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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Aschbren (talk | contribs) at 18:23, 18 December 2024 (←Created page with '{{Short description|American distance running team}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox sports team |name=Minnesota Distance Elite |logo=Signatures of Minnesota Distance Elite athletes.jpg |caption=Minnesota Distance Elite logo and signatures of team members |sport=long-distance running |founded=2001 |location=Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota |coach=Chris Lundstrom<ref>{{cite news |work=Minnesota Public Radio News |last=Mikus |fi...'). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Minnesota Distance Elite

Minnesota Distance Elite logo and signatures of team members
Sport	long-distance running
Founded	2001
Team history	previously known as Team USA Minnesota
Location	Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota
Head coach	Chris Lundstrom

Minnesota Distance Elite, previously known as Team USA Minnesota, is a long-distance running team based in the state of Minnesota in the USA. The team is designed to support the running careers of post-collegiate athletes.

Runners apply to join the team, who have to be approved by the board of directors after reviewing the athlete's training history. The most important criteria for joining as of 2007 was steady improvement in performance.

History

2001

Pat Goodwin founded Team USA Minnesota in 2001 and hired the team's first coaching staff. From the start, Team USA Minnesota was half-women and half-men making it unique from other professional development running teams. She was inspired to start the team because the performance of U.S. distance runners was perceived as being poor at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Running USA and USA Track & Field founded Team USA Minnesota in 2001. The first women's coach was Dennis Barker, the cross country and track coach at Augsburg University. The first men's coach was Steve Plasencia, the distance running coach at the University of Minnesota. Ditlev Larson, the men's cross country coach at the University of Minnesota, and Charlie Mahler, the former cross country and track coach at Gustavus Adolphus College, served as assistant coaches. The team was started with a roster of nine runners including Carrie Tollefson who had been training in Florida until the creation of the team. At the time of its creation, Minnesota Distance Elite had a budget of $90,000 to $100,000 for athlete stipends and race travel funding. Minnesota Distance Elite also arranged for each athlete to have health insurance, a health club membership, as well as housing; some women were given arranged housing in Edina, Minnesota while some men were given arranged housing in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The team was originally supposed to have ten members, but Kelly Keeler dropped out after learning being on the team would require too much time away from her job.

The other Team USA training centers established at the same time include [[Hansons-Brooks Distance Project |Hansons Running Shop Team USA Michigan]], Team BrownStone USA New York, and Team USA California.

Carrie Tollefson ran the first race as a Team USA Minnesota athlete at the Prefontaine Classic in 2001. Kim Kauls, Kurt Keiser and Kelly Mortenson were training for the New York City Marathon at the time and hoping to qualify for the US Olympic marathon trials. Chris Lundstrom ran the 2001 Grandma's Marathon where he was the first American finisher.

Turena Johnson-Lane joined Team USA Minnesota in 2001 to train for a year to prepare for the Olympic Trials in 2004, leaving an assistant coaching job at Luther College (Iowa) to do so.

The Twin Cities Marathon and Minnesota Distance Running Association held a fundraiser for Team USA Minnesota near Bde Maka Ska in July 2001 at which former Olympic runner Steve Holman spoke.

Kurt Keiser, Kelly Mortenson, Matt Gabrielson, Katie McGregor, Kristin Nicolini, and Turena Johnson-Lane competed at the Minnesota Distance Classic track meet in July 2001.

Katie McGregor competed at the Athletes Foot Mile in Lincoln, Nebraska in July 2001. She sought to qualify for the US Olympic trials in 2004 competing in the 10,000 metres.

Katie McGregor, Carrie Tollefson, Kim Kauls, Kelly Mortenson, and Matt Gabrielson competed in the Perfect 10k in Minneapolis, Minnesota, an event in which women started four minutes before the men and $25,000 of cash prizes were distributed to the first five finishers. Katie McGregor finished in fourth place with a time of 34:43.7 and won $2000 in prize money. McGregor and Tollefson ran together for the first three miles before Tollefson fell off the pace, however John Korir passed McGregor with a mile to go in the race.

Katie McGregor won the Twin Cities 10 Mile in 2001 with a time of 57:21.

Chris Lundstrom finished in 16th place at the 2001 New York City Marathon despite gastrointestinal issues with a time of 2:18:08, fast enough to qualify for the 2004 US Olympic marathon trials.

Matt Gabrielson and Turena Johnson-Lane competed in the USA Track and Field national cross country championships in Mobile, Alabama in December 2001. They both finished in 11th place in their respective 10,000 meter and 6,000 meter races respectively.

Katie McGregor won the Western Hemisphere Half Marathon in Culver City, California in December 2001 with at time of 1:18:09.

Matt Gabrielson was struck by a vehicle in December 2001 while running in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was released from a local hospital five hours later with seven staples in his head but didn't have any broken bones. He had to miss training in Albuquerque, New Mexico in January and February with the other nine members of Team USA Minnesota.

