University of Minnesota Athletics
2018-19 Women's Track & Field Roster
Patty O'Brien
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- High School:
- North St. Paul HS
- Hometown:
- Maplewood, Minn.
| PRONUNCIATION |
2018 Cross Country • Redshirt Senior Season: Named Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree • named team captain • ran seven races, finishing as the third Gopher at six races • ended the season ranked 42nd on Minnesota’s all-time top-50 6K performers list (21:26.5) • finished as second Gopher and overall runner-up at the season-opening Oz Memorial • ran a career-best 6K time of 21:26.5 as the third Gopher in 74th overall at Pre-Nationals • finished 48th overall in 21:31.5 at the Big Ten Championship • tied her career-best time of 21:26.5 to place 37th at the NCAA Midwest Regional • placed 212th as the third Gopher at the NCAA Championship.
2019 Indoor • Redshirt Senior Season: Team co-captain • ran five races • ran a career-best 4:53.04 in the mile at the Larry Wieczorek Invite • ran a career-best 9:39.00 in the 3,000m at the Power Five Invite • ran a career-best 16:31.45 in the 5,000m at the ISU Classic • finished eighth in the distance medley relay and placed 18th in the 5,000m at the Big Ten Championship • ended the season ranked ninth in the 5,000m among all-time Gophers.
2019 Outdoor • Redshirt Senior Season: Team co-captain • named USTFCCCA All-Academic, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and Academic All-Big Ten • ran eight races • finished 14th in the 5,000m in a career-best 16:27.96 and placed 15th in the 10,000m (34:36.92) at the Big Ten Championship • ran a career-best 34:24.40 in the 10,000m at the Stanford Invitational to move into 10th in Minnesota history • ran a career-best 4:31.35 in the 1,500m at the Drake Relays • placed 36th in the 10,000m (35:10.70) and 39th in the 5,000m (16:46.99) at the NCAA West Prelim • ended her career ranked 10th in both the 5,000m (16:27.96) and 10,000m (34:24.40) among all-time Gophers • ran third leg of runner-up 4x1600m relay team at Drake Relays.
2017 Cross Country • Redshirt Junior Season: Named team co-captain • named Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree • ran five races • placed among the top seven Gophers at all five meets • ran a season-best 6K time of 21:45.1 as the seventh Gopher in 56th place overall at the Big Ten Championship • ran a season-best 5K time of 17:40.05 as the fifth Gopher in 66th place overall at the Greater Louisville Classic • named an alternate for the NCAA Midwest Regional and the NCAA Championship.
2018 Indoor • Redshirt Junior Season: Named Minnesota’s Big Ten Women’s Indoor Track & Field Sportsmanship Award recipient • ran five races • ran a season-best 4:58.49 in the mile at the Larry Wieczorek Invite • ran a season-best 9:45.85 in the 3,000m at the Iowa State Classic • ran a season-best 16:56.24 to place third in the 5,000m at the Power Five Invite • placed third in the unseeded section of the 5,000m (16:57.60) at the Big Ten Championship.
2018 Outdoor • Redshirt Junior Season: Named Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten • ran two races • ran a season-best 17:25.96 to win the 5,000m while racing unattached at UW-La Crosse • finished 11th in the 10,000m in 37:28.39 at the Drake Relays.
2016 Cross Country • Redshirt Sophomore Season: Named Minnesota's Big Ten Cross Country Sportsmanship Award recipient, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and Academic All-Big Ten honoree • competed in six meets this season • finished among Minnesota’s top seven runners at all six meets • ran a career-best 5k time of 17:37.8 to finish fourth on the team and 90th overall at the Notre Dame Invitational • ran a season-best 6K time of 21:53.5 to place 97th as the sixth Gopher at the NCAA Midwest Regional • made Big Ten Championship debut, placing 61st as the seventh Gopher in 22:45.3.
2017 Indoor • Redshirt Sophomore Season: Ran five races • ran a career-best 9:44.29 in the 3,000m at the Iowa State Classic • ran a career-best 16:46.09 in the 5,000m at the Meyo Invite • finished as runner-up in the mile (5:01.54) at the Minnesota Open • ran on Minnesota’s eighth-place 4x800m relay (11:28.58) and placed 20th in the 5,000m (17:04.23) at the Big Ten Championship.
