Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Chloe Smith
Men's Cross Country Season Highlights and Accolades
11/21/2013 5:01:00 PM | Men's XC
Coach Goodridge provides key insight on the season's results
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University's men's cross country team kept up with its tradition of winning ways in the 2013 campaign. Highlighted by a fourth-straight 2013 Mid-American Conference Championship title, the Eagles landed four harriers on the All-MAC teams.
The Green and White must bid adieu to two seniors at the close of the season, each with prolific careers. Harry Dixon (Nelson, New Zealand-Nayland College) and Grzegorz Kalinowski (Torun, Poland-Nicolaus Copernicus University) will both continue on to compete in the 2013-14 track and field season, but their years as cross country athletes have come to a halt. The pair of runners garnered All-MAC First Team honors, as Kalinowski finished third in the 2013 MAC Championship race while Dixon followed shortly after with a fifth-place finish.
Kalinowski is an athlete that has been plagued by injury during his time at EMU and only ran a total of eight races throughout his career, but Head Coach John Goodridge has nothing but praise for the Torun, Poland native. "Greg is a talented athlete who came to us as a middle distance athlete who may even have been more comfortable in the 800-meter rather than the 1500-meter, but from day one I always believed that the longer distances were where his best potential was," said Goodridge. "It has taken some time for this to be embraced but at the same time Greg had stress fractures two different years, which eliminated a lot of valuable training time. This past summer he prepared for a serious cross country effort and has made very pleasing training progress throughout the fall. Based on his limited cross country racing experience I think he did a really nice job for us."
Dixon was perennially an integral part of the foundation that supported the Eagles in their quest for MAC Championship titles, as he placed in the top-20 in each of the four conference races that he ran, earning All-MAC Second Team honors twice before being named to the first team in the 2013 campaign. He was also recognized for his work off the course, as he was named to the Academic All-MAC team. Coach Goodridge also commended the Nelson, New Zealand native for his contributions to the team, saying, "Harry has been somewhat 'snake bitten' throughout his career with a few leg injuries and untimely illnesses, but he has delivered in every MAC Championship. He has always been the glue that has kept the team together and successful."
The squad opened up the 2013 campaign by hosting the EMU Triangular, which included MAC foes Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo, Aug. 30. EMU won with a commanding 21 points in the effort, highlighted by the 1-2-3 finish by redshirt-junior Ian Hancke (Haslett, Mich.-Haslett), junior Cameron Trinh (Oakland, Calif.-Skyline), and sophomore Austin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.-Greenwich Central). The trio finished within a second of each other as Hancke crossed the line at 15:56.20, while Lane swooped in to close out the top three in 15:57.20.
Following a two-week break, the Green and White headed down to Bowling Green, Ohio, to race in the Mel Brodt Collegiate Opener, Sept. 13. Once again, Hancke paced the Eagles, finishing third in the 8,000-meter race with a 25:28.33 mark. Lane and Trinh also landed in the top-10, coming in at 25:48.16 and 25:51.93, respectively.
October opened up with some staunch competition for the harriers as they traveled to South Bend, Ind. to compete in the Notre Dame Invitational. The race, held on Oct. 4, ended with the Eagles claiming an 18th-place finish with 461 points in the seeded Men's Blue Race. Dixon was the only top-50 finisher in the field that contained nine of the top-40 teams in the nation, as his time of 25:11.2 earned him a 43rd-place finish for the afternoon.
A pair of rookies also donned the Green and White for the first times in their EMU careers, as Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich.-Mason) pulled in a time of 27:09.9 in the Blue Race while John Knox (Gloversville, N.Y.-Gloversville) placed fifth in the Open Race with a time of 26:00.2. "John and Nick are going to have fine careers at EMU, which has already started with them as freshmen standing on the victory podium as MAC team champions. Serious thought was given to redshirting them, but I decided that giving them a collegiate racing experience as freshmen was best for their development," said Coach Goodridge about the young duo.
"Likewise, regarding training freshmen, you can either take an aggressive or nonaggressive approach and either way you can often have inconsistent race results. So whereas I chose an aggressive racing approach, I have taken a very low-key nonaggressive approach with their training and fully expect to see solid development with them by next year," explained Goodridge. "Although last fall Nick was a high school national cross country finalist, his training background was very atypical. He ran very low mileage with little intensity and for four years he swam each winter as opposed to distance running training. I felt that he needed a gradual transition into becoming a full-time distance runner in terms of adjusting to increased volume, intensity, and regularity for the demands of collegiate competition. Likewise, John needs time, but he is adjusting very well. Both are brave racers and when prepared properly will do quite well. Like the rest of the team they were ill and achy at the championship races, and their results there were not indicative of what we will see in the future."