2020

On January 1, 2020, Team USA Minnesota changed its name to Minnesota Distance Elite. The change was made at the request of the US Olympic Committee which said the team could no longer use the term "Team USA" as part of its name.

Personnel

Current athletes

As of 18 December 2024

Previous athletes

Previous coaches

References

1. Mikus, Matt (July 23, 2024). "Meet the summer Olympians and Paralympians with Minnesota ties headed for Paris". Minnesota Public Radio News.
2. Millea, John (May 23, 2001). "Training center to keep top runners up to speed - Top Minnesota distance runners who left the state to chase world-class standards now can connect with Team USA Minnesota, and train toward such goals closer to home". Minnesota Star Tribune.
3. Youngblood, Kent (July 27, 2007). "DISTANCE RUNNING: TEAM USA MINNESOTA - To better times - Collegiate running isn't the end of the road for members of a Twin Cities-based club who still desire to improve and compete. Several Olympic-caliber athletes are a testament to the club's mission". Minnesota Star Tribune.
4. Barker, Sarah (May 15, 2020). "WOMEN IN THE LEAD - In Minnesota's business of running, a remarkable number of women are at the helm". Minnesota Star Tribune.
5. Youngblood, Kent (July 27, 2007). "DISTANCE RUNNING: TEAM USA MINNESOTA - To better times - Collegiate running isn't the end of the road for members of a Twin Cities-based club who still desire to improve and compete. Several Olympic-caliber athletes are a testament to the club's mission". Minnesota Star Tribune.
6. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
7. Brothers, Bruce (May 27, 2001). "TWINS CITIES MEN READY FOR ANOTHER BIKE RIDE TO FLORIDA". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
8. WASIKONIS, Morgan (March 21, 2002). "U.S. TRYING TO CHANGE FORTUNES". Centre Daily Times (State College, Pennsylvania).
9. Brothers, Bruce (May 27, 2001). "TWINS CITIES MEN READY FOR ANOTHER BIKE RIDE TO FLORIDA". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
10. Pates, Kevin (June 17, 2001). "BRASH MATOLO PULLS AWAY FROM FAVORITE". Duluth News-Tribune.
11. Ogden, J.R. (July 4, 2001). "Big dreams, sacrifices - Woman leaving husband for a year to chase Olympic berth". Gazette, The (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, Iowa).
12. Zulgad, Judd (July 12, 2001). "MINNESOTA SCENE - Grande headed to Celtics". Minnesota Star Tribune.
13. Breitenbucher, Annie (July 13, 2001). "RUNNING - Distance Classic back, Quality running field set for meet at University track". Minnesota Star Tribune.
14. Lentz, Mark (July 28, 2001). "National CC champ will race in mile". Lincoln Journal Star (Nebraska).
15. Breitenbucher, Annie (August 17, 2001). "RUNNING - A race of equality? Perfect 10K should have men, women battling it out". Minnesota Star Tribune.
16. Brothers, Bruce (August 19, 2001). "KORIR WINS $10,000 IN 'EQUALIZER' ROAD RACE". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
17. Breitenbucher, Annie (August 19, 2001). "RUNNING - Korir proves he has no equal in Perfect 10K". Minnesota Star Tribune.
18. Breitenbucher, Annie (October 8, 2001). "TWIN CITIES MARATHON - NOTEBOOK, Brantly passes 6,396, Runner sprints from last place for good cause". Minnesota Star Tribune.
19. Brothers, Bruce (November 11, 2001). "NYC MARATHON TURNS INTO A REAL RUSH FOR LUNDSTROM". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
20. Brothers, Bruce (December 23, 2001). "HUH? WHO'S READY TO SNOWSHOE?". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
21. Brothers, Bruce (January 13, 2002). "AVON BOWS OUT AS SPONSOR OF WOMEN'S-ONLY RACES". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
22. Brothers, Bruce (January 20, 2002). "EVEN ELITE RUNNERS LEARN THE HARD WAY TO BE CAREFUL". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
23. "Big Ten honors Gophers goalie Jack LaFontaine, WCHA honors forward, defenseman on women's team". Minnesota Star Tribune. January 7, 2020.
24. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
25. Ogden, J.R. (July 4, 2001). "Big dreams, sacrifices - Woman leaving husband for a year to chase Olympic berth". Gazette, The (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, Iowa).
26. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
27. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
28. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
29. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
30. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
31. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
32. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
33. "Whitecaps to host NWHL-leading Boston in two-game series at Tria Rink". Minnesota Star Tribune. January 24, 2020.
34. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
35. Ruff, Pat (June 30, 2020). "Trost has Olympic dreams". Post-Bulletin (Rochester, Minnesota).
36. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
37. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
38. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.
39. Brothers, Bruce (May 23, 2001). "OLYMPIC HOPEFULS GET NEW TRAINING SITE". Minnesota Star Tribune.

External links

• Official website

Sports in Minneapolis-Saint Paul

• 2001 establishments in Minnesota