Central Michigan University Athletics
Men's Cross Country Prepares For Pre-NCAAs
10/15/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Oct. 15, 2002
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THE TEAM - The Central Michigan University men's cross country team is traveling to Terre Haute, Indiana, on October 19, for the Pre-National meet. The competition features 91 teams that will compete in three races. The meet will be broken down by team rankings in the national and regional poll.
The Chippewas head into the meet dropping one spot from No. 18 to No. 19 in the Mondo National Poll conducted by the United States Cross Country Coaches Association (USCCCA) and hold steady in the Great Lakes Regional Poll at No. 4. Of the top 30 teams in the nation,18 teams will be competing.
Other than the No. 19 Chippewas, the ranked teams are: No. 1 Stanford, No. 3 Colorado, No. 4 Northern Arizona, No. 7 Georgetown, No. 9 Weber State, No. 10 BYU, No. 14 North Carolina State, No. 18 William & Mary, No. 20 Butler, No. 21 Michigan, No. 22 Arizona State, No. 23 Duke, No. 24 Notre Dame, No. 26 Montana State, No. 27 Dartmouth, No. 28 New Mexico and No. 29 Cal Poly.
The teams competing (In order of region rank starting with No. 3) are: Indiana, CMU, Butler, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami and Michigan State. Top ranked Eastern Michigan and No. 2 Wisconsin are the only teams regionally that will not be competing.
NOTHING BUT THE BEST - "We have had a pretty good week of training with the bye week," head coach Craig Fuller said. "We got in a week of long runs and were able to get healthy, that was the big thing. This meet will garner our at-large points."
"Our region needs everyone to run well so more teams will be chosen to go to the national meet. Only the top two at the district meet are guaranteed a spot at nationals, the rest is done by at-large points."
FIGHTING FOR THE FINAL SPOT - The men's cross country team has six of the seven spots taken for the meet on Saturday. Sophomores Tristen Perlberg of Bay City and Jake Flynn of Benzonia, juniors Dave Ernsberger of Petoskey, Don Wilkins of Trenton, and Luke Humphrey of Sidney, and senior Pete Remein of Ishpeming are all making the trip.
The candidates for the final spot are: sophomore Jacob Crowe of Grand Ledge, junior Jeff Davis of Temperance; senior Brian Terpak of Riverview. Davis has the best season time 24:23 at the Superstition Open, Crowe has a personal best of 25:13 at the Bulldog Invite, and Terpak has a personal best of 25:21.
The spot will be chosen by Wednesday.
"We have 10 guys running well," Fuller said. "It's hard enough trying to choose nine guys to run at the MAC championship but to choose seven to run at Pre-Nationals, Districts and Nationals it's going to be hard."
