Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
MAC Championship
Men's Cross Country Wins Fourth Straight MAC Championship
11/1/2008 3:50:04 PM | Men's XC
Eagles place four in the top 14 to take the school's 14th MAC title
Click Here for Men's Individual Results.
Click Here for Men's Team Results.
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YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University men's cross country team added another plaque to its trophy case, winning its fourth consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship Saturday, Nov. 1, in front of a home crowd at Eagle Crest Golf Course.
With the victory, the Eagles have now won 14 MAC team titles since 1972 – the most by any league institution during that time frame. They are also tied for second all-time in program wins with Western Michigan, while Miami leads with 20.
As a team, the Eagles posted 42 points in the victory followed by Miami University in second place with 56 points. Kent State University was third with 61 points followed by Central Michigan (103), Ohio University (122), the University at Buffalo (169), the University of Akron (179), the University of Toledo (186) and Bowling Green State University (270).
Veteran head coach John Goodridge was named the MAC Men's Coach of the Year, as voted on by the leagues' head coaches. This is the fifth MAC title for the Eagles with Goodridge at the helm.
Senior Josh Karanja (Ottawa, Canada-Nepean) led nearly the entire race on his way to taking home the individual MAC title, crossing the finish line in 24:18.7 to collect first-team All-MAC honors. This is the fourth year in-a-row that Karanja has earned first-team All-MAC honors and he is now the 13th runner to win the program's 17th individual title, the most of any conference school.The Eagles had one more runner in the top-seven as junior Curtis Vollmar (Grand Blanc, Mich.-Grand Blanc) finished sixth with a time of 24:45 to earn All-MAC honors for the third time in his career.
EMU had two runners earn second-team All-MAC honors, as senior David Brent (Monroe, Mich.-St. Mary's Catholic) finished ninth on his way to running 24:57.2, while senior Josh Perrin (Hillsdale, Mich.-Hillsdale) was 11th with a time of 25:06.
Rounding out the top-five for the Eagles was senior Kyle Mena (Portage, Mich.-Portage), who finished 15th with a time of 25:06.9.
The final EMU finishers included seniors Neal Naughton (Walled Lake, Mich.-Western), R.P. White (Hillsdale, Mich.-Hillsdale), redshirt freshman Cole Sanseverino (Monroe, Mich.-Monroe) and sophomore Matt Hammersmith (Wolcottville, Mich.-Prairie Heights).
The Eagles will be in action again, Nov. 15, when they travel to West Lafayette, Ind. to run in the 2008 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship, where they hope to earn a bid to the 2008 NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., Nov. 24.
Award Winners
Kevin Silver, Miami
Sammy Kiprotch, Central Michigan
Men's Second Team
Shamus Eaton, Ohio
Tony Jordanek, Kent State
Riak Mabil, Central Michigan
2. Miami 56
3. Kent State 61
4. Central Michigan 103
5. Ohio 122
6. Buffalo 169
7. Akron 179
8. Toledo 186
9. Bowling Green 270