The next week provided some relief in competition, as the squad cruised to a first-place finish at the Michigan Intercollegiate Championships, Oct. 11 in Hillsdale, Mich. The Eagles won with 32 points, followed by Big Ten member Michigan State with 75 points to their effort. Knox set the pace for the 8,000-meter run, clocking in at 25:50.54. Hancke, Trinh, Lane, and Raymond followed in at fifth, seventh, ninth, and 10th, respectively. Their performances, along with that of sophomore William Trice (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Forest Hills Northern), earned them spots on the All-Michigan team.
Continuing on with its third race in as many weeks, EMU traveled to Terre Haute, Ind. for the NCAA Pre-National Invitational, Oct. 19. The seeded Men's Blue Race contained nine top-30 teams, including three in the top-five. The Green and White placed ahead of MAC opponents Miami University, the University of Akron, and Central Michigan University with its 40th-place finish. Redshirt junior Warren Witchell (Williamstar, Mich.-Dansville) was the sole Eagle to land in the top-100, as his time of 24:29.99 was good for 85th in the competitive field. Later in the afternoon, Raymond was the sixth finisher in the Men's Open Race and the only Eagle in the top-10 of the 100+ athlete race.
Regarding Witchell, Coach Goodridge has high expectations for his athlete during his final season next year. "It's been fun watching Warren develop. He was a soccer player in high school so this is really only his third year of cross country. He was fairly sick the week of the MAC Championship and hadn't really recovered until the day of regionals. I am confident that we will see continuing development in him."
In the week leading up to the MAC Championship, the Eagles hosted one final meet on Oct. 25, as they came out dominant in the annual EMU Classic. Though the event was not scored, the Eagles were the clear leaders as Kalinowski, Dixon, sophomore Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio-Maumee), and Witchell grabbed a 1-2-3-4 finish. The meet, according to Goodridge, was "used as a controlled training effort for most of our MAC squad to finish off a good week of training." Kalinowski's time of 15:13.8 additionally earned him the distinction of being named MAC Runner of the Week for the period ending Oct. 29.
The pinnacle of the 2013 season was surely the 2013 MAC Championship on Nov. 2 as the team returned to a familiar course at BGSU. The pack of EMU runners was neck-and-neck with Akron's athletes throughout the majority of the 8,000-meter race, but the Eagles managed to get their scoring runners across the finish line ahead of the Zips, taking a fourth-consecutive MAC Championship title with 42 points. Kalinowski and Dixon placed third and fifth, which would earn them All-MAC First Team honors, while Witchell and Fink were named to the second team after finishing eighth and 11th. All five of the scoring runners finished in the top-20, as junior Daryl Smith (Windsor, Ontario-Vincent Massey S.S.) sprinted in for a 15th-place turnout in the event. With the victory, Goodridge tied legendary EMU Head Coach Bob Parks for most MAC titles with nine championship teams. Additionally, Goodridge, who was coincidentally celebrating his birthday, was awarded the 2013 MAC Coach of the Year award.
"Every championship is certainly rewarding and special, but to win one on your birthday and to have your team surprise you in song to celebrate is very special," said Coach Goodridge. "To add another title to the great EMU tradition is and always will be very rewarding. A championship experience is a lot of fun and seeing the pride on the guys' faces is very satisfying."
Competition concluded on Nov. 15, when the harriers traveled to Madison, Wisc. for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional meet. The Eagles went up against regional competition that included No. 11-ranked Indiana University and host school the University of Wisconsin, which had won the previous 11 regional titles. The team finished with a 10th-place showing, led by Witchell's 29th-place time of 31:18 in the 10,000-meter race. Smith, Dixon, Kalinowski, Fink, Knox, and Raymond also participated in the season-capping meet.
Though the regional meet meant the end of the season, Coach Goodridge was overall pleased with the effort of his team, commenting, "We haven't really been at full strength for the past few weeks as every one of our top seven has been bothered by either lingering illness or slight annoying aches, all of which have effected their training and racing. We are actually quite fortunate to have been able to win the conference and run solidly at the regional."
