Wisconsin-Superior selected to capture 2016 UMAC Men's Cross Country title
ST. PAUL, Minn.---At the 2015 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Men’s Cross Country Championships, just five points stood between the University of Wisconsin-Superior and the conference title in the team’s first year as a UMAC member. This season, though, the UMAC coaches predicted Wisconsin-Superior will taste victory as the Yellowjackets were selected first in the UMAC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Wednesday.
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The Yellowjackets earned 62 points in the poll with seven first-place votes, while reigning conference champion College of St. Scholastica earned two first place votes to come in a solid second with 56 points.
Last fall, the Yellowjackets saw the Saints earn their seventh-straight UMAC crown by the smallest of margins. They rebounded, though, finishing 12th as a team at the NCAA Central Region meet – the top finish by a UMAC squad – which was the best in program history for the Yellowjackets.
With two All-Region runners back this season, the Yellowjackets will be poised for their first conference title in just their second year in the UMAC. Jackson Lindquist and Jordan Koski will lead the charge following spectacular seasons a year ago.
(*Video credit to Jon Garver, Wisconsin-Superior Sports Information)
Lindquist placed third at the UMAC Championships with an impressive time of 26:38 to earn All-UMAC honors before racing to an All-Region finish (24th) later in the fall. He also ranked in the top 30 in nation in the 3,000-meter steeplechase this spring and could be a contender to win the men’s individual cross country UMAC title. As a sophomore, Koski impressed with the fifth-best time at the UMAC Championships to earn All-UMAC First Team recognition and then went on to finish 31st at the regional.
The likes of Lindquist and Koski helped contribute to the team’s success which earned Glen Drexler Coach of the Year honors. The experienced coach will have the challenge, though, of replacing the talent of Charles Corbett who cruised to the UMAC title before moving on to place second at the regional meet and 23rd at the NCAA Championships for an All-American finish.
Drexler will not only rely on Koski and Lindquist but will also expect big things out of Rand Bieri who was 20th in his rookie debut. Zack Mazurek and Isaac Staat also return as sophomores following their placings as the sixth and seventh, respectively, team finishers for the Yellowjackets.
Taking the title in 2016 won’t come easy for the Yellowjackets as St. Scholastica should be in position to challenge for their eighth-straight championship. Under new Head Coach Chad Samela, the Saints will need several individuals to rise up to the top of the pack after losing four-time All-UMAC finisher and 2013 UMAC champion Chris Lawson, as well as three-time All-UMAC honoree Luke McKenzie.
The Saints will need Jacob Gallagher to reach for his third-career All-UMAC finish following his seventh-place overall time at the 2015 meet. Easton Foss returns after placing 14th as a rookie for All-UMAC honors, while Adam Wallenta hopes for conference accolades as a senior after placing just outside the top 15 in 17th.
The third and fourth spots in the poll were separated by just one point with Martin Luther College edging out the University of Minnesota Morris. The Knights were slated third with 46 points with the Cougars coming in with 45.
Martin Luther looks to continue its consistency at the conference meet, but will need to do so without four-time All-UMAC finisher Grey Davis. The Knights will be in good shape to place in the top three teams with Darian Schnose and Justin Wilkens set to lead the group. Both were Second Team awardees in 2015 placing ninth and 15th, respectively. Johnathan Flieschmann will also be a contender for conference honors after clocking the 16th-fastest time in 2015.
Minnesota Morris will be tough for the Knights to beat to the finish with the return of its star Chalmer Combellick who raced to a second-place finish a year ago. They will also rely on Tyler Sassenberg – who did not race at the championships last season but boasted a solid season PR – as well as David Roanhorse who placed 21st overall as a rookie at the UMAC meet.
The University of Northwestern was selected fifth with 39 points followed closely by Bethany Lutheran College in sixth (31). Northland College bumped North Central University for seventh with 18 points, while the Rams were a close eighth with 17 points. Crown College rounded out the standings with 10 points.
Northwestern placed fourth a year ago and return its top three finishers from the 2015 meet including All-UMAC Second Team honorees Wil Maki and Jackson Peterson. Maki raced into 10th to lead the Eagles, while Peterson was just 10 seconds behind in 13th. Garrett Crown will also help the Eagles after placing in the top 25 as a rookie.
Bethany Lutheran will be without 2014 UMAC champion Owen Richardson who led the team last season placing eighth, but the Vikings return good experience with Zach Dantzman and David Luehring who both placed in the top 40 a season ago. Lucas Malimanek will also contribute to the team’s top five.
Northland hopes Alex Drachenberg and Andy Kasun will step up to lead the Lumberjacks in order to replace the team’s top finisher in Louis Corcoran. Drachenberg and Kasun went 2-3 for the team at the UMAC meet last year.
North Central is positioned for a solid season with the return of its top three conference runners. Kaleb Gunderson was 26th and will be joined by Daniel Morgenstern and Aaron Cooke to set the pace for a new group of talented first-years.
Crown will need its top two runners from last season in Michael Elmhorst and Josh Coleman to take the reigns on leading a talented group of incoming runners for the fall.
