Central Michigan University Athletics
Spartan Invitational on Tap for Men's Cross Country
9/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
MOUNT PLEASANT -- The Central Michigan University men’s cross country team heads to the Spartan Invitational this Friday, Sept. 14, for its second meet of the season.
The No. 21-ranked Spartans are hosting several teams from the state for the 8K race which begins at 1:35 p.m. at Forest Akers East Golf Course. A women’s 5K begins at 1 p.m., and a series of high school races follow the men’s event.
“We are going to be taking a lot of young guys down,” coach Craig Fuller said. “It will be the first 8K for a lot of them. We don’t have a lot of healthy bodies right now but the six or seven guys we will be taking want to run. Some of them are walk-on guys and I’m hoping somebody surprises me.
“Out of the group running on Friday, maybe only two of them will be going to our next meet so this is kind of a team competition to see who keeps on racing. This meet will be a great experience for the young guys.”
CMU did not compete in the Spartan Invitational last season but did in 2005.
“The course is a fast one and a lot of runners like it,” Fuller said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of competitors post PRs.”
The Chippewas opened the season with the Jeff Drenth Memorial back on Aug. 31. The non-scored meet also featured Michigan State and Ferris State.
Leading the way for CMU was junior Donnie Richmond who clocked a 5K time of 15:27 to place sixth. Senior Andrew Manning was ninth in 15:35 and Cory Arnold was 11th in 15:42.
“I thought we looked pretty good with the guys who raced for us,” Fuller said. “We aren’t the deepest team, but we’re going to be a good team. I was really impressed by Cory Arnold. It’s probably been three years since he ran a cross country race, and he was in our top three.”
Also finishing in the top 20 were Riak Mabil in 14th (15:52), Adam Richmond in 16th (15:55) and Dan Cramer in 17th (15:56).
Matt Loiselle, CMU’s returning All-Mid-American Conference selection, did not compete in the meet and he is not scheduled to run this weekend. Loiselle won the Drenth meet in 2006.
Chippewas Ranked Regionally: The first U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association polls of the season came out this week and Central Michigan University was ranked 15th in the Great Lakes Region. A total of four MAC teams appeared in the regional ranking, including No. 6 Eastern Michigan, No. 9 Miami and No. 13 Kent State. Michigan State is ranked third regionally and Michigan fifth. Wisconsin, the 2006 NCAA runner-up, tops both the regional and national polls during the first week.
