Gophers women’s cross-country runner Ali Weimer calmly stood alongside a RunnerSpace reporter on a sunny Friday morning in September at Les Bolstad Golf Course as she waited for her live post-race interview to begin.

Described by her teammates as spunky, sassy and a “little ball of energy,” the junior from St. Michael, Minnesota crossed the finish line minutes earlier to win the individual 2024 Roy Griak Invitational title. Weimer’s teammate, graduate Emma Atkinson, immediately followed as the two Gophers finished in first and second place.

“Ali, you won!” a voice behind the camera said before the interview started.

As runners from other teams continued to cross the finish line, Weimer’s demeanor suddenly changed once she processed that her team won the Griak.

“We won?” Weimer said as she covered her mouth. “Shut up. Shut up.”

Not only was Weimer the fourth Minnesota women’s runner to win the 6K at the Griak, but this was also the Gophers women’s cross country’s first win in a meet with more than three teams involved since 2021.

Fast forward two weeks after the Griak and Weimer made headlines again as she set a personal and program record for the second-fastest 6K in Gophers women’s cross-country history at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational on Oct. 4.

Though she had just set a program record and finished in 9th place, Weimer’s first thought after crossing the finish line was not about herself.

“One of my biggest things that I’m thinking about is like, ‘Okay, so how did the team do?’” Weimer said.

Atkinson finished in 15th place, followed by senior Erin Reidy in 26th as the team placed third overall in the Loyola Invitational.

A top runner since day one

Weimer’s beginnings in the program were unusual, Atkinson said. She added cross-country coaches prefer freshmen to sit out their first year to provide an opportunity for them to acclimate to college athletic and academic life after high school.

However, Weimer did not do this.

As a freshman, Weimer was the Gophers’ top runner in four of six events she competed in and was named 2022 Big Ten Cross Country Freshman of the Year.

Atkinson said having younger women act as team leaders was a change in dynamic for her.

“When I first got here, the top girls, they were fifth years and sixth years,” Atkinson said. “It was very, very different — the team vibes. Going from a sixth-year woman to a little freshman leading the team.”

Weimer said the leadership from older teammates helped her thrive in her freshman year. She added as an upperclassman herself, she needs to be taking in freshmen like recent Big Ten Freshman of the Week Isabelle Schmitz.

Similar to Weimer, Schmitz did not redshirt her freshman cross-country season. Weimer said Schmitz’s work ethic and drive to be a standout freshman is similar to when she first entered the program.

“She’s super hardworking,” Weimer said “If you give her a goal, I think that she’ll go and get it.”

Atkinson said she and Weimer train together in groups at team practices. Outside of practice and meets, Atkinson said she spends a lot of time with Weimer and added that Weimer’s determination extends to off-the-track activities like homework.

“She’s just one of the people that will always be going above and beyond,” Atkinson said. “If there’s a homework assignment and it’s like, ‘Oh, just write a paragraph,’ she’s writing a whole page.”

NCAA Pre-Nationals

The Gophers competed in the Wisconsin NCAA Pre-Nationals meet in Madison on Saturday. Reidy described the Pre-Nationals as a “mid-term” to help the team assess their fitness heading into the end of the season.

Weimer finished as the top Gophers runner in 11th place at Pre-Nationals and set another personal and program record in the 6K. Her time of 19:38.5 shaved eight seconds off her previous personal and program record at the Loyola Invitational, two seconds behind the all-time Gophers 6K record held by Bethany Hasz.

“She’s going to be so successful,” Atkinson said. “I think she’s definitely going to go down that All-American route. I think she could be top in the nation.”

Weimer said while winning individually gives her confidence, her greatest motivator is seeing the team be successful.

“I want the team to be successful because we deserve it,” Weimer said. “We deserve to finish third at Loyola against great teams or win the Griak, and things like that.”

Breaking out of the slump and looking ahead at the Big Ten Championships

Weimer, Reidy and Atkinson shared a similar personal dissatisfaction at the end of the last cross-country and outdoor track seasons.

After speaking with each other and the rest of the team, they identified that their recovery training days were too relaxed. Going forward, recovery practices became more intense, which led to improved results during meets this season, Atkinson said.

“We’ve had so many conversations where we’re like, ‘Okay, we want to be good. How can we hold each other accountable?’” Atkinson said.

Reidy said the Gophers need to focus on the present since looking too far ahead or in the past can distract them. She added that admiring wins for too long can be dangerous for performing well later in the season.

“Winning the Griak and getting third at Loyola, those were all really good highs for our group,” Reidy said. “The best part of our season is yet to come.”

The 2024 Big Ten Championships on Nov. 1 in Champaign, Illinois, are on the horizon for Weimer and Gophers women’s cross country.