Gophers uncertain of final roster spot for Big Ten meet

The Gophers women’s cross country team hosted Jack’s Run over the weekend at Les Bolstad Golf Course.
There was a laid back atmosphere on the calm Saturday morning, as no team score was kept and the race was open to the public.
Juxtaposed with the serenity of the charity event, however, was a competition for the final spot on the roster Minnesota will take to the Big Ten championships next weekend in Champaign, Ill.  
Entering Jack’s Run, head coach Gary Wilson said the spot would come down to a “run-off” between Danielle LeBreck, Rachel Drake, Annie Talajkowski, Andrea Rediger and Claire Rindo.
Rediger was the Gophers’ first finisher at Jack’s Run with a time of exactly 22 minutes.
Drake was the second Minnesota finisher with a time of 22 minutes, 17 seconds.
Even with Rediger finishing 17 seconds ahead of any of her teammates, Wilson said he is still unsure of who will earn the final roster spot.
“We’re going to probably wait until [Monday] to decide. We have to do some overall calculations on total times for the last few meets,” Wilson said Sunday. “They’re really basically a toss up. It’s a toss up between Andrea Rediger and Rachel Drake.
“We just want to make a smart decision and not rush it.”
The women’s team rested its top runners over the weekend in preparation for the Big Ten championships. The entire men’s team took a break from competition as well.
More than 100 runners of all ages participated in Jack’s Run, which raises money in honor of the late Jack Johnson, a longtime team equipment manager for the women’s cross country team.