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5 Reasons to Get Excited for the Start of Cross Country Season
8/24/2022 12:52:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
After a year of incredible success the University of Minnesota cross country program is now set to begin its 2022 season with many new faces. Under the leadership of head coach Sarah Hopkins and the assistance of Brad Wick, Gopher fans have plenty to be excited about and Hopkins offers some of her favorite reasons why she cannot wait to have the team back on the course.
The University of Minnesota women's cross country program has qualified for the NCAA Championships for five-straight seasons and has qualified for 16 of the last 17 while the men reached the NCAA Championships last season for the first time since 2015.
"The Big Ten is the Big Ten, it is never easy," Hopkins added. "Even when we have had some of the best teams we've ever had, it hasn't been easy. I think our goal would be to be in that top 5 in the Big Ten, and if you do that, you've got a really good shot at the national meet because year in and year out, the conference is brining six, seven, eight teams from the Big Ten to the national championships."
"A lot of our impactful younger student-athletes on this team are from the Midwest, from Minnesota," Hopkins said. "And so if you're a track and cross-country fan in this state, you will recognize the names from high school and they're now still here and are going to be that next generation of Gopher Cross Country."
Minnesota welcomes the 2021 state cross country champion Ali Weimer to its roster this season. Zoie Dundon was also a two-time Minnesota state champion in track in field with back-to-back 800m titles. Anna Lien is also a state champion incomer out of North Dakota, winning the 1600m out of Fargo North High School. Izzy Roemer also brings in talent from the track, winning a Minnesota state title in the 1600m and finishing as the state runner-up in the 3200m.
"We're certainly excited about our freshmen that are redshirting," Hopkins explained. "Being able to keep an eye on them even though they're not in uniform and see their development over the course of the fall and into the spring will be fun to see."
With heavy transfer additions, the men's squad will be able to redshirt many of their freshmen. Minnesota is bringing in two Gatorade Cross Country Athletes of the Year in their respective states with Shane Griepentrog winning the Wisconsin honor and Tanner Klumph winning the distinction out of the state of Montana.
"Especially on the guys side next year we feel really confident that like there's going to be a big step next year," Hopkins said. "So kind of watching what's churning in the unattached world to see what that's going to look like when they all come together in uniform next year."
"This is really their first year to kind of step into the light. For the Emma's [Atkinson] and the [Liesl Paulsen's] and the [Brianne Brewster's] and the Ava Hill's and Erin Reidy's in that group that have done some good things for the last two years," Hopkins said. "But this is kind of their opportunity; the doors are open and they can kind of step through those doors and see what they're capable of.
"I think on the guy's side, people like Emmet and Leo and even Eli, who has had a lot of great experience, but he's never really been the guy, and now it's his turn," said Hopkins. "Coach Wilson used to always say this a long time ago, 'you're never quite ready, but it's just your turn.' I think this is going to be a year like that where you might not feel quite ready, but it's your turn."
"It's actually a super exciting year because there's just so much opportunity, new possibilities," Hopkins said. "The last several years, we've had a very distinct top group that's been very cohesive. And now we're going into a year that is anything but predictable, but there's also a lot of excitement. And so I'm really excited for both sides to have this new look and new feel."
"This year will be the first time in six years that we've not had women that I've known for seven years now and so that's very different even for me as a coach," Hopkins explained "To walk into the first team meeting and not see a lot of faces that have been really mainstays of the program for a long time. And there's some sadness to that, certainly, but there are a lot of excitement to that, too, because those chairs are filled with some great new people."
"The Griak is always awesome," Hopkins said. "Those of us that knew Roy, it has another special place in our hearts. I ran at the Griak in high school and a lot of our current team ran at Griak in high school because there are a lot of local Midwestern kids. And so people have a long tradition with the meet both as athletes and now as coaches."
"It's just a special day for so many different reasons," Hopkins added. "We just really like to celebrate cross country. We have races for all college divisions as well as high school. It's kind of just it makes cross country feel like a football game day in some ways. That's kind of what we try to do. It's not just showing up to a field, running around and going home, but it is about making it feel like a big deal, because it really is deserving of that kind of attention."
