November 2019 Athletes of the Month

With athletes of all ages wrapping up their 2019 cross country campaigns in the month of November across several different Championship events, many Minnesotan athletes capped off their seasons with a bang showing the strength of Minnesota distance running to the rest of the running world. From Joe Klecker finishing 2^nd at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships to Analee Weaver winning her first MSHSL Class AA Cross Country championship and also qualifying for both Nike Cross Nationals and the Foot Locker National Championships, there are many great performances from November 2019 to highlight.
 
Hopkins, Minnesota native, and no stranger to impressive race performances, Joe Klecker finished as runner-up at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 23^rd in a time of 30:37, leading his University of Colorado – Boulder Buffaloes onto the podium for a 3^rd place team finish as well. Klecker’s race represents one of the best individual finishes by a Minnesotan at the NCAA Championships of all-time as well as the highest individual finish for a Colorado athlete since Dathan Ritzenhein in 2003, earning him the honor of USATF Minnesota’s Men’s November Athlete of the Month award. Klecker is also the 2019 Pac-12 cross country champion after he ran away with the individual conference title on November 1^st in a time of 23:02 and also led the Buffaloes to their 7^th Pac-12 team cross country title in school history, upsetting several individual athletes ranked higher than him as well as helping the Buffaloes upset several teams ranked higher than them. A now seven-time All-American, Klecker will be one of the top NCAA athletes to watch this Spring on the track.
 
Equally as exciting, Stillwater High School junior Analee Weaver won the MSHSL Class AA State Cross Country title in a time of 17:46 on November 2^nd, earning herself her first Minnesota state championship as well as the honor of USATF Minnesota’s Girl’s November Athlete of the Month award. The following week after the MSHSL State Championships, Weaver also qualified for Nike Cross Nationals, held in Portland, Oregon, by finishing 4^th at the Nike Heartland Regional Cross Country Championships in Sioux Falls, SD against athletes from six other states around Minnesota with a time of 17:27. Then, several weeks after the Nike Heartland Regionals, Weaver had another great race at the Foot Locker Midwest Region Championship in Kenosha, WI where she finished 8^th in a time of 18:09, qualifying her for the prestigious Foot Locker National Championships on December 14^th in San Diego, California.
 
Congratulations to Joe and Analee!
 
Men’s Honorable Mention Performances – November 2019 

• Oliver Paleen (St. Paul Highland Park HS) won the MSHSL Class AA Boys State Championship on November 2^nd in Northfield, MN in a time of 15:25, winning his first Minnesota state title. Paleen also qualified for Nike Cross Nationals by finishing 2^nd at the Nike Heartland Regional Cross Country Championships on November 10^th in Sioux Falls, SD.
• Nick Scheller (Chanhassen HS) finished as runner-up at the MSHSL Class AA Boys State Championships, then bounced back to win the Nike Heartland Regional Championships with a time of 15:17, also qualifying for Nike Cross Nationals.
• Geno Urbohm (Greenway/Nashwauk/Keewatin HS) won his second straight MSHSL Class A Boys State Championship in a time of 15:27.
• Shuayb Hussein (Wayzata HS) snagged the final boys qualifying spot for Nike Cross Nationals after finishing 5^th overall at the Nike Heartland Regionals on November 10^th after finishing 7^th at the MSHSL Class AA Boys Cross Country Championships earlier in November.
• Jaret Carpenter (Wayzata HS/Purdue University) finished 10^th at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in 30:58 on November 23^rd, recording the best finish by a Purdue athlete at the NCAA Championships since 1949. Carpenter was also named the 2019 Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year and won the NCAA Great Lakes Regional earlier in November.
• Tyler Jermann (Burnsville, MN/Team USA Minnesota) finished 18^th overall at the 2019 New York City Marathon on November 3^rd in a time of 2:15:38, finishing as the 6^th American in the race. 

Women’s Honorable Mention Performances – November 2019 

• Morgan Gehl (Murray County Central HS) won the MSHSL Class A Girls State Championship in Northfield, MN on November 2^nd with a time of 17:53.
• Anna Fenske (Farmington HS) also qualified for Nike Cross Nationals by finishing 5^th at the Nike Heartland Regionals in 17:29, after finishing 3^rd at the MSHSL Class AA Girls Cross Country Championships earlier in November.
• Amanda Mosborg (Edina HS/Carleton College) finished as the top Minnesotan athlete at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships by finishing in 13^th place with a time of 21:39 for 6K.
• Katy Jermann (Burnsville, MN/Team USA Minnesota) finished 14^th at the 2019 New York City Marathon in a new personal best time of 2:31:55, while also finishing as the 5^th American. 

We welcome your nominations!
To nominate an athlete for USATF Minnesota’s Athlete of the Month award, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to maxwellkuzara@gmail.com with the subject line “Athlete of the Month Nomination”.

Fans can follow along with USATF Minnesota on Facebook, Twitter, and online at www.minnesota.usatf.org.
 
Maxwell Kuzara
Athlete of the Month Committee Chair
USA Track & Field Minnesota
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