2017 Outdoor • Redshirt Sophomore Season: Named Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten • ran five races • placed 16th in the 10,000m in a career-best 35:15.35 and took 18th in the 5,000m (17:34.31) at the Big Ten Championship • ran a career-best 16:50.49 to win the 5,000m at the Kansas Relays Quadrangular • ran a season-best 4:36.40 in the 1,500m at the Sun Angel Classic.
2015 Cross Country • Redshirt Freshman Season: Named Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree • ran five races • ran a career-best 21:39.2 as the eighth Gopher in 63rd place at the Big Ten Championship • placed 18th overall as the second Gopher in the open race at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational (21:39.3) • finished sixth on the team and 16th overall at the Oz Memorial (22:58.4) • placed eighth on the team at both the Griak Invitational (23:25.8) and the Greater Louisville Classic 5K (18:10.63) • served as an alternate at the NCAA Midwest Regional and NCAA Championship.
2016 Indoor • Redshirt Freshman Season: Ran six races, running career-best times in three events • placed 22nd in the 3,000m in a career-best 9:52.39 at the Big Ten Championship • finished fourth in the mile in a career-best 4:58.40 at the Parents Day Invite • placed 13th in the 5,000m in a career-best 17:15.34 at the Meyo Invite.
2016 Outdoor • Redshirt Freshman Season: Ran six races • ran a career-best 36:06.86 to place 17th in the 10,000m at the Big Ten Championship• ran a career-best 4:36.27 in the 1,500m to place fifth at the Tommie Twilight • won the 5,000m in a career-best 17:13.39 at the Kip Janvrin Open.
2014 Cross Country • Freshman Season: Competed in five races as an unattached runner.
2015 Indoor & Outdoor • Freshman Season: Competed unattached during the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons.
High School: A 2014 graduate of North St. Paul High School • four-year track & field letterwinner and two-year cross country letterwinner • joined cross country as a junior after playing soccer for two years • two-time state qualifier in cross country, finishing sixth at the 2013 Minnesota Class AA state cross country championships as a senior after placing 24th as a junior • 2013 Classic Suburban Conference champion in cross country • two-time all-state and all-conference honoree in cross country • placed 12th in the 3,200m at the 2014 Minnesota Class AA state track & field championships as a senior • 2013 and 2014 Classic Suburban Conference champion in the 1,600m • holds North St. Paul school records in 800m and 3,200m • also played soccer and hockey in high school • National Honor Society member.
Personal: Daughter of Peter and Diane O'Brien • has six siblings, Tom, Jim, Joe, Mary, Petey, and Cathie • sister Mary played soccer at the University of Minnesota from 2010-11 • brother Jim played hockey at the University of Minnesota and in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils • enjoys skating, playing hockey and soccer, dancing and watching movies • completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Elementary Education • completed a certificate in Human Resource Development.
| O'Brien's Cross Country Postseason Appearances | |||
| Year | Big Tens | Midwest Regional | NCAA Championship |
| 2014 | Redshirt | Redshirt | Redshirt |
| 2015 | 63rd, 21:39.2 | Alternate | Alternate |
| 2016 | 61st, 22:45.3 | 97th, 21:20.6 | DNC |
| 2017 | 56th, 21:45.1 | Alternate | Alternate |
| 2018 | 48th, 21:31.5 | 37th, 21:26.5 | 212th, 22:04.66 |
| O'Brien's Cross Country Career Bests (2018 Final) | ||
| Event | Mark | Meet (Date) |
| 5K | 17:37.8 | Notre Dame Invite (9/30/16) |
| 6K | 21:26.5 (AT-42nd) | Pre-Nationals (10/13/18) |
| O'Brien's Indoor Career Bests (2019 Final) | ||
| Event | Mark (All-Time Rank) | Meet (Date) |
| Mile | 4:53.04 | Larry Wieczorek Invite (1/19/19) |
| 3,000m | 9:39.00 | Power Five Invite (2/2/19) |
| 5,000m | 16:31.45 (AT-9th) | Iowa State Classic (2/8/19) |
| O'Brien's Outdoor Career Bests (2019 Final) | ||
| Event | Mark (All-Time Rank) | Meet (Date) |
| 1,500m | 4:31.35 | Drake Relays (4/25/19) |
| 3,000m | 10:09.33 (UA) | Janis Rider Invitational (4/25/15) |
| 5,000m | 16:27.96 (AT-10th) | Big Ten Championship (5/12/19) |
| 10,000m | 34:24.40 (AT-10th) | Stanford Invitational (3/29/19) |
