Weekly Release #5
10/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Upcoming Schedule
Sunday, Oct. 28 -- at Big Ten Championships (Savoy, Ill.), 11 a.m CST
Saturday, Nov. 10 -- at NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Terre Haute, Ind.), 11 a.m.
This Week
The University of Michigan men's cross country team will look to capture its eighth conference title when it travels to Savoy, Ill. to compete at the Big Ten Conference Championships on Sunday (Oct. 28). The meet, which will be hosted by the University of Illinois, covers 8,000 meters of the Orange and Blue Golf Courses and is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CST.
Michigan's Lineup for the Big Ten Championships
Nathan Brennan, Fr. (Cambridge, Ontario/Preston HS)
Tom Greenless, So. (Milford, Mich./Milford HS)
Ryan Hesselink, So. (Freeport, Mich./Thornapple-Kellogg HS)
Tarn Leach, Fr. (East Jordan, Mich./East Jordan HS)
Mark Pilja, Sr. (Naperville, Ill./North HS)
Nick Stanko, So. (Wyandotte, Mich./Roosevelt HS)
Brian Turner, Fr. (Omaha, Neb./Millard North HS)
Alan Webb, Fr. (Reston, Va./South Lakes HS)
Mike Wisniewski, Sr. (Temperance, Mich./Bedford HS)
Michigan at the Big Ten Championships
Since 1990, two teams have dominated the Big Ten Championships. The lone time in the last 11 years Michigan and Wisconsin have not finished one and two at the Big Ten Championships came when the Wolverines finished seventh last year in Madison, Wis. Over that time the Badgers have won eight conference titles with the Wolverines capturing the other three in 1993, '97, and '98.
Recapping the Wolverine Interregional
Michigan dominated the competition in its last meet, the Wolverine Interregional (Oct. 14). Freshman Alan Webb outran the field by 32 seconds with a time of 25:12 to win his second scored collegiate meet in as many tries, while senior All-Americans Mike Wisniewski and Mark Pilja closed out their home careers by covering the 8,000 meters of the U-M Golf Course in under 26 minutes and placing second and third, respectively. As a team, Michigan totaled 18 points to claim the team title, with Purdue (53) finishing a distant second.
Head Coach Ron Warhurst
When head coach Ron Warhurst took over the U-M cross country program in 1974, he proved his merit immediately by winning the Big Ten Championship in each of his first three seasons. Since then he has gone on to guide three more teams to titles in 1993, 1997 and 1998. For his efforts, Warhurst has been honored as the Big Ten Coach of the Year four times, in 1990, 1993, 1997 and 1998.
Immediate Impact
Freshman Alan Webb, who owns the American high school record for the mile at 3:53.42, has won both scored collegiate meets in which he has competed. His first victory came at the Great American Cross Country Festival on Sept. 21 and he followed that up with a win at the Wolverine Interregional on Oct. 14. If he makes it a third in a row, he will become only the fourth freshman to win the Big Ten Championship since 1973. Former Wolverine Kevin Sullivan (1993-97) won four Big Ten Championships, including his freshman campaign in 1993. The other two freshmen to accomplish the feat are Craig Virgin of Illinois (1973) and Bob Kennedy of Indiana (1988).
Good Sign
If senior All-Americans Mark Pilja and Mike Wisniewski hold true to their form of the last two years, then the Wolverines should have several runners in the front of the pack. Last year Pilja finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships in Madison, Wis., by posting a time of 24:13. Wisniewski redshirted last year but in his junior season in 1999, he placed fourth at the Big Ten Championships with a time of 25:30.29.
Pleasant Surprise
Not only have sophomore Nick Stanko's times been consistent, they've also been consistently improving. At the start of the year Stanko's times were constantly in the 25:30 range. However, in the last two races Stanko has turned it up a gear with the result being times of 25:06.60 at the Murray Keatinge Invitational (Oct. 6) and 26:07 at the Wolverine Interregional. His finish of fifth at the Wolverine Interregional also marked the highest placing of his collegiate career.
He Runs Cross Country as Well
Track and field fans know freshman Nathan Brannen because as a high schooler he ran a mile in under four minutes. What they are starting to catch on to now is that he is also a legitimate threat to win on the cross country level. In his two races this year, Brannen has posted top-20 finishes at the Wolverine Interregional and at the Great American Cross Country Festival. His best time is 24:57 at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Rock Hill, S.C., which resulted in an 18th-place finish.
Wolverines Remain at No. 12
The Wolverines hold the No. 12-ranking in the latest MONDO Men's Cross Country Poll, which was released on Oct. 16. The Maize and Blue will have stiff competition this weekend with three other teams from the Big Ten Conference ranked among the top 25. Wisconsin leads the way at No. 4, followed by Michigan State at No. 18 and Indiana at No. 22.
MONDO NCAA Division I Poll (10/16/01)
Rank, School Points Prev 1. Colorado (14) 398 1 2. Stanford 378 2 3. Arkansas (2) 369 3 4. Wisconsin 341 4 5. Notre Dame 331 5 6. North Carolina State 328 T9 7. Portland 293 6 8. Providence 282 7 9. Northern Arizona 251 8 Air Force 251 NR 11. Cal-Santa Barbara 221 NR 12. MICHIGAN 214 12 13. Arizona 202 24 14. Villanova 193 T9 15. Eastern Michigan 171 19 16. Brigham Young 160 17 17. Duke 141 13 18. Michigan State 122 16 19. Arizona State 115 15 20. Oregon 114 18 21. Wake Forest 89 14 22. Colorado State 84 11 23. Indiana 39 NR 24. Washington 27 NR 25. Utah State 25 23
Contact: David Crabtree (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
