University of Minnesota Athletics
2024-25 Men's Track & Field Roster
VanAcker, Dan
Dan VanAcker
- Class:
- Redshirt Sophomore
- Position:
- Distance
- Hometown:
- Scandia, Minn.
- High School:
- Forest Lake High School
Bio
Dan VanAcker's TFRRS Bio
Dan VanAcker's IAAF Bio
2025 Outdoor Track & Field • Redshirt Sophomore Season: Earned a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team... Ran in four meets during the outdoor season, running primarily in the 3000m steeplechase... Ran a season-best 3000m steeplechase at the 115th Drake Relays in a time of 9:24.00... Ran the steeplechase at both the Raleigh Relays (9:37.54) and Hamline's 'Meet of the UnSaintly' (9:25.38)... Also ran an 800m race at the Arizona Spring Break Fiesta in a time of 1:59.37.
2024 Cross Country • Redshirt Sophomore Season: Named to the Academic All-Big Ten team... Aided Minnesota's third-place team finish at the Roy Griak Invitational, the best since 2018... Was 95th overall at the 2025 Roy Griak Invitational in a time of 26:41.7... Was fourth among the Gophers at both the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet in Madison (25:09.1) as well as the Big Ten Championships in Illinois (24:06.8)... Was sixth among Minnesota's runners at the NCAA Midwest Regional 10K in a time of 31:32.95 to finish 113th overall... Was 69th overall at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invite in an 8K time of 24:18.8.
2024 Outdoor Track & Field • Redshirt Freshman Season: Earned a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team... Made the NCAA West Regional in his first official season on the track... Was 46th at the NCAA West Regional in the 3000m steeplechase in a time of 9:40.05... Was 16th at the Big Ten Championships in the 3000m steeplechase in a time of 9:20.55... Ran a season best 8:51.18 in the 3000m steeplechase at the Bryan Clay Invitational, helping him finish fourth overall.. Won the Hamline Invitational 3000m steeplechase in a time of 9:01.39... Started the season at the Hurricane Invitational with a 3:51.99 in the 1500m to finish third.
2023 Cross Country • Redshirt Freshman Season: Named to the Academic All-Big Ten team... Continued to develop during the cross country season, closing the final three meets inside Minnesota's top three finishers each time... Started the season at the Oz Memorial... Finished fourth among Gophers at the Badger Classic in an 8K time of 24:55.5... Helped Minnesota win the Badger Classic, the first win for the program away from home since 2018... Was fifth on the team at the Griak Invitational, clocking a 25:43.7... Ran an 8K season-best time of 24:36.4 at the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet in Charlottesville, Va., to finish fourth among Minnesota's runners... Was 53rd at the Big Ten Championships, third among Minnesota's runners, in a time of 25:41.4... In his first 10000m run put down a 32:02.0 at the NCAA Midwest Regional, finishing second among Minnesota's lineup and 61st overall.
2023 Outdoor Track & Field • Freshman Season: Ran in four outdoor meets in his first season on the track... Won the St. Thomas Tomcat Invitational 1500m in a time of 3:54.44... Won the 3000m steeplechase at the Bethel Invitational in a time of 9:22.76... Was the runner-up at the Janis Rider/Doug Bolstorff in the steeplechase in a time of 9:23.14.
2022 Cross Country • Freshman Season: Redshirtted his first season with the Maroon and Gold.
HIGH SCHOOL: Was homeschooled, but competed in sports with Forest Lake High School...A quality distance runner, VanAcker made strong strides in 2022 by dropping his personal best time in the 1600m by 16 seconds to win the state title at the Class AAA level... He also finished fourth overall in the 3200m with a personal best time of 9:09.08, dropping his time from 9:26 in 2021... VanAcker was a third-place finisher at the state cross country meet, tying his high school's best individual finisher in school history... Lettered in wrestling as well as cross country and track... Was on the Dean's List... was All-Conference twice in cross country, four times in wrestling and three times in track... Was All-State once in cross country, twice in wrestling and three times in track and field.
PERSONAL: Plans on majoring in Architecture... Son of David and Gerri VanAcker... Has four siblings, Jeremiah, Christianna, Gabriella and Presley... Was coached by Andy Richardson who competed for Minnesota from 2009-12... Dad David ran for Michigan State... Interested in wrestling, computer aided drafting, playing the guitar, woodworking, fishing, disc golf and hiking...