Though the cross country season may be over, the troupe of athletes will continue to run for Eastern during the 2013-14 men's track and field season. The Eagles can be seen at home for the first time Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, when they host the EMU Triangular at the Bob Parks Track in Bowen Field House.
The Green and White must bid adieu to two seniors at the close of the season, each with prolific careers. Harry Dixon (Nelson, New Zealand-Nayland College) and Grzegorz Kalinowski (Torun, Poland-Nicolaus Copernicus University) will both continue on to compete in the 2013-14 track and field season, but their years as cross country athletes have come to a halt. The pair of runners garnered All-MAC First Team honors, as Kalinowski finished third in the 2013 MAC Championship race while Dixon followed shortly after with a fifth-place finish.
Kalinowski is an athlete that has been plagued by injury during his time at EMU and only ran a total of eight races throughout his career, but Head Coach John Goodridge has nothing but praise for the Torun, Poland native. "Greg is a talented athlete who came to us as a middle distance athlete who may even have been more comfortable in the 800-meter rather than the 1500-meter, but from day one I always believed that the longer distances were where his best potential was," said Goodridge. "It has taken some time for this to be embraced but at the same time Greg had stress fractures two different years, which eliminated a lot of valuable training time. This past summer he prepared for a serious cross country effort and has made very pleasing training progress throughout the fall. Based on his limited cross country racing experience I think he did a really nice job for us."
Dixon was perennially an integral part of the foundation that supported the Eagles in their quest for MAC Championship titles, as he placed in the top-20 in each of the four conference races that he ran, earning All-MAC Second Team honors twice before being named to the first team in the 2013 campaign. He was also recognized for his work off the course, as he was named to the Academic All-MAC team. Coach Goodridge also commended the Nelson, New Zealand native for his contributions to the team, saying, "Harry has been somewhat 'snake bitten' throughout his career with a few leg injuries and untimely illnesses, but he has delivered in every MAC Championship. He has always been the glue that has kept the team together and successful."
The squad opened up the 2013 campaign by hosting the EMU Triangular, which included MAC foes Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo, Aug. 30. EMU won with a commanding 21 points in the effort, highlighted by the 1-2-3 finish by redshirt-junior Ian Hancke (Haslett, Mich.-Haslett), junior Cameron Trinh (Oakland, Calif.-Skyline), and sophomore Austin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.-Greenwich Central). The trio finished within a second of each other as Hancke crossed the line at 15:56.20, while Lane swooped in to close out the top three in 15:57.20.
Following a two-week break, the Green and White headed down to Bowling Green, Ohio, to race in the Mel Brodt Collegiate Opener, Sept. 13. Once again, Hancke paced the Eagles, finishing third in the 8,000-meter race with a 25:28.33 mark. Lane and Trinh also landed in the top-10, coming in at 25:48.16 and 25:51.93, respectively.
October opened up with some staunch competition for the harriers as they traveled to South Bend, Ind. to compete in the Notre Dame Invitational. The race, held on Oct. 4, ended with the Eagles claiming an 18th-place finish with 461 points in the seeded Men's Blue Race. Dixon was the only top-50 finisher in the field that contained nine of the top-40 teams in the nation, as his time of 25:11.2 earned him a 43rd-place finish for the afternoon.
A pair of rookies also donned the Green and White for the first times in their EMU careers, as Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich.-Mason) pulled in a time of 27:09.9 in the Blue Race while John Knox (Gloversville, N.Y.-Gloversville) placed fifth in the Open Race with a time of 26:00.2. "John and Nick are going to have fine careers at EMU, which has already started with them as freshmen standing on the victory podium as MAC team champions. Serious thought was given to redshirting them, but I decided that giving them a collegiate racing experience as freshmen was best for their development," said Coach Goodridge about the young duo.
"Likewise, regarding training freshmen, you can either take an aggressive or nonaggressive approach and either way you can often have inconsistent race results. So whereas I chose an aggressive racing approach, I have taken a very low-key nonaggressive approach with their training and fully expect to see solid development with them by next year," explained Goodridge. "Although last fall Nick was a high school national cross country finalist, his training background was very atypical. He ran very low mileage with little intensity and for four years he swam each winter as opposed to distance running training. I felt that he needed a gradual transition into becoming a full-time distance runner in terms of adjusting to increased volume, intensity, and regularity for the demands of collegiate competition. Likewise, John needs time, but he is adjusting very well. Both are brave racers and when prepared properly will do quite well. Like the rest of the team they were ill and achy at the championship races, and their results there were not indicative of what we will see in the future."
