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Gophers Set for U.S. Olympic Trials
6/17/2021 3:33:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Alec Basten and Abby Kohut-Jackson join several University of Minnesota alumni in competing at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
MINNEAPOLIS -- University of Minnesota seniors Alec Basten and Abby Kohut-Jackson join seven Golden Gopher alumni among the athletes set to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field, which will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., from Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 27.
Big Ten champions Basten and Kohut-Jackson will both compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, joining Gopher alums Obsa Ali and Madeline Strandemo in the field. Ali holds Minnesota's program record in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at 8:28.49 set during the 2019 season while Basten ranks second in program history with a career-best time of 8:29.03, set last weekend at the NCAA Championships where he finished as NCAA runner-up and earned First Team All-America accolades.
On the women's side, Kohut-Jackson, a Second Team All-American after finishing 11th at this year's NCAA Championships, holds Minnesota's 3,000-meter steeplechase record with a career-best time of 9:41.20 set during the NCAA semifinal heats. Strandemo previously held the Gophers' program record with her collegiate-best time from 2018 at 9:51.49, which now ranks second in program history.
Fellow alumni Ben Blankenship and Heather Kampf are both set to compete in the 1,500 meters while Hassan Mead will race the 5,000 meters. All three still rank among Minnesota's best in their respective events. Blankenship still holds Minnesota's program record in the men's 1,500 meters at 3:39.77 set in 2010 while Kampf is third among all-time Gopher women in the 1,500 meters with a collegiate-best time of 4:17.68, which stood as a program record when she ran it back in 2007. Meanwhile, Mead still holds Minnesota program records in the men's 5,000 meters (13:28.45 in 2009) and 10,000 meters (28:12.74 in 2012).
Minnesota alum Sean Donnelly will compete in the hammer throw as well. His collegiate-best mark of 74.35m (243-11) at the 2016 Baldy Castillo Invite still stands as the Gophers' program record in men's hammer throw.
In addition, 2020 University of Minnesota graduate Shane Streich, who spent the 2020-21 season attending graduate school and competing for Lipscomb University, is set to compete in the men's 800 meters with a career-best time of 1:46.70 set during the 2021 NCAA Championships.
Gopher Entries by Event, Team, and Qualifying Mark
Men's 5,000 meters
Hassan Mead (NIKE/NIKE OTCE), 13:22.11
Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase
Abby Kohut-Jackson (University of Minnesota), 9:41.20
Madeline Strandemo (Oiselle/Littlewing Athletics), 9:46.43
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase
Obsa Ali (ASICS), 8:22.67
Alec Basten (University of Minnesota), 8:29.03
Women's 1,500 meters
Heather Kampf (ASICS/Minnesota Distance Elite), 4:08.21
Men's 1,500 meters
Ben Blankenship (NIKE/NIKE OTCE), 3:36.22
Men's 800 meters
Shane Streich (Lipscomb), 1:46.70
Men's hammer throw
Sean Donnelly (adidas), 79.27m (260-01 ft.)
Schedule of Events
Friday, June 18
2:05 p.m. CT - Men's hammer throw (Qualifying): Sean Donnelly
6:03 p.m. CT - Women's 1,500 meters (First Round): Heather Kampf
7:26 p.m. CT - Men's 800 meters (First Round): Shane Streich
Saturday, June 19
8:40 p.m. CT - Women's 1,500 meters (Semifinals): TBD
9:04 p.m. CT - Men's 800 meters (Semifinals): TBD
Sunday, June 20
6:25 p.m. CT - Men's hammer throw (Final): TBD
8:35 p.m. CT - Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase (First Round): Abby Kohut-Jackson, Madeline Strandemo
Monday, June 21
6:29 p.m. CT - Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (First Round): Alec Basten, Obsa Ali
7:05 p.m. CT - Women's 1,500 meters (Final): TBD
7:28 p.m. CT - Men's 800 meters (Final): TBD
Thursday, June 24
8:04 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (First Round): Ben Blankenship
10:04 p.m. CT - Men's 5,000 meters (First Round): Hassan Mead
10:47 p.m. CT - Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase (Final): TBD
Friday, June 25
6:05 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (Semifinals): TBD
6:42 p.m. CT - Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (Final): TBD
Sunday, June 27
6:30 p.m. CT - Men's 5,000 meters (Final): TBD
7:10 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (Final): TBD
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Big Ten champions Basten and Kohut-Jackson will both compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, joining Gopher alums Obsa Ali and Madeline Strandemo in the field. Ali holds Minnesota's program record in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at 8:28.49 set during the 2019 season while Basten ranks second in program history with a career-best time of 8:29.03, set last weekend at the NCAA Championships where he finished as NCAA runner-up and earned First Team All-America accolades.
