Michigan
adidas XC Challenge
Wolverines Set for First Test at adidas XC Challenge
9/13/2017 4:30:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
» The men's cross country team will face its first test of the year against No. 29 N.C. State.
» Returning scorer Jordy Hewitt will join Michigan Open winner Ben Flanagan and all of the top U-M finishers from the Wolverines' season opener
• Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
THIS WEEK
Friday, Sept. 15 -- adidas XC Challenge (WakeMed Park / Cary, N.C.) 6:10 p.m.
Meet Information | Live Results
After its home opener two weeks ago, the University of Michigan men's cross country team will begin in earnest its journey down the road to the postseason with the Adidas XC Challenge in Cary, North Carolina, on Friday (Sept. 15).
With returning postseason scorer Jordy Hewitt slated to make his 2017 debut alongside Michigan Open winner Ben Flanagan, the Wolverines will face their first test of the year in the upper-level "White" division (red and white to correspond with N.C. State colors) race at 6:10 p.m.
Running on the six-kilometer (3.73-mile) course at WakeMed Park, Michigan -- receiving votes nationally in the latest National Coaches' Poll from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) -- will square off with host No. 29 N.C. State.
"We want to get a solid, competitive effort in. Just get a benchmark for where a majority of the team is as we head into the next training block leading into Notre Dame and Wisconsin," head coach Kevin Sullivan said.
"I like where the group is at. Guys are in different stages of fitness levels right now, so we're not going to take the full team down there. We're going to keep a couple guys at home and just train through the weekend, while a few other guys who we thought were ready to jump up and get some competition under their belts are going to put on the uniform and start working toward where we need to be at the end of the season."
Hailing from the Great Lakes Region as its fifth-ranked team, Michigan is the lone school in the race from beyond the Southeast or South regions. In addition to N.C. State, the race will also feature Charleston Southern, Davidson, Eastern Carolina, Elon, Gardner-Webb, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, Richmond, UNC Greensboro and VCU.
Among those Wolverines not making the trip are last year's top returner Aaron Baumgarten and returning scorer Connor Mora, who are training through the early portion of the season. Both men are healthy and fit, but are on a more measured plan as they were completing internship programs during the team's week-long training camp in late August.
While Baumgarten's and Mora's season debuts are still a couple weeks away, the Wolverines will be the beneficiaries of adding Hewitt back into the lineup alongside Flanagan, Billy Bund and Keenan Rebera, U-M's top finishers at the Michigan Open.
Nearly all of Michigan's top runners from two weeks ago will be suiting up, including Flanagan, Bund, Rebera, Micah Beller, Isaac Harding, Ben Hill, Jacob Lee, Jacob Branch, Joost Plaetinck, Andrew Lorant, Austin Benoit and Kevin Hall.
THINGS TO KNOW
• Though the "countable period" for accumulating head-to-head victories to be considered in awarding at-large berths to the NCAA Cross Country Championships later this fall, this competition will not be included in that count as the race distance is less than 75 percent of the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) duration contested at NCAAs.
• Led by former Great Lakes Region and Big Ten Coach of the Year Kevin Sullivan, the U-M men will enter ranked No. 5 in the preseason Great Lakes Regional Rankings announced Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and receiving votes in the association's National Coaches' Poll unveiled Tuesday.
• This year's NCAA Championships will be held November 18 in Louisville, Kentucky, for the third time in the past six years.
Tweet of the Week
The guys doing work on the hills at the Arb in the rain yesterday. That is how champs are made. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/b6MpNXnpMJ
— Michigan Track&Field (@UMichTrack) September 8, 2017
A LOOK AHEAD
Friday, Sept. 29 -- at Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Friday, Oct. 13 -- at Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational (Madison, Wis.)
Players Mentioned