The UMAC men’s cross country teams begin competition Thursday with several teams competing at Crown, while the remainder of squads open up Friday or Saturday.
Four teams (Bethany Lutheran, Martin Luther, Northwestern and Wisconsin-Superior) will be in action Sept. 9 at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcon Invitational, while seven of the nine teams will head to Northfield, Minnesota, Sept. 17 to compete at the St. Olaf Invitational.
Bethany Lutheran and Northwestern will represent the UMAC at the famous University of Minnesota Roy Griak Meet Sept. 24. The month concludes with three teams slated to run at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugold Invitational.
The month of October sees UMAC teams competing at various meets across the Midwest before the culmination of the season takes place at the 2016 UMAC Cross Country Championships Saturday, Oct. 29 in Benson, Minnesota.
Complete Men's Cross Country Schedule
2016 UMAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Wisconsin-Superior - 62 Points (7 First Place Votes)
2. St. Scholastica - 56 Points (2 First Place Votes)
3. Martin Luther - 46 Points
4. Minnesota Morris - 45 Points
5. Northwestern - 39 Points
6. Bethany Lutheran - 31 Points
7. Northland - 18 Points
8. North Central - 17 Points
9. Crown - 10 Points
TEAM PREVIEWS
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CSS |
MLC |
NC |
NCU |
UMM |
UNW |
UWS |
1. University of Wisconsin-Superior
Glen Drexler | 7th season |
2015 Season
| 2nd | 48 Points |
Postseason: Team Finish – 12
th place at NCAA Regional; Charles Corbett, 23rd at NCAA Championships, 2nd at NCAA Central Region
Runners returning: 8
Runners lost: 3
Top Returners
- Jackson Lindquist, Sr. | 2015 First Team All-UMAC |2015 All-Region (24th) | 2015 Championships: 3rd, 26:38.5, 2nd team finisher |
- Jordan Koski, Jr. | 2015 First Team All-UMAC |2015 All-Region (31st) | 2015 Championships: 5th, 27:25.2, 3rd team finisher |
- Rand Bieri, So. | 2015 Championships: 20th, 29:20.4, 5th team finisher |
Top Losses
- Charles Corbett | 2015 UMAC Champion, 2015 All-UMAC | 2015 All-American (23rd); 2015 All-Region (2nd) | 2015 Championships: 1st, 25:54.0, 1st team finisher |
- Edward Martin | 2015 Championships: 19th, 29:18.8, 4th team finisher |
Need to Know
- Glen Drexler earned UMAC Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year honors in 2015, the first such honor of his coaching career
- The Yellowjackets placed 12th at the NCAA Regional, the highest finish in school history
- According to the USTFCCCA the Yellowjackets had one of the top five grade point averages in the country among NCAA Division III men’s cross country teams, with a combined GPA of 3.619
2. College of St. Scholastica
Chad Salmela | 1st Season |
2015 Season
| 1st | 43 Points |
Postseason: Placed 14th out of 29 teams at the NCAA Central Region Championships
Runners returning: 9
Runners lost: 8
Top Returners
- Jacob Gallagher, Sr. | 2015 First Team All-UMAC, 2014 All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 7th, 27:33, 3rd team finisher |
- Easton Foss, So. | 2015 Second Team All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 14th, 28:42, 5th team finisher |
- Adam Wallenta, Sr. | 2015 Championships: 17th, 29:09, 6th team finisher |
Top Losses
- Chris Lawson | 2015 First Team All-UMAC; 2012, 2013, 2014 All-UMAC, Won the UMAC title in 2013 | 2014, 2015 All-Central Region, 2014 NCAA Qualifier | 2015 Championships: 4th, 26:55, 1st team finisher |
- Luke McKenzie | 2015 First Team All-UMAC; 2013, 2014 All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 6th, 27:33, 2nd team finisher |
- Tim Dunstan | 2015 Second Team All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 12th, 28:32, 4th team finisher |
Need to Know
- Longtime head coach Steve Pfingsten retired in the spring and Chad Salmela jumps over to take over this season after 10 season coaching the CSS Nordic ski teams.
- The Saints edged conference newcomer UWS by five points to win its seventh straight UMAC title in 2015.
- Former Saint Chris Lawson become the first CSS men’s cross country runner to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors this past spring.?
