University of Minnesota Athletics
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Multi/Javelin
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Multi/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
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/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Long Jump
/ Women's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Season Preview: 2021 Women's Indoor
1/6/2021 1:30:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Get to know some of the Gopher women's track & field team's top returners for the 2021 indoor season.
MINNEAPOLIS -- As the Golden Gopher track & field program embarks on the 2021 indoor season, Minnesota director of track & field and cross country Matt Bingle previews the season and highlights some of the top returners and newcomers to watch for on the women's side.
"We're excited about the group we have this year," Bingle said. "We have some high-end talent returning along with a solid group of newcomers. We know everyone is looking forward to the opportunity to compete once again, and we expect them to be ready to go. The team has some big goals they want to achieve both individually and as a group, and we're looking forward to a great indoor season."
Sprints
Amira Young, Akilah Lewis, and Lexi Romero lead the way as Minnesota's top returners in the short sprints. Young holds Minnesota's indoor program record in the 200m and ranks second all-time in the 60m while Lewis is seventh in the 60m and Romero is tied for fourth in the 200m.
The Gophers return four of their top 400m runners from a year ago in Janielle Josephs, Val Larson, Jayla Campbell, and Lauren Hansen. Josephs is back for her sophomore year after being named 2020 Big Ten Freshman of the Year following her third-place finish in the 400m and teaming up with Rachel Schow, Larson, and Campbell for a sixth-place finish in the 4x400m relay at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Newcomers Dalayni Etienne from Miami, Fla., and Abigail Schaaffe from St. Mary, Jamaica, will bolster Minnesota's sprints corps as well.
Mid-Distance
Val Larson leads the way as Minnesota's top returner in the 600m as a two-time B1G runner-up ranked fourth all-time with a PR of 1:28.93. Sophie Schmitz had a ranks 10th all-time in the 800m and clocked career best times in the 600m, 800m, and mile during the 2020 indoor season. Molly Roach and Libby Halbmaier also return in the 800m, and Abigail Schaaffe has the range to race the 600m and 800m along with contributing at 400m.
In the mile, the Gophers return two all-time top-10 performers in Bethany Hasz (second all-time) and Abby Kohut-Jackson (eighth all-time) along with Anastasia Korzenowski and Tate Sweeney. All four had successful fall training seasons and look to take another step forward in 2021.
Distance
The Gophers return a wealth of talent in the distance events led by 2020 All-American and All-Big Ten Second Team honoree Bethany Hasz, who already holds Minnesota's indoor program records at 3,000m and 5,000m, and Megan Hasz, who ranks second all-time for 5,000m and ninth all-time for 3,000m. Abby Kohut-Jackson also made the Gophers' all-time top-10 list in the 3,000m last year along with finishing fourth in the event at the B1G Indoor Championships. Anastasia Korzenowski and Jaycie Thomsen will also lead the Maroon & Gold in the distance events.
Jumps & Pole Vault
Hannah Morris leads Minnesota's jumpers, entering her junior year tied for fourth among all-time Gophers in long jump with an indoor career-best mark of 6.08m (19-11.50 ft.). Hannah Arason ranks eighth all-time in high jump, and newcomer Samantha Spencer is a strong addition to the Gophers' pole vault squad.
Throws
The Gophers will be led by Tess Keyzers, Devia Brown, and Erin Dunning in the throws. Keyzers ranks fourth among all-time Gophers in both shot put and weight throw while Brown is third all-time in shot put. Dunning bolsers Minnesota's line up in weight throw while Emily Stendel is poised for a breakout season in weight throw as well. Shelby Frank also joins the throws squad as a highly touted newcomer from Red River High School in Grand Forks, N.D.
Pentathlon
The Gophers are led by two all-time top-10 returners in the multi-events as Hannah Arason ranks fifth all-time with a PR of 3,851 points in the pentathlon and Allison Gerads ranks 10th all-time with a PR of 3,739 points set during the 2020 B1G pentathlon.
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"We're excited about the group we have this year," Bingle said. "We have some high-end talent returning along with a solid group of newcomers. We know everyone is looking forward to the opportunity to compete once again, and we expect them to be ready to go. The team has some big goals they want to achieve both individually and as a group, and we're looking forward to a great indoor season."
Sprints
Amira Young, Akilah Lewis, and Lexi Romero lead the way as Minnesota's top returners in the short sprints. Young holds Minnesota's indoor program record in the 200m and ranks second all-time in the 60m while Lewis is seventh in the 60m and Romero is tied for fourth in the 200m.
The Gophers return four of their top 400m runners from a year ago in Janielle Josephs, Val Larson, Jayla Campbell, and Lauren Hansen. Josephs is back for her sophomore year after being named 2020 Big Ten Freshman of the Year following her third-place finish in the 400m and teaming up with Rachel Schow, Larson, and Campbell for a sixth-place finish in the 4x400m relay at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Newcomers Dalayni Etienne from Miami, Fla., and Abigail Schaaffe from St. Mary, Jamaica, will bolster Minnesota's sprints corps as well.
Mid-Distance
Val Larson leads the way as Minnesota's top returner in the 600m as a two-time B1G runner-up ranked fourth all-time with a PR of 1:28.93. Sophie Schmitz had a ranks 10th all-time in the 800m and clocked career best times in the 600m, 800m, and mile during the 2020 indoor season. Molly Roach and Libby Halbmaier also return in the 800m, and Abigail Schaaffe has the range to race the 600m and 800m along with contributing at 400m.
In the mile, the Gophers return two all-time top-10 performers in Bethany Hasz (second all-time) and Abby Kohut-Jackson (eighth all-time) along with Anastasia Korzenowski and Tate Sweeney. All four had successful fall training seasons and look to take another step forward in 2021.
Distance
The Gophers return a wealth of talent in the distance events led by 2020 All-American and All-Big Ten Second Team honoree Bethany Hasz, who already holds Minnesota's indoor program records at 3,000m and 5,000m, and Megan Hasz, who ranks second all-time for 5,000m and ninth all-time for 3,000m. Abby Kohut-Jackson also made the Gophers' all-time top-10 list in the 3,000m last year along with finishing fourth in the event at the B1G Indoor Championships. Anastasia Korzenowski and Jaycie Thomsen will also lead the Maroon & Gold in the distance events.
Jumps & Pole Vault
Hannah Morris leads Minnesota's jumpers, entering her junior year tied for fourth among all-time Gophers in long jump with an indoor career-best mark of 6.08m (19-11.50 ft.). Hannah Arason ranks eighth all-time in high jump, and newcomer Samantha Spencer is a strong addition to the Gophers' pole vault squad.
Throws
The Gophers will be led by Tess Keyzers, Devia Brown, and Erin Dunning in the throws. Keyzers ranks fourth among all-time Gophers in both shot put and weight throw while Brown is third all-time in shot put. Dunning bolsers Minnesota's line up in weight throw while Emily Stendel is poised for a breakout season in weight throw as well. Shelby Frank also joins the throws squad as a highly touted newcomer from Red River High School in Grand Forks, N.D.
Pentathlon
The Gophers are led by two all-time top-10 returners in the multi-events as Hannah Arason ranks fifth all-time with a PR of 3,851 points in the pentathlon and Allison Gerads ranks 10th all-time with a PR of 3,739 points set during the 2020 B1G pentathlon.
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