Tech XC Travels to New Boston for Warrior Challenge
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech cross country squads return to action on Saturday (Oct. 22), traveling to the Warrior Challenge at Willow Metropark in New Boston, Michigan, the site of the 2022 GLIAC Championships.
The women will take to the starting line to complete the 6k course at 11 a.m., while the men will pace the 8k course at 11:45 a.m.
The course is a 2k loop, mostly flat, with one hill per loop with almost all grass with excellent footing.
The women's race will showcase 15 teams from the midwest region and the Atlantic region. There are two teams in the national rankings in addition to the 26th ranked Huskies in Wayne State (19th) and Saginaw Valley State (24th).
In the Midwest region rankings, Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State hold down the fourth and fifth spots with Michigan Tech right behind in sixth, Ferris State rounds out the rankings in 10th.
Edinboro and Bloomsburg come from the Atlantic region where they rank fourth and seventh, respectively.
The men's race also has competition from the Midwest region and the Atlantic region, with 12 teams taking to the course on Saturday morning.
The Huskies, coming in at 21st nationally in the newest USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll, enter the race with the best ranking. Also within the top 30 in the nation are Saginaw Valley State (23rd), Parkside (27th) and Wayne State (29th).
The teams fall in line in the Midwest region rankings, with Michigan Tech claiming fourth with Saginaw Valley State, Parkside and Wayne State taking up fifth through seventh. Northwood competing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference is eighth in the Midwest region.
Edinboro ranks second in the Atlantic region rankings.
Last Time Out
The Huskies last competed at the Lewis Crossover on October 8, where the men placed fourth in the most competitive race of the season, led by sophomore Drew Kolodge's eye-opening 23:58.7, placing him fifth overall. Michigan Tech's top five ran under 25 minutes for the 8,000m course and were within the top 41 places.
Of note, Kolodge and senior Clayton Sayen, who placed sixth, have not finished outside of the top-6 so far this season.
The women's top-five runners all had massive improvements in time from their last race at the Roy Griak Invitational to the Lewis Crossover, placing sixth overall, with Michelle Bollini continuing to be the low-stick for the Huskies with her 12th-place finish. The majority of the top-five ran at least thirty seconds faster than the previous race, with Bollini shredding nearly fifty seconds from her time in Minneapolis.
The Huskies scorers were among the top 60 in the most competitive race this season, with the top-five being under 23:20 for the 6,000m course.