Gophers Set to Host Big Ten Outdoor Championships

MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota track and field program will host the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time since 2003 this weekend at the University of Minnesota Track and Field Stadium from May 13-15.

About the 2022 Big Ten Outdoor Championships
For the first time since opening their new state-of-the-art outdoor track and field facility, the University of Minnesota will be the hosts of the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in May. Located in the heart of the new Athletes Village area, the nine-lane track with the Beynon 2000 surface will be the focal point of the Midwest's top track and field student-athletes from May 13-15. All aspects of the meet will be either streamed or televised via the Big Ten Network or B1G+. Tickets are available to purchase now and can be found here and many more aspects of the meet can be found at the Big Ten Championship central page. The meet is scheduled to begin on Friday, May 13, at 12 p.m CT and will conclude on Sunday, May 15, at approximately 3:45 p.m. CT.

Last Time Out: Jok Breaks High Jump School Record
The University of Minnesota track and field saw true freshman Nyalaam Jok break the high jump school record on May 4, at the St. Thomas Tommie Twilight. Jok's performance was joined by three other program top 10 performances at O'Shaughnessy Stadium. The Annandale, Minn., native posted three personal best jumps to reach the mark of 1.86m (6-1 1/4) that broke Taylor Wiebke's 2017 school record of 1.85m (6-0 3/4). Jok's leap is tied for the best in the Big Ten this season and is good enough for seventh in the nation this year. Lexy Berger's victory in the pole vault was one of the biggest highlights of the afternoon with a lifetime best vault of 4.15m (13-7 1/4). The mark moves Berger up to No. 5 in school history in the event and propels her to sixth in the Big Ten this season. The lone top 10 time on the track came from Zariyah Black in the 100m hurdles. The true freshman ran her best race of her young career to win the event with the sixth-fastest time in school history, the first time the Gibsonville, N.C., native has cracked the outdoor top 10 at Minnesota. Minnesota's final top 10 performance came in the form of Jake Kubiatowicz in the hammer throw. Kubiatowicz launched a mark of 66.12m (216-11) on his second attempt of four at the shortened meet.

The Gophers at the Big Ten Championships
The women's program has won both the Big Ten Cross Country and Indoor titles this athletic year, aiming to win the team's first 'Triple Crown' in 2022. Last year the Gopher women, and men, finished third at the outdoor conference championships held in Champaign, Ill. The last time the women's team won the outdoor title was in 2018 when the team swept the indoor and outdoor title. The last time the men have won the team title was in 2010 when the team also swept both the indoor and outdoor championships.

High Hopes in the 'M City'
The Maroon and Gold will have five student-athletes that are entering the Big Ten Championships as the No. 1 ranked time or mark this outdoor season in their respective events this weekend. On the men's side, Matthew Wilkinson enters with the top 3000m steeplechase time (8:39.70) while Kostas Zaltos' hammer throw (71.95m | 236-1) is the top in the conference this season. The women's team has three top-ranked Gophers entering championship season as the top ranked in their event. Abigail Schaaffe's 400m hurdles time is the top amongst Big Ten student-athletes while school record holders Nyalaam Jok (1.86m | 6-1 1/4) and Shelby Frank (58.00m | 190-3) are the top performers in the high jump and discus so far this season.

Although they are not seeded first in the Big Ten entering the weekend, there are numerous others that can potentially be in the mix for a medalist (top 3) finish this weekend. Those individuals are: Kion Benjamin (100m), Alec Basten (5000m/3000m Steeplechase), Jaydon Antoine (Long Jump), Kaleb Siekmeier (Discus), Amira Young (100m/200m), Janielle Josephs (400m), Anastasia Korzenowski (800m), Bethany Hasz (5000m/10000m), Megan Hasz (5000m/10000m), Tiera Robinson-Jones (Triple Jump) and Tess Keyzers (Hammer).

Gopher Men's Hammer Still Ranked First in the Nation
In the latest edition of the USTFCCCA's #EventSquad rankings the Golden Gophers had their men's hammer throw team ranked No. 1 in the nation. With the combination of Kosts Zaltos, Jake Kubiatowicz, Kaleb Siekmeier and Carter Hughes, the Gophers have an average season-best mark of 65.58m (215-2) which is over two meters higher than Long Beach State's crew and three meters better than the next best team in the Midwest Region in Southeast Missouri.

In other #EventSquad rankings the Gopher women are ranked No. 7 in the 400m hurdles, No. 13 in the hammer, No. 15 in the 3000m steeplechase and No. 17 in the 100m. Along with the top-ranked men's hammer, the Gopher men have the No. 10 spot in the 3000m steeplechase and the No. 16 spot in the 5000m.

Up Next:
Minnesota's championship season will continue with the NCAA West Region in Fayetteville, Ark., from May 25-28. The meet will be held at John McDonnell Field and will serve as the 'first round' for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships that are held in Eugene, Ore. For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on Twitter and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.

Upcoming Events

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jaydon Antoine

Alec Basten

Kion Benjamin

Lexy Berger

Zariyah Black

Shelby Frank

Bethany Hasz

Megan Hasz

Carter Hughes

Nyalaam Jok

Janielle Josephs

Tess Keyzers

Anastasia Korzenowski

Jake Kubiatowicz

Tiera Robinson-Jones

Abigail Schaaffe

Kaleb Siekmeier

Amira Young

Kostas Zaltos