Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, October 28
Oxford, Ohio
11 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Mid-American Conference
Men's Cross Country Ready for 2017 MAC Championship
10/26/2017 10:49:00 AM | Men's XC
The Eagles look to bring home the 22nd conference championship in program history
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's cross country team is gearing up for the Mid-American Conference Championship held Saturday, Oct. 28, in Oxford, Ohio. The Eagles will look to extend their streak to seven consecutive MAC titles by earning their 22nd conference championship in program history.
In last year's title race, the Green and White did what no other program in MAC history could do, finishing five harriers in 1-2-3-4-5 fashion, totalling 15 points as a team. Four of the five Eagles apart of the historic top-five finish return for the 2017 competition in the form of redshirt senior Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge), senior Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary-Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium), redshirt senior Abel Flores (Defiance, Ohio-Defiance), and senior Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium-Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven). Additionally, sophomore Austin Wicker (Pinckney, Mich.-Pinckney) and redshirt senior Mitch Lenneman (River Falls, Wis.-River Falls) will be available for this weekend's race, having competed for Eastern in the 2016 event, placing 33rd and 35th, respectively.
Eastern finished out its regular season, Oct. 20, at the annual EMU Fall Classic held at the Hudson Mills Metropark in Dexter, Mich. The Eagles used the meet as an opportunity to rest its experienced harriers in advance of the MAC Championship, giving way for most of the freshman class to gain more experience in collegiate competition. Freshman Zach Young (Marion, Ill.-Marion) paced the Green and White with a 22nd-place finish, crossing in 16:02.3, which is nearly 30 seconds faster than his time in the opening meet of the season held at the same course. His performance earned him the first MAC Runner of the Week award of his career. Overall, Young put together an impressive freshman campaign, marking team-best finishes in three meets, as well as the team's second best time in the Spartan Invitational.
EMU will square off against the eight other MAC schools, which includes two members who rank within the top-15 in the Great Lakes Region in the form of Miami (No. 10) and Central Michigan (No. 15). The Eagles are the top-ranked MAC program in the region, as they presently hold the No. 4 position.
The MAC Championships, hosted by Miami University, begins at 11 a.m.
In last year's title race, the Green and White did what no other program in MAC history could do, finishing five harriers in 1-2-3-4-5 fashion, totalling 15 points as a team. Four of the five Eagles apart of the historic top-five finish return for the 2017 competition in the form of redshirt senior Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge), senior Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary-Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium), redshirt senior Abel Flores (Defiance, Ohio-Defiance), and senior Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium-Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven). Additionally, sophomore Austin Wicker (Pinckney, Mich.-Pinckney) and redshirt senior Mitch Lenneman (River Falls, Wis.-River Falls) will be available for this weekend's race, having competed for Eastern in the 2016 event, placing 33rd and 35th, respectively.
Eastern finished out its regular season, Oct. 20, at the annual EMU Fall Classic held at the Hudson Mills Metropark in Dexter, Mich. The Eagles used the meet as an opportunity to rest its experienced harriers in advance of the MAC Championship, giving way for most of the freshman class to gain more experience in collegiate competition. Freshman Zach Young (Marion, Ill.-Marion) paced the Green and White with a 22nd-place finish, crossing in 16:02.3, which is nearly 30 seconds faster than his time in the opening meet of the season held at the same course. His performance earned him the first MAC Runner of the Week award of his career. Overall, Young put together an impressive freshman campaign, marking team-best finishes in three meets, as well as the team's second best time in the Spartan Invitational.
EMU will square off against the eight other MAC schools, which includes two members who rank within the top-15 in the Great Lakes Region in the form of Miami (No. 10) and Central Michigan (No. 15). The Eagles are the top-ranked MAC program in the region, as they presently hold the No. 4 position.
The MAC Championships, hosted by Miami University, begins at 11 a.m.
Players Mentioned
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