Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, November 1
Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
MAC Championships
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Chloe Smith
Eagles Flock to Mount Pleasant to Compete for MAC Title
10/31/2014 12:47:00 PM | Men's XC
Men's cross country is on the hunt for a five-peat and the 19th MAC Championship in program history
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University's men's cross country team will put its season of training and competition to the test Saturday, Nov. 1, when it travels to Mount Pleasant, Mich. for the 2014 Mid-American Conference Cross Country Championship. The Green and White is looking to win its 19th title in program history and fifth in a row, a feat which has only been accomplished one other time when the Eagles took straight titles from 1990-94. The team enters Saturday's competition as the highest-ranked program in the MAC, sitting at fifth in the NCAA Great Lakes Region while the University of Akron sits in ninth and host school Central Michigan University is ranked 11th in the region.
A win on Saturday would also put Head Coach John Goodridge in the lead for most MAC wins in EMU history, as the 14th-year distance coach is just currently tied with legendary EMU and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Hall of Fame coach Bob Parks for the most MAC Championships in conference history. Parks recorded nine MAC Championship titles during his tenure as the program leader, and an additional team title would put Goodridge in double digits.
Last year, the team had a solid win in Bowling Green, Ohio on Nov. 2, 2013. Totaling 42 points, the Eagles bested Akron's 67-point performance by a comfortable margin. The Green and White was led by Grzegorz Kalinowski's third-place finish to earn All-MAC First Team honors, while Harry Dixon joined his teammate on the first team after taking fifth. Both athletes have left the team to graduation, but a rising star has developed out of junior Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio-Maumee), who finished 11th last year and was an All-MAC Second Team honoree. Fink has led the Eagles in every race in which he has competed, and finished in the top-30 in every appearance as well despite racing against athletes from some of the nation's premier programs.
The Eagles will also see the return of All-MAC Second Team honoree Warren Witchell (Williamston, Mich.-Dansville), who has been bouncing back from injury throughout the season. Witchell saw his first taste of action at the Notre Dame Invitational, Oct. 3, where he competed in the men's open race and took 10th. He then ran with the squad at the Indiana State Pre-Nationals Invitational, Oct. 18, and came in as the fourth scorer for the Green and White's 12th-place team finish.
Two more athletes looking to make an impact and stay in the front pack at tomorrow's championship race will be freshmen Lahsene Bouchiki (Antwerp, Belgium-Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) and Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge (Alderson Broaddus)). The international pair has performed exceptionally well throughout their first seasons on EMU's cross country squad, and Bouchikhi is a proven competitor at the MAC level. After joining the Eagles in the midst of the 2013-14 track and field season, the Belgian native earned a pair of bronze finishes at the 2014 MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 28-March 1, in the 3000m and 5000m run, while he also finished third in the 5000m at the 2014 MAC Outdoor Championships, May 17.
The 8,000-meter championship race will begin at noon at Central Michigan University following the women's MAC Championship. Results and information about the meet can be found at mac-sports.com.
A win on Saturday would also put Head Coach John Goodridge in the lead for most MAC wins in EMU history, as the 14th-year distance coach is just currently tied with legendary EMU and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Hall of Fame coach Bob Parks for the most MAC Championships in conference history. Parks recorded nine MAC Championship titles during his tenure as the program leader, and an additional team title would put Goodridge in double digits.
Last year, the team had a solid win in Bowling Green, Ohio on Nov. 2, 2013. Totaling 42 points, the Eagles bested Akron's 67-point performance by a comfortable margin. The Green and White was led by Grzegorz Kalinowski's third-place finish to earn All-MAC First Team honors, while Harry Dixon joined his teammate on the first team after taking fifth. Both athletes have left the team to graduation, but a rising star has developed out of junior Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio-Maumee), who finished 11th last year and was an All-MAC Second Team honoree. Fink has led the Eagles in every race in which he has competed, and finished in the top-30 in every appearance as well despite racing against athletes from some of the nation's premier programs.
The Eagles will also see the return of All-MAC Second Team honoree Warren Witchell (Williamston, Mich.-Dansville), who has been bouncing back from injury throughout the season. Witchell saw his first taste of action at the Notre Dame Invitational, Oct. 3, where he competed in the men's open race and took 10th. He then ran with the squad at the Indiana State Pre-Nationals Invitational, Oct. 18, and came in as the fourth scorer for the Green and White's 12th-place team finish.
Two more athletes looking to make an impact and stay in the front pack at tomorrow's championship race will be freshmen Lahsene Bouchiki (Antwerp, Belgium-Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) and Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge (Alderson Broaddus)). The international pair has performed exceptionally well throughout their first seasons on EMU's cross country squad, and Bouchikhi is a proven competitor at the MAC level. After joining the Eagles in the midst of the 2013-14 track and field season, the Belgian native earned a pair of bronze finishes at the 2014 MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 28-March 1, in the 3000m and 5000m run, while he also finished third in the 5000m at the 2014 MAC Outdoor Championships, May 17.
The 8,000-meter championship race will begin at noon at Central Michigan University following the women's MAC Championship. Results and information about the meet can be found at mac-sports.com.
Players Mentioned
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