Michigan
Buckeye Preview
Michigan Set for Conference Preview at Ohio State
9/25/2019 5:33:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
» A squad from the No. 16-ranked Michigan men will run against conference and regional foes at the Ohio State Buckeye Preview on Saturday (Sep. 28) at 9 a.m.
» As many as seven Wolverines will run in Columbus as the team continues to develop its depth ahead of the pivotal month of October.
THIS WEEK
Saturday, Sep. 28 -- at Ohio State Buckeye Preview (Columbus, Ohio), 9 a.m.
Live Results
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A squad from the No. 16-ranked University of Michigan men's cross country team will get its first taste of Big Ten competition and a preview of the conference championships course this Saturday (Sep. 28) at the Ohio State Buckeye Preview Meet.
As many as seven Wolverines will be in action at 9 a.m. at the Ohio State University Golf Club against conference and regional foes -- including Michigan State and Ohio State -- racing in what will be the first eight-kilometer (4.97-mile) competition of the season for the team.
Among the Wolverines who could suit up for Saturday are captain Devin Meyrer; returning NCAA Championships runners Jacob Lee and Jacob Branch; Dominic Dimambro; Andrew Lorant; Colton Yesney; and, in his potential Michigan debut, James Gedris.
Just as they did last Friday (Sept. 20) at North Carolina State, the Wolverines will continue to test their depth before putting the full lineup -- including All-American Jack Aho and 2019 Big Ten Athletes of the Week Isaac Harding and Christian Hubaker, among others -- out on the course in October for the conclusion of the regular season.
In the meantime, the Wolverines will test themselves against several top-contending squads. Michigan, ranked third in the Great Lakes Region rankings, will take on sixth-ranked Michigan State, eighth-ranked Miami (Ohio), and ninth-ranked Ohio State. From the Mid-Atlantic Region, the Wolverines will square off with fourth-ranked Temple and sixth-ranked Penn State.
Also hailing from the Big Ten are Illinois and Rutgers. Defending NCAA Division II champion Grand Valley State also is in the field.
Though this meet is inside the at-large NCAA Championships qualifying window that began last weekend, it will likely not count toward Michigan's qualifying resume. NCAA rules dictate that in order for a result to count for at-large consideration, four of the seven runners who eventually compete for a team at the NCAA regionals must have competed in the meet in question.
The men will stick with this 8K through the Big Ten Championships, and then switch to 10-kilometer (6.21-mile) competitions for the NCAA postseason.
Fans can follow along with live results provided by Timing First, as well as via live updates on the program's official Twitter account, @UMichTrack.
Things to Know
• Led by former Great Lakes Region and two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year Kevin Sullivan, the U-M men remained ranked No. 3 in the latest regular-season Great Lakes Regional rankings and stepped up a spot to No. 16 in the National Coaches' Poll announced Monday (Sept. 23) and Tuesday (Sept. 24), respectively, by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
• Michigan was ranked No. 3 in last year's preseason regional rankings, which is precisely where it finished at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. The finish ultimately was strong enough to advance the Wolverines to the NCAA Championships.
• At No. 18 nationally, the Wolverines entered the season ranked top-30 in the country for the 19th time in the past 21 years. Among Big Ten teams, Michigan is ranked third-best behind No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 15 Indiana.
• In addition to its USTFCCCA national rank, Michigan also checked in at No. 15 in The Stride Report's rankings and at No. 25 per Flotrack.
• Though he will not compete Saturday in Columbus, Hubaker was rewarded for his first collegiate win at NC State last week with his first Big Ten Athlete of the Week honor on Wednesday (Sep. 25). He joins teammate Harding as conference honorees so far in 2019.
• Hubaker ran point for an impressive Michigan effort at NC State as the team's tremendous depth showed through. The Wolverines claimed seven of the top eight spots as the top six runners were all under 18 minutes for six kilometers (3.73 miles), echoing the depth they showed at the season-opening Michigan Open.
• Lee and Branch are the veterans of the group in Columbus, having competed on Michigan's 19th-place NCAA Championships team a year ago. Lee was the Wolverines' No. 4 scorer on the day with a 172nd-place finish, while Branch was the No. 7 runner in 213th.
A Look Ahead
• Friday, Oct. 4 -- at Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
• Friday, Oct. 18 -- at Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational (Madison, Wis.)
Players Mentioned
