University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Photo by: Gary Baranec
Hasz Named USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week
11/1/2021 4:32:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS -- After winning her first individual Big Ten title less than a week ago at the 2021 Big Ten Conference Championships, Megan Hasz has been named a co-recipient of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's Division I Women's National Athlete of the Week award, as was announced by the USTFCCCA Monday afternoon. Colorado's Abby Nichols earned the co-recipient honor alongside M. Hasz.
M. Hasz held a top-four spot through all six kilometers of Friday's race in University Park, Pa., eventually reaching the top spot with just over a kilometer of course in front of her. Over the final stretch, she and Michigan's Ericka VanderLende battled back and forth tirelessly before M. Hasz put together a championship-winning surge with just under 50m left to pass VanderLende around the final corner and take the crown in a final time of 20:34.5, finishing under a second faster than her adversary.
M. Hasz's win brought the Gophers their second individual title in as many years, following her twin sister Bethany Hasz's win from the 2020-21 Big Ten Championships this past January. She also became the third individual champion in program history, joining B. Hasz and the 1987 Big Ten Champion Eileen Donaghy.
The effort was monumental in terms of the team standings as well, as Minnesota claimed its third team title in program history Friday as well. The Gophers finished the day with 72 team points behind a trio of top-three finishes from M. Hasz, Abby Kohut-Jackson and B. Hasz, beating out the runner-up finishers Wisconsin (78) by only six points.
The national award makes M. Hasz only the second student-athlete in program history to garner the honor, joining her sister B. Hasz who won the same award after capturing her Big Ten title in January.
M. Hasz held a top-four spot through all six kilometers of Friday's race in University Park, Pa., eventually reaching the top spot with just over a kilometer of course in front of her. Over the final stretch, she and Michigan's Ericka VanderLende battled back and forth tirelessly before M. Hasz put together a championship-winning surge with just under 50m left to pass VanderLende around the final corner and take the crown in a final time of 20:34.5, finishing under a second faster than her adversary.
M. Hasz's win brought the Gophers their second individual title in as many years, following her twin sister Bethany Hasz's win from the 2020-21 Big Ten Championships this past January. She also became the third individual champion in program history, joining B. Hasz and the 1987 Big Ten Champion Eileen Donaghy.
The effort was monumental in terms of the team standings as well, as Minnesota claimed its third team title in program history Friday as well. The Gophers finished the day with 72 team points behind a trio of top-three finishes from M. Hasz, Abby Kohut-Jackson and B. Hasz, beating out the runner-up finishers Wisconsin (78) by only six points.
The national award makes M. Hasz only the second student-athlete in program history to garner the honor, joining her sister B. Hasz who won the same award after capturing her Big Ten title in January.
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