2004 XCM at NCAA Great Lakes Regional -- Notes & Quotes
11/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
N O T E S
Senior Nate Brannen is the sixth Wolverine -- and only the third different U-M runner -- to capture the regional individual title and the first to accomplish the feat since 1997. Michigan held a stronghold on the title from 1993-97 when All-Americans Kevin Sullivan (1993-94-95-97) and John Mortimer (1996) combined win the crown for five consecutive seasons.
The individual win is the first of Brannen's collegiate cross country career. He has three previous runner-up showings, including this season's NCAA Pre-Nationals (Oct. 16) and last year's Big Ten Championships.
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Ron Warhurst
On the team's performance ... "This was definitely our best race of the season. Everyone who needed to step up really came through today. We dramatically improved over our Big Ten finish; we scored 14 fewer points today against quite a few more teams and our top five all improved their positions. I really couldn't have asked for a better performance."
On senior Nate Brannen... "With about 2,000 meters to go, I was sure he would win. He said he felt the best he had all year. He moved very easily through the pack and still had plenty in the tank at the end. He ran a very smart race."
Senior Nate Brannen
On the team's improvement since the Big Ten Championships ... "The team's become a lot more focused over the last two weeks. We've brought the mileage down, and I think a number of guys finally have their legs back underneath them. Running is such a confidence deal; the more focused and the more confident you are, the better you tend to do. Basically, we all knew this was it; either we run well or we don't make it. We really pulled it together when we needed to, and that's all that matters."
On the difference between his race today and Big Tens ... "It was my last Big Ten Championships, and I really had nothing to lose. I didn't care if I got second or fifth to be honest, I was going for the win. So, when Wisconsin made the big break at Big Tens, I just went with them and I wasn't really ready for it. That's not how I race cross, so it threw me off and took out my kick."
On the plan for the NCAA Championships ... "We won't change anything that we've done this week. We've backed off on workouts a little bit, and we'll continue with that. Basically, we'll mirror what we did last week and maintain what we've been doing. It worked this week, so it should work next week."
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
