Throughout the 2024-25 school year, Ali Weimer participated in five different championship meets, but the beginning of summer may have been the most unforgettable.
The distance runner graduated with high distinction, earning her Bachelor of Science in Sociology, and then broke her school record a month later at the NCAA Championships.
An impressive running career is never what Weimer expected. She said she never ran track or cross country until seventh grade.
She played soccer and hockey, but found a natural enjoyment in running.
“I don’t know how in the world I thought running far was gonna be revolutionary or life changing,” Weimer said. “When they made us run at practice, everyone was like, I’m dreading it. And I’m like, this is awesome.”
Weimer excelled in cross country throughout high school. The Minnesota native went to Saint Michael-Albertville High School in Saint Michael, only 30 minutes from the Twin Cities.
In 2021, Weimer won the Minnesota State Championship for cross country, as well as the Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year for her athletic ability, as well as academic merit and volunteer work.
Weimer’s high school coach, Matt Venaas, at the time, told Gatorade that Weimer’s strategic understanding of running was impressive.
“An incredible runner and positive leader for our team,” Venaas said. “She does an excellent job understanding how she can run her best race that day.”
When Weimer started running with the Gophers, the leadership on the track and cross country teams consisted of many graduate students who helped guide her and grow her skill.
“I think that the older girls have done a great job of just kind of raising me up and raising the girls in my grade and raising the younger generations,” Weimer said.
In 2022, she was the unanimous Big Ten Cross Country Freshman of the Year, the first Gophers runner to achieve the title since 2000.
Though Weimer has competed in cross country since she joined the Gophers, her track and field career did not start officially until 2024. She spent the 2023 season as a redshirt.
Weimer said cross country is her “bread and butter,” and it was evident in her performances throughout the season, consistently finishing first among her teammates.
After missing the NCAA National Championship for cross country in 2023, the Gophers finished 18th this year. Weimer mentioned that their successful cross-country season gave her confidence going into the track and field season.
“I want to be scoring at the Big Ten meet,” Weimer said. “I want to do it for the team, if records come with that or best times come with that, then that is great.”
Weimer said this after coming up short at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. At the next meet she competed in, she broke the school record for the 10,000 meter run.
It was consistent growth from there, breaking her personal best in the 5k, placing fourth at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships and then qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
At the NCAA Championships, she broke her own 10k school record once again.
Teammate graduate student Emma Atkinson said in October that Weimer was going to be successful and was sure she would become an All-American this year.
After the NCAA Championships, Weimer earned second-team All-American. Her 15th place finish in the 10k was the second-highest in Gophers’ history.
With more years of eligibility, Weimer’s career with the Gophers is not over yet, as she will be back next season as a graduate student.