Central Michigan University Athletics
Men's Cross Country Heads to Spartan Invitational
9/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Sept. 15, 2005
MOUNT PLEASANT -- With several Chippewas battling injuries and illness, and a big event on the horizon next week, the Central Michigan University men's cross country team will try to pull together enough members to compete this Friday, Sept. 16, at the Spartan Invitational, hosted by Michigan State. The race is being held at Forest Akers Golf Course with the women running at 2 p.m., and the men at 2:35 p.m.
Other schools scheduled to compete are host Michigan State, Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northwood, Saginaw Valley, Hillsdale, Lake Superior State, Spring Arbor and Lansing Community College. It will be a non-scoring affair.
"We've got to find guys to run," head coach Craig Fuller said. "This year has been the strangest. I have one of the biggest rosters I've ever had, but we have all kinds of injuries.
"It will allow some of the younger guys a chance to compete this week and this could be their opportunity to fill our spots for the conference championship meet. There's a good chance a couple people running on Friday will be running in the MAC meet."
Also factoring into the mix is the Great American Cross Country Festival next week in Cary, N.C. That meet will feature some of the best teams in the country and the Chippewas' top runners will compete in that meet instead of the Spartan Invitational.
"There are several guys that are hurt and we don't want to run them this week and jeopardize the MAC meet," Fuller said. "This is frustrating. We've got a young group that is not as experienced and I don't know if they are going too hard in practice or what. We have to get them to back off when it's the right time."
Among those Fuller is looking to for a good showing this weekend are Sean Anthony (Mount Pleasant, Mich./Fr.), Adam Koepfer (Temperance, Mich./So.) and Chris Schiemann (Hemlock, Mich./Sr.).
The Spartan Invitational marks just the second meet for CMU this season. The Chippewas hosted the Jeff Drenth Memorial on Sept. 2. The non-scoring meet featured Michigan, Michigan State, Lake Superior State and Ferris State.
CMU's Jeff Powers (Franklin, Ind./Jr.) won the 5K race with a time of 15:33. Andrew Manning (Traverse City, Mich./Jr.) was 10th with a mark of 16:00.
Schedule Change: With the number of healthy bodies on the Chippewa roster, coach Craig Fuller has changed the schedule and eliminated an event. CMU will not run in the Notre Dame Invitational on Sept. 30 as originally planned. -30-
