MAC Men's & Women's Cross Country Video Interviews
Individual Men's Winner Aiman Scullion
Individual Women's Winner Ari Fisher
Men's Coach of the Year Mark Croghan
Women's Coach of the Year Kelly Phillips
ATHENS, Ohio – Kent State made
school history today by winning its first ever MAC Men’s Cross Championship
title today, while Miami and first year head coach Kelly Phillips claimed the
MAC Women’s Cross Country Championship title. The races were held in rainy
conditions and on a soggy Ohio University Gold Course in Athens, Ohio.
Toledo’s Ari Fisher won the
women’s individual title with a time of 22:18.8, while Kent State’s Aiman
Scullion claimed the men’s individual title in a time of 25:32.7. Scullion’s
finish marked the first time that a Kent State runner has ever won an individual
title.
On the men’s side, Kent State scored
a total of 29 points, while Eastern Michigan finished second with 55 points. Central
Michigan followed in third place (59 points), while Miami (fourth, 90 points),
Buffalo (fifth, 143 points), Ohio (sixth, 180 points), Toledo (seventh, 181
points), Akron (eighth, 197 points) and Bowling Green (ninth, 283 points)
rounded out the field.
Miami scored 44 points on the
women’s side and was followed by Toledo who placed second with 63 points. Akron
took home a third place finish with 104 points and was followed by Central
Michigan (fourth, 116 points), Kent State (fifth, 143 points), Eastern Michigan
(sixth, 157 points), Bowling Green (seventh, 212 points), Northern Illinois
(eighth, 218 points), Ohio (eighth, 218 points), Western Michigan (10th, 250 points), Ball State (11th, 269 points)
and Buffalo (12th, 317 points) rounded
out the field.
Kent State head coach Mark Croghan was named the MAC Men's Coach of the Year,
while Miami’s head coach Phillips was named MAC Women’s Coach of the Year. The
honor was selected by the leagues head coaches.
The Golden Flashes and RedHawks
look to continue their success in two weeks when they return to action at the
NCAA Great Lakes Regional meet in Bloomington, Ind. A top finish there would
earn the teams a spot in the national meet later this month in Terre Haute,
Ind.
Award Winners
Men's First Team:
Aiman Scullion, Kent State
Riak Mabil, Central Michigan
Scott Hilditch, Kent State
Curtis Vollmar, Eastern Michigan
Tony Jordanek, Kent State
Joe McCoy, Akron
Sammy Kiprotich, Central Michigan
Men's Second Team:
Michael Heller, Kent State
James Hughes, Eastern Michigan
Mathew Lutzke, Central Michigan
Michael Perry, Miami
Joe Purpura, Kent State
Dennis Pollow, Buffalo
Matt Hammersmith, Eastern Michigan
Men's Coach of the
Year: Mark Croghan, Kent State
Women's First Team:
Ari Fisher, Toledo
Alexandrea Lizarribar, Kent State
Amanda Mirochna, Miami
Alison Bishel, Ball State
Laura Neufarth, Miami
Courtney Calka, Eastern Michigan
Melissa Darling, Central Michigan
Women’s Second
Team:
Renata Volf,
Toledo
Devyn Ramsay, Toledo
Larisa Arcip, Akron
Kelsey McHugh, Miami
Rachel Patterson, Miami
Katie Lenahan, Miami
Maggie Bingham, Miami
Women's Coach of
the Year: Kelly Phillips, Miami