UPDATED 6/21: Wally Ellenson qualifies for Junior World T&F Championships in Columbia

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@gopherhole: #Gophers! RT @jcellenson: #Big10TF @wallyellenson Congrats Wally Ellenson, who just took 3rd place at B1G T&F Championships in high jump!

Go Gophers!!
 


PiPress: Gophers basketball player Wally Ellenson a track star, too

"They are two completely different sports," said Ellenson, a freshman from Rice Lake, Wis. "But I'm more confident in this one. I know what I need to do. And it's in Austin, so I know this place a little better now."

And though Ellenson didn't play much for the Gophers in basketball after missing the first 12 games with a broken hand, he left new coach Richard Pitino impressed after several workouts. There likely will be an opportunity for Ellenson to earn more playing time next season with starting swingman Joe Coleman transferring.

"He's a great athlete," Pitino said. "I've been excited about him. He moves really well. He's got to improve his jump shot, but he works extremely hard."

Ellenson already is looking forward to summer basketball practices when he can prove himself to Pitino. He's gained even more confidence after making an impact in his second sport.

"To be elite at both will be very difficult," Ellenson said. "But if I'm successful at both right now, I'm going to do both as long as I can."

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_23302539/gophers-basketball-player-wally-ellenson-track-star-too

Go Gophers!!
 

Reusse: Track and field now, more basketball later for Gophers' Ellenson

Wally Ellenson said “basketball is definitely my first love,” but he’s also motivated by the individual challenge of track and field.

“Looking back at how much I played, it would’ve been smart to redshirt,” Ellenson said. “They [Smith and his staff] told me one thing and that’s not what happened. Obviously, I wasn’t going to pull off my redshirt to play 48 minutes.”

“He’s a good person,” Ellenson said. “As a coach, he’s demanding and taught me there’s a lot more to the college game than shooting the ball. I don’t have bad feelings, but there’s no doubt, this coaching change is going to be good for me as a player.

“[Pitino’s] style fits me, without a doubt. I’m better when a team is playing fast.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/208591851.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
 

Sounds like booting Tubby for Pitino will help us get back in the good graces of the Ellensons. Good news.

*waits for smart-ass Parski response

**remembers Parski is on my ignore list :cool:
 


BleedGopher said:
Reusse: Track and field now, more basketball later for Gophers' Ellenson

Wally Ellenson said “basketball is definitely my first love,” but he’s also motivated by the individual challenge of track and field.

“Looking back at how much I played, it would’ve been smart to redshirt,” Ellenson said. “They [Smith and his staff] told me one thing and that’s not what happened. Obviously, I wasn’t going to pull off my redshirt to play 48 minutes.”

“He’s a good person,” Ellenson said. “As a coach, he’s demanding and taught me there’s a lot more to the college game than shooting the ball. I don’t have bad feelings, but there’s no doubt, this coaching change is going to be good for me as a player.

“[Pitino’s] style fits me, without a doubt. I’m better when a team is playing fast.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/208591851.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
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Funny I remember specific quotes from Ellenson saying he didn't want to be in college for 5 years
 

oleboy41 said:
Funny I remember specific quotes from Ellenson saying he didn't want to be in college for 5 years
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Playing nothing but garbage time and getting your shot blocked from behind into the top of your head several times will give a guy some perspective.
 

The departure of Joe Coleman should provide more opportunity for Ellenson to start at small forward or as a third guard. Did Coleman’s decision to transfer come as a surprise?

“No … you’re on a team, you hear how players feel about a situation,” Ellenson said.

-Glad Joe chose to leave, if he didn't want to be a gopher and rep his state, fill the spot with someone who wants to be a Gopher. He was a starter playing major minutes, not sure what he had to complain about?
 

Love how candid Ellenson is with the media. A bit of a change from some of the very PR conscious interviews you read..

Wally just telling it how it is lol I like that.
 




oleboy41 said:
Funny I remember specific quotes from Ellenson saying he didn't want to be in college for 5 years
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Haha yeah, it's very interesting how things change. Everybody knew the kid wasn't gonna play much, then he kept getting hurt. The impression at the time seemed to be that Tubby would have rather redshirt him but they wanted him to play. I suppose they all just assumed he'd contribute more than he did, so I guess maybe that's a bad miscalculation on the part of both parties.

Well, he's still got three years, hope he makes the most of them and tears it up for us.
 

I come out of reading these articles really liking this kid. It jibes with the video interview I saw a while ago where he seemed likeable and even a little magnetic. I think he could become a team leader.

It was sad to read about the miscalculations between him and Tubby about his eligibility. I was hoping not to find that out. What a waste.
 

BleedGopher said:
“Looking back at how much I played, it would’ve been smart to redshirt,” Ellenson said. “They [Smith and his staff] told me one thing and that’s not what happened. Obviously, I wasn’t going to pull off my redshirt to play 48 minutes.”
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He should have red-shirt, but the 48 mins. was largely due to a broken hand and the flu. Can't plan that.
 




MadtownGopher said:
Sounds like booting Tubby for Pitino will help us get back in the good graces of the Ellensons. Good news.

*waits for smart-ass Parski response

**remembers Parski is on my ignore list :cool:
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Parski would never do that.:rolleyes:


Parski, Saul, Rosemary and Thyme
 

Myron/ESPN: Minnesota wing could jump over Shaq

per Myron:

Two-sport athletes are common in collegiate sports. (my editorial - they are??!!)

