Michigan
EMU Open
Wolverines Kick Off Season at Eastern Michigan Open
9/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Site:Â Ann Arbor, Mich. (Buhr Park)
Meet: EMU Open (8,000 meters)
U-M Finish: No Team Scoring
Top U-M Individual: Dan Murray, 18th (26:56)
Next Meet: Friday, Sept. 17 -- at Spartan Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.), 2:35 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Battling hazy and muggy conditions, the University of Michigan men's cross country team made its 2004 season debut at the EMU Open on Saturday (Sept. 4) at Buhr Park. Six Wolverines -- including three who competed unattached -- placed among the top 25 finishers of the 8,000-meter non-scoring event.
Junior/sophomore Dan Murray (Rochester, Mich./Brother Rice HS) led the Wolverine contingent to the finish line, registering a time of 26:56 to claim 18th place among the 61-man field. Junior/sophomore Andrew Bauer (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) and senior/junior Sean Moore (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) crossed the line moments later in 21st and 23rd place, respectively, with times of 27:08 and 27:10.
In addition to the five-man Michigan squad, nine Wolverines competed unattached in the open race. Senior captain Nate Brannen (Cambridge, Ontario/Preston HS) posted the best finish among the group, placing seventh overall with a time of 26:15. In his Maize and Blue debut, graduate/senior Jonathan Kieliszak (Warwick, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS), clocked 26:24 to round out the top 10.
With the Eastern Michigan group setting pace out front, the Wolverines stayed together in a tight pack --Â trailing 300 meters back into the field -- running at a 5:30 per mile clip. At the two-mile mark, Brannen and Kieliszak accelerated their pace and began to cut away at the gap between themselves and the leaders. The pair came through the 5,000-meter mark at 17:00 and closed with a 9-minute final 3,000 meters.
Freshmen Victor Gras (Belmont, Mass./Belmont HS) and Seth Thibodeau (Milford, Mich./Milford HS)Â registered solid performances in their collegiate debut as Gras claimed 13th place with a time of 26:49 and Thibodeau was 29th at 27:53.
After a two-week hiatus, the Wolverines will head to East Lansing, Mich., on Friday, Sept. 17, for the Spartan Invitational at Michigan State's Forest Akers East Golf Course. The 8,000-meter race is slated to begin at 2 p.m.
Top Individual Finishers
1. Wes Alkin, Eastern Michigan 25:56 2. Corey Nowitzke, Eastern Michigan 25:56 3. Tom Clifford, Eastern Michigan 26:02 4. Steve Crane, EMU Alumni 26:06 5. Josh Karanja, unattached 26:06 6. Alan Walker, Eastern Michigan 26:07 7. NATE BRANNEN, unattached 26:15 8. Ryan Desgrange, EMU Alumni 26:17 9. Matt Mulvaney, unattached 26:20 10. JONATHON KIELISZAK, unattached 26:24 11. Chris Baldwin, Eastern Michigan 26:30 12. Kevin Naughton, Eastern Michigan 26:49 13. VICTOR GRAS, unattached 26:50 14. Wade Wines, Eastern Michigan 26:51 15. Josh Perrin, unattached 26:52
Other Michigan Finishes
18. Dan Murray 26:56 21. Andrew Bauer 27:08 23. Sean Moore 27:10 25. Brian Les, unattached 27:15 26. Todd Iacovell, unattached 27:23 27. Rondell Ruff 27:29 29. Seth Thibodeau, unattached 27:53 35. Ryan Gall 28:22 36. James Reichardt, unnattached 28:27 37. Ethan Brown, unattached 28:32 43. Joe Schramski, unattached 29:53
Players Mentioned
