Miami University
MAC Championship
Men and Women Finish Top-Three at MAC Championships
10/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
OXFORD, Ohio - Miami University cross country hosted the Mid-American Conference Championships Saturday. The men, who placed all five scoring runners in the top-20, were edged out by eight-time defending champion Eastern Michigan. The women came out very strong, finishing third as a team after being picked sixth in the preseason polls. They were carried by senior Maria Scavuzzo and sophomore Carly Davis.
The men entered the meet knowing that it would come down to them and EMU, but in the end the Eagles edged out the 'Hawks by 30 points. That distance was a result of EMU placing all five of their scoring runners in the top ten. Miami's top runner, sophomore David Coffey, almost medaled with a fourth-place time of 24:38.8 - just two seconds off his personal best. It marked the highest finish of his collegiate career and was good enough to earn him First-Team All-MAC.
Twenty-four seconds behind Coffey came fellow sophomore Sean Torpy and his 25:02.0 that got him eighth place. Senior Jake Brumfield along with sophomores Bradley Davis and Christopher Torpy all crossed in the span of four seconds, taking 13th, 14th, and 15th place, respectively. The three each earned Second-Team All-MAC for their efforts.
Although not satisfied with a second-place finish, Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Tom Chorny sees this performance as a glimpse into a bright future.
"The talent that we have on this team is phenomenal," he said. "When you look at the sophomore class, they did extremely well this entire year. We're going to see some amazing breakout races during the track season."
The women's team experienced a breakout of their own. Chorny tabbed six upperclassmen to lead what the preseason polls thought to be a middle-of-the-pack squad. Instead, the RedHawks grabbed third-place to mark their highest finish since 2014. Leading the pack was none other than senior Maria Scavuzzo, whose season-best 21:04.0 netted her seventh place and a spot on First-Team All-MAC. On her heels was sophomore Carly Davis who PR'd for the second straight race to earn eighth place and Second-Team All-MAC.
Senior Alesha Vovk also recorded a new personal record, turning in a 21:36.9 to take 21st place. Next to score for the women was junior Sarah Starrett. She ran the course in 22:04.6 to finish 32nd. Rounding out the scoring for the women was senior Allison Klonne and her 22:25.9 in 47th. The rest of the women racing - Haley Sandvik, Maegan Murphy, Tayler Borermann, and Elli Brady - were all right behind her.
"We have a very deep team," Chorny said of the closely-packed finishes the women turned in. "The way they train together, they are just going to make each other stronger. I think the future of this team looks really good."
The next step for Miami is the Great Lakes Regional Championship, which will take place on Nov. 10 in Terre Haute, Ind.
Players Mentioned
