University of Minnesota Athletics
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Sprints
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Multi-Events
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Photo by: Christopher Mitchell
Season Preview: 2021 Men's Indoor
1/8/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Get to know some of the Gopher men'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 men's side.
"Our men, as always, are looking forward to competing and taking on the challenge of a new season," Bingle said. "The coaches and the athletes appreciate all the help and support that it took from many people to get our season going!"
Sprints
Kion Benjamin is Minnesota's top returner in the short sprints, already ranked eighth among all-time Gophers in the 200m at 21.54an seconds and 10th all-time in the 60m at 6.80 seconds. Zach Nelson also returns for the Maroon & Gold in the 60m and 200m.
The Gophers return Ben Psicihulis, Collin Sieffert, and Grant Fuller for the indoor 400m. Psicihulis ran an indoor career-best 47.69 for 400m and anchored Minnesota's B1G third-place 4x400m relay team last season while Sieffert made his indoor B1G 400m debut with a 20th-place finish. Team co-captain Elliott Davis, who has exhausted his indoor eligibility, will bolster the Gophers' sprints corps when he joins the squad for the outdoor season as well.
Mid-Distance
Psicihulis, who ranks eighth among all-time Gophers in the 600m, and Luke Trapp, whose PR is just shy of the program's all-time top-10 at 1:18.62, will lead the way in the 600m. Trapp scored in the B1G 600m last season while Psicihulis clocked the team's fastest 600m time of the 2020 season at 1:17.63. Fuller and Sieffert will use the indoor 600m to prepare for the outdoor 400m hurdles as well.
At 800m, Trapp is Minnesota's top returner with a season-best time of 1:51.80 during the 2020 indoor campaign. Co-captain Owen Hoeft, who tied for seventh in the 2020 B1G mile final, and co-captain Alec Basten are back after clocking the team's two fastest mile times of the season a year ago. Jordan MacIntosh also returns to the mid-distance corps after setting PRs at both 800m (1:53.54) and the mile (4:06.50) a year ago.
3,000m & 5,000m
Hoeft ranks seventh all-time in the 3,000m and Basten ranks fourth all-time in the 5,000m as Minnesota's top two returners in the distance events. Basten scored in both the 5,000m (fifth) and 3,000m (sixth) at the Big Ten indoor meet last season while Hoeft's 3,000m PR of 8:03.77 earned him a third-place finish at the 2020 Meyo Invitational. Jack Manderscheid also leads the Gophers' distance squad after finishing 12th in both the 5,000m and 3,000m at the B1G indoor meet and recording indoor career-best times in both events last season.
Pole Vault and Jumps
Co-captain Mike Herauf is Minnesota's top returner in pole vault, having cleared a career-best 5.15m (16-10.75 ft.) and tying for ninth at the B1G indoor meet a year ago. Ekhardt Van der Watt returns for his second season with the Maroon & Gold as well after competing in pole vault at five meets last season. Newcomer Jaydon Antoine, who joins the team from Preysal, Trinidad & Tobago, is poised to contribute immediately in the jumps as well.
Throws
Co-captain Eric Rousemiller is Minnesota's top returner in the shot put with an indoor career-best mark of 16.54m (54-03.25 ft.) set during the 2019 season. Kaleb Siekmeier leads the way in weight throw, already ranked third among all-time Gophers with a career-best mark of 22.09m (72-05.75) set during the 2020 season. Carter Hughes, Kyle Atkinson, and Kostas Zaltos will make their debuts for the Maroon & Gold after competing unattached a year ago, and newcomer Phillipe Barnett is expected to contribute immediately as well.
Multi-Events
Newcomer Alexander Jung joins the Gophers from Saarlouis, Germany as a decorated multi-event athlete who has significant experience competing at the national level, including winning the decathlon U23 national title at the German Athletics Championships in 2019. Team co-captain Teddy Frid has exhausted his indoor eligibility but will lead the Gophers in the decathlon come outdoor season.
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"Our men, as always, are looking forward to competing and taking on the challenge of a new season," Bingle said. "The coaches and the athletes appreciate all the help and support that it took from many people to get our season going!"
Sprints
Kion Benjamin is Minnesota's top returner in the short sprints, already ranked eighth among all-time Gophers in the 200m at 21.54an seconds and 10th all-time in the 60m at 6.80 seconds. Zach Nelson also returns for the Maroon & Gold in the 60m and 200m.
The Gophers return Ben Psicihulis, Collin Sieffert, and Grant Fuller for the indoor 400m. Psicihulis ran an indoor career-best 47.69 for 400m and anchored Minnesota's B1G third-place 4x400m relay team last season while Sieffert made his indoor B1G 400m debut with a 20th-place finish. Team co-captain Elliott Davis, who has exhausted his indoor eligibility, will bolster the Gophers' sprints corps when he joins the squad for the outdoor season as well.
Mid-Distance
Psicihulis, who ranks eighth among all-time Gophers in the 600m, and Luke Trapp, whose PR is just shy of the program's all-time top-10 at 1:18.62, will lead the way in the 600m. Trapp scored in the B1G 600m last season while Psicihulis clocked the team's fastest 600m time of the 2020 season at 1:17.63. Fuller and Sieffert will use the indoor 600m to prepare for the outdoor 400m hurdles as well.
At 800m, Trapp is Minnesota's top returner with a season-best time of 1:51.80 during the 2020 indoor campaign. Co-captain Owen Hoeft, who tied for seventh in the 2020 B1G mile final, and co-captain Alec Basten are back after clocking the team's two fastest mile times of the season a year ago. Jordan MacIntosh also returns to the mid-distance corps after setting PRs at both 800m (1:53.54) and the mile (4:06.50) a year ago.
3,000m & 5,000m
Hoeft ranks seventh all-time in the 3,000m and Basten ranks fourth all-time in the 5,000m as Minnesota's top two returners in the distance events. Basten scored in both the 5,000m (fifth) and 3,000m (sixth) at the Big Ten indoor meet last season while Hoeft's 3,000m PR of 8:03.77 earned him a third-place finish at the 2020 Meyo Invitational. Jack Manderscheid also leads the Gophers' distance squad after finishing 12th in both the 5,000m and 3,000m at the B1G indoor meet and recording indoor career-best times in both events last season.
Pole Vault and Jumps
Co-captain Mike Herauf is Minnesota's top returner in pole vault, having cleared a career-best 5.15m (16-10.75 ft.) and tying for ninth at the B1G indoor meet a year ago. Ekhardt Van der Watt returns for his second season with the Maroon & Gold as well after competing in pole vault at five meets last season. Newcomer Jaydon Antoine, who joins the team from Preysal, Trinidad & Tobago, is poised to contribute immediately in the jumps as well.
Throws
Co-captain Eric Rousemiller is Minnesota's top returner in the shot put with an indoor career-best mark of 16.54m (54-03.25 ft.) set during the 2019 season. Kaleb Siekmeier leads the way in weight throw, already ranked third among all-time Gophers with a career-best mark of 22.09m (72-05.75) set during the 2020 season. Carter Hughes, Kyle Atkinson, and Kostas Zaltos will make their debuts for the Maroon & Gold after competing unattached a year ago, and newcomer Phillipe Barnett is expected to contribute immediately as well.
Multi-Events
Newcomer Alexander Jung joins the Gophers from Saarlouis, Germany as a decorated multi-event athlete who has significant experience competing at the national level, including winning the decathlon U23 national title at the German Athletics Championships in 2019. Team co-captain Teddy Frid has exhausted his indoor eligibility but will lead the Gophers in the decathlon come outdoor season.
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