Oct. 17, 2009

Team Results
Individual Results
Photo Gallery

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Racing against its toughest competition of the season to date, the Miami University men's cross country team ran to a 25th-place finish in the 8K Blue Race of the Pre-Nationals Invitational hosted by Indiana State University Saturday morning. The race, which featured eight nationally ranked teams, was run on the LaVern Gibson Championship Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center.

The RedHawks, who had 608 points, were the top Mid-American Conference finisher at the meet as Toledo placed 29th in the Blue Race, the only other MAC school in that race, while Central Michigan was 27th and Ohio University was 35th in the White Race of the Pre-Nationals Invite. All but three of the teams in the Blue Race were ranked regionally by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association, including Miami, who is No. 11 in the Great Lakes Region poll.

Senior Kevin Silver (Beachwood, Ohio) was the RedHawks' top finisher for the fourth time this year (every race), crossing the finish line in 95th place in a time of 25:06.5 out of 238 runners. Junior Michael Perry (Cincinnati, Ohio) was Miami's second finisher in 99th place in a time of 25:09.8, five seconds faster than his time at last year's Pre-Nationals. Seniors Adam Martin (Chesterton, Ind.), Paul Krebs (Kettering, Ohio) and Ryan Dezso (Copley, Ohio) rounded out the RedHawks' scoring five in 131st, 138th and 145th places, respectively.

"Kevin went out and tried to play with the front guys and he ended up getting in trouble. We had a pretty good pack but we just have to make sure that pack gets up there (toward the front)," head coach Warren Mandrell said. "It was two extremes. Kevin ended up getting in over his head and got fatigued and the other guys were thinking that because the course was so soft (from rain) they should be conservative and so they probably went out a little too slow. They were moving the whole race but they gave up too much ground early on and the course ended up running a bit better than they thought it would."

Redshirt freshman David Eichenberger (Plainfield, Ind.), who was Miami's second finisher two weeks ago, was sick during the race and was the RedHawks' seventh finisher, while redshirt sophomore Brian Gallagher (Westlake, Ohio), who had been Miami's third finisher in the first two races of the year, did not compete due to an injury.

Seventh-ranked Oregon won the Blue Race with 79 points while the Ducks' Luke Puskedra claimed the individual title in a time of 23:40.2. No. 3 Alabama was second with 114 points.

The RedHawks next compete Saturday, Oct. 31, when they head to Athens, Ohio for the MAC Championship hosted by Ohio University.

--MURedHawks.com--