Mortimer to return for final season

By Chris Duprey
Daily Sports Writer

The 1997 Michigan men's cross country team was like a law associate fresh out of college - it knew exactly where it wanted to go, and how it was going to get there.

The Wolverines had their path to success laid out before the events started to unfold. Michigan coach Ron Warhurst, in a statement before the Wolverines' first race of the year, Aug. 25, let everyone know what he was demanding of his talented squad.

"I expect a substantially improved finish at the NCAA Championships after last year's disappointment," Warhurst said. "Our goal is to win the Big Ten and District meets and finish in the top five at NCAAs."

Those were lofty goals, even for a talented lineup such as Michigan's. But the Wolverines had the horses to pull it off.

Senior Kevin Sullivan and John Mortimer combined to make a lethal 1-2 punch that would crush the strength of opponents' packs. Jay Cantin, Don McLaughlin, Steve Lawrence and Todd Snyder were all beginning to get a grasp on their roles as contributing runners.

LOUIS BROWN/Daily Running together worked well for Kevin Sullivan and John Mortimer throughout the cross country season. The duo alternated with first-place performances all fall.

Michigan swept through its five scored invitationals, taking first place in each one. While the Wolverines always got solid performances from the top of their lineup - Mortimer or Sullivan won the individual title in every one - the 3-4-5 men were starting to pick up as well. It looked as if Michigan had the ingredients to unseat the longtime Wisconsin dynasty and win the Big Ten.

Things would not go perfectly for Warhurst's team at Big Tens, however. Snyder was suffering from a bout with bronchitis and had been on antibiotics the entire week in a noble attempt to run.

After a season characterized by dominating performances, Snyder tossed a bit of resiliency into the Wolverines' recipe. He passed five runners in the final 1,000 meters to seal Michigan's 13-point victory over the Badgers. Sullivan set the 8,000-meter course record at Ohio State with a blistering 23:42, and the Wolverines captured their first Big Ten crown since 1993.

Following an off week, Michigan went to the NCAA District IV meet in Bloomington with hopes of qualifying for the NCAA championships. Only two teams would go, and assuming Wisconsin would contend, the Wolverines were left with little room for error.

Both Sullivan and Mortimer led the race from the very start. After outlasting an early challenge from Eastern Michigan's Ben Reese, the tandem pulled away, virtually crossing the finish line together in 31:30 to take the top two spots.

Despite the presence of an agitated Wisconsin team who had been smacked by Michigan a couple of weeks earlier, the Wolverines rolled to victory with 21 points. The district title was Warhurst's first in his 24 seasons as Michigan's skipper.

Finally, the team was down to the final goal on Warhurst's hit list - finishing in the top five at NCAAs. Apparently the NCAA pollsters had gained respect for the Wolverines, too. After starting the season at No. 5, Michigan had silently risen to No. 3, a few points ahead of Colorado.

The drama unfolded Nov. 24 at the NCAAs, where Sullivan and his gang would be forced to go all out for the first time all season. The senior put it all together and ran the race of his life in 29:01, but fell seven seconds short of UCLA's Mebrahtom Keflezighi and had to settle for second place.

Mortimer's 29:44 gave him 11th place, but the Michigan pack that had become so stable all year failed to stay together. The stringing out of Cantin, Snyder and Lawrence cost the Wolverines any hopes they had of hanging on to third place over the Buffaloes, and they settled for fourth.

Still, despite the minor disappointment, the Wolverines had climbed the mountain. They had successfully completed Warhurst's list.

Michigan lost two key pieces of its lineup to graduation in Sullivan and McLaughlin, but still plan to build on the success of '97. One of the top priorities for the Wolverines is to defend their Big Ten title at home.

Due to the rotating schedule, Michigan will have the honor of hosting the marquee event of the cross country season at the U-M Golf Course.

09-08-98