Hassan Mead reminisces at Minnesota, shares Olympic experience

At the Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota, FloTrack caught up with former All American Gopher Hassan Mead. While competing at Minnesota, Mead earned eight All American honors and remains one of the most decorated Gophers in school history. While signing autographs and taking pictures with fans at Les Bolstad Golf Course, Mead reminisced about working summers at the driving range and winning the invitational in a Minnesota uniform and as a senior in high school. 

Mead also spoke of the whirlwind experience qualifying for the Olympic team and competing in Rio at his first Olympic Games. His Olympic experience proved to be a whirlwind as well when he became the victim of a collision in the first round of the 5K. Mead was able to advance after a protest and speaks about the experience of putting complete faith in his team (agent, coach) to handle the protest and give him the opportunity to advance. Mead’s 11th-place finish in the 5K final didn’t meet his expectations, but he expressed gratitude for the opportunity and a hunger to improve in the coming years under the guidance of his coach Mark Rowland.