The next week provided some relief in competition, as the squad cruised to a first-place finish at the Michigan Intercollegiate Championships, Oct. 11 in Hillsdale, Mich. The Eagles won with 32 points, followed by Big Ten member Michigan State with 75 points to their effort. Knox set the pace for the 8,000-meter run, clocking in at 25:50.54. Hancke, Trinh, Lane, and Raymond followed in at fifth, seventh, ninth, and 10th, respectively. Their performances, along with that of sophomore William Trice (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Forest Hills Northern), earned them spots on the All-Michigan team.
Continuing on with its third race in as many weeks, EMU traveled to Terre Haute, Ind. for the NCAA Pre-National Invitational, Oct. 19. The seeded Men's Blue Race contained nine top-30 teams, including three in the top-five. The Green and White placed ahead of MAC opponents Miami University, the University of Akron, and Central Michigan University with its 40th-place finish. Redshirt junior Warren Witchell (Williamstar, Mich.-Dansville) was the sole Eagle to land in the top-100, as his time of 24:29.99 was good for 85th in the competitive field. Later in the afternoon, Raymond was the sixth finisher in the Men's Open Race and the only Eagle in the top-10 of the 100+ athlete race.
Regarding Witchell, Coach Goodridge has high expectations for his athlete during his final season next year. "It's been fun watching Warren develop. He was a soccer player in high school so this is really only his third year of cross country. He was fairly sick the week of the MAC Championship and hadn't really recovered until the day of regionals. I am confident that we will see continuing development in him."
In the week leading up to the MAC Championship, the Eagles hosted one final meet on Oct. 25, as they came out dominant in the annual EMU Classic. Though the event was not scored, the Eagles were the clear leaders as Kalinowski, Dixon, sophomore Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio-Maumee), and Witchell grabbed a 1-2-3-4 finish. The meet, according to Goodridge, was "used as a controlled training effort for most of our MAC squad to finish off a good week of training." Kalinowski's time of 15:13.8 additionally earned him the distinction of being named MAC Runner of the Week for the period ending Oct. 29.
The pinnacle of the 2013 season was surely the 2013 MAC Championship on Nov. 2 as the team returned to a familiar course at BGSU. The pack of EMU runners was neck-and-neck with Akron's athletes throughout the majority of the 8,000-meter race, but the Eagles managed to get their scoring runners across the finish line ahead of the Zips, taking a fourth-consecutive MAC Championship title with 42 points. Kalinowski and Dixon placed third and fifth, which would earn them All-MAC First Team honors, while Witchell and Fink were named to the second team after finishing eighth and 11th. All five of the scoring runners finished in the top-20, as junior Daryl Smith (Windsor, Ontario-Vincent Massey S.S.) sprinted in for a 15th-place turnout in the event. With the victory, Goodridge tied legendary EMU Head Coach Bob Parks for most MAC titles with nine championship teams. Additionally, Goodridge, who was coincidentally celebrating his birthday, was awarded the 2013 MAC Coach of the Year award.
"Every championship is certainly rewarding and special, but to win one on your birthday and to have your team surprise you in song to celebrate is very special," said Coach Goodridge. "To add another title to the great EMU tradition is and always will be very rewarding. A championship experience is a lot of fun and seeing the pride on the guys' faces is very satisfying."
Competition concluded on Nov. 15, when the harriers traveled to Madison, Wisc. for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional meet. The Eagles went up against regional competition that included No. 11-ranked Indiana University and host school the University of Wisconsin, which had won the previous 11 regional titles. The team finished with a 10th-place showing, led by Witchell's 29th-place time of 31:18 in the 10,000-meter race. Smith, Dixon, Kalinowski, Fink, Knox, and Raymond also participated in the season-capping meet.
Though the regional meet meant the end of the season, Coach Goodridge was overall pleased with the effort of his team, commenting, "We haven't really been at full strength for the past few weeks as every one of our top seven has been bothered by either lingering illness or slight annoying aches, all of which have effected their training and racing. We are actually quite fortunate to have been able to win the conference and run solidly at the regional."
Though the cross country season may be over, the troupe of athletes will continue to run for Eastern during the 2013-14 men's track and field season. The Eagles can be seen at home for the first time Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, when they host the EMU Triangular at the Bob Parks Track in Bowen Field House.
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