On the women's side, Kohut-Jackson, a Second Team All-American after finishing 11th at this year's NCAA Championships, holds Minnesota's 3,000-meter steeplechase record with a career-best time of 9:41.20 set during the NCAA semifinal heats. Strandemo previously held the Gophers' program record with her collegiate-best time from 2018 at 9:51.49, which now ranks second in program history.
Fellow alumni Ben Blankenship and Heather Kampf are both set to compete in the 1,500 meters while Hassan Mead will race the 5,000 meters. All three still rank among Minnesota's best in their respective events. Blankenship still holds Minnesota's program record in the men's 1,500 meters at 3:39.77 set in 2010 while Kampf is third among all-time Gopher women in the 1,500 meters with a collegiate-best time of 4:17.68, which stood as a program record when she ran it back in 2007. Meanwhile, Mead still holds Minnesota program records in the men's 5,000 meters (13:28.45 in 2009) and 10,000 meters (28:12.74 in 2012).
Minnesota alum Sean Donnelly will compete in the hammer throw as well. His collegiate-best mark of 74.35m (243-11) at the 2016 Baldy Castillo Invite still stands as the Gophers' program record in men's hammer throw.
In addition, 2020 University of Minnesota graduate Shane Streich, who spent the 2020-21 season attending graduate school and competing for Lipscomb University, is set to compete in the men's 800 meters with a career-best time of 1:46.70 set during the 2021 NCAA Championships.
Gopher Entries by Event, Team, and Qualifying Mark
Men's 5,000 meters
Hassan Mead (NIKE/NIKE OTCE), 13:22.11
Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase
Abby Kohut-Jackson (University of Minnesota), 9:41.20
Madeline Strandemo (Oiselle/Littlewing Athletics), 9:46.43
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase
Obsa Ali (ASICS), 8:22.67
Alec Basten (University of Minnesota), 8:29.03
Women's 1,500 meters
Heather Kampf (ASICS/Minnesota Distance Elite), 4:08.21
Men's 1,500 meters
Ben Blankenship (NIKE/NIKE OTCE), 3:36.22
Men's 800 meters
Shane Streich (Lipscomb), 1:46.70
Men's hammer throw
Sean Donnelly (adidas), 79.27m (260-01 ft.)
Schedule of Events
Friday, June 18
2:05 p.m. CT - Men's hammer throw (Qualifying): Sean Donnelly
6:03 p.m. CT - Women's 1,500 meters (First Round): Heather Kampf
7:26 p.m. CT - Men's 800 meters (First Round): Shane Streich
Saturday, June 19
8:40 p.m. CT - Women's 1,500 meters (Semifinals): TBD
9:04 p.m. CT - Men's 800 meters (Semifinals): TBD
Sunday, June 20
6:25 p.m. CT - Men's hammer throw (Final): TBD
8:35 p.m. CT - Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase (First Round): Abby Kohut-Jackson, Madeline Strandemo
Monday, June 21
6:29 p.m. CT - Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (First Round): Alec Basten, Obsa Ali
7:05 p.m. CT - Women's 1,500 meters (Final): TBD
7:28 p.m. CT - Men's 800 meters (Final): TBD
Thursday, June 24
8:04 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (First Round): Ben Blankenship
10:04 p.m. CT - Men's 5,000 meters (First Round): Hassan Mead
10:47 p.m. CT - Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase (Final): TBD
Friday, June 25
6:05 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (Semifinals): TBD
6:42 p.m. CT - Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (Final): TBD
Sunday, June 27
6:30 p.m. CT - Men's 5,000 meters (Final): TBD
7:10 p.m. CT - Men's 1,500 meters (Final): TBD
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