Missa Varpness

Class:
Junior
High School:
Montevideo HS
Hometown:
Montevideo, Minn.

2012 • Junior Season: Ran a season-best time of 22:36.94 at the Oz Memorial, finishing 11th • also finished 11th at the SDSU Classic.

2011 • Sophomore Season: Competed in four meets • represented the Gophers at the Big Ten Championships, finishing in 95th place and ninth on the team (22:45) • clocked 23:39 at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite and finished as Minnesota[apos]s seventh-best runner • took second place overall at the SDSU Invite 5k (17:32.5) • raced the Roy Griak Invitational in 21:48.00, good for fifth among all Gophers

2010 · Redshirt Freshman Season: With a 19th-place finish at the Midwest Region meet, earned all-region honors · Second Team All-Big Ten honoree after running a season-best time of 20:38.4 at the Big Ten meet to finish 11th overall and second among Gopher runners · Academic All-Big Ten · recipient of the team[apos]s Rookie of the Year award · letterwinner.

2009 · Freshman Season: Redshirted the season.

High School: A 2009 graduate of Montevideo High School · high school coach was Sue Heikes · 2008 and 2009 Minnesota Division 1 state champion in the 800 meters · 800m state runner-up in 2007 · four-time all-state track honoree · state runner-up in 1,600m as a senior (5:10.38) · ran high school best of 2:14.42 in 800 meters · did not compete in cross country · five-time letterwinner in track and swimming · also participated in band, choir and speech · a member of the National Honor Society.

Personal: Born July 20, 1990 · given name is Melissa ·majoring in Family Soical Science · daughter of Lee and Sue Varpress · has brothers Jameson and Joe and sister Mollie · enjoys cooking, reading, music, the outdoors, and spending time with her bunker.