Michigan
Buckeye Preview
Branch, Lee Lead Michigan at Ohio State
9/28/2019 11:17:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Site: Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State Golf Course)
Event: Big Ten Preview
Distance: Eight Kilometers (4.97 miles)
U-M Team Finish: tie-2nd of 8 teams (69 points)
Top U-M Individual: Jacob Branch, 3rd (24:38.58)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 4 -- at Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
• Complete Results (PDF) | Photo Gallery
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Runners from the No. 16-ranked University of Michigan men's cross country team got their first look at some conference foes -- as well as the course on which the Big Ten Championships will be held in November -- at the Ohio State Big Ten Preview on Saturday morning (Sept. 28).
A squad of Wolverines -- the team will not debut its full roster until October -- finished tied for second in the team standings with 69 points, led by top-five finishers Jacob Branch and Jacob Lee.
Branch covered the eight-kilometer (4.97-mile) Ohio State University Golf Course circuit in 24:38.58, with Lee not far behind at 24:47.37.
Rounding out Michigan's scoring lineup, comprised of its top five runners, were 20th-place Dominic Dimambro (25:20.20), 26th-place James Gedris (25:24.62) and 29th-place Colton Yesney (25:31.46).
Penn State took the team win with 53 points, followed by the tie between the Wolverines and Grand Valley State. Ohio State was fourth with 92 points, and Miami (Ohio) completed the top five with 111 points.
After coming through the three-kilometer split point in 13th place, Branch made a big move up to second overall by the five-kilometer mark. His 6:04.9 time over those two kilometers was the second fastest in the field.
He would hold that position near the front over the final three kilometers, and was joined in the top five by Lee after he climbed eight spots in the race's late stages. Though about 10 seconds apart in the final standings, Lee and Branch ran nearly identical final splits of 9:15 and 9:16, respectively, to close out the race.
Depending on how many of Michigan's competitors in this race ultimately end up running for its seven-man squad at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Nov. 15, the results of this competition may or may not count toward U-M's at-large NCAA Championships qualifying resume. For it to count, per NCAA rules, four of the seven runners who ultimately compete at regionals also must have competed in this meet. Should the Wolverines not secure an automatic NCAA Championships berth with a top-two finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, regular-season results are a big component of determining the teams that qualify at-large.
A clearer picture of Michigan's full lineup will come into focus in October, when the Wolverines run high-profile races at Notre Dame (Oct. 4) and Wisconsin (Oct. 18).
Michigan Results
3. Jacob Branch -- 24:38.58
4. Jacob Lee -- 24:47.37
20. Dominic Dimambro -- 25:20.20
26. James Gedris -- 25:24.62
29. Colton Yesney -- 25:31.46
49. Andrew Lorant -- 25:54.21
Team Standings
1. Penn State --Â 53
2. MICHIGAN --Â 69
2. Grand Valley State -- 69
4. Ohio State -- 92
5. Miami (Ohio) -- 111
6. Illinois -- 143
7. Toledo -- 170
8. Rutgers -- 207
Players Mentioned
