Central Michigan University Athletics
Men's Cross Country Off Until Pre-MAC Invite
9/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Sept. 5, 2000
THE TEAM--The Central Michigan University men's cross country team has the week off before competing at the Pre-MAC Invitational on Friday, Sept. 15, at Western Michigan University at 4:30 p.m.
THE COACH--Craig Fuller is in his 11th year heading up the Chippewa men's cross country program. Fuller, who also serves as an assistant track coach, guided CMU to a Mid-American Conference championship in 1999. He has mentored four CMU athletes to All-American honors including Richie Brinker (1997-98) and Ryan Watson (1998) and five MAC champions in Jeff Drenth (1982-83), Pat Duffy (1984), Barry Deese (1994) and Brinker (1998).
LAST WEEK--CMU took top honors at the Jeff Drenth Invitational on Sept. 1. The Chippewas won the meet with 15 points while Ferris State University finished second with 50 points.
The Chippewas swept the first five places with senior Jared Biniecki (Canton/Sr.) taking top individual honors with a time of 21:04.
Freshman Don Wilkins (Trenton) finished second in 21:08 and was followed by Ron Miller (Stanton/Fr.) who took third in 21:39, Jason Jaloszynski (Shepherd/Sr.) who finished fourth in 21:40 and Brian Terpak (Riverview/So.) who took fifth in 22:03.
FULLER ON THE PRE-MAC INVITE--"The Pre-MAC will be competitive with Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Kent all fighting for the title. We will be racing many athletes that didn't compete at the Jeff Drenth Invitational."
FULLER ON THE JEFF DRENTH INVITE--"We accomplished what we set out to do. I was pleased with Jared Biniecki's performance. He didn't do much in cross country last year but after winning the MAC steeplechase title we are expecting more from him. I was pleasantly surprised with walk-on freshman Don Wilkins' second-place finish."
FIRST PLACE--Senior Jared Biniecki became the seventh consecutive CMU runner to win the Jeff Drenth Invitational. Biniecki kept up the Chippewa winning streak with a time of 21:04.
IMPRESSIVE DEBUT--Freshman Don Wilkins was impressive in his first collegiate cross country meet. Wilkins took second at the Jeff Drenth Invitational with a time of 21:08, just four seconds behind the winning time of 21:04.
UPCOMING--After competing at the Pre-MAC Invitational on Sept. 15, the Chippewas travel to the Roy Griak Invitational at Minnesota on Sept. 23.
