October 13, 2007

Site: Terre Haute, Ind. (LaVern Gibson Championship Course)
Meet: NCAA Pre-Nationals (8,000 meters)
U-M Finish: 4th Place of 40 Teams (208)
Top U-M Individual: Mike Woods, 7th (23:24.7)
Next Meet: Friday, Oct. 19 -- at EMU Classic (Dexter, Mich.), 4:00 p.m.

Woods Leads U-M to Fourth Place at Pre-Nationals



TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Senior captain Mike Woods (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS) claimed seventh place (23:24.7) to lead the No. 18-ranked University of Michigan men's cross country team to fourth place (208 points) in the White Division at NCAA Pre-Nationals Saturday (Oct. 13) at Indiana State's LaVern Gibson Championship Course.

Woods ran strong from the gun, hanging among the top-30 pack through the opening mile. The field began to string out at 5,000 meters into a lead pack. Woods kept pace with Notre Dame's top runner, Patrick Smyth, for the final 1,000 meters as they chased the leaders, who held a 20-second advantage on the rest of the field.

With junior Lex Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS), one of the top Wolverine runners, out for health reasons, Woods was not the only Wolverine to step up to the challenge. Junior/sophomore Sean McNamara (Elmhurst, Ill./York HS) posted a solid run, finishing 28th with a time of 23:48.8.

Rounding out the rest of the Wolverines' scoring runners were junior/sophomore Brandon Fellows (Mercer Island, Wash./Mercer Island HS), sophomore/freshman Ciaran O'Lionaird (Cork, Ireland/De La Salle HS) and senior/junior Victor Gras (Belmont, Mass./Belmont HS), who placed 48th, 58th and 67th, respectively. Fellows' time of 24:03.1 was more than 20 seconds better then his mark at Pre-Nationals last season. O'Lionaird posted a career day, crossing the finish line at 24:09.3. Gras recorded a time of 24:14.3, topping his personal best at Pre-Nationals by 18 seconds.

Four other Wolverines competed in the 8,000-meter open race, with two finishing in the top-10. Junior Tony Nalli (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) crossed the finish line third (24:41.1) and was followed by sophomore/freshman Peter Christmas (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) in eighth with a time of 24:51.0.

The Wolverines will wrap up regular-season competition with their final tuneup prior to the postseason Friday (Oct. 19) at the EMU Classic in Dexter, Mich. The 8,000-meter race is slated for a 4 p.m. start at Hudson Mills Metropark.

Michigan State placed 23rd, FYI.

Obviously this proves Michigan's dominance.