For more information on the Gophers this summer, 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 2022 cross country season.
- NEW TEAM, SAME GOALS
The University of Minnesota women's cross country program has qualified for the NCAA Championships for five-straight seasons and has qualified for 16 of the last 17 while the men reached the NCAA Championships last season for the first time since 2015.
"The Big Ten is the Big Ten, it is never easy," Hopkins added. "Even when we have had some of the best teams we've ever had, it hasn't been easy. I think our goal would be to be in that top 5 in the Big Ten, and if you do that, you've got a really good shot at the national meet because year in and year out, the conference is brining six, seven, eight teams from the Big Ten to the national championships."
- A YOUTH MOVEMENT
"A lot of our impactful younger student-athletes on this team are from the Midwest, from Minnesota," Hopkins said. "And so if you're a track and cross-country fan in this state, you will recognize the names from high school and they're now still here and are going to be that next generation of Gopher Cross Country."
Minnesota welcomes the 2021 state cross country champion Ali Weimer to its roster this season. Zoie Dundon was also a two-time Minnesota state champion in track in field with back-to-back 800m titles. Anna Lien is also a state champion incomer out of North Dakota, winning the 1600m out of Fargo North High School. Izzy Roemer also brings in talent from the track, winning a Minnesota state title in the 1600m and finishing as the state runner-up in the 3200m.
"We're certainly excited about our freshmen that are redshirting," Hopkins explained. "Being able to keep an eye on them even though they're not in uniform and see their development over the course of the fall and into the spring will be fun to see."
With heavy transfer additions, the men's squad will be able to redshirt many of their freshmen. Minnesota is bringing in two Gatorade Cross Country Athletes of the Year in their respective states with Shane Griepentrog winning the Wisconsin honor and Tanner Klumph winning the distinction out of the state of Montana.
"Especially on the guys side next year we feel really confident that like there's going to be a big step next year," Hopkins said. "So kind of watching what's churning in the unattached world to see what that's going to look like when they all come together in uniform next year."
- "YOU'RE NEVER QUITE READY, IT'S JUST YOUR TURN"
"This is really their first year to kind of step into the light. For the Emma's [Atkinson] and the [Liesl Paulsen's] and the [Brianne Brewster's] and the Ava Hill's and Erin Reidy's in that group that have done some good things for the last two years," Hopkins said. "But this is kind of their opportunity; the doors are open and they can kind of step through those doors and see what they're capable of.
"I think on the guy's side, people like Emmet and Leo and even Eli, who has had a lot of great experience, but he's never really been the guy, and now it's his turn," said Hopkins. "Coach Wilson used to always say this a long time ago, 'you're never quite ready, but it's just your turn.' I think this is going to be a year like that where you might not feel quite ready, but it's your turn."
- THE NEXT GENERATION OF GREAT GOLDEN GOPHERS
"It's actually a super exciting year because there's just so much opportunity, new possibilities," Hopkins said. "The last several years, we've had a very distinct top group that's been very cohesive. And now we're going into a year that is anything but predictable, but there's also a lot of excitement. And so I'm really excited for both sides to have this new look and new feel."
"This year will be the first time in six years that we've not had women that I've known for seven years now and so that's very different even for me as a coach," Hopkins explained "To walk into the first team meeting and not see a lot of faces that have been really mainstays of the program for a long time. And there's some sadness to that, certainly, but there are a lot of excitement to that, too, because those chairs are filled with some great new people."
- CELEBRATING CROSS COUNTRY AT THE GRIAK
"The Griak is always awesome," Hopkins said. "Those of us that knew Roy, it has another special place in our hearts. I ran at the Griak in high school and a lot of our current team ran at Griak in high school because there are a lot of local Midwestern kids. And so people have a long tradition with the meet both as athletes and now as coaches."
"It's just a special day for so many different reasons," Hopkins added. "We just really like to celebrate cross country. We have races for all college divisions as well as high school. It's kind of just it makes cross country feel like a football game day in some ways. That's kind of what we try to do. It's not just showing up to a field, running around and going home, but it is about making it feel like a big deal, because it really is deserving of that kind of attention."
For more information on the Gophers this summer, 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 2022 cross country season.
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