Senior Gemechu Godi won the first event of the Jack Johnson Classic over the weekend, and the rest of his team didn’t slow down after that.
Godi took first place in the 200-meter dash on Friday in 21.86 seconds, winning the first of seven event titles the Gophers earned at the two-day meet at the University of Minnesota Field House.
“[The guys] know what their teammates have done, and it gathers a bit of momentum,” head coach Steve Plasencia said.
Godi’s winning 200-meter time was Minnesota’s only event victory on Friday, but the team added six on Saturday.
Redshirt junior Nick Bachinski set a personal best in the high jump for the second week in a row, clearing 2.15 meters to take first in the event.
“I think Nick has got confidence in what he’s doing now,” Plasencia said. “I think things are coming together for him.”
Senior captain Luke Johnson, who set a personal record in the shot put last weekend, won his second-straight title in the event by throwing 18.98 meters.
Senior Goaner Deng followed his fellow captain’s lead, winning the 800-meter in a time of 1:51.73. Deng credited Plasencia’s coaching following his victory.
Redshirt junior Nate Roese won the 400-meter dash for the Gophers, while freshman Josh Tracy won the 600-meter, running unattached.
The Gophers final title came when senior Sean Donnelly, competing unattached, won the weight throw with a toss of 21.90 meters.
Women win seven titles at Jack Johnson Classic
The women’s track and field team started the Jack Johnson Classic in historic fashion, with four athletes recording scores in the pentathlon on Friday that landed in the top 10 in program history.
Redshirt senior Alex Beckman scored a career-best 3,749 to take fourth at the meet and move into third place in Minnesota history in the event.
Freshman Sofie Albrechtsen’s score of 3,747 placed her fourth in program history, while redshirt junior Audra Winter and redshirt senior Amanda Beckman recorded scores that put them fifth and 10th, respectively, on the all-time leaderboard.
The Gophers also picked up two event titles on Friday, with redshirt junior Erin Hawkins winning the 200-meter dash and junior Kimberly Golding winning the long jump.
The Gophers added five event titles on Saturday, with Golding breaking her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.32 seconds.
“To be honest, I never expected to break the record this early [in the season],” Golding said.
Junior Titania Markland added to the team’s victories on the track after running a career-best indoor time of 54.62 seconds in the 400-meter dash.
Markland, along with Hawkins, sophomore Emerald Egwim and redshirt junior Kat Keller, also ran a season-best 3:42.57 in the 4×400 meter relay, which set a meet record.
The team’s final event crowns came from sophomore Heta Tuuri, who won the high jump by clearing 1.78 meters, and redshirt senior Lyndsey Thorpe, who won the weight throw with a distance of 19.26 meters.
