Toeing the Line #3: at Spartan Invitational
9/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
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• Athlete Spotlight: Connor Mora
THIS WEEK
Saturday, Sept. 5 -- at Spartan Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.), 12:20 p.m.
• Event Information | Forest Akers Golf Course Map 
| Spectator Information | Free Images
This weekend, the 11th-ranked University of Michigan men's cross country team has a short road trip on slate to the campus of Michigan State University for the 8,000-meter Spartan Invitational, to be run Saturday (Sept. 5, 12:20 p.m.) at MSU's Forest Akers Golf Course. The race will feature competition from a pair of Big Ten schools, giving the Wolverines another early-season look at what their competition will look like come the postseason.
U-M will travel seven student-athletes to compete in uniform at the East Lansing event, which includes competition from the following schools and clubs: Albion, Alpena CC, BGSU Club, Bowling Green University, Central Michigan, Concordia, Davenport, Edinboro, Ferris State, Grace Bible, Grand Valley State, Hillsdale, Illinois, Jackson CC, Lansing CC, Macomb CC, Malone, No. 28 Michigan State, Michigan Tech, Michigan-Dearborn, Mott CC, MSU Running Club, Muskegon CC, Northwood, Nova Southeastern, Oakland CC, Playmakers Racing, Robert Morriss, Saginaw Valley, Sault College, Spring Arbor University, Wayne State University and Windsor.
For the Wolverines, the following athletes will compete in the Maize and Blue singlet: fifth-year seniors Scotty Albaugh and August Pappas, senior Alex Moran, senior/junior Nick Renberg, junior/sophomore Austin Benoit and sophomores/freshmen Colin Martin and Ethan Martin.
Several more Wolverines are expected to compete unattached.
THINGS TO KNOW
• The race at MSU's Forest Akers Golf Course will also feature a pair of Big Ten schools in the field: the University of Illinois and the No. 28-ranked Michigan State Spartans.
• U-M moved up one spot in this week's second edition of the USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll. The team's preseason ranking of No. 12 was the highest for the program since 2008, when U-M entered the season eighth in the preseason polls.
• Brothers and sophomores/freshmen Colin Martin and Ethan Martin will both make their in-uniform Wolverine debuts during Friday's race.
• U-M's roster features 21 returning athletes, including six seniors. Overall, five athletes who scored in the 2014 postseason are running again for the Wolverines this fall, while six freshmen join the fold under second-year head coach Kevin Sullivan.
• Under Sullivan, the Maize and Blue has now won three of its last four regular-season scored meets.
Top Returning Times at 8,000 meters (from 2014)
| Athlete | Time |
| Mason Ferlic | 23:41.3 |
| Ben Flanagan | 23:58.8 |
| Tony Smoragiewicz | 24:04.9 |
| Aaron Baumgarten | 24:06.9 |
| August Pappas | 24:19.2 |
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Check out video from our pre-season training camp @UMBS http://t.co/UE9rE3eGFk #GoBlue
-- Kevin Sullivan (@ksully330) September 15, 2015
UP NEXT
Saturday, Oct. 3 -- at Greater Louisville Classic (Louisville, Ky.)
Friday, Oct. 16 -- at Wisconsin Adidas Invitational (Madison, Wis.), 11 a.m. CDT
Communications Contact: Chad Shepard
Players Mentioned
