University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, September 18
Fort Snelling, MN
University of Minnesota
vs
40th Roy Griak Invitational
Schmitz Leads Minnesota Cross Country to Win at the Griak
9/18/2026 2:16:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
The Gopher women won the 40th edition of the Roy Griak Invitational on Friday.
MINNEAPOLIS -- For the fourth time over the past eight years the Golden Gophers are Roy Griak Invitational champions on the women's side. Minnesota cross country head coach Sarah Hopkins' Maroon & Gold secured the team win at the Fort Snelling Golf Course with 26 team points highlighted by individual champion Isabelle Schmitz.
Schmitz' swift victory in a time of 19:44.8 is the first time to come at the Fort Snelling Golf Course course that the Griak was run on in 2026. From 1986 until 2025 the fastest women's Roy Griak Invitational time at Les Bolstad Golf Course was 20:10.0 by Kim Smith (Providence) in 2004. The men's team finished fourth overall in 2026 with each of the team's top seven runners not participating in Friday's 8K with the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational (8K) just seven days away.
Schmitz, a Hutchinson, Minn., native, is the second Gopher in three years (Ali Weimer, 2024) to win the Roy Griak Invitational and the fifth Gopher to ever win the individual title. Behind the individual winner for Minnesota was true freshman Jazleen Malherek-Osorio who came across the line third overall in the second race of her college career in a time of 19:57.3. Minnesota's remaining top five all came through inside the women's top 10 with Zoie Dundon (20:04.5), Izzy Roemer (20:06.3) and Taylor Isabel (20:07.0) finishing fifth, eighth and ninth, respectively.
"This is a huge confidence boost for myself, and the team," Schmitz said after the race. "It feels great to not only just lay down a crazy personal record at the first 6K but do it at home at the Griak. It means so much. I think this is awesome momentum," Schmitz added.
With much of the lineup out on Friday the Maroon and Gold men were led by second-year Gopher Jace Haerter in 14th overall in an 8K time of 24:17.6. Both Cameron Stocke (24:18.5) and Shane Greipentrog (24:20.8) also finished inside the top 20 for the Golden Gopher men. Tyler Kissell was 29th overall in a time of 24:40.5 while Will Weber rounded out the top five for Minnesota in 25:09.6 to finish 54th.
UP NEXT
The Maroon & Gold run seven days after the Griak Invitational at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Illinois. For more information on the Minnesota cross country this season, visit GopherSports.com and follow the team on Twitter (X), Instagram, Threads and Facebook.
GOPHER WOMEN'S TOP 7 RESULTS
1st of 17 Teams (26 points)
1st. Isabelle Schmitz (19:44.8)
3rd. Jazleen Malherek-Osorio (19:57.3)
5th. Zoie Dundon (20:04.5)
8th. Izzy Roemer (20:06.3)
9th. Taylor Isabel (20:07.0)
13th. Nadia Phillips (20:24.0)
14th. Norah Hushagen (20:25.4)
GOPHER MEN'S TOP 7 RESULTS
4th of 18 Teams (125 points)
14th. Jace Haerter (24:17.6)
16th. Cameron Stocke (24:18.5)
19th. Shane Greipentrog (24:20.8)
29th. Tyler Kissell (24:40.5)
54th. Will Weber (25:09.6)
56th. Oliver Crowe (25:10.5)
73rd. Samuel Fish (25:32.5)
Schmitz' swift victory in a time of 19:44.8 is the first time to come at the Fort Snelling Golf Course course that the Griak was run on in 2026. From 1986 until 2025 the fastest women's Roy Griak Invitational time at Les Bolstad Golf Course was 20:10.0 by Kim Smith (Providence) in 2004. The men's team finished fourth overall in 2026 with each of the team's top seven runners not participating in Friday's 8K with the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational (8K) just seven days away.
Schmitz, a Hutchinson, Minn., native, is the second Gopher in three years (Ali Weimer, 2024) to win the Roy Griak Invitational and the fifth Gopher to ever win the individual title. Behind the individual winner for Minnesota was true freshman Jazleen Malherek-Osorio who came across the line third overall in the second race of her college career in a time of 19:57.3. Minnesota's remaining top five all came through inside the women's top 10 with Zoie Dundon (20:04.5), Izzy Roemer (20:06.3) and Taylor Isabel (20:07.0) finishing fifth, eighth and ninth, respectively.
"This is a huge confidence boost for myself, and the team," Schmitz said after the race. "It feels great to not only just lay down a crazy personal record at the first 6K but do it at home at the Griak. It means so much. I think this is awesome momentum," Schmitz added.
With much of the lineup out on Friday the Maroon and Gold men were led by second-year Gopher Jace Haerter in 14th overall in an 8K time of 24:17.6. Both Cameron Stocke (24:18.5) and Shane Greipentrog (24:20.8) also finished inside the top 20 for the Golden Gopher men. Tyler Kissell was 29th overall in a time of 24:40.5 while Will Weber rounded out the top five for Minnesota in 25:09.6 to finish 54th.
UP NEXT
The Maroon & Gold run seven days after the Griak Invitational at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Illinois. For more information on the Minnesota cross country this season, visit GopherSports.com and follow the team on Twitter (X), Instagram, Threads and Facebook.
GOPHER WOMEN'S TOP 7 RESULTS
1st of 17 Teams (26 points)
1st. Isabelle Schmitz (19:44.8)
3rd. Jazleen Malherek-Osorio (19:57.3)
5th. Zoie Dundon (20:04.5)
8th. Izzy Roemer (20:06.3)
9th. Taylor Isabel (20:07.0)
13th. Nadia Phillips (20:24.0)
14th. Norah Hushagen (20:25.4)
GOPHER MEN'S TOP 7 RESULTS
4th of 18 Teams (125 points)
14th. Jace Haerter (24:17.6)
16th. Cameron Stocke (24:18.5)
19th. Shane Greipentrog (24:20.8)
29th. Tyler Kissell (24:40.5)
54th. Will Weber (25:09.6)
56th. Oliver Crowe (25:10.5)
73rd. Samuel Fish (25:32.5)
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women'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 CountryFriday, September 18
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