophers women finished as B1G team runner-up while the men finished third. Minnesota had 13 entries to the NCAA Indoor Championships before the indoor season ended on March 12, 2020, when the Big Ten and NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns.
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