The Gophers cross country team is set to face a challenging Midwest regional on Nov. 14 at Oklahoma State University, which will determine whether they qualify for nationals.
Freshman Aloysius Franzen said the men’s team is confident about their regional participation, despite the lack of experience in the race.
“There’s a bunch of guys in the team that have not run at regionals before, including myself,” Franzen said. “Despite that, I see that as an advantage, having a young team will bring more hunger to the competition, and I am excited to see how we adapt to the pressure.”
Sophomore Aidan Jones added that the whole team is set to adapt, despite their lack of experience in 10K races.
Unlike the Big Ten Championships, where the men run the 8K, the NCAA regional cross country meet has men run the 10K.
“I think the team is set to go, and I think despite having many young runners, they will figure out mid-race how to run a 10K race,” Jones said. “ I think we can get the whole team focused on attacking the distance and really put us in a position where we can make nationals.”
Sophomore Isabelle Schmitz, who placed 15th in regionals last year, said the women’s team has been building up to this moment to qualify for nationals.
“Our goal is to qualify for nationals like we did last year,” Schmitz said. “With the depth of the region this year, it is going to be difficult, but we have been working a lot on it, so I am excited to see what the team can do.”
The Gophers’ men’s and women’s teams earned seventh place at the Big Ten Championships. Jones finished first for the men, and Schmitz crossed the line first for the women.
Franzen, who finished second, received the All-Freshman Team distinction award. The reward is given to the top five freshmen in the conference.
“I am so honored to receive my first award ever at college level and motivates me a lot ahead of the future,” Franzen said. “This is a culmination of a lot of things, especially with the injury I had last season and with the training I missed.”
Jones has posted great times this season for the Gophers, finishing first for the team in the last three meetings.
Jones said he is really happy with his form, but added that the team is the most important part.
“I have been more strict with myself, getting the right sleep, following the workout plans and recovering well,” Jones said. “I am proud of the team this year. Sometimes, we are finishing close to each other, and we push each other to be better.”
On the women’s side, Schmitz added that the team is pushing each other.
“During the Big Ten race, I heard the support of our coaches and teammates, and it was motivating for me,” Schmitz said. “I like that during that race I had one of my teammates right behind me push me to try harder and that pushes us as a team.”
The Gophers cross country team will make a run for nationals on Nov. 14 at the Midwest Regional meeting.
