Track & Field

There is rarely an opportune time for athletes to be injured.

Women’s track and field sprinter and jumper Todea-Kay “TK” Willis was an exception to that rule.

The junior planned to redshirt the entire 2012 indoor season so she could compete a full year as a senior. But Willis suffered a left hip injury a few training sessions into the new year.

“It came at the right time,” Willis said. “It kind of set me back a lot. I couldn’t run on it for a long time, so I had to do rehab.

The men’s track and field team capped off its indoor season in somewhat disappointing fashion. The Gophers had six All-Americans, but finished in a four-way tie for 18th overall after last year’s sixth-place finish.

Heading into the NCAA indoor track & field championships, Harun Abda had the fastest time in the 800-meter run. He was reigning Big Ten champion in the 400 and 600.

The USTFCCCA Midwest region and the Big Ten conference named him their Track Athlete of the Year.

For seven Gophers men’s track and field athletes, the indoor season culminates at the NCAA Indoor Championship meet this weekend.

No. 8 Minnesota finished sixth last year, tied for the highest finish in the program’s history.

All six Gophers athletes who competed in five events last year earned All-American honors and placed in the top eight.

Three of those All-Americans return for this year’s meet: Harun Abda, Travis Burkstrand and Micah Hegerle. However, there will be one notable absence.

The Big Ten Conference named Minnesota men’s track and field middle-distance runner Harun Abda Track Athlete of the Year.

Abda is the reigning Big Ten champion of the 400-meter dash and the 600, in which he set the Big Ten record. He earned Co-Track Athlete of the Big Ten championships along with Indiana’s Andy Bayer.

His 800 time of one minute, 46.97 seconds is currently the fastest collegiate time in the nation this year. Abda will compete in this event at the NCAA Indoor championships March 9-10.

The Big Ten indoor championships yielded disappointment for both the men’s and women’s teams.

The three-year defending champion men’s team finished second by a four-point margin to last year’s runner-up Indiana. Nebraska led most of the meet but finished third, one point behind the Gophers.

The Gophers trailed in fifth place after the first day of competition with 22 points. The team managed a comeback to finish the meet with 100 points and a second-place trophy.

The Gophers track and field teams are nearing the end of the indoor season.

The Big Ten indoor championships in Lincoln, Neb. this weekend is one of the last meets for the men and women.

The men’s team has a four-year history of dominance in the Big Ten conference since Steve Plasencia took over as head coach in 2008.

The No. 8 Gophers have won five of six championships combined with outdoor. An indoor win this year would mean four straight trophies.

Hassan Mead ran to a third-place finish Friday in the 5,000-meter run at the FloTrack Husky Invite in Seattle, qualifying him for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Third place is impressive for Mead, considering he finished behind two professionals.

Mead’s time of 13:33.42 not only qualifies him for his first NCAA Indoor Championships in two years but is also the fastest time in the nation this year.