University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, February 27
Geneva, OH
10:00 AM
University of Minnesota
at
Big Ten Indoor Championships
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Men's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Hoeft Wins B1G Mile
2/27/2021 12:55:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
The Gopher men finished fifth at the Big Ten Indoor Championships on Saturday morning.
GENEVA, Ohio -- Owen Hoeft won the mile and Ben Psicihulis recorded two runner-up finishes to lead the Golden Gopher men to a fifth-place team finish as the University of Minnesota men closed out action at the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday morning.
After running a career-best time of 4:01.90 in the preliminary heats to rank fifth in program history, Hoeft followed up with a 4:05.45 to win the Gopher men's seventh B1G mile title in program history for the Gopher men. He joins Derek Wiebke (2017), John Simons (2014), Ben Blankenship (2010 and 2011), Andrew McKessock (2000), and Merle Sweitzer (1921) to make up Minnesota's all-time B1G men's mile champions.
Psicihulis earned a B1G runner-up finish in the 600 meters, matching his career-best time of 1:16.74 for second place and securing eight points in the team standings. He then anchored Minnesota's second-place 4x400-meter relay, joining Jade Reicks, Collin Sieffert, and Grant Fuller to run a season-best 3:10.23 for second place.
Minnesota scored 70 points to place fifth of 12 in the Big Ten team standings, behind B1G champion Iowa (119 points), Indiana (92), Ohio State (83), and Nebraska (71). It marked the Gophers' fifth top-five B1G indoor finish since 2015. Six Gophers were named All-Big Ten honorees as Hoeft earned All-Big Ten First Team honors, and Psicihulis, Reicks, Sieffert, Fuller, and Big Ten weight throw runner-up Kaleb Siekmeier all received All-Big Ten Second Team accolades.
"The men had an unbelievable meet," director of track & field/cross country Matt Bingle said. "They really stepped up and did an amazing job led by Owen in the mile, Kaleb in the weight, Ben in the 600 meters, and Alec in the 5K -- they all stepped up in a big way and showed up this week. It was great to see how they all fought for each other. It was really fun to watch. They came in and did their job."
Other top performances on the track saw Alec Basten earn a podium finish for the Maroon & Gold on the track on Saturday, finishing third in the 5,000-meters in a career-best 13:45.52 -- good for third at the meet and third in Minnesota program history behind only Hassan Mead (13:33.42) and Obsa Ali (13:38.41).
In addition, Kion Benjamin finish fifth in the 60-meter final in 6.77 seconds. In total, the Gophers picked up 12 points in the mile as Jordan MacIntosh finished seventh in 4:07.70 along with Hoeft's 10 points with the B1G crown.
In the field events, Ekhardt Van der Watt was Minnesota's top finisher on Saturday, clearing a career-best 5.15m (16-10.75 ft.) for fourth place in pole vault. Kyle Atkinson finished seventh in shot put in his B1G debut as well, recording a mark of 18.19m (59-08.25 ft.).
Men's Scoring Finishes
1st - Owen Hoeft, mile (10 points)
2nd - Ben Psicihulis, 600 meters (8 points)
2nd - Jade Reicks, Collin Sieffert, Grant Fuller, Ben Psicihulis, 4x400-meter relay (8 points)
2nd - Kaleb Siekmeier, weight throw (8 points)
3rd - Alec Basten, 5,000 meters (6 points)
3rd - Phillipe Barnett, weight throw (6 points)
4th - Ekhardt Van der Watt, pole vault (5 points)
5th - Kion Benjamin, 60 meters (4 points)
5th - Owen Hoeft, 3,000 meters (4 points)
6th - Hunter Lucas, Collin Sieffert, Seth Eliason, Eli Hoeft, distance medley relay (3 points)
6th - Carter Hughes, weight throw (3 points)
7th - Jordan MacIntosh, mile (2 points)
7th - Kyle Atkinson, shot put (2 points)
8th - Alec Basten, 3,000 meters (1 point)
###
After running a career-best time of 4:01.90 in the preliminary heats to rank fifth in program history, Hoeft followed up with a 4:05.45 to win the Gopher men's seventh B1G mile title in program history for the Gopher men. He joins Derek Wiebke (2017), John Simons (2014), Ben Blankenship (2010 and 2011), Andrew McKessock (2000), and Merle Sweitzer (1921) to make up Minnesota's all-time B1G men's mile champions.
Replay the epic final of the @bigten men's mile and @Hoeft98's #B1GTF title. 〽️🏆 pic.twitter.com/UONVrf3oaJ
— Minnesota Cross Country, Track & Field (@GopherCCTF) March 2, 2021
Psicihulis earned a B1G runner-up finish in the 600 meters, matching his career-best time of 1:16.74 for second place and securing eight points in the team standings. He then anchored Minnesota's second-place 4x400-meter relay, joining Jade Reicks, Collin Sieffert, and Grant Fuller to run a season-best 3:10.23 for second place.
Minnesota scored 70 points to place fifth of 12 in the Big Ten team standings, behind B1G champion Iowa (119 points), Indiana (92), Ohio State (83), and Nebraska (71). It marked the Gophers' fifth top-five B1G indoor finish since 2015. Six Gophers were named All-Big Ten honorees as Hoeft earned All-Big Ten First Team honors, and Psicihulis, Reicks, Sieffert, Fuller, and Big Ten weight throw runner-up Kaleb Siekmeier all received All-Big Ten Second Team accolades.
"The men had an unbelievable meet," director of track & field/cross country Matt Bingle said. "They really stepped up and did an amazing job led by Owen in the mile, Kaleb in the weight, Ben in the 600 meters, and Alec in the 5K -- they all stepped up in a big way and showed up this week. It was great to see how they all fought for each other. It was really fun to watch. They came in and did their job."
Other top performances on the track saw Alec Basten earn a podium finish for the Maroon & Gold on the track on Saturday, finishing third in the 5,000-meters in a career-best 13:45.52 -- good for third at the meet and third in Minnesota program history behind only Hassan Mead (13:33.42) and Obsa Ali (13:38.41).
In addition, Kion Benjamin finish fifth in the 60-meter final in 6.77 seconds. In total, the Gophers picked up 12 points in the mile as Jordan MacIntosh finished seventh in 4:07.70 along with Hoeft's 10 points with the B1G crown.
In the field events, Ekhardt Van der Watt was Minnesota's top finisher on Saturday, clearing a career-best 5.15m (16-10.75 ft.) for fourth place in pole vault. Kyle Atkinson finished seventh in shot put in his B1G debut as well, recording a mark of 18.19m (59-08.25 ft.).
Men's Scoring Finishes
1st - Owen Hoeft, mile (10 points)
2nd - Ben Psicihulis, 600 meters (8 points)
2nd - Jade Reicks, Collin Sieffert, Grant Fuller, Ben Psicihulis, 4x400-meter relay (8 points)
2nd - Kaleb Siekmeier, weight throw (8 points)
3rd - Alec Basten, 5,000 meters (6 points)
3rd - Phillipe Barnett, weight throw (6 points)
4th - Ekhardt Van der Watt, pole vault (5 points)
5th - Kion Benjamin, 60 meters (4 points)
5th - Owen Hoeft, 3,000 meters (4 points)
6th - Hunter Lucas, Collin Sieffert, Seth Eliason, Eli Hoeft, distance medley relay (3 points)
6th - Carter Hughes, weight throw (3 points)
7th - Jordan MacIntosh, mile (2 points)
7th - Kyle Atkinson, shot put (2 points)
8th - Alec Basten, 3,000 meters (1 point)
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