Gophers Grab College Commitments from Top In-State Talent

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The University of Minnesota cross country and track & field teams have kept up their strong tradition of keeping some of the state's top running talent in-state with another impressive class of runners from the Class of 2024. 

Here we highlight those recent University of Minnesota commits and show what makes them so special. 

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Sam Scott (Minneapolis Southwest)

Long one of the best distance runners in Minnesota, the University of Minnesota picked up a huge commitment from Scott to join a team with tons of local talent and re-joining his former Southwest teammate Owen Lindseth. 

Scott ranks at the top XC runner in Minnesota this fall and is one of the best in state history, ranking #13 all-time in the 5K. He is also a prolific track and field runner who ranks #5 all-time for the 3200m and #7 for the 2-mile. 

Scott will be one of the favorites for the Class AAA XC state title this year and will go into the spring track and field season as the #4 1600m returner and as the top 3200m returner in Minnesota. 

Outside of Minnesota, Scott will look to cement his status as one of the nations top runners at the NXR Heartland Regional Championships and beyond. 

XC and Track PR's

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Nolan Sutter (Chaska)

One of the breakout stars of the 2023 cross country season, Sutter has shown up at every meet this season ready to compete for the win, en route to five victories, three runner-up finishes and a 5th place finish at the ultra-competitive Roy Griak. 

Sutter ranks at the #3 boys 5K runner in Minnesota this fall and has run 15:40 or better in eight straight races. He has set a new PR this season for 15:10.90, which ranks #26 all-time in Minnesota and ranks as the #20 5K runner in the NXR Heartland region this season. 

Sutter is no slouch on the track either, after finishing 7th in the 1600m and 5th in the 3200m for Class AAA this past spring. For the 2024 track season, he ranks as the top 1600m returner in Minnesota and the #3 3200m returner. 

XC and Track PR's

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Isabelle Schmitz (Hutchinson)

A two-time State Champion and a perennial state qualifier dating back to 2018, Schmitz is a vary strong addition to the Gophers as she is proficient at mid-distance and distance. Schmitz is currently in the midst of her best XC season yet, with seven wins and her only loss being a 4th place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational. 

Schmitz will be the favorite for the Class AA XC title this fall after winning the title in 2021 and finishing as the runner-up last season. She currently ranks as the #2 runner in Class AA and the #6 runner overall in Minnesota. 

Schmitz is also one of the best all-around track and field runners in Minnesota as last spring she won the 3200m Class AA title, finished 2nd in the 1600m, and 9th in the 400m. This spring she ranks as the #5 800m returner and the #3 1600m and 3200m returner in all of Minnesota. 

XC and Track PRs

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Caitlyn Osanai (Robbinsdale Armstrong)

Continuing her momentum from 2022, Osanai has upped her game this fall notching some of the biggest meet victories of the season at the St. Olaf High School Showcase, Osseo Invitational, the Northwest Suburban Conference Championships, and most recently the Section 6AAA Championships. Osanai has turned herself into a contender this fall and is one of the most talented distance runners in Minnesota. 

Overall this fall she currently ranks #10 in Minnesota for the 5K and will go into the spring track and field season as the #8 3200m returner and #15 1600m returner in Minnesota. If she can make another jump in the spring like she did this fall, she could contend for the state titles for Class AAA. 

XC and Track PR's

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