University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, September 1
St Paul, MN
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Oz Memorial
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
Cross Country Begins 2023 Season with Oz Memorial
8/31/2023 8:32:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
MINNEAPOLIS --Â The University of Minnesota cross country team is poised to begin the 2023 season with the Oz Memorial at the Les Bolstad Golf Course on Sept. 1. The event will feature a trio of college teams that will begin at 6:20 pm and 6:50 pm with the men kicking off the competition.Â
OZ MEMORIAL RACE SCHEDULE
Friday's competition will see the Golden Gophers face off with Drake and Minnesota-Duluth.Â
A QUICK 2022 RECAP
Last season the 'U' fielded one of the younger teams in the Big Ten on both the men's and women's side. The women's team finished eighth at the 2022 Big Ten Cross Country Championships with true freshman Ali Weimer leading the way in 18th overall while sophomore Emma Atkinson was second on the team at 36th overall. The women's program then finished fifth overall at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Columbia, Mo. Weimer was 12th overall with Atkinson 21st while Erin Reidy was 28th and Taylor Kreitinger was 33rd with five of the top six runners for Minnesota posting personal best times.Â
The men's program had many new faces in the lineup in 2022 and finished 10th at the Big Ten Championships and followed that up with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Captain Eli Hoeft led the way in 33rd at the NCAA Midwest Regional with all seven runners for the Gophers posting lifetime best times at the event.Â
WEIMER LOOKS TO BUILD ON STELLAR FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Ali Weimer, 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, returns to the course this weekend for the Maroon and Gold. After finishing as the conference's top freshman finisher at the 2022 Big Ten Cross Country Championships, Weimer was selected as a unanimous selection for the award last year.Â
Weimer's selection made her the first Gopher woman to win the award since 2000 when Darja Vasiljeva won it for the Gophers. Weimer finished 18th overall at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships and was also named to the USTFCCCA All-Midwest Region team after her top-25 finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional.Â
WHO'S BACK FOR THE 'U'?
The University of Minnesota returns 15 student-athletes on the women's side with the men returning a total of 11. The women also will see five runners who redshirtted last season join the fray this season along with eight true freshmen.Â
The men's team will see six runners compete under the redshirt-freshman tag after taking most of the last season to train and compete under the redshirt status. Additionally the men's team added six freshmen that will have ample opportunities to compete this cross country season.Â
UP NEXT
Minnesota will be tested next week at the Wisconsin Preview, which is set for Sept. 8, in Madison, Wis. The meet will be a preview to the Big Ten Championships, which is also hosted in Madison in October.Â
OZ MEMORIAL RACE SCHEDULE
- Men's College 5k // 6:20Â p.m. CT
- Women's College 5k // 6:50 p.m. CT
Friday's competition will see the Golden Gophers face off with Drake and Minnesota-Duluth.Â
A QUICK 2022 RECAP
Last season the 'U' fielded one of the younger teams in the Big Ten on both the men's and women's side. The women's team finished eighth at the 2022 Big Ten Cross Country Championships with true freshman Ali Weimer leading the way in 18th overall while sophomore Emma Atkinson was second on the team at 36th overall. The women's program then finished fifth overall at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Columbia, Mo. Weimer was 12th overall with Atkinson 21st while Erin Reidy was 28th and Taylor Kreitinger was 33rd with five of the top six runners for Minnesota posting personal best times.Â
The men's program had many new faces in the lineup in 2022 and finished 10th at the Big Ten Championships and followed that up with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Captain Eli Hoeft led the way in 33rd at the NCAA Midwest Regional with all seven runners for the Gophers posting lifetime best times at the event.Â
WEIMER LOOKS TO BUILD ON STELLAR FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Ali Weimer, 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, returns to the course this weekend for the Maroon and Gold. After finishing as the conference's top freshman finisher at the 2022 Big Ten Cross Country Championships, Weimer was selected as a unanimous selection for the award last year.Â
Weimer's selection made her the first Gopher woman to win the award since 2000 when Darja Vasiljeva won it for the Gophers. Weimer finished 18th overall at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships and was also named to the USTFCCCA All-Midwest Region team after her top-25 finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional.Â
WHO'S BACK FOR THE 'U'?
The University of Minnesota returns 15 student-athletes on the women's side with the men returning a total of 11. The women also will see five runners who redshirtted last season join the fray this season along with eight true freshmen.Â
The men's team will see six runners compete under the redshirt-freshman tag after taking most of the last season to train and compete under the redshirt status. Additionally the men's team added six freshmen that will have ample opportunities to compete this cross country season.Â
UP NEXT
Minnesota will be tested next week at the Wisconsin Preview, which is set for Sept. 8, in Madison, Wis. The meet will be a preview to the Big Ten Championships, which is also hosted in Madison in October.Â
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