PREVIEW: GLIAC Men's Cross Country Championships
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech men's cross country is set to embark on an 8K race at the 2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, October 23. Saginaw Valley State hosts the event at a course located at the entrance of campus right off of M84.
The Huskies did not run in 2020-21 but finished second as a team at the 2019-20 GLIAC Championships, hosted by Purdue Northwest in Westville, Indiana. This year, they contend with favorite Grand Valley State, winner of the last 18 team championships. Saginaw Valley State is back as site host after taking third two falls ago.
Grand Valley State currently ranks first in the nation in the latest NCAA Division II USTFCCCA rankings poll. Wayne State is No. 20 and Saginaw Valley is No. 30. Michigan Tech is just outside the top-30 but is receiving national votes.
LAST TIME OUT
A portion of the team competed in the Northern Michigan Scrimmage last Saturday in Marquette. In the last scoring event, the Huskies placed seventh amongst a 24-team field at the Lewis Crossover, October 10 in Romeoville, Illinois. Junior Clayton Sayen paced Tech with a sixth place finish and an 8K time of 24:42.30. Freshman Drew Kolodge came in 30th, followed by Tucker Ringhand (44th), Nick McKenzie (49th), and Sam Lange (56th).
Michigan Tech also took eighth at the Blugold Invitational (October 1), fourth at the Roy Griak Invitational (September 24), and first at the Wayne State Warrior Challenge (September 10).
LEADING THE HUSKIES
- Sayen (Houghton, Michigan) is Michigan Tech's top runner, with a pair of top-five finishes in three events this fall. Sayen made his biggest statement when he won the Roy Griak Invitational outright in a field of over 350 at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Minneapolis.
- Sayen's time was even faster at the Wayne State Warrior Challenge. He placed third in 25:05.1. In 2019, he was named USTFCCCA All-Region, All-GLIAC First Team, and 44th fastest at the NCAA National Championships. Sayen will look to improve on a ninth place finish at 2019 at the GLIAC Championships.
- Freshmen Sam Lange (Washington, Illinois) and Drew Kolodge (Clay, Michigan) have also made an impression this fall. Lange took sixth place at the Wayne State Warrior Challenge and 13th at the Roy Griak Invitational. In both races, he was the Huskies second fastest runner behind Sayen. Kolodge took 40th at the Roy Griak Invitational and 30th last time out at the Lewis Crossover.
- Senior Braden Reichl, along with freshmen Nick Niemi and Tucker Ringhand also have top-15 finishes at the Wayne State Warrior. Reichl (Green River, Wyoming) was a 2019 NCAA All-American, USTFCCCA All-Region, and All-GLIAC First Team selection after placing fourth at the GLIAC Championships with a time of 24:29.2. Reichl crossed the line 23rd at the NCAA National Championships. He has not raced since the first week of the 2021 cross country season.
MICHIGAN TECH FASTEST FINISHERS - BY EVENT
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Wayne State Warrior | Clayton Sayen (3rd) | Sam Lange (6th) | Nick Niemi (9th) | Braden Reichl (11th) | Tucker Ringhand (13th) |
| Roy Griak Invite | Clayton Sayen (1st) | Sam Lange (13th) | Drew Kolodge (40th) | Luke Moore (41st) | Ben Passolt (47th) |
| Blugold Invite | Isaac Steers (42nd) | Logan Lukonic (45th) | Ben Holland (47th) | Stanley Elder (52nd) | Kyle Samluk (56th) |
| Lewis Crossover | Clayton Sayen (6th) | Drew Kolodge (30th) | Tucker Ringhand (44th) | Nick McKenzie (49th) | Sam Lange (56th) |
IF YOU'RE GOING
- Tickets are $8 at the gate or fans can BUY ONLINE to save $3.
- Doors open at 9:45 a.m. National Anthem is at 10:45 a.m.
- Currently, there are no restrictions placed on spectators for Saginaw Valley State outdoor competitions.
- SVSU does recommend wearing masks and 6ft social distancing while at outdoor sporting competitions.
- Only the top seven individuals from each team are eligible for All-GLIAC Awards.
- The men's championship 8K race includes a second pass through the east loop and also tracks through the same track as the women's race.
- Awards to be presented include second team all-conference (11-20 finishers), first team all-conference (Top 10 finishers), GLIAC Cross Country MVP (Individual Champion), Team Championship Trophies, Freshman of the Year Award, and Coach of the Year.