2020-21 Men's Cross Country Roster
Jacob Branch
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Lancaster, Calif.
- High School:
- Quartz Hill
- Major:
- Mechanical Engineering
Last Updated: June 8, 2021
Graduate Student (2020-21)
Outdoor Track & Field
• Ran a career-best 9:00.73 in the steeplechase for 11th at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (May 14-16)
• Ran 9:08.29 in the steeplechase for 4th at the B1G North Florida Invitational (April 2-3), and ran a leg of the fourth-place 4x800 relay in 7:45.61.
Indoor Track & Field
• Ran 14:38.37 in the 5000 meter run for 26th at the Big Ten Indoor Championships (Feb. 25-27)
• Ran a career-best 14:15.94 in the 5000 meter run for 7th at the SPIRE B1G Invitational (Feb. 12-13)
Cross Country
• Ran 24:30.5 over 8 kilometers (4.97 miles) to finish 18th at the FLorida State Winter Last Chance Invitational (March 5)
Senior (2019-20)
Outdoor Track & Field
• Due to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020 outdoor season was not contested. To help prevent the spread of the virus, the University of Michigan suspended all athletic activities, including practices, effective March 12.
Indoor
• Did not compete
Cross Country
• Ran 25:01.6 over eight kilometers (4.97 miles) to finish 50th at the Big Ten Championships (Nov. 3)
• Ran 24:36.4 over eight kilometers (4.97 miles) to finish 6th at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational (Oct. 18)
• Ran 24:38.58 over eight kilometers (4.97 miles) to finish 3rd at the Big Ten Preview (Sep. 28), coming in as the Wolverines' No. 1 runner.
• Ran 17:57.5 over six kilometers (3.73 miles) to finish 6th at the adidas XC Challenge (Sep. 20) , coming in as the Wolverines' No. 5 runner.
• Ran 15:28.7 over five kilometers (3.11 miles) to finish 21st at the Michigan Open (Aug. 30)
Junior (2018-19)
Indoor Track & Field
• Ran 15:34.23 in the 5000 meter run for 43rd at the Iowa State Classic (Feb. 8-9)
• Ran a career-best 8:26.90 in the 3000 meter run for 12th at the Power Five Invitational (Feb. 1-2)
• Ran a career-best 8:32.34 in the 3000 meter run for 10th at the Simmons-Harvey Big Ten Invitational (Jan. 19)
Cross Country
• Ran 31:54.53 over 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) to finish 213th at the NCAA Championships (Nov. 17)
• Ran 32:08.6 over 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) to finish 52nd at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Nov. 9)
• Ran 24:43.3 over eight kilometers (4.97 miles) to finish 41st at the Big Ten Championships (Oct. 28)
• Ran 24:55.07 over eight kilometers (4.97 miles) to finish 85th at the Pre-National Invitational (Oct. 13) in the seeded Cardinal Race
• Ran 24:39.3 over eight kilometers (4.97 miles) to finish 127th at the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational (Sept. 28)
• Ran 25:32.6 over eight kilometers (4.97 miles) to finish 12th at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational (Sept. 14), scoring for the team as the Wolverines' No. 3 runner.
• Ran 15:49.8 over five kilometers (3.11 miles) to finish 13th at the Michigan Open (Aug. 31)
Sophomore (2017-18)
Outdoor
• Ran 15:39.31 in the 5000 meter run to finish 2nd at the Toledo Invitational (May 3-4)
• Ran 31:42.72 in the 10,000 meter run to finish 23rd at the Penn Relays (April 26-28)
Indoor
• Did not compete
Cross Country
• Ran 15:39.5 over five kilometers (3.11 miles) to finish 10th at the Eastern Michigan Fall Classic (Oct. 20)
• Ran 24:39.4 over five miles (8.05 kilometers) to finish 53rd at the Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational (Sept. 29)
• Ran 18:35.5 over six kilometers (3.73 miles) to finish 16th at the adidas XC Challenge (Sept. 15)
• Ran 15:32.8 over five kilometers (3.11 miles) to finish 9th at the Michigan Open (Sept. 1)
Freshman (2016-17)
Outdoor
• Ran 30:53.10 in the 10,000 meter run to finish 20th at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (May 12-14)
• Ran 4:08.53 in the 1500 meter run to finish 7th at the Toledo Invitational (May 4-5)
• Ran a career-best 30:32.66 in the 10,000 meter run (open) to finish 22nd at the Mt. SAC Relays (Apr. 13-14)
• Ran 8:36.19 in the 3000 meter run to finish 8th at the Battle of the Blues (Apr. 1)
• Ran 15:26.74 in the 5000 meter run to finish 3rd at the Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Challenge (Mar. 24-25)
Indoor
• Redshirted
Cross Country
• Redshirted
• Represented Team USA at the NACAC Junior Cross Country Championships (March 5) in Boca Raton, Fla., finishing 15th in 19:55.36 over 6.5 kilometers (4.04 miles)
• Finished 6th at the USATF Junior Cross Country Championships (February 6) in Bend, Oregon, running 26:28 over eight kilometers (4.97 miles)
• Ran 15:45.5 at the 5,000-meter EMU Fall Classic (Oct. 21) while competing unattached to take 12th place
• Finished 14th at the 5,000-meter Michigan Open (Sept. 2) in his collegiate debut, timing a race of 15:55.7 as an unattached athlete
Prep
• Graduated as the Valedictorian from Quartz Hill High School (2016), where he was on the Principal's List and Honor Roll
• Scholar Athlete of the Year
• International Baccalaureate Club
• National Honor Society
• California Scholastic Federation
• National Society of High School Scholars
• Antelope Valley Press Future Leader of America
Track and Field
• Golden league 3,200-meter Champion and 1,600-meter runner-up (2016)
• School record-holder at 3,200-meters (9:12.08), breaking a mark set in 1972, which qualified him for CIF SS Masters
• Mustang Relays Champion at 1,600 meters (2016), setting a new PR
Cross Country
• Three-time Golden League Team Champions (2013-14-15) after three consecutive undefeated season
• League runner-up individually (2015)
Personal
• Enrolled in the College of Engineering
• Majoring in Biomedical Engineering
• Born June 25, 1998
• Son of Kevin Branch and Veronica Loya.
Career-Best Performances (College)
| Event | Time | Date |
| 1500m (O) | 4:08.53 | 5-5-17 |
| 3000m (I) | 8:26.90 | 2-2-19 |
| 3000m (O) | 8:36.19 | 4-1-17 |
| Steeplechase (O) | 9:00.73 | 5-15-21 |
| 5000m (I) | 14:15.94 | 2-12-21 |
| 5000m (O) | 15:26.74 | 3-24-17 |
| 10,000m (O) | 30:32.66 | 4-13-17 |
