Hassan Mead
Encyclopedia
Hassan Mead is a Cross Country
and track and field athlete
for the University of Minnesota
. He is currently in his Senior year.
in the year 2000. He eventually settled in Ontario, California
and soon moved to Puyallup, Washington. He attended Stahl Junior High School, then moved on to Emerald Ridge High School
. In his Junior year, his first year racing, he finished 10th at the 2005 Washington State Class 4A State Meet. Later that year, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota
and attended Minneapolis South High School
. He competed for South in the Spring Track and Field season and made it to the State Meet in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs. He finished 6th (4:19.51) and 4th (9:15.93) respectively. In his Senior season, he joined the South Cross Country team and went undefeated, including victories in the 2006 Roy Griak Invitational (15:49), 2006 State Cross Country Meet (15:10.7), and the Foot Locker Midwest Regional Meet (15:05). At the Foot Locker Nationals, he finished 4th (15:28), only 8 seconds behind the winner. In Track and Field later that year, he again made it to the State Meet in the 3,200 and 1,600. This time, he finished 2nd (9:03.29) and 6th (4:14.17), respectively. He closed out his High School career as one of the finest distance runners the state has ever had.
Meet (23:47.70). In his very first 10K a week later, Mead again finished 2nd overall (29:57) in the Midwest Regional Meet to qualify for the NCAA Nationals. He only finished 43rd in that race (with a time of 30:36), but it was good enough to become Minnesota's first Freshman All-American, and he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
. Two weeks later Hassan raced at the Big Ten Conference Championships in Madison, Wisconsin
. On the first day he took 3rd in the 3,000 meter run finishing with a time of 8:11 crossing the line behind Brandon Bethke of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
and Jeff See of the Ohio State University
. The next day, Hassan placed 2nd in the 5,000 meter run finishing in a time 14:22 losing again to Bethke but defeating the Big Ten Cross Country Champion Matt Withrow. His efforts earned him two big ten medals and 2nd Team All-Big Ten Conference for his 5k race.
in Eugene, Oregon
. He finished his first College outdoor 5K with a time of 13:57.86, the 7th fastest in school history and his first sub-14 minute 5K. At the Stanford Invitational in May, he bested that time with 13:49.35, the 3rd-fastest in school history. On May 15, he won the Big Ten Conference Meet by 50 meters, running a 14:12. Mead had also previously qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional Meet on several occasions (the standard was 14:12). He finished 5th at Regionals, advancing to the Nationals with a time of 14:02. In the 5000 meter prelims at Nationals, he again finished 5th in his first heat to qualify for the finals 2 days later. He ended up 6th overall, becoming the Gopher men's only All-American for 2008. His time of 13:44.30 also became a new School Record, and he finished his Freshman season as an All American in 2 sports, and only 14 seconds off of the Olympic Trials "A" standard to automatically qualify him for a chance to go to the Olympics in the 5000.
campus. At the pre-national Cross Country meet on October 18, Mead finished 3rd in the Blue race and 4th overall with an 8k time of 23:33.1. His time set a new school record in the 8k, Breaking teammate Chris Rombaugh's time of 23:39.7 set at the same meet the year before. On Nov. 2nd, Mead ran a 24:26 to win the Big Ten Conference CC meet, leading the Gophers to a 3rd-place finish. Mead's success made his the Big Ten Men's Runner of the Year for 2008. On Nov. 15th, Mead won the Midwest Regional Cross County Championships in a 10k time of 31:15.65. Mead placed 31st at the NCAA Nationals, fast enough to be an All-America for the second year in a row.
's winning time. Mead was named All-American for the fifth time.
Mead works at the U of M golf course
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
and track and field athlete
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
for the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He is currently in his Senior year.
High school
Mead moved to the US from SomaliaSomalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
in the year 2000. He eventually settled in Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
and soon moved to Puyallup, Washington. He attended Stahl Junior High School, then moved on to Emerald Ridge High School
Emerald Ridge High School
Emerald Ridge High School is a high school in the Puyallup School District of Washington, United States and is commonly referred to as ERHS or simply ER. Emerald Ridge opened in September 2000. It features green, black and silver as its primary colors and has a jaguar as its official mascot...
. In his Junior year, his first year racing, he finished 10th at the 2005 Washington State Class 4A State Meet. Later that year, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and attended Minneapolis South High School
Minneapolis South High School
South Senior High School is the largest public school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, located in Corcoran neighborhood. Its student population is 1963, with a staff of 115 as of the 2009–10 school year...
. He competed for South in the Spring Track and Field season and made it to the State Meet in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs. He finished 6th (4:19.51) and 4th (9:15.93) respectively. In his Senior season, he joined the South Cross Country team and went undefeated, including victories in the 2006 Roy Griak Invitational (15:49), 2006 State Cross Country Meet (15:10.7), and the Foot Locker Midwest Regional Meet (15:05). At the Foot Locker Nationals, he finished 4th (15:28), only 8 seconds behind the winner. In Track and Field later that year, he again made it to the State Meet in the 3,200 and 1,600. This time, he finished 2nd (9:03.29) and 6th (4:14.17), respectively. He closed out his High School career as one of the finest distance runners the state has ever had.
