Williams Leads Wolverines at Michigan Open

Friday, August 29

Dexter, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

Michigan Open

8/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country

Site: Dexter, Mich. (Hudson Mills Metropark)
Meet: Michigan Open (10,000 Meters)
U-M Finish: Non-scoring
Top U-M Individual: Lex Williams, 1st (31:40)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 12 -- at MSU Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.)

Photo Gallery

DEXTER, Mich. -- Wolverine runners took the top seven spots in the University of Michigan men's cross country teams 2008 debut as host of the Michigan Open at Hudson Mills Metropark Friday afternoon (Aug. 29). A full squad of 12 runners competed for the Maize and Blue with several more running unattached in the non-scoring 10,000-meter race.

Senior Lex Williams(Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) led the way for Michigan, finishing first with a time of 31:40 -- a full 36 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. Freshman Bobby Aprill(Dexter, Mich./Dexter) took second place (32:16) and was soon followed by junior/sophomore Ciaran O'Lionaird(Cork, Ireland/De La Salle HS) in third (32:20), sophomore Craig Forys(Howell, N.J./Colts Neck HS) in fourth (32:21), senior/junior Sean McNamara(Elmhurst, Ill./York HS) in fifth (32:27), fifth-year senior Seth Thibodeau(Milford, Mich./Milford HS) in sixth (32:45) and senior/junior Brandon Fellows(Mercer Island, Wash./Mercer Island HS) in seventh (33:07).

Junior/sophomore Peter Christmas(Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) finished ninth (33:34), followed by senior Tony Nalli(Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter) in 12th (34:17), junior Michael Dobmeier(East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North HS) in 14th (34:33) and fifth-year senior Mark Pokora(Pickerington, Ohio/Central HS) in 16th (34:53).

The Maize and Blue took an early lead as a pack of 11 Wolverine runners crossed the one-mile mark together in 4:52, three seconds ahead of the rest of the field. At 5,000-meters, Williams and O'Lionaird broke away from the pack, crossing the halfway mark in 15:40. A group of six Michigan runners, consisting of McNamara, Fellows, Aprill, Forys, Thibodeau and Black soon followed, passing the midway point between 15:50 and 15:58.

In the second half of the race, Williams pulled away, building a 34-second cushion at the four-mile mark which he never relinquished. The Wolverines will have a two-week hiatus before they return to action Friday, Sept. 12, at the MSU Invitational in East Lansing, Mich.

CompleteResults

 1. Lex Williams, U-M 31:40 2. Bobby Aprill, U-M 32:16 3. Ciaran O'Lionaird, U-M 32:20 4. Craig Forys, U-M 32:21 5. Sean McNamara, U-M 32:27 6. Seth Thibodeau, U-M 32:45 7. Brandon Fellows, U-M 33:07 8. Curtis Vollmer, EMU 33:18 9. Peter Christmas, U-M 33:34 10. Luke Chruscid, EMU 33:43 11. Cole Sanseverino, EMU 34:16 12. Tony Nalli, U-M 34:17 13. Kenny Wassus, EMU 34:27 14. Michael Dbmeier, U-M 34:33 15. Peter Martin, EMU 34:34 16. Mark Pokora, U-M 34:53 17. Austin Hendrix, EMU 34:54 18. Geoff Burns, unatt. 34:57 19. Wes Stoody, EMU 35:05 20. R.P. White, EMU 35:14 21. Derek Henning, unatt. 35:22 22. Matt Hammersmith, EMU 35:39 23. Andrew Porinsky, unatt. 35:43 24. Andrew Pfeiffer, EMU 36:23 25. Nick Deering, EMU 37:14