Julius Peppers played football and basketball for North Carolina. Andrew Luck played baseball and football at Stanford. Football great Jim Brown was an All-American in lacrosse at Syracuse. (my editorial - he had to use Peppers/Luck and f'n Jim Brown to drive the two sport example home?! i.e., NOT common then)

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/84874/minnesota-wing-could-jump-over-shaq

Go Gophers!!
 

Not sure if this has been posted, but Wally tweeted this:

Top 24 in the Nation move on to Eugene! Im blessed to be one of them! #NCAANationals
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Congrats to Wally for making it to nationals!
 


GopherSports: Ellenson Qualifies for NCAA Championships as Gophers Open Regional
Ellenson cleared 7-01 ft. (2.16 meters) to tie for seventh in the high jump at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin

Wally Ellenson became the first member of the Minnesota men’s outdoor track and field team to punch his ticket for the NCAA Championships while three more Gophers advanced through the first day of competition on Thursday at the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field West Preliminary Championships.

Ellenson cleared 7-01 ft. (2.16 meters) to tie for seventh in the high jump at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin with the freshman coming just short of his personal record of 2.17 meters set earlier this year at the Hamline Invitational. The Rice Lake, Wis., native now moves on to the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships held June 5-8 in Eugene, Ore. Minnesota high jumper Danny Schiller cleared 6-09.50 ft. (2.07 meters) but did not advance out of Thursday’s first round.

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-track/recaps/052313aaa.html

Go Gophers!!
 

Good for him. It'd be great to end the year at the NCAAs with a PR, that's about the most you could ask.
 

Impressive.

'12 Olympics it took nearly a jump of 7'-10 for gold and 7'-7" for bronze. Anyone have any idea what kind of jump he would need to qualify for the Rio Olympics? Would 7'-3" o r7'-4" get you in the games?
 

HOOP DREAMS said:
Impressive.

'12 Olympics it took nearly a jump of 7'-10 for gold and 7'-7" for bronze. Anyone have any idea what kind of jump he would need to qualify for the Rio Olympics? Would 7'-3" o r7'-4" get you in the games?
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Doubt it. First, you need to have the Olympic 'A' Standard in order to make the games...but then you also need to place top 3 at the Olympic Trials. You do not have to meet the 'A' standard at the Trials itself however...just need to hit that mark during the qualifying time frame the IOC allows (usually year or year and a half) and then place in the top 3 at the Trials.

For the 2012 games the 'A' standard was at 7'6 3/4...so it'll be somewhere around there.
 

That's a lot of 'A' standard talk...

But thank you for the response. Has some work to do to get to the Olympics level.
 

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Bad Gopher said:
I come out of reading these articles really liking this kid. It jibes with the video interview I saw a while ago where he seemed likeable and even a little magnetic. I think he could become a team leader.

It was sad to read about the miscalculations between him and Tubby about his eligibility. I was hoping not to find that out. What a waste.
Click to expand...

Wally wants to go to the Olympics, we could've redshirted, but he was only staying for four regardless, The kid was honest about his intensions based on what we all know on this board so I have no problem with Tubby's decision
 

Just thought I'd note that Wally is competing in the NCAA champs in Oregon tonight, I think like 5-ish or something like that.
 

@MNCoachPitino: Good luck to Wally Ellenson today at the nationals in Eugene!

Go Gophers!!
 

Looks like Wally cleared 7'2.5"(2.20m). He had 3 misses at 7'4.25". I believed he tied for 8th in the finals... Congrats Wally.

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-track/recaps/060713aab.html

"Ellenson improved his personal record yet again in his freshman campaign with the Gophers. The newcomer finished tied for eighth in the high jump to earn First Team All-America honors with a height of 7-02.5 ft. (2.20 meters). Ellenson is the first Gopher to earn All-America honors in the outdoor high jump since Kevin Netzer in 2004 (also finished eighth at 7-02.5 ft.)."
 

Rex said:
Looks like Wally cleared 7'2.5"(2.20m). He had 3 misses at 7'4.25". I believed he tied for 8th in the finals... Congrats Wally.

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-track/recaps/060713aab.html

"Ellenson improved his personal record yet again in his freshman campaign with the Gophers. The newcomer finished tied for eighth in the high jump to earn First Team All-America honors with a height of 7-02.5 ft. (2.20 meters). Ellenson is the first Gopher to earn All-America honors in the outdoor high jump since Kevin Netzer in 2004 (also finished eighth at 7-02.5 ft.)."
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Wally was top finishing FR in the High Jump. Makes me wonder if he focuses on track instead of BB if he couldn't be a champion in 3 years. The top two finishers this year all jumped less than Wally did when they were FR. IF Wally showed the same improvement they did, he clears 7'8 - 7'9 as a SR and more than likely wins the NCAA Championship.
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Wally was top finishing FR in the High Jump. Makes me wonder if he focuses on track instead of BB if he couldn't be a champion in 3 years. The top two finishers this year all jumped less than Wally did when they were FR. IF Wally showed the same improvement they did, he clears 6'8 - 6'9 as a SR and more than likely wins the NCAA Championship.
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I imagine you were thinking 7'8 - 7'9, with just a simple typo. With that said, the Olympic gold medal in 2012 went to a 7'9.5 jump. As much as I would love to see Wally on the team for another 3 years, if it's a possibility that he can sniff the Olympics, I would not be hurt at all if he took a look at that path.
 

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