Freshman Cross Country
Mead attended the University of Minnesota in the fall, competing on the Cross Country team. He had a fine Freshman season, and finished 2nd overall in the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
Meet (23:47.70). In his very first 10K a week later, Mead again finished 2nd overall (29:57) in the Midwest Regional Meet to qualify for the NCAA Nationals. He only finished 43rd in that race (with a time of 30:36), but it was good enough to become Minnesota's first Freshman All-American, and he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Freshman Indoor
Hassan opened his indoor season at the University of Nebraska where he took 3rd in the 3k with a time of 8:13. On February 16, 2008, Mead ran the 2nd-fastest 3,000 meter time ever by a Minnesota runner (8:01.08) at the Husky Invite at the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. Two weeks later Hassan raced at the Big Ten Conference Championships in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. On the first day he took 3rd in the 3,000 meter run finishing with a time of 8:11 crossing the line behind Brandon Bethke of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
and Jeff See of the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. The next day, Hassan placed 2nd in the 5,000 meter run finishing in a time 14:22 losing again to Bethke but defeating the Big Ten Cross Country Champion Matt Withrow. His efforts earned him two big ten medals and 2nd Team All-Big Ten Conference for his 5k race.
Freshman Outdoor
Hassan Mead made his debut at the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. He finished his first College outdoor 5K with a time of 13:57.86, the 7th fastest in school history and his first sub-14 minute 5K. At the Stanford Invitational in May, he bested that time with 13:49.35, the 3rd-fastest in school history. On May 15, he won the Big Ten Conference Meet by 50 meters, running a 14:12. Mead had also previously qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional Meet on several occasions (the standard was 14:12). He finished 5th at Regionals, advancing to the Nationals with a time of 14:02. In the 5000 meter prelims at Nationals, he again finished 5th in his first heat to qualify for the finals 2 days later. He ended up 6th overall, becoming the Gopher men's only All-American for 2008. His time of 13:44.30 also became a new School Record, and he finished his Freshman season as an All American in 2 sports, and only 14 seconds off of the Olympic Trials "A" standard to automatically qualify him for a chance to go to the Olympics in the 5000.
2008 Olympic Trials
In the week leading up to the US Olympic Trails Mead revealed that he was going to compete in the 5000 meter run at the Trials. He was the 23rd and one of the last qualifiers to make it into the competition. In his semi-final heat, Mead finished 11th with a time of 14:07:44, 18th place overall, and did not advance to the finals.Sophomore Cross Country
On September 27, Hassan opened the season with a 2nd-place finish (24:07.4) in the 8k at the Roy Griak Invitational on the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
campus. At the pre-national Cross Country meet on October 18, Mead finished 3rd in the Blue race and 4th overall with an 8k time of 23:33.1. His time set a new school record in the 8k, Breaking teammate Chris Rombaugh's time of 23:39.7 set at the same meet the year before. On Nov. 2nd, Mead ran a 24:26 to win the Big Ten Conference CC meet, leading the Gophers to a 3rd-place finish. Mead's success made his the Big Ten Men's Runner of the Year for 2008. On Nov. 15th, Mead won the Midwest Regional Cross County Championships in a 10k time of 31:15.65. Mead placed 31st at the NCAA Nationals, fast enough to be an All-America for the second year in a row.
Sophomore Indoor
Hassan made his first waves of the indoor season on February 14 when he broke the school's record in the indoor 3000 meter run with a time of 7:56.60 at the Husky Invite. At the Big Ten Indoor Championships in March, Hassan won is first indoor titles in the 3000m (8:02.61) and the 5000m (13:58.16). Mead's efforts helped the Gophers men's team handily win the Big Ten Conference Indoor title. two weeks later, Mead competed in the National Indoor Championships in the 3000m, finishing 4th with a new school record time of 7:56.15, and being named All American for the fourth time in his college career.Sophomore Outdoor
On Saturday, May 2, Hassan Mead won his heat at the Stanford Invitational 5K with a lifetime PR of 13:28.45, the same race in which Galen Rupp's American junior record was taken down by Chris Derrick of Stanford. It was his first race at that distance of the season. Two weeks later, Mead won the Big Ten Conference Outdoor titles in both the 5k (14:20.75) and 10k (30:03.21). His performances again helped lead the Gophers men's team to win the Big Ten Conference Championship. Despite his 10k title, his time was not fast enough to qualify him to go to the NCAA Midwest Regional in that event. Nevertheless, he did qualify in the 5k, and on May 29, he won the Midwest regional title in that event with a time of 14:02.25. At the NCAA National Championships on June 10, he again won his heat of the 5k in a time of 14:00.79 to advance to finals two days later. The finals were run in very poor running conditions and the entire field ran a very slow race for a national final. Mead ended up finishing 6th overall with a time of 14:09.87, only 9 seconds behind Galen RuppGalen Rupp
Galen Rupp is an American cross-country and track and field athlete, who competed for the University of Oregon and currently trains under Alberto Salazar as a member of the Oregon Track Club. Rupp competed for his native country in the men's 10000 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing,...
's winning time. Mead was named All-American for the fifth time.
Junior Cross Country
Mead opened his 2009 season on September 26 at Minnesota's Roy Griak Invitational and dominated the soggy course. He sprinted out to a 50 meter lead after 300 meters and never reliquished the lead, winning by 13 seconds in a time of 24:37.5. Mead defended his Big Ten title by winning with a time of 25:00.2 and earning an Big Ten Runner of the Year Award. Mead was a two-time Big Ten Runner of the Week honoree. Mead was the NCAA Midwest Region champion in a time of 30:31.31.9 which earned him the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Runner of the Year award. Mead served as team co-captain. Mead placed 16th at the NCAA meet (29:50.7) to become the second three-time All-American in Minnesota history. Mead led Gophers to a 24th-place team finish at NCAA Championships.Mead works at the U of M golf course