Hassan Mead

He was the 23rd and one of the last qualifiers to make it into the competition.

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.

Mead opened his indoor season at the University of Nebraska, where he took third in the 3k with a time of 8:13.

Hassan Mead (Somali: Xassan Miicaad, حسن ميد; born June 28, 1989) is a Somali-American long-distance runner.

He was a cross country and track athlete for the University of Minnesota.

Mead was born June 28, 1989, to a family of farmers in rural northwest Somalia.

In 2000, he moved to the United States.

He initially resided in Minnesota, and then Ontario, California, prior to moving to Puyallup, Washington.

He attended Stahl Junior High School and then Emerald Ridge High School.

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.

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, where he attended Minneapolis South High School for his senior year and competed in the spring track and field season and made it to the state meet in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs.

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).

An eight-time All-American in his Minnesota career, four in cross country (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011) and five in track (2008 outdoor, 2009 indoor and outdoor, 2012 indoor and outdoor).

Prior to his time at the University of Minnesota, Hassan is a 2007 graduate of Minneapolis South High School.

In the fall of 2007, Mead entered the University of Minnesota, where he competed on the cross country team.

In his freshman season, he finished second overall in the Big Ten Conference Meet (23:47.70).

Mead is a nine-time Big Ten Conference champion, winning two in cross country in 2008 and 2009, and seven in track, where he swept all distance events in the 2009 indoor and outdoor seasons.

Mead is currently running with the Oregon Track Club in Eugene, Oregon.

On February 16, 2008, Mead ran the second fastest 3,000 meter time ever by a Minnesota runner (8:01.08) at the Husky Invite at the University of Washington.

Two weeks later Mead raced at the Big Ten Conference Championships in Madison, Wisconsin.

On the first day he took third 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, Mead placed second 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.

Mead made his debut at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.

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.

In the week leading up to the US Olympic Trials, Mead revealed that he was going to compete in the 5000 meter run at the Trials.

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.

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.

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.

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.

He finished 6th (4:19.51) and 4th (9:15.93) respectively.