Weekly Release #6: Pair of Michigan Runners Competing at EMU
10/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
This Week
Friday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. -- EMU Fall Classic (Dexter, Mich.)
The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan men's cross country team, coming off an impressive third-place showing at the NCAA Pre-Nationals (Oct. 18), will travel to nearby Dexter, Mich., to run in the EMU Fall Classic on Friday (Oct. 24) at the Hudson Mills Metropark. The race is non-scored and it will begin at 4 p.m.
The Wolverines will run both freshman Bobby Aprill(Dexter, Mich./Dexter) and senior/junior John Black(Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) at the event this weekend.
Wolverine to Watch
Bobby Aprill has had some bright moments in his first season, including a second-place showing in the 10,000-meter Michigan Open, which was held at the Hudson Mills Metropark on Aug. 29. A native of Dexter, Mich., Aprill has run several times at the Metropark and should be familiar with the course.
Impressive First Showing
Bobby Aprill has done well this year while transitioning into the world of collegiate cross country. The freshman has shown improvement in each of his races this year. At the Notre Dame Invitational (Oct. 3), Aprill recorded a personal-best time of 24:30 in the 8,000-meter race. Only sophomore Craig Forys(Howell, N.J./Colts Neck) had a better personal best as true freshman.
Going the Distance
John Black was impressive in the two 10,000-meter races he ran in 2007. The Bloomfield Hills, Mich., native broke 32 minutes in both the NCAA Great Lakes Regional and the NCAA Championships last season. The two races were the first 10,000-meter races Black had competed in at Michigan and in both races Black was within 30 seconds of the top Michigan finisher.
Michigan Among Nation's Elite
In the USTFCCCA's fifth poll of the season, Michigan is ranked ninth in the nation and second in the Great Lakes Region. U-M is one of three Big Ten schools in the top 30, along with No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 20 Minnesota.
USTFCCCA Men's Division I Cross Country National Poll
| Ranking | Team (first place votes) | Region/Rank | Totals | Previous |
| 1 | Oregon - (8) | West-1 | 352 | 1 |
| 2 | Stanford | West-3 | 332 | 10 |
| 3 | Oklahoma State - (4) | Midwest-1 | 323 | 2 |
| 4 | Portland | West-2 | 318 | 4 |
| 5 | Alabama | South-1 | 316 | 6 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | Great Lakes-1 | 301 | 5 |
| 7 | Iona College | Northeast-1 | 297 | 7 |
| 8 | Northern Arizona | Mountain-1 | 276 | 16 - tie |
| 9 | Michigan | Great Lakes-2 | 26 | 9 |
| 10 | Georgetown | Mid-Atlantic-1 | 248 | 8 |
| 11 | BYU | Mountain-2 | 229 | 18 |
| 11 | Auburn | South-2 | 229 | 16 - tie |
| 13 | UCLA | West-4 | 214 | 23 |
| 14 | Virginia | Southeast-1 | 198 | 12 |
| 15 | Florida State | South-3 | 191 | 13 |
| 16 | Tulsa | Midwest-3 | 177 | 19 |
| 17 | Colorado | Mountain-3 | 161 | 3 |
| 18 | Texas A&M | South Central-1 | 150 | 20 |
| 19 | Indiana | Great Lakes-3 | 149 | NR |
| 20 | Minnesota | Midwest-2 | 148 | 14 |
| 21 | William & Mary | Southeast-2 | 118 | 24 |
| 22 | Iowa State | Midwest-4 | 111 | 11 |
| 23 | Cal Poly West-5 | 100 | 29 | |
| 24 | California | West-6 | 63 | 25 |
| 24 | Washington | West-7 | 63 | NR |
| 26 | Arkansas | South Central-2 | 60 | 27 |
| 27 | Providence | Northeast-2 | 49 | 22 |
| 28 | Florida | South-4 | 48 | NR |
| 29 | North Carolina State | Southeast-3 | 29 | 15 |
| 30 | Texas | South Central-3 | 21 | 21 |
Last Time Out
Michigan finished third in the NCAA Pre-Nationals. Both Aprill and Black competed in the open race in which Aprill finished in 15th with a time of 25:08.3, while Black finished in 18th with a time of 25:10.2.
The Ron Warhurst File
This is U-M head coach Ron Warhurst's 35th season at the helm of the men's cross country program. Warhurst has won seven Big Ten Championships and two NCAA Regional Championships. He has 12 NCAA Championship top-10 finishes and 21 NCAA Regional Championship top-three finishes. In his 35 years Warhurst has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year four times and the NCAA Regional Coach of the year three times, including last season. Warhurst has coached 39 NCAA All-Americans and has a record of 2,871-595-7 at Michigan.
Upcoming Schedule
The EMU Fall Classic is the last race for the Wolverines before they host the 2008 NCAA Big Ten Championships on Sunday (Nov.2). The race will be held at the Michigan Golf Course with the women's race starting at 10:45 a.m., and the men's following at 11 a.m.
Contact: Joe Arancio (734) 763-4423
