Michigan
EMU Fall Classic
Michigan Men to Close Out Regular Season at EMU
10/23/2019 1:05:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
» Runners from the No. 17 University of Michigan men's cross country team will bring the regular season to its official end on Friday (Oct. 25) at the Eastern Michigan Fall Classic.
» Michigan's postseason roster will rest up in advance of an attempt to win a third Big Ten title in five seasons next Sunday (Nov. 3), with Friday's lineup comprised of runners getting one final competitive opportunity heading into January's indoor track and field season.
THIS WEEK
Friday, Oct. 25 -- at Eastern Michigan Fall Classic (Hudson Mills Metropark), 4:30 p.m.
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The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan men's cross country team will officially close out the 2019 regular season Friday (Oct. 25) at the Eastern Michigan Fall Classic, with the start of the postseason just around the corner.
A quartet of Michigan men will compete in the five-kilometer (3.11-mile) race at 4:30 p.m. at the Hudson Mills Metropark in nearby Dexter, Michigan, where the team ran its season-opening home meet in August.
The Wolverines' top lineup will be resting ahead of its attempt to win a third team title in the past five seasons at the Big Ten Championships on Nov. 3. This Friday's lineup will consist of runners getting in one final cross country race ahead of the indoor track and field season that is set to begin in January.
In addition to host Eastern Michigan, also scheduled to compete are squads from Central Michigan, Grace Christian University, Lansing Community College and Toledo.
The lineup for Michigan could include Dominic Dimambro, James Gedris, Gabe Mudel and Colton Yesney.
The women's race is scheduled to follow the men's race at 5 p.m.
Spectators are subject to a $10 entry fee into the Metropark.
Things to Know
• Led by former Great Lakes Region and two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year Kevin Sullivan, the U-M men held steady at No. 4 in the latest regular-season Great Lakes Regional rankings and improved a spot to No. 17 in the National Coaches' Poll announced Monday (Oct. 21) and Tuesday (Oct. 22), respectively, by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
• Michigan is ranked fourth nationally among Big Ten squads, behind No. 9 Purdue, No. 13 Indiana and No. 14 Wisconsin.
• In addition to its USTFCCCA national rank, Michigan also checked in at No. 14 in The Stride Report's rankings and at No. 20 per Flotrack.
• Michigan performed up to expectations at the national-caliber Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational last Friday, finishing 11th among a field with 20 of the country's 30 top-ranked teams. Devin Meyrer led the way for the second race in a row with a 36th-place finish. Just as he was at Notre Dame, he was consistent in running near the front of the pack and is a stabilizing force in the lineup.
• Nick Foster is living up to his billing as one of the nation's top freshmen after his 54th-place effort at Nuttycombe. More impressive than the place was how he did it, as he shot up 46 spots in the final two kilometers of the race -- a move unmatched over that stretch by anyone in the field. He was so strong over the second half of the race that he moved up from being Michigan's No. 7 runner to its No. 2.
• Joost Plaetinck had a similarly strong performance in a breakthrough run of his own. He climbed 111 spots between the 2K and 6K marks to get to 71st place, where he would ultimately finish. He went from running in the open race at Notre Dame to being the No. 3 runner at Wisconsin, and is a significant boon to the Wolverines' already strong depth heading into the postseason.
• Michigan met expectations despite off days from 2019 NCAA Championships scorers Isaac Harding (89th), Jack Aho (113th) and Ben Hill (137th). If those three hit their stride alongside Meyrer, Foster, Plaetinck and Jordy Hewitt throughout the postseason, the Wolverines become a much more potent team.
A Look Ahead
Sunday, Nov. 3 -- at Big Ten Championships (Columbus, Ohio)
Friday, Nov. 15 -- at NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Madison, Wis.)
Saturday, Nov. 23 -- at NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Players Mentioned
