CMU to host MAC Championship on Saturday
It has been 10 years since Central Michigan University’s men’s cross country team has won a Mid-American Conference Championship.
Starting at noon on Nov. 1, at the Riverwood Resort golf course, the Chippewa men will compete to break that spell.
“Of any of the groups I’ve coached so far, this is the best team,” head coach Matt Kaczor said. “We have a plethora of great runners, but we really need to make sure everyone executes on the right day.”
Eastern Michigan University, ranked fifth in the Great Lakes Region, is currently favored to win the MAC championship.
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Akron, in ninth, is the only other MAC team ranked above the Chippewas, who sit in 11th.
These rankings come after pre-nationals last weekend, where the men placed fourth overall.
At pre-nationals, junior Nate Ghena led the Chippewas, placing seventh overall while Silas Dekalita finished next in 20th.
Senior Ethan Lievense as well as freshmen Jospeh Emmanuel and Alec Toreki sat out at the last race to ensure fresh legs and prevent injuries for the upcoming MAC Championship race.
“If everyone brings their best stuff, we can beat Eastern,” Ghena said. “We’re going to have to be really focused from our number one to our number nine.”
The Chippewas have strength in the depth of their second group according to Kaczor.
Casey Voisin, Ben Wynsma, Spencer Noussain, Monte Scott and Tanner Pensonen have all been close in finishing time throughout the season and trading positions on the team.
This is the first time since the 2007 season that the MAC Championships will be held in Mount Pleasant.
“You train for what you get, and we’ve got a group of guys who really worked hard,” Kaczor said. “It’s the best team I’ve seen since I began coaching here, but we will see Saturday if it’s the top team.”
