University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 16
Lincoln, NE
All Day
University of Minnesota
at
Graduate Classic
Players Mentioned
Sprints/Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Minnesota Headed to Lincoln for Graduate Classic
1/15/2026 11:51:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
The women's program will compete in the two-day meet on Friday and Saturday.
MINNEAPOLIS --Â The University of Minnesota track and field program travels to Lincoln, Neb., for the Graduate Classic from January 16-17. The two-day competition will see Minnesota compete alongside Nebraska, Northern Colorado, Omaha, Creighton and more.Â
ABOUT THEÂ GRADUATE CLASSIC
The 2026 Graduate Classic begins at 1 p.m. on Friday January 16, with the women's 400m while the weight throw starts at 1:15 p.m. The meet is set to wrap up by 5 p.m. on Friday. Day two will begin at 10 a.m. with the women's pole vault and will conclude by 2 p.m. For the full schedule of the Graduate Classic, click here. The event is free and open to the public to attend. Nebraska is scheduled to have a live stream of the events in Lincoln - fans can watch that live video here. Live results on Friday and Saturday will be available via PrimeTime Timing. A list of accepted entries to the Graduate Classic can be found here.Â
KUKU NAMED BIG TEN'S FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
For the second time this indoor season the University of Minnesota women's track and field team earned a weekly honor from the Big Ten Conference. Zeal Kuku was tabbed as the Co-Freshman of the week, the conference office announced on January 14.Â
Kuku, a Minnetonka High School graduate, won the 2026 Minnesota Open 400m in a lifetime best of 54.95 on Saturday at the University Fieldhouse. Kuku's 400m time stands as the fastest by a Big Ten freshman this season and places her No. 2 overall among freshman in the NCAA. In her 400m collegiate debut Kuku's time made her the fastest Gopher freshman in the event since 2022 when eight-time Big Ten champion Abigail Schaaffe posted a 54.04.Â
WIRTH BRINGS HOME WORLD BRONZE MEDAL
For the first time in history, the United States of America secured a U20 World Cross Country Championships men's team medal finish on home soil on January 10, in Tallahassee. Minnesota's Salvador Wirth finished 30th overall, and fifth among the U.S. competitors, to aid the team finish that brought home the red, white and blue a bronze medal.Â
Wirth competed alongside Minnesota teammates Norah Hushagen and Avery Marasco-Johnson, who ran for the women's team at Apalachee Regional Park. The University of Minnesota was the only NCAA team to have three representatives on the U20 rosters. Wirth clocked an 8K time of 25:39 on a course that included non-traditional features like a man-made 'rollercoaster' hill, a sand pit, a water pit, a mud pit and alligator logs to hurdle. Hushagen ran to a 53rd-place finish (22:33.0) in her U.S. debut while Marasco-Johnson came across in 58th overall (23:01.0) and helped Team USA finish in fourth overall (108 points). Additionally, Minnesota signee Oliver Crowe finished 54th in the same U20 men's race on Saturday for Team Canada in his first appearance on the world stage for his home country.Â
LAST TIME OUT
The University of Minnesota track and field team secured 16 event wins at the Minnesota Open January 10, to kick off the 2026 calendar at the University Fieldhouse. The Maroon and Gold were led by performances from Hadley Streit in the weight throw and Charles Godfred in the 60m against the likes of Northern Iowa, Milwaukee and Augsburg.Â
Streit secured her first lifetime best in the weight throw since February of 2025 (Gopher Classic) to finish second on Saturday behind only teammate Anthonett Nabwe (22.82m | 74-10 1/2). Streit, a 2025 weight throw First Team All-American, moved up from No. 5 all-time at Minnesota to No. 4 with the performance and now is No. 3 in the NCAA this season.Â
On the men's side it was Godfred who captured the attention of the crowd with his two runs in the 60m. The two-time Big Ten outdoor long jump champion, running unattached, posted lifetime bests of 6.65 and 6.62 to secure the event win in Minneapolis. Godfred's previous lifetime best in the event was 6.70 (2024 M City Classic) and would rank the Nigerian inside the top seven nationally among men's NCAA sprinters in 2026.
