Weekly Release #4
10/10/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Upcoming Schedule
Sunday, Oct. 15 -- host Wolverine Interregional (U-M Golf Course), 11 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 20 -- at Eastern Michigan Open (Ypsilanti, Mich.), 4 p.m.
This Week
The No. 24-ranked Michigan men's cross country team will co-host, with the U-M women's cross country team, the eighth annual Wolverine Interregional Sunday (Oct. 15) at the U-M Golf Course. The men's 8,000-meter race will start at approximately 11 a.m., following the women's race which starts at 10:30 a.m.
Course Map: GIF (51 KB) | PDF (1 page, 62 KB)
Wolverine Interregional
The men's field consists of 11 teams. No. 20-ranked Washington should give No. 24 Michigan a challenge, along with UCLA, Florida, Purdue, James Madison, Tennessee and Texas. James Madison and Washington finished second and third, respectively, last year at the Wolverine Invitational.
The Michigan men have won three straight team titles at the Wolverine Interregional, and have claimed the individual winner the past four seasons, with Jay Cantin claiming that honor last year. Junior Mark Pilja (Naperville, Ill./North HS) is Michigan's top harrier returning in the Wolverine lineup. Pilja posted a fourth-place finish last season at the Wolverine Interregional (25:08). Senior John Butsic (Iron River, Mich./West Iron Country HS) finished 19th (25:41), junior Tom Caughlan (West Des Moines, Iowa/Mason City HS) came in 36th (25:58) and junior David Cook (Portage, Mich./Northern HS) was 53rd (26:24) last year. Senior Eric Post of James Madison should press Pilja for the individual title after finishing fifth overall last year in this meet, only one second behind Pilja (25:09).
U-M Golf Course
The University of Michigan Golf Course serves as the home course for the Wolverine men's and women's cross country teams. Alister MacKenzie, named Golf Architect of the Century for the first 100 years of golf in America, designed the Michigan Golf Course. The course opened in 1931, and in the fall of 1992 underwent a $3.3 million restoration that was completed in the spring of 1994.
The U-M cross country trail follows the rolling terrain of the golf course, traversing almost all 18 holes at some point. Races begin on the fairway of the first hole with a climb up the 10th fairway midway through the race. The women's 5,000-meter and men's 8,000-meter races conclude between the first and ninth holes.
Last year at the Wolverine Interregional, U-M's Jay Cantin (1996-99) had one of the top 10 fastest times ever on Michigan's home course (24:43). Michigan holds five spots among the top 10 finishes on their home course. Junior Mark Pilja, who posted a time of 24:50 earlier this year on the home course during the Michigan Open, looks to improve his time and put his name on this distinguished list.
Top 10 Times on U-M's Golf Course
| 1. | Matt Downin, Wisconsin | 24:06 | 1998 |
| 2. | Kevin Sullivan, Michigan | 24:12 | 1997 |
| | John Mortimer, Michigan | 24:12 | 1997 |
| 4. | Ryan Taylor, Michigan State | 24:23 | 1998 |
| 5. | John Mortimer, Michigan | 24:24 | 1998 |
| 6. | Jay Schoenfelder, Wisconsin | 24:29 | 1998 |
| 7. | Todd Snyder, Michigan | 24:34 | 1998 |
| | Martin Keino, Arizona | 24:34 | 1994 |
| 9. | Ian Connor, Ohio State | 24:40 | 1998 |
| 10. | Jay Cantin, Michigan | 24:43 | 1999 |
Last Week
Michigan men's cross country team came in second in the Murray Keatinge Invitational on Saturday (Oct. 7)in Orono, Maine. Michigan was looking to win its fourth straight team title at the event hosted by the University of Maine, but with 38 points was edged out by Nebraska (31) to finish second overall. Junior Mark Pilja became the sixth straight Wolverine to win the individual title at the Murray Keatinge Invitational (23:43.7).
Pilja = Repeat
After a week off of competing, junior Mark Pilja won his second straight individual title, at the Murray Keatinge Invitational (Oct. 7). Pilja won the Huskie Invitational two weeks earlier (Sept. 23) to take the honor. Pilja looks to become the first U-M harrier to win three consecutive individual titles since Kevin Sullivan (1994-97) claimed that feat during the 1997 season when he won the Big Ten Championship, NCAA District IV Championship and NCAA National Championship titles.
Best in Big Ten
Junior Mark Pilja is the only Big Ten Conference harrier to post a time of under 24 minutes in the 8,000-meter run this season. Pilja's time of 23:52 (Huskie Invitational, Sept. 23) is the top time in the Big Ten this year.
MONDO Men's Cross Country Rankings (10/9/00)
Team Pts 1. Stanford (12) 396 2. Arkansas (4) 388 3. Colorado 368 4. Providence 350 5. Wisconsin 326 6. Iona College 302 7. Georgetown 293 8. BYU 277 9. Arizona 269 10. Northern Arizona 261 11. Colorado State 243 12. William & Mary 202 13. North Carolina State 186 14. Michigan State 181 15. Oklahoma State 180 16. Arizona State 178 17. Notre Dame 167 18. Oregon 145 19. Weber State 104 20. Washington 98 21. South Florida 80 22. Indiana 54 23. Princeton 48 24. MICHIGAN 43 25. Duke 25
Contact: Steve Grialou (734) 763-4423
