Michigan
Michigan Open
Wolverines Kick Off 2007 Campaign at Michigan Open
8/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
DEXTER, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's cross country team made its 2007 debut by hosting the Michigan Open at Hudson Mills Metropark on a beautiful Friday afternoon (Aug. 31). A majority of the Wolverines squad competed unattached in the non-scoring, 10,000-meter event.
The five Wolverines who donned the Michigan uniform for the early-season meet were led by senior/junior Victor Gras (Belmont, Mass./Belmont HS) and junior/sophomore Brandon Fellows (Mercer Island, Wash./Mercer Island HS), who finished in third and fourth positions, respectively, crossing the finish line together at 31:53.
Sophomore/freshman Ciaran O'Lionaird (Cork, Ireland/De La Salle HS) finished ninth (32:28), followed by fifth-year senior James Reichardt (Spring Lake, Mich. /Spring Lake HS) in 19th (33:52), and sophomore/freshman Peter Christmas (Ann Arbor, Mich. /Pioneer HS) in 25th (35:00).
Junior Lex Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS), an All-Big Ten first team performer last season, ran unattached and finished fifth (31:56). Junior Tony Nalli (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) took 12th place with a 32:37 mark, and was followed by freshman Craig Forys (Howell, N.J./Colts Neck), who -- in his collegiate debut -- took 13th with a 32:41:00. Sophomore Mike Dobmeier (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) and junior Justin Switzer (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS) each ran unattached and finished 14th (32:44) and 16th (33:01), respectfully.
Running in a tight pack of ten runners, the Wolverines worked together, alternating front-running duties through much of the race. When the group passed through the 5,000-meter halfway point Gras, Fellows and Williams started to form the pack that would finish in that order, respectively.
The Wolverines will have a two-week hiatus before they return to action Friday, Sept. 14, at the Spartan Invitational in East Lansing, Mich. Hosted by Michigan State, the scoring event is slated to begin at 4 p.m. at Forest Akers Golf Course.
Michigan Open Results (Top 15)
| Place | Name | School | Time |
| 1 | Corey Nowitzke | Adidas | 31:18:00 |
| 2 | Josh Karan | EMU | 31:20:00 |
| 3 | U-M | 31:53:00 | |
| 4 | Brandon Fellows | U-M | 31:53:00 |
| 5 | Unatt. | 31:56:00 | |
| 6 | Kyle Mena | EMU | 31:59:00 |
| 7 | Curtis Vollmar | EMU | 32:05:00 |
| 8 | David Brent | EMU | 32:21:00 |
| 9 | U-M | 32:28:00 | |
| 10 | Luke Chrusciel | EMU | 32:32:00 |
| 11 | Josh Perrin | EMU | 32:34:00 |
| 12 | unatt. | 32:37:00 | |
| 13 | unatt. | 32:41:00 | |
| 14 | unatt. | 32:44:00 | |
| 15 | Neal Naughton | EMU | 32:45:00 |
Contact: Jeremiah W. Hergott (734) 647-04209
Players Mentioned