Why VanAcker chose Minnesota: "Minnesota clearly doesn’t just care about how I would do in sports, they have a pretty unique system from other visits I took and it’s clear that they take sports very seriously, but they keep faith, family, and school as higher priorities."
Dan VanAcker's IAAF Bio
2025 Outdoor Track & Field • Redshirt Sophomore Season: Earned a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team... Ran in four meets during the outdoor season, running primarily in the 3000m steeplechase... Ran a season-best 3000m steeplechase at the 115th Drake Relays in a time of 9:24.00... Ran the steeplechase at both the Raleigh Relays (9:37.54) and Hamline's 'Meet of the UnSaintly' (9:25.38)... Also ran an 800m race at the Arizona Spring Break Fiesta in a time of 1:59.37.
2024 Cross Country • Redshirt Sophomore Season: Named to the Academic All-Big Ten team... Aided Minnesota's third-place team finish at the Roy Griak Invitational, the best since 2018... Was 95th overall at the 2025 Roy Griak Invitational in a time of 26:41.7... Was fourth among the Gophers at both the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet in Madison (25:09.1) as well as the Big Ten Championships in Illinois (24:06.8)... Was sixth among Minnesota's runners at the NCAA Midwest Regional 10K in a time of 31:32.95 to finish 113th overall... Was 69th overall at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invite in an 8K time of 24:18.8.
2024 Outdoor Track & Field • Redshirt Freshman Season: Earned a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team... Made the NCAA West Regional in his first official season on the track... Was 46th at the NCAA West Regional in the 3000m steeplechase in a time of 9:40.05... Was 16th at the Big Ten Championships in the 3000m steeplechase in a time of 9:20.55... Ran a season best 8:51.18 in the 3000m steeplechase at the Bryan Clay Invitational, helping him finish fourth overall.. Won the Hamline Invitational 3000m steeplechase in a time of 9:01.39... Started the season at the Hurricane Invitational with a 3:51.99 in the 1500m to finish third.
2023 Cross Country • Redshirt Freshman Season: Named to the Academic All-Big Ten team... Continued to develop during the cross country season, closing the final three meets inside Minnesota's top three finishers each time... Started the season at the Oz Memorial... Finished fourth among Gophers at the Badger Classic in an 8K time of 24:55.5... Helped Minnesota win the Badger Classic, the first win for the program away from home since 2018... Was fifth on the team at the Griak Invitational, clocking a 25:43.7... Ran an 8K season-best time of 24:36.4 at the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet in Charlottesville, Va., to finish fourth among Minnesota's runners... Was 53rd at the Big Ten Championships, third among Minnesota's runners, in a time of 25:41.4... In his first 10000m run put down a 32:02.0 at the NCAA Midwest Regional, finishing second among Minnesota's lineup and 61st overall.
2023 Outdoor Track & Field • Freshman Season: Ran in four outdoor meets in his first season on the track... Won the St. Thomas Tomcat Invitational 1500m in a time of 3:54.44... Won the 3000m steeplechase at the Bethel Invitational in a time of 9:22.76... Was the runner-up at the Janis Rider/Doug Bolstorff in the steeplechase in a time of 9:23.14.
2022 Cross Country • Freshman Season: Redshirtted his first season with the Maroon and Gold.
HIGH SCHOOL: Was homeschooled, but competed in sports with Forest Lake High School...A quality distance runner, VanAcker made strong strides in 2022 by dropping his personal best time in the 1600m by 16 seconds to win the state title at the Class AAA level... He also finished fourth overall in the 3200m with a personal best time of 9:09.08, dropping his time from 9:26 in 2021... VanAcker was a third-place finisher at the state cross country meet, tying his high school's best individual finisher in school history... Lettered in wrestling as well as cross country and track... Was on the Dean's List... was All-Conference twice in cross country, four times in wrestling and three times in track... Was All-State once in cross country, twice in wrestling and three times in track and field.
PERSONAL: Plans on majoring in Architecture... Son of David and Gerri VanAcker... Has four siblings, Jeremiah, Christianna, Gabriella and Presley... Was coached by Andy Richardson who competed for Minnesota from 2009-12... Dad David ran for Michigan State... Interested in wrestling, computer aided drafting, playing the guitar, woodworking, fishing, disc golf and hiking...
Why VanAcker chose Minnesota: "Minnesota clearly doesn’t just care about how I would do in sports, they have a pretty unique system from other visits I took and it’s clear that they take sports very seriously, but they keep faith, family, and school as higher priorities."
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