Source: Gophersports.com
Posted: Sunday, May 31, 2009 12:08:00 AM EST
Published: Sunday, May 31, 2009 12:14:07 AM EST
Posted: Sunday, May 31, 2009 12:08:00 AM EST
Published: Sunday, May 31, 2009 12:14:07 AM EST
Sophomore Ben Blankenship earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships in the 1,500-meter run on Saturday to highlight the Golden Gopher men's track team's performance at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships in Norman, Okla.
Blankenship joins teammates Hassan Mead (5,000 meters), Matt Fisher (high jump) and Aaron Studt (shot put) headed to the NCAA meet at the University of Arkansas on June 10-13.
Blankenship finished second in the 1,500 meters with a career-best time of 3 minutes, 45.37 seconds. Going into the bell lap, Blankenship and Oklahoma State freshman German Fernandez broke away from the pack. Blankenship dashed to the lead but couldn't shake Fernandez, who won the NCAA indoor title in the mile earlier this season. Fernandez passed Blankenship with 200 meters to go and went on to win in a time of 3:43.09. Andy Richardson finished the race in 11th place with a time of 3:54.48.
Neither of the Gopher hammer throwers was able to pop a big enough throw to advance to the final in the event. Studt finished 13th with a throw of 184-0, while Andy Bastian landed a throw of 180-1 for 15th. Bastian completes his Golden Gopher career ranked third all-time in the hammer with a throw of 197-5 from the 2007 season.
Two Gophers among the 26 entrants in the lengthy pole vault competition. Joe Plencner and Brock Spandl both cleared 16-7 1/4. Plencner placed eighth taking missed attempts into account. Spandl finished in a tie for 15th.
The Gophers had two throwers compete in the men's discus. Jerry Netland finished 15th with a throw of 169-11, while Trey Davis was 18th with a toss of 159-11.
Minnesota's final competitor of this Midwest Region meet just crossed the finish line. Senior Ben Puhl placed 14th with a time of 9:19.87.
Minnesota finished seventh in the team standings with 33.25 points. Texas A&M won the regional title with 98 points. A total of 33 teams scored.
Two more Gopher women advance
Heather Dorniden and Elizabeth Yetzer earned NCAA automatic berths at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Saturday in Norman, Okla. Minnesota will be represented by five athletes at the national meet hosted by the University of Arkansas on June 10-13.
Dorniden was denied her third consecutive Midwest Region title in the 800 meters but the Golden Gopher All-American still have what she came to Norman for – an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. Dorniden ran a time of 2:05.70 for second place a tenth of a second behind North Dakota State senior Laura Hermanson (2:05.60). Dorniden took the lead from the opening gun and battled with Hermanson throughout. The talent pair ran most of the last lap shoulder-to-shoulder before Hermanson made a push in the final 100 meters. Nikki Swenson also scored points for the Gophers in the event with a seventh-place finish in a time of 2:11.72.
Yetzer finished second in the 1,500-meter run with a career-best time of 4:24.20 to earn her ticket into the national meet. She took the lead in the race with a lap to go but was passed by Texas Tech's Gladys Kipsang on the backstretch. Yetzer hung with Kipsang the rest of the race, finishing a meter and a half second behind the winner. Ladia Albertson-Junkans competed in the race and posted a time of 4:38.82.
Liz Roehrig enjoyed a great day in the high jump and placed third, grabbing an NCAA Championships qualifier, clearing a height of 5-11 1/4. That height matches her season high. She had three attempts at the height of 6-0 1/4, which would have bettered her own school record by a quarter on an inch. Texas' Destinee Hooker won with a height of 6-3 1/4, then attempt three jumps at an NCAA record height of 6-7. Roehrig will have the choice of whether to compete in the open high jump at the NCAA Championships. She is ranked second nationally in the heptathlon and may choose to forego the open high jump competition to concentrate on her specialty.
The Gophers' 4x100-meter relay bought the baton around the track in a season-best time of 45.40 seconds to finish seventh in the event. The foursome of Chimerem Okoroji, Nyoka Giles, Chioma Omeoga and Adrienne Thomas clocked the third-fastest time in school history.
Jamie Cheever ran her final track competition of her Gopher career placing 15th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:59.81.
DeAnne Hahn landed a top throw of 46-9 1/2 in the women's shot put but did not advance to the final. She also competed in the hammer throw on Friday.
Minnesota scored 38.50 points to finish sixth of 34 teams that scored in the Midwest Regional meet. Texas A&M cruised to the team title with 96 points.
