@fullname - Football - University of Minnesota Athletics

Liesl Paulsen

Class:
Graduate Student
Position:
Distance
High School:
Eden Prairie HS
Hometown:
Eden Prairie, Minn.

Liesl Paulsen's TFRRS Bio
Liesl Paulsen's IAAF Bio

2025 Outdoor Track & Field • Graduate Season: Earned a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team... Named one of Minnesota's 35 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars, a distinction given to student-athletes who maintained a 4.0 GPA during the 2024-25 academic year... Completed her career with a trio of outdoor competitions... Opened at the Hamline Invitational in the 5000m with a third-place finish... Was 14th in her final 10,000m competition of her collegiate career at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa... Ran to a 4:40.96 at Hamline's Meet of the UnSaintly in the 1500m.

2025 Indoor Track & Field • Graduate Season: Competed in four meets during the indoor campaign... Put down a personal best time of 9:57.02 in the 3000m at the Graduate Classic in Lincoln, Neb. to finish sixth overall... Was the runner-up in the 3000m at the Snowshoe Open in a time of 10:01.51... Also ran at the Gopher Classic in the Mile and the St. Olaf Invite in the 5000m.

2024 Cross Country • Graduate Season: Named to the Academic All-Big Ten team... Ran to the finish line in five separate cross country meets... Ran to a 21:14.4 6K time at the 2025 Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Ill.... Was 61st at the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet in Madison in a 6K time of 22:22.2... Also ran at the Loyola Lakefront Invite, the Roy Griak Invitational and the Oz Memorial.

2024 Outdoor Track & Field • Senior Season: Did not complete a race outdoors... Was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team.

2024 Indoor Track & Field • Senior Season: Did not compete.

2023 Cross Country • Senior Season: Did not compete in a Gopher uniform during the cross country season... Was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team.

2023 Outdoor Track & Field • Junior Season: Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors as well as the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar distinction... Ran at five different outdoor meets... Opened the outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays in the 10000m where she finished in a time of 37:36.56... Clocked a lifetime best in the 5000m at the Virginia Challenge in 17:21.51... Posted a lifetime best 1500m performance at the Kip Janvrin Open with a time of 4:38.59 to finish ninth overall... Ended the season by participating at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in the 10000m.

2023 Indoor Track & Field • Junior Season: Represented the Maroon and Gold at two different indoor meets... Made season debut at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational in the 3000m, clocking a 10:11.49 to finish fifth overall... Ran two lifetime bests at the Cyclone Open, one in the 1000m (3:02.43) and another in the mile (5:04.55).

2022 Cross Country • Junior Season: Competed in seven different meets during the season, including making her NCAA debut at the NCAA Midwest Region Cross Country Championships... Ran a lifetime best 6K time of 21:13.70 at the NCAA Midwest Regional to finish 56th overall... Clocked a 21:47.40 at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships to finish 74th overall... Posted best individual finish at the Oz Memorial, finishing fifth overall at the 5K distance in a time of 19:31.10... Had her best 6K finish at the Gans Creek Classic at 38th overall in a time of 21:26.70... Also competed at the Nuttycombe Invitational, the Griak Invite and the Michigan Big 10 Preview.

2022 Outdoor Track & Field • Sophomore Season: Did not compete.

2022 Indoor Track & Field • Sophomore Season: Was only able to compete in two meets during the indoor season... Ran at the Cyclone Open and the Iowa State Classic... Ran a 3000m lifetime best at the Cyclone Open, finishing in a time of 9:59.52... Ran in the 5000m at the Iowa State Classic.

2021 Cross Country • Sophomore Season: Named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree • took 53rd in the women’s 6k race at the Spiked Shoe Invitational, crossing the line in a time of 22:59.1 • claimed 103rd (23:19.5) in the women’s gold 6k race at the Roy Griak Invitational • finished 62nd in the women’s open 5k race at the Joe Piane Invitational, with a personal best time of 18:49.0 • competed in the women’s “B” race at the Nuttycombe Invitational, finishing 60th overall and crossing the line in a personal best time of 22:49.2 • finished first overall at Jack’s Twilight Run in a time of 22:50 • closed out her season with a second place finish at Rocky’s Run (23:21).

2020 Cross Country • Freshman Season: Made Big Ten Championships debut in first collegiate race, clocking a career-best 6K time of 22:27.2 to place 10th on the team and 74th overall.

2021 Indoor Track & Field • Freshman Season: Did not compete.

2021 Outdoor Track & Field • Freshman Season: Did not compete.

High School: A 2020 graduate of Eden Prairie High School where she competed for coaches Jeff Lindlief and Jummy Barlass • three-sport letterwinner, earning five letters in cross country, four in track & field, and four in Nordic skiing • five-time all-section and all-conference and three-time all-state honoree in cross country • four-time Minnesota Class AA State Cross Country Championships participant who earned three top-15 individual finishes, placing 15th as a sophomore, 11th as a junior, and seventh as a senior • two-time all-state, two-time all-section, and 2017 all-conference honoree in track & field • earned two top-eight finishes at the Minnesota Class AA State Track & Field Championships, placing third in the 4x800m relay as a sophomore and eighth in the 4x800m relay as a freshman • helped Eden Prairie to a runner-up finish at True Team Section and an eighth-place finish at True Team State as a junior in 2019 • academic all-state honoree for both cross country and track & field • owns high school personal bests of 2:18 for 800m, 5:10 for 1600m, 11:12 for 3200m, and 17:40 for cross country 5K • Eden Prairie High School Athena Award recipient • three-time all-conference and all-section honoree in Nordic skiing who earned Team MVP honors in 2019.

Personal: Daughter of Kelly and Erik Paulsen • has three siblings • high school teammates with Gopher teammate Ananya Vegesna • enjoys playing with her dogs, doing puzzles, and going for walks.