Men's Cross Country Announces 2019 Schedule
7/1/2019 1:28:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
• 2019 U-M Men's Cross Country Schedule
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's cross country team announced Monday (July 1) the nine-race schedule that will comprise its 2019 campaign, which includes several national-caliber invitationals.
Head coach Kevin Sullivan and his Michigan men -- looking for a third straight berth to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Nov. 23 -- will run a challenging regular-season slate that culminates with the star-studded Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 18.
With All-America Jack Aho and the entire seven-man lineup from last year's 19th-place NCAA Championships team returning, the Wolverines will then look to go on a postseason run at the Big Ten Championships on Nov. 3 in Columbus, Ohio, the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Nov. 15 in Madison, Wisconsin, and ultimately the NCAA Championships eight days later.
The season will begin with the lone home event of the year, the annual Michigan Open (Aug. 30) at Hudson Mills Metropark in Dexter, Michigan. Admission to the meet is free, though all vehicles are subject to a $10 daily entry fee upon entry to the park.
After a few weekends spent training, the Wolverines make their next appearance at the adidas XC Challenge on Sept. 20 in Cary, N.C.
A sneak peek at the Big Ten Championships course awaits the following week as the Wolverines will run the Big Ten Preview (Sept. 28) at the Ohio State University Golf Club.
Michigan will make it three weekends in a row as it heads off to South Bend, Indiana, for its biggest test of the early season at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 4. The competition is expected to attract numerous national-caliber opponents against which the Wolverines will test their early-season fitness.
After a bye weekend, U-M will compete in the pinnacle of its regular-season calendar at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational (Oct. 18) in Madison, Wisconsin. At annually the most competitive meet of the cross country season beyond the NCAA Championship itself, more than two-thirds of the nation's best teams are expected to run at Wisconsin in what will be a crucial opportunity to jockey for NCAA Championships qualifying position.
Select members of the team will get a final tune-up for the postseason the following weekend with a return to Hudson Mills Metropark for the Eastern Michigan Fall Classic (Oct. 25).
The postseason begins one week later as the Wolverines will aim to win their third team title in the past five years at the Big Ten Championships (Nov. 3) hosted by Ohio State.
NCAA postseason competition will begin two weekends afterward with the NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Nov. 15) in Madison. The top two teams in the Great Lakes Regional standings automatically will advance to the NCAA Cross Country Championships (Nov. 23) in Terre Haute.
Players Mentioned