The five Golden Gophers headed for the NCAA meet are Dorniden (800m), Yetzer (1,500m), Roehrig (heptathlon), Amy Laskowske (10,000m) and Alicia Rue (pole vault).
Blankenship joins teammates Hassan Mead (5,000 meters), Matt Fisher (high jump) and Aaron Studt (shot put) headed to the NCAA meet at the University of Arkansas on June 10-13.
Blankenship finished second in the 1,500 meters with a career-best time of 3 minutes, 45.37 seconds. Going into the bell lap, Blankenship and Oklahoma State freshman German Fernandez broke away from the pack. Blankenship dashed to the lead but couldn't shake Fernandez, who won the NCAA indoor title in the mile earlier this season. Fernandez passed Blankenship with 200 meters to go and went on to win in a time of 3:43.09. Andy Richardson finished the race in 11th place with a time of 3:54.48.
Neither of the Gopher hammer throwers was able to pop a big enough throw to advance to the final in the event. Studt finished 13th with a throw of 184-0, while Andy Bastian landed a throw of 180-1 for 15th. Bastian completes his Golden Gopher career ranked third all-time in the hammer with a throw of 197-5 from the 2007 season.
Two Gophers among the 26 entrants in the lengthy pole vault competition. Joe Plencner and Brock Spandl both cleared 16-7 1/4. Plencner placed eighth taking missed attempts into account. Spandl finished in a tie for 15th.
The Gophers had two throwers compete in the men's discus. Jerry Netland finished 15th with a throw of 169-11, while Trey Davis was 18th with a toss of 159-11.
Minnesota's final competitor of this Midwest Region meet just crossed the finish line. Senior Ben Puhl placed 14th with a time of 9:19.87.
Minnesota finished seventh in the team standings with 33.25 points. Texas A&M won the regional title with 98 points. A total of 33 teams scored.
Two more Gopher women advance
Heather Dorniden and Elizabeth Yetzer earned NCAA automatic berths at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Saturday in Norman, Okla. Minnesota will be represented by five athletes at the national meet hosted by the University of Arkansas on June 10-13.
Dorniden was denied her third consecutive Midwest Region title in the 800 meters but the Golden Gopher All-American still have what she came to Norman for – an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. Dorniden ran a time of 2:05.70 for second place a tenth of a second behind North Dakota State senior Laura Hermanson (2:05.60). Dorniden took the lead from the opening gun and battled with Hermanson throughout. The talent pair ran most of the last lap shoulder-to-shoulder before Hermanson made a push in the final 100 meters. Nikki Swenson also scored points for the Gophers in the event with a seventh-place finish in a time of 2:11.72.
Yetzer finished second in the 1,500-meter run with a career-best time of 4:24.20 to earn her ticket into the national meet. She took the lead in the race with a lap to go but was passed by Texas Tech's Gladys Kipsang on the backstretch. Yetzer hung with Kipsang the rest of the race, finishing a meter and a half second behind the winner. Ladia Albertson-Junkans competed in the race and posted a time of 4:38.82.
Liz Roehrig enjoyed a great day in the high jump and placed third, grabbing an NCAA Championships qualifier, clearing a height of 5-11 1/4. That height matches her season high. She had three attempts at the height of 6-0 1/4, which would have bettered her own school record by a quarter on an inch. Texas' Destinee Hooker won with a height of 6-3 1/4, then attempt three jumps at an NCAA record height of 6-7. Roehrig will have the choice of whether to compete in the open high jump at the NCAA Championships. She is ranked second nationally in the heptathlon and may choose to forego the open high jump competition to concentrate on her specialty.
The Gophers' 4x100-meter relay bought the baton around the track in a season-best time of 45.40 seconds to finish seventh in the event. The foursome of Chimerem Okoroji, Nyoka Giles, Chioma Omeoga and Adrienne Thomas clocked the third-fastest time in school history.
Jamie Cheever ran her final track competition of her Gopher career placing 15th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:59.81.
DeAnne Hahn landed a top throw of 46-9 1/2 in the women's shot put but did not advance to the final. She also competed in the hammer throw on Friday.
Minnesota scored 38.50 points to finish sixth of 34 teams that scored in the Midwest Regional meet. Texas A&M cruised to the team title with 96 points.
The five Golden Gophers headed for the NCAA meet are Dorniden (800m), Yetzer (1,500m), Roehrig (heptathlon), Amy Laskowske (10,000m) and Alicia Rue (pole vault).