UP NEXT
Following the Graduate Classic the Maroon and Gold will continue their competition schedule away from home with a trip to Lubbock, Texas to the Stan Scott Invitational on January 23. On Saturday January 24, Minnesota is scheduled to have student-athletes competing in St. Paul at Macalester College at the Vanessa Seljeskog Classic.Â
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 X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.
ABOUT THEÂ GRADUATE CLASSIC
The 2026 Graduate Classic begins at 1 p.m. on Friday January 16, with the women's 400m while the weight throw starts at 1:15 p.m. The meet is set to wrap up by 5 p.m. on Friday. Day two will begin at 10 a.m. with the women's pole vault and will conclude by 2 p.m. For the full schedule of the Graduate Classic, click here. The event is free and open to the public to attend. Nebraska is scheduled to have a live stream of the events in Lincoln - fans can watch that live video here. Live results on Friday and Saturday will be available via PrimeTime Timing. A list of accepted entries to the Graduate Classic can be found here.Â
KUKU NAMED BIG TEN'S FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
For the second time this indoor season the University of Minnesota women's track and field team earned a weekly honor from the Big Ten Conference. Zeal Kuku was tabbed as the Co-Freshman of the week, the conference office announced on January 14.Â
Kuku, a Minnetonka High School graduate, won the 2026 Minnesota Open 400m in a lifetime best of 54.95 on Saturday at the University Fieldhouse. Kuku's 400m time stands as the fastest by a Big Ten freshman this season and places her No. 2 overall among freshman in the NCAA. In her 400m collegiate debut Kuku's time made her the fastest Gopher freshman in the event since 2022 when eight-time Big Ten champion Abigail Schaaffe posted a 54.04.Â
WIRTH BRINGS HOME WORLD BRONZE MEDAL
For the first time in history, the United States of America secured a U20 World Cross Country Championships men's team medal finish on home soil on January 10, in Tallahassee. Minnesota's Salvador Wirth finished 30th overall, and fifth among the U.S. competitors, to aid the team finish that brought home the red, white and blue a bronze medal.Â
Wirth competed alongside Minnesota teammates Norah Hushagen and Avery Marasco-Johnson, who ran for the women's team at Apalachee Regional Park. The University of Minnesota was the only NCAA team to have three representatives on the U20 rosters. Wirth clocked an 8K time of 25:39 on a course that included non-traditional features like a man-made 'rollercoaster' hill, a sand pit, a water pit, a mud pit and alligator logs to hurdle. Hushagen ran to a 53rd-place finish (22:33.0) in her U.S. debut while Marasco-Johnson came across in 58th overall (23:01.0) and helped Team USA finish in fourth overall (108 points). Additionally, Minnesota signee Oliver Crowe finished 54th in the same U20 men's race on Saturday for Team Canada in his first appearance on the world stage for his home country.Â
LAST TIME OUT
The University of Minnesota track and field team secured 16 event wins at the Minnesota Open January 10, to kick off the 2026 calendar at the University Fieldhouse. The Maroon and Gold were led by performances from Hadley Streit in the weight throw and Charles Godfred in the 60m against the likes of Northern Iowa, Milwaukee and Augsburg.Â
Streit secured her first lifetime best in the weight throw since February of 2025 (Gopher Classic) to finish second on Saturday behind only teammate Anthonett Nabwe (22.82m | 74-10 1/2). Streit, a 2025 weight throw First Team All-American, moved up from No. 5 all-time at Minnesota to No. 4 with the performance and now is No. 3 in the NCAA this season.Â
On the men's side it was Godfred who captured the attention of the crowd with his two runs in the 60m. The two-time Big Ten outdoor long jump champion, running unattached, posted lifetime bests of 6.65 and 6.62 to secure the event win in Minneapolis. Godfred's previous lifetime best in the event was 6.70 (2024 M City Classic) and would rank the Nigerian inside the top seven nationally among men's NCAA sprinters in 2026.
UP NEXT
Following the Graduate Classic the Maroon and Gold will continue their competition schedule away from home with a trip to Lubbock, Texas to the Stan Scott Invitational on January 23. On Saturday January 24, Minnesota is scheduled to have student-athletes competing in St. Paul at Macalester College at the Vanessa Seljeskog Classic.Â
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 X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.
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