There's no controversy as to who's been the Big Ten king when it comes to cross country. Wisconsin has won 14 of the previous 16 championships, dating back to 1981. But Saturday, the king was dethroned.
The Wolverines broke a streak of conference dominance by Wisconsin by winning the Big Ten championship in Columbus. Michigan won the conference in 1993, one of only two interruptions in the Badger dynasty.
The Wolverines combined top individual performances with team depth to take the title with 29 points. Wisconsin was the runner-up with 42 points. It marked the sixth time Michigan has won the Big Ten championship under coach Ron Warhurst.
Michigan's Kevin Sullivan and John Mortimer have finished 1-2 in all but one race this year, leaving cross country fans anticipating the result of their first big-meet clash of 1997. It looked like it would be a battle between Mortimer's lightning-quick starts and Sullivan's huge kick - and it was.
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| LOUIS BROWN/Daily Though Wisconsin has dominated the Big Ten the past 16 years, Michigan was able to top the Badgers with a team effort over the weekend and take the title. |
Sullivan became only the third runner in Big Ten history to win individual titles all four years. He took the conference's top spot in 1993, '94, '95 and '97, following his absence.
"We knew Wisconsin was going to be tough," Sullivan said. "I'm really happy with the race."
Mortimer turned in a solid performance, finishing in second place overall with a 24:01, 19 seconds behind Sullivan. It was obviously a bittersweet race for Mortimer, falling behind Sullivan after the four-mile mark.
Michigan's Steve Lawrence stepped up big for the Wolverines, completing the course in 24:42. His seventh-place finish overall qualified him for first team All-Big Ten recognition. Lawrence's consistent finishes have been a major reason for Michigan's No. 3 ranking.
"We had a pretty good feeling going in," Lawrence said. "We were all psyched up."
The Wolverines' Jay Cantin was able to stay with Lawrence most of the way, finishing right behind him in a time of 24:45. Cantin earned eighth place overall, putting him at the head of the second team All-Big Ten roster. Cantin has consistently finished in the top five this season, scoring points for the Wolverines, but Saturday he helped to lock up the championship for Michigan.
Ann Arbor native Todd Snyder rounded out the top five for the Wolverines, turning in a gutsy 24:54.
Snyder was not racing up to par, due to an illness, yet found enough energy within himself to stick it out for the 5,000 meters. He finished 11th, also qualifying him for second team All-Big Ten honors.
"Snyder has bronchitis and is on antibiotics, but he passed five guys in the last 1,000 meters," Warhurst said. "He ran super for the condition he's in."
Michigan's Don McLaughlin placed 21st in 25:20. Had there been a tie between the Wolverines and Wisconsin, the team with the higher-finishing sixth man would have won.
Chris Bunt (53rd, 26:07), Cory Brown (60th, 26:19), and Mike Wisniwski (68th, 26:30) were the final finishers for Michigan. All three gained valuable experience running in the Big Tens, which will serve them well in the future. The Wolverines will depend on Bunt, Brown and Wisniewski to help carry the load as Sullivan graduates, and Mortimer possibly redshirting.
The season essentially began Saturday for Michigan. After sweeping through their regular-season schedule with relative ease, the nation is finally getting a chance to see the Wolverines at their best. The show isn't over yet, however. Michigan will have two weeks to prepare for the NCAA District IV championships, to be held in Bloomington. The NCAA District IV meet will be the Wolverines' gateway to the NCAA championships Nov. 24, in South Carolina.
"We raced the way I expected us to," Warhurst said. "I'm very happy for them."
11-04-97
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