MINNEAPOLIS –Over a course of four days of competition in California the University of Minnesota track and field program posted eight different program top 10 performances. The Gophers competed at the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Beach Invitational, the Mt. SAC Relays and the St. Thomas Easter Invitational.
The tone was set on Wednesday night out in Azusa, Calif., with Isabelle Schmitz and Zoie Dundon in the 3000m steeplechase. Schmitz, a true freshman, posted a time of 9:55.19 to move to No. 4 all-time at Minnesota. Her time also propelled her to the No. 2 spot among freshmen this season in the NCAA. Dundon, a returning NCAA finalist in the steeple, followed Schmitz with a lifetime best 9:52.46 at the Bryan Clay Invitational to move to No. 3 all-time at the 'U' in the event. Dundon's time also pushes her to the No. 9 spot in the country this season in the event and the No. 2 spot among Big Ten competitorswith Schmit sitting at the No. 11 position nationally.
On Thursday the Maroon and Gold continued their momentum at the Bryan Clay Invitational with Erin Reidy in the 800m. The graduate student put forth a time of 2:06.24, a lifetime best, to finish 18th overall and now sits at No. 5 all-time at Minnesota.
Late Thursday night Minnesota's Ali Weimer once again put her name on yet another program all-time top 10 list. Weimer's 15:50.15 pushed her to the No. 2 spot at Minnesota, ahead of the likes of Megan Has, Megan Duwell and Rocky Racette. The 15:50.15 puts Weimer sixth in the Big Ten this season in the 5K while her season best 33:03.15 in the 10000m positions her fourth within the conference. Between cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field Weimer has now posted five different program top 10s, including school records in the 6K (cross country) and the 10K (outdoor track and field).
Friday's action led to two program top 10s for the Maroon and Gold, both at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Zion Campbell of the Bahamas put down a lifetime best 200m time of 20.84 to move to the No. 6 spot all-time at Minnesota. Campbell is the fourth Gopher on roster to now sit on the program all-time top 10 list for the 200m (Augustine, Benjamin, Charles and Campbell).
Isabelle Schmitz made it two program top 10 performances in one weekend with her 1500m performance on Friday at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The Hutchinson, Minn., native posted a lifetime best time of 4:20.39 to move to No. 10 all-time at the 'U'. Since November Schmitz has put down five different program top 10 performances indoors and outdoors. She also has the 16th-fastest 6K time in school history in cross country.
Maja Maunsbach and Brooke Moore highlighted Minnesota's performances on Saturday, both being at the Beach Invitational. Maunsbach, a Swedish national, put forward a lifetime best 100m hurdles time of 13.12 (+2.1 m/s) to improve her No. 3 position she already had at Minnesota. In the triple jump Brooke Moore broke through with a lifetime best 13.21m (43-4 1/4) to finish as the meet's runner-up to teammate Diarra Sow (13.35m | 43-9 3/4). Moore's performance puts at the No. 4 spot all-time at Minnesota, moving up from her previous spot at No. 7. Nationally Sow is now tied for eighth in the triple jump while Moore is tied for 13th.
Next week Minnesota will host the Gary Wilson Invitational in Minneapolis at the University of Minnesota Track Stadium. The home meet will be contested over one day on April 23, with the team then heading to the 115th Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa from April 24-26.
For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.
