University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, November 15
Peoria, IL
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
vs
NCAA Midwest Regional
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Minnesota Headed to Peoria for NCAA Regionals
11/14/2024 12:30:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
The meet begins on Friday at 11 a.m. CT with the women's 6K.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota cross country programs will begin their NCAA postseason journey on Friday, Nov. 15 in Peoria, Ill., for the 2024 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. The women's 6K will kick things off at the Newman Golf Course at 11 a.m. CT followed by the men's 10K at 12 p.m. CT.
THE SQUAD
The Gophers will have a roster representing both sides of the program at Friday's regional.
The women's squad will consist of Emma Atkinson, Brianne Brewster, Zoie Dundon, Taylor Isabel, Charlotte Lange, Nadia Phillips, Erin Reidy, Izzy Roemer, Isabelle Schmitz and Ali Weimer.
The men's crew includes Emmet Anderson, Lucas Florsheim, Leo Goodman, Aidan Jones, Tanner Klumph, Noah Kohut-Jackson, Finn McCormick and Daniel VanAcker.
LAST TIME OUT
The University of Minnesota cross country program raced to a fifth and 11th-place finish at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships in Champaign, Ill., at the Illini Orange and Blue Golf Course on Friday. Ali Weimer was Minnesota's top finisher, crossing the finish line in third in the women's 6K earning a bronze medal in a school-record time of 19:25.0. On a relatively flat cross country course Weimer cleared Bethany Hasz' old program record by 11 seconds (19:36.4) while also running one second faster than the previous Big Ten Championship record (Leah O'Connor, Michigan St., 19:26.3). Additionally, freshman Isabelle Schmitz earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors as the third-highest placing freshman in the competition.
Among Minnesota's men, graduate transfer Lucas Florsheim was Minnesota's top finisher for the first time this season, coming in at 34th overall. Florsheim's time of 23:26.7 on the flat Illini Blue and Orange Course propelled the first-year Gopher all the way into a tie with Alec Basten for the fastest 8K times in school history. The time for Florsheim is the fastest by a Gopher since 2021 (Basten). The men's championship was individually won by Bob Liking of Wisconsin in a time of 22:47.3, winning the race by nearly eight seconds over UCLA's Michael Mireles (22:55.0).
REGIONAL HISTORY
Minnesota has fared fairly well in its time competing in the Midwest region, particularly on the women's side. Since 2003, the women have never finished below fifth, claiming eight top-two finishes and four team titles over that span. Over that same span, the men's side has accumulated 10 NCAA Championships appearances on five top-two finishes, with one regional title to boot.
IN THE RANKINGS
The Minnesota women have hung around the top of the USTFCCCA's Midwest Regional rankings throughout the season and enter the postseason ranked No. 2, with each of the top two finishers in each NCAA Cross Country regional earning automatic qualifying spots. Nationally the women's team is ranked No. 23 and has been as high as No. 22 this cross country season.
ADVANCING CRITERIA
The regional championships help teams advance to the Division I cross country championships each year. The top two teams in each regional secure automatic bids to the championship. The first four regional individual finishers not from an automatic qualifying or at-large team also secure an auto-bid to the championships.
If a team doesn't secure an automatic bid, it will have to rely on the NCAA DI Cross Country Subcommittee to select it as one of the 13 at-large teams. Only two individual at-larges are selected, making a strong regional performance pivotal to advancing toward a national title.
THE SQUAD
The Gophers will have a roster representing both sides of the program at Friday's regional.
The women's squad will consist of Emma Atkinson, Brianne Brewster, Zoie Dundon, Taylor Isabel, Charlotte Lange, Nadia Phillips, Erin Reidy, Izzy Roemer, Isabelle Schmitz and Ali Weimer.
The men's crew includes Emmet Anderson, Lucas Florsheim, Leo Goodman, Aidan Jones, Tanner Klumph, Noah Kohut-Jackson, Finn McCormick and Daniel VanAcker.
LAST TIME OUT
The University of Minnesota cross country program raced to a fifth and 11th-place finish at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships in Champaign, Ill., at the Illini Orange and Blue Golf Course on Friday. Ali Weimer was Minnesota's top finisher, crossing the finish line in third in the women's 6K earning a bronze medal in a school-record time of 19:25.0. On a relatively flat cross country course Weimer cleared Bethany Hasz' old program record by 11 seconds (19:36.4) while also running one second faster than the previous Big Ten Championship record (Leah O'Connor, Michigan St., 19:26.3). Additionally, freshman Isabelle Schmitz earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors as the third-highest placing freshman in the competition.
Among Minnesota's men, graduate transfer Lucas Florsheim was Minnesota's top finisher for the first time this season, coming in at 34th overall. Florsheim's time of 23:26.7 on the flat Illini Blue and Orange Course propelled the first-year Gopher all the way into a tie with Alec Basten for the fastest 8K times in school history. The time for Florsheim is the fastest by a Gopher since 2021 (Basten). The men's championship was individually won by Bob Liking of Wisconsin in a time of 22:47.3, winning the race by nearly eight seconds over UCLA's Michael Mireles (22:55.0).
REGIONAL HISTORY
Minnesota has fared fairly well in its time competing in the Midwest region, particularly on the women's side. Since 2003, the women have never finished below fifth, claiming eight top-two finishes and four team titles over that span. Over that same span, the men's side has accumulated 10 NCAA Championships appearances on five top-two finishes, with one regional title to boot.
IN THE RANKINGS
The Minnesota women have hung around the top of the USTFCCCA's Midwest Regional rankings throughout the season and enter the postseason ranked No. 2, with each of the top two finishers in each NCAA Cross Country regional earning automatic qualifying spots. Nationally the women's team is ranked No. 23 and has been as high as No. 22 this cross country season.
ADVANCING CRITERIA
The regional championships help teams advance to the Division I cross country championships each year. The top two teams in each regional secure automatic bids to the championship. The first four regional individual finishers not from an automatic qualifying or at-large team also secure an auto-bid to the championships.
If a team doesn't secure an automatic bid, it will have to rely on the NCAA DI Cross Country Subcommittee to select it as one of the 13 at-large teams. Only two individual at-larges are selected, making a strong regional performance pivotal to advancing toward a national title.
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Sunday, November 17
Oz Memorial Highlights
Sunday, September 01
Big Ten Championship Highlights
Tuesday, November 07
Griak Invite Course Tour
Friday, September 22