Men's Cross Country Looks to Defend All-Ohio Title
9/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Sept. 29, 2011
OXFORD, Ohio - Fresh off its third victory of the season just six days ago, the Miami University men's cross country team will try to make it four-for-four Friday when it runs at the All-Ohio Championship, hosted by Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio. The 8K race begins at 2 p.m. at King Cross Country Course while the men's open race starts at 3:30 p.m.
The RedHawks are the defending champion at the All-Ohio Championship, winning last year's race with 82 points in a 37-team field. Xavier took second with 119 points. Miami's top returning finisher from that race is junior Jarrod Eick (Hartville, Ohio), who was the second 'Hawk to finish, taking 15th place. Miami also brings back its third and fifth scorers from the meet in redshirt sophomore Matt Marol (Evanston, Ill.) and redshirt junior David Eichenberger (Plainfield, Ind.), who took 16th and 21st, respectively, a year ago.
The RedHawks will face plenty of familiar competition at the 57th All-Ohio Championship, as local rivals Xavier, Dayton, Wright State and Cincinnati will all run at the meet. In addition, the Miami men will get their first taste of Mid-American Conference competition, as Bowling Green, Kent State, Akron and Ohio will all be in attendance. Several Division II, III and NAIA schools in Ohio will also run in the race.
Last Saturday, Miami won its third straight meet to start the season, winning the LSU Invitational in a 14-team field, despite running in the meet for the first time. The 'Hawks totaled 32 points to win the race while the host Tigers of the SEC finished second with 59 points. Eichenberger led the way for Miami, taking runner-up honors overall, which earned him MAC Runner of the Week. Eick was right behind in third while Marol made his season debut and finished seventh. Redshirt freshman Daniel Garleb (Pickerington, Ohio) and freshman Ryan Moncrieff (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) rounded out Miami's scoring five in eighth and 12th place, respectively.
Miami opened the season with a win at the Dayton Flyer 5K Challenge and also won its own Miami Open the following Saturday. Eick captured individual titles at each of those meets as well.
Following the All-Ohio Championship, the RedHawks have a week off before heading to the Penn State National Meet in University Park, Pa. on Friday, Oct. 14.
--MURedHawks.com--
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