3. Martin Luther College
Mark Paustian | 13th Season |
2015 Season
| 3rd | 69 Points |
Runners returning: 3
Runners lost: 4
Top Returners
- Darian Schnose, Sr. | 2015 Second Team All-UMAC; 2013, 2014 All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 9th, 28:17.0, 1st team finisher |
- Justin Wilkens, Jr. | 2015 Second Team All-UMAC, 2014 All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 15th, 28:46.7, 3rd team finisher |
- Jonathan Fleischmann, Jr. | 2014 All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 16th, 29:09.1, 4th team finisher |
Top Losses
- Grey Davis | 2015 Second Team All-UMAC; 2012, 2013, 2014 All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 11th, 28:32.4, 2nd team finisher |
- Jacob Melso | 2015 Championships: 18th, 29:09.7, 5th team finisher |
Need to Know
- MLC returns three runners who have earned All-UMAC honors at least once in their careers
- Darian Schnose (three times) and Justin Wilkens (two times) have earned All-UMAC status in each season of eligibility
- MLC was picked to finish third in last season’s preseason poll
4. University of Minnesota Morris
Tony Krueger | 2nd Season |
2015 Season
| 5th | 109 Points |
Runners returning: 10
Runners lost: 4
Top Returners
- Chalmer Combellick, Sr. | 2015 First Team All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 2nd, 26:31, 1st team finisher |
- Tyler Sassenberg, So. | | 2015 Championships: Injured – didn’t race at UMAC, season PR of 27:31 |
- David Roanhorse, So. | 2015 Championships: 21st, 29:28, 2nd team finisher |
Top Losses
- Chase Arens | Season PR of 28:44, finished 50th at the UMAC meet |
Need to Know
- The Cougars finished fifth in the conference, just one point behind Northwestern
- The Cougars return four that placed in the top 30 at the UMAC Championships
- UMM has finished in the top three in the UMAC five of the past seven years
5. University of Northwestern
Steve Thiessen | 25th Season |
2015 Season
| 4th | 108 Points |
Postseason: Competed at the 2015 NCAA Central Region Championship in Pella, Iowa.
Runners returning: 5
Runners lost: 1
Top Returners
- Wil Maki, Jr. | 2015 All-Conference | 2015 Championships: 10th, 28:32.1, 1st team finisher|
- Jackson Peterson, Jr. | 2015 All-Conference | 2015 Championships: 13th, 28:42.5, 2nd team finisher|
- Garrett Crown, So. | 2015 Championships: 24th, 29:51.2, 3rd team finisher |
Top Losses
- Paul Brown | 2015 Championships: 81st, 36:53.9, 7th team finisher|
Need to Know
- The Eagles return their top two runners in Wil Maki and Jackson Peterson this season.
- UNW finished fourth at the UMAC Championships after being picked to come in sixth in the UMAC Preseason Poll.
- The Eagles competed at the NCAA Central Region Championships last November in Pella, Iowa.
6. Bethany Lutheran College
Michael Dunn | 2nd Season |
2015 Season
| 6th | 149 Points |
Postseason: 26th at NCAA Central Regional
Runners returning: 5
Runners lost: 5
Top Returners
- Zach Dantzman, Jr. | 2015 Championships: 28th, 30:21.9, 2nd team finisher |
- David Luehring, Jr. | 2015 Championships: 36th, 30:54.2, 3rd team finisher |
- Lucas Malimanek, Sr. | 2015 Championships: 54th, 32:15.1, 6th team finisher |
Top Losses
- Owen Richardson | 2015 All-UMAC | 2015 Championships: 8th, 27:56.4, 1st team finisher |
- Carl Wold | 2015 Championships: 42nd, 31:11.1, 4th team finisher |
- Timothy Krause | 2015 Championships: 45th, 31:25.9, 5th team finisher |
Need to Know
- Two years ago Bethany Cross Country athlete Owen Richardson won the UMAC Championship
- Bethany is the smallest school in the UMAC (enrollment)
- Bethany will open the season competing at Viterbo in the Twilight Hokum Karem race
7. Northland College
Peter Macky | 2nd Season |
2015 Season
| 7th | 219 Points |
Runners returning: 4
Runners lost: 4
Top Returners
Alec Drachenberg | 2015 Championships: 46th, 31:28, 2nd team finisher |
Tyler Larson | 2015 Championships: 69th, 33:27, 5th team finisher |
Andy Kasun | 2015 Championships: 59th, 32:44, 3rd team finisher |
Top Losses
Louis Corcoran | UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award winner | 2015 Championships: 31st, 30:30, 1st team finisher |
8. North Central University
Trey Meadows | 11th season |
2015 Season
| 8th | 214 Points |
Runners returning: 6
Runners lost: 1
Top Returners
?- Kaleb Gunderson, So | 2015 Championships: 26th, 30:02, 1st team finisher
?- Daniel Morgenstern, Jr | 2015 Championships: 57th, 32:36.2, 2nd team finisher
?- Aaron Cooke, Jr | 2015 Championships: 63th, 32:56, 3rd team finisher
Top Losses
?- Ty Nosser | 2015 Championships: 79th, 35:59, 5th team finisher
Need to Know
?- The Rams bring back six of seven of their scoring runners from last year’s UMAC Championship.
- A crew of three first-year runners should all challenge for the second, third and fourth spots.
9. Crown College
Bill Braunger| 2nd Season |
2015 Season
| 9th |271 Points |
Runners returning: 3
Runners lost: 4
Top Returners
- Josh Coleman | 2015 UMAC Championships: 70th, 33:48, 2ndteam finisher |
- Michael Elmhorst | 2015 Championships: 51st, 31:59, 1st team finisher |
Top Losses
- None
Need to Know
- Breier Sanders returns to the program after a year off.
- Freshmen coming in should help the team.