Michigan
EMU Classic
Iacovelli and Reichardt Pace Wolverines at EMU Classic
10/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan men's cross country team wrapped up the regular-season portion of its 2005 slate with a solid showing at the EMU Classic on Friday (Oct. 21) at Eastern Michigan's Eagle Crest Golf Course.
Senior/junior Todd Iacovelli (Kailua, Hawaii/Punahou School) paced the Wolverines in his first competitive race of the season, clocking 25:10.3 in fifth place. Iacovelli hung together with junior/sophomore James Reichardt (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake HS) throughout most of the race before pulling away from his teammate down the final stretch. Reichardt finished just a few steps behind Iacovelli, posting a personal-best time of 25:13.2 in the sixth position. The performance trimmed more than 21 seconds from his previous mark.
Rounding out the U-M contingent were freshmen Tony Nalli (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) and Mark Pokora (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central HS), who claimed 17th and 30th, respectively, with times of 25:54.5 and 26:24.5. Pokora's mark was a personal best by 39 seconds.
The Maize and Blue will kick off the postseason on Sunday, Oct. 30, when they head to Falcon Heights, Minn., for the 2005 Big Ten Conference Championships. The 8,000-meter men's race will begin at 11 a.m. CST at Les Bolstad Golf Course.
Top Individual Finishers
1. Ryan McKenzie, Windsor 23:35.3 2. Gavin Thompson, Reebok 23:42.8 3. Nick Willis, Reebok 23:49.0 4. Dustin Voss, unattached 25:08.1 5. Todd Iacovelli, U-M 25:10.3 6. James Reichardt, U-M 25:13.2 7. Nick Katsafaras, unattached 25:13.8 8. David Brent, Eastern Michigan 25:14.7 9. Tom Clifford, Eastern Michigan 25:20.4 10. Josh Hofbauer, unattached 25:21.7
Other Michigan Finishes
17. Tony Nalli 25:54.5 30. Mark Pokora 26:24.5 31. Dan Murray, unattached 26:24.7 70. Mike Luginbill, unattached 29:54.2
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Ron Warhurst
On the race ... "Todd Iacovelli ran great. He's been out for three or four weeks, training for about three weeks, and he ran very, very well. James Reichardt ran well, as well as Tony Nalli and Mark Pokora; those were the four guys for Michigan. Brandon Fellow, unattached, ran very well. The rest of the team was here, ran a four-mile run easy and cheered on their teammates. It's a low-key meet, but it's also great for the team to watch a guy like Todd, who's been coming back from injury, run a really great race. It can help them with their mental preparation for next week."
On next weekend's Big Ten Championships ... "We will need to run as a team. Everybody has to run; that's all there is to it. We have seven guys, five score, and we need to have five guys run their season bests. I'd say Wisconsin is way up on everybody. Iowa is the team to beat for second, and then Ohio State, Indiana and us battling for third. On any given day, we could be fifth; on any given day, we could be second. It's just a matter of how they feel on that given day. We'll be okay. Anything can happen. We'll just wait and see."
Senior/Junior Todd Iacovelli
On the race finish ... "I didn't really want to outsprint James (Reichardt). We were trying to work together, and he was really helping me out through 5 to 6K when I was really hurting. There was a pack that I just wanted to make sure I got myself in front of, and if James beat me, then that was fine.
On his season debut ... "I've been through a lot of injuries at Michigan, so I know I cherish more the ability to go out there and compete, because I know it's not a given. I actually got hurt the week of our first race this year, so this was my first race of the season. I'm just coming back now. It feels good to be able to run."
Junior/Sophomore James Reichardt
On his performance ... "I'm pleased with the race. It went out how we wanted it to. I worked with Todd Iacovelli most of the way and just hung on. I knew Todd had a good kick. He was right behind me on the corner and when he came around, he used that downhill to gather up some speed. I tried to go with him and just kicked hard. It was a good race all around. No complaints."
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
