Course Map (PDF.)

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's cross country team will be competing in the highly anticipated 2010 Mid-American Conference Cross Country Championships this Saturday, Oct. 30, in Three Rivers, Mich. as they seek their 15th MAC title in program history.

Last season, the Eagles took second at the MAC Championships, just missing the title by a narrow margin to the 2009 champion Kent State. All-MAC selection Curtis Vollmar led the Green and White with his fourth place overall finish crossing the line at 25:57.5.

This year, EMU heads into the MAC Championship as the preseason favorite, and Head Coach John Goodridge is confident his squad is capable of living up to the expectations.

"I feel good about the team's preparation and their individual development,” said Goodridge. “And I believe that each week throughout the season, they have made progress and continue to make progress. The conference championship is our most important team goal.”

Sophomore Terefe Ejigu (Mount Cook, Wellington-Wellington College, New Zealand) will play a major role in achieving this goal, and will look to improve upon his stellar performance in his first conference championship last year, where he placed 17th overall (26:35.5). This season, he has been a force for the Eagles, pacing the Green and White in every race he has competed, including a first place finish in the highly competitive Penn State National Invitational on Oct. 16., marking the first of his collegiate career. He has also had impressive performances in his second place finishes in both the Western International and the Notre Dame Invitational.

The 2009 second team All-MAC selection, James Hughes (Manchester, Mich.-Manchester) is the top returning placer from last year's MAC Championships and will try to aid the Eagles efforts in bringing back the title this weekend. Hughes dominated in the season opener at the Running Fit Detroit Titan Invitational with a first place finish for EMU.

Captain Matt Hammersmith (Wolcottville, Mich.-Prairie Heights) has also had a notable senior campaign and should make a significant impact this weekend. Hammersmith will return to the championships after he was named All-MAC second team for his 10th place efforts in 2009.

EMU has earned three first place finishes so far this season, dating back to Sept. 11 at the Running Fit Detroit Titan Invitational. On Sept. 25, the Eagles dominated at the Western International for their second first place finish as a team. The Eagles broke two of its own meet records on the hilly 10,000-meter Thames Valley Golf Course. EMU set records in the total time of top five scorers (161:16) as well as the best average time of top five runners (32:15.2), surpassing the previous records set by the Eagles in 2007. The Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 1 marked the third consecutive meet where the Eagles claimed the top spot, scoring 47 points to put them atop the 16-team field.

The 2010 Mid-American Conference Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Western Michigan University at the Pine View Golf Course in Three Rivers, Mich. The championships will begin with the women's 6,000-meter run at 11 a.m., followed by the men's 8,000-meter run at Noon.

A WINNING TRADITION
The men's cross country program has proved to be one of the most successful for EMU, winning 14 MAC titles as well as boasting 17 individual MAC Champions. In the last five seasons, the Eagles have earned four titles after a second place finish in 2009.

Goodridge has led the Green and White to five MAC Championships in his tenure, along with coaching six individual MAC champions. He has also been named MAC Coach of the Year five times since the 2001 season.

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS
1973   1990   1993   2001   2007
1974   1991   1994   2005   2008
1986   1992   2000   2006

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
1972 Gordon Minty (29:47.00)
1973 Gordon Minty (30:24.20)
1974 Gordon Minty (29:21.20)
1975 Dave Smith (29:50.40)
1976 Joe Caruso (31:28.00)
1992 Dominic Middleton (24:12.00)
1993 Carl Warren (24:51.00)
1995 Clint Verran (25:28.00)
1997 Ben Reese (25:36.00)
1999 Blake McDowell (24:43.00)
2000 Blake McDowell (24:19.00)
2001 Boaz Cheboiywo (24:11.00)
2002 Gavin Thompson (23:50.20)
2003 Gavin Thompson (23:39.50)
2006 Corey Nowitzke (26:52.60)
2007 Josh Perrin (24:33.00)
2008 Josh Karanja (24:18.70)