Michigan
Michigan Open
New Era of U-M Distance Running Debuts at Michigan Open
8/31/2018 1:45:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
Site: Dexter, Mich. (Hudson Mills Metropark)
Event: Michigan Open
U-M Team Finish: Non-scoring
Top U-M Individual: Isaac Harding, 2nd (15:23.3)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 14 -- at Adidas XC Challenge (Cary, N.C.)
• Photo Gallery | Complete Results
DEXTER, Mich. -- The journey to a Big Ten title defense began Friday (Aug. 31) for the No. 26 University of Michigan men's cross country team as it opened its 2018 campaign with its lone home meet of the season at the Michigan Open.
Newcomer Ryan Robinson, a transfer from Michigan State who was running unattached, got the individual win on the day, covering Hudson Mills Metropark's five-kilometer (3.11-mile) course in 15:12.2.
He's not in uniform for us yet, but it's new transfer Ryan Robinson FTW! #GoBlue #Team100 pic.twitter.com/WsjrjCwi1I
— Michigan Cross Country / Track & Field (@UMichTrack) August 31, 2018
The in-uniform quartet of Isaac Harding, Andrew Lorant, Ben Hill and Jacob Lee rounded out the top-five for the Wolverines.
Though Robinson is training with Harding and company, he is ineligible to compete for the Wolverines in 2018-19 due to Big Ten rules governing transfers within the conference.
Harding, the Wolverines' No. 5 runner on last year's 10th-place NCAA Championships team, was next across the line in 15:23.3, followed two seconds later by Lorant in 15:25.2 and a second-and-a-half later by the duo of Hill and Lee in 15:26.7 and 15.26.9.
That corps of younger returners is expected to take over the reins from the talented group of seniors who departed the program since last fall's banner year.
"The guys who left last year really opened up a leadership role," Harding said. "Our team is really moldable this year, and I think we have a big opportunity to make sure we're shaping the culture for future years."
Isaac Harding, Andrew Lorant, Ben Hill & Jacob Lee round out the top-5 for Michigan! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/K4miT8tHfk
— Michigan Cross Country / Track & Field (@UMichTrack) August 31, 2018
The top returner from last year's squad as its No. 4 NCAA scorer, Jack Aho finished sixth in 19:30.2 while competing unattached. Aho competed unattached to potentially preserve the redshirt year he still has available to him after running last season as a true freshman.
The field was comprised entirely of in-uniform Michigan runners and other Wolverines who competed "unattached" to preserve their eligibility for a redshirt season.
With a game plan to run a controlled first four kilometers of the race before opening things up in the final 1,000 meters, a lead group of Robinson, Harding, Lorant, Hill, Lee, and Ryan Wilkie led the way through the first third of the course and into the woods for the second mile.
By the time the race emerged from the woods for the final time, Robinson had opened up a commanding lead on the field, with Harding, Lorant, Hill, Lee and Aho packed up behind him.
In addition to the unattached runners who could potentially compete in uniform for the Wolverines later in the season, Michigan has one more piece to add to the puzzle in Baylor transfer Devin Meyrer. The All-Big 12 performer is expected to join the lineup for the first time later this month.
Full results for the Wolverines who ran in uniform on Friday are listed below.
FULL MICHIGAN RESULTS
2. Isaac Harding -- 15:23.3
3. Andrew Lorant -- 15:25.2
4. Ben Hill -- 15:26.7
5. Jacob Lee -- 15:26.9
7. Ryan Wilkie -- 15:41.3
9. Joost Plaetinck -- 15:45.3
11. Christian Hubaker -- 15:47.8
13. Jacob Branch -- 15:49.8
14. Dominic Dimambro -- 15:50.3
17. Kevin Hall -- 15:53.5
18. Lewis Tate -- 15:59.1
20. Chase Barnett -- 16:03.8
21. Anthony Berry -- 16:04.3
24. Jordy Hewitt -- 16:06.5
UP NEXT FOR MICHIGAN
After a weekend off, the Wolverines will be back in action at the adidas XC Challenge in Cary, North Carolina, on Friday, Sept. 14.
Though this event will mark Michigan's first competition within the NCAA Championships at-large qualifying period that is to begin with next weekend's slate of meets, the head-to-head wins and losses accrued in North Carolina will not count towards the Wolverines at-large qualifying resume due to its course length.
NCAA rules require the course length for at-large-eligible competitions to be equal to or farther than 75 percent of the 10-kilometer (4.97-mile) distance contested at the NCAA Championships. The six-kilometer (3.74-mile) distance to be run at the adidas XC Challenge is below the 7.5-kilometer (4.66-mile) threshold for qualifying purposes, but the meet will still be a good test of the Wolverines' early-season fitness against a quality field.
Players Mentioned
