2012 UMAC Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Poll
1. 44 Points – College of St. Scholastica (3 First Place Votes)
2. 42 Points – University of Minnesota Morris (2)
3. 38 Points – Northland College (3)
T-4. 25 Points – North Central University (Minn.)
T-4. 25 Points – Northwestern College (Minn.)
6. 24 Points – Martin Luther College
7. 19 Points – Bethany Lutheran College
8. 7 Points – Crown College
ST. PAUL – The College of St. Scholastica claimed first place in Friday’s release of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Preseason Coaches’ Poll, but the eight first place votes were cast between three teams, showing that one team is not a clear-cut favorite. All eight teams and their audiences will have to wait until October 27 when a conference champion is crowned to see who really stands out from the group. In addition to the congestion in the top three teams in the poll, just one point separated the fourth, fifth and sixth squads on the list.
1. College of St. Scholastica Saints
2011 UMAC Finish: 1st
Runners Returning: 12
Runners Lost: 12
St. Scholastica, winner of the last three UMAC Championships, will need newcomers and returners to step up if it wants to win its fourth straight title according to the Saints coaching staff. CSS lost two of its three all-conference selections from a season ago in Alex Schoneberger and Tony Bye. St. Scholastica’s lone returning All-UMAC selection is junior Ethan Schubert, who finished seventh in the 2011 conference race and ran a personal-best time of 27:41 at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugold Invitational last year. Other returners that look to make an impact this season are senior Ben Carlson, who finished just outside the top 12 at last year’s conference meet and senior John Hunn, who finished in the top 20 at the UMAC event. Saints head coach Steve Pfingsten also expects Charlie Habermann to be around the top after a strong track & field season last spring. A familiar last name returns to the UMAC in 2012, but in a different uniform as Sam Toso, brother of former Minnesota Morris all-conference runner Luke Toso, will run for St. Scholastica this season.
2. University of Minnesota Morris Cougars
2011 UMAC Finish: 3rd
Runners Returning: 2
Runners Lost: 3
Minnesota Morris looks forward to the upcoming season after losing just one senior. The Cougars return two of their top runners last season in sophomores Martin Zais and Daniel Tiernan. Zais was Morris’ top runner at last year’s conference meet where he posted a sixth place finish, crossing the finish line in 28:10, before running a season-best time of 27:49 at the NCAA regional meet. Tiernan also looks to build off of his freshman year, which included earning the UMAC Indoor Track and Field individual championship in the 5,000 meter race in February. Cougars head coach Jeremy Karger-Gatzow is excited about freshman Chalmer Cornbellick, who was a three-time track and field state participant in the mile.
3. Northland College LumberJacks
2011 UMAC Finish: 2nd
Runners Returning: 5
Runners Lost: 2
Northland head coach Blaise Sopiwnik is looking forward to the upcoming season, which will feature a solid group of young recruits along with senior leadership for the LumberJacks. Sopiwnik notes that numbers are a great thing to have, but quality runners are even better. Adam Zais, brother of Minnesota Morris’ Martin Zais, is Northland’s top runner. Zais won the 2011 UMAC Championship with a finishing time of 26:07. Joe Zant also posted a top 10 finish at last year’s conference finale with a time of 28:26. Crossing the finish line in 28:55 at the same meet, Zant’s fellow senior, Kelsey Barra, finished 12th.
T-4. North Central University (Minn.) Rams
2011 UMAC Finish: 4th
Runners Returning: 3
Runners Lost: 4
North Central will be experiencing a year of new beginning, having to replace a majority of last year’s team that finished fourth at the 2011 UMAC Championship. Only one of the Rams’ top five runners returns from a year ago. Senior Austin Muchow, who was NCU’s sixth-best runner last year, will be called upon to step into leadership as the team captain and provide strong running at the front of a new group of runners. Sophomores Jake Guttormson and Sutton Rehwaldt are both in a great spot to help the front of North Central’s scoring five. Freshmen Taylor Reetz and Paul Chan will fill out the Rams’ top five.
T-4. Northwestern College (Minn.) Eagles
2011 UMAC Finish: 5th
Runners Returning: 6
Runners Lost: 1
Northwestern returns many familiar faces this season after losing just one senior, all-conference runner Jake Gifford, to graduation. The Eagles will look to utilize their experience and improve upon their fifth place finish at last year’s UMAC Championship. Headlining Northwestern’s group of veterans is senior Derek Schlager, a two-time All-UMAC selection. Schlager posted his season-best 17:33 5K mark at the Earlybird Dual meet last September, while running a 27:20 race on the 8K course at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational. In addition to Schlager, Northwestern returns Taylor Klassen and Evan Nelson, both of whom ran sub-20 minute 5K races in last year’s campaign, with Klassen also beating the 30-minute mark in the 8K race three times throughout 2011.
6. Martin Luther College Knights
2011 UMAC Finish: 7th
Runners Returning: 4
Runners Lost: 3
The Martin Luther men lost a pair of senior captains from last season, but the knights to improve from last season’s seventh place finish at the UMAC Championships. Noah Willitz was the team’s top runner a season ago and is back for his sophomore season with hopes of running his way into being an All-UMAC performer in 2012. Willitz will be joined by a cast of returning runners led by junior Ben Birner and sophomore Nate Plocher. A strong group of newcomers this season will be led by Grey Davis, a two-time conference champion from Lakeside Lutheran High School in Wisconsin.
7. Bethany Lutheran College Vikings
2011 UMAC Finish: 6th
Runners Returning: 3
Runners Lost: 2
After losing their consistent top two runners in Matt Behmer and David Blumer to graduation, the Vikings from Bethany Lutheran are looking to rebuild a solid foundation, starting with new head coach David Ring. Luke Meilner was BLC’s consistent third finisher last season, posting his best time at the Crown Invitational with a finishing time of 30.54. Meilner is the lone junior on this season’s roster. The remainder of Bethany’s squad consists of two sophomores and five freshmen. Robert Ahrens will be returning along with Joshua Becker. Ahrens’ and Becker’s best times were just a second apart finishing with a time of 33.11 and 33.12 respectively. Newcomers Chavis Curley, Carl Wold and Luke Hahn are also runners to watch for as the season progresses.
8. Crown College Storm
2011 UMAC Finish: 8th
Runners Returning: 2
Runners Lost: 0
After a recent coaching transition, Crown College and head coach Ryan Chmielewski will be rebuilding a cross country program that has struggled in recent years. Returning for the Storm this season are seniors Vince Elmhorst and Simon Kulzer. Both runners are pushing hard in the preseason and hope to finish their careers on a high note. That pair will be joined by a trio of freshmen in Kole Kristenson, Nick Krop, and Joshua Wedemeier. Wedemeier’s natural ability and strong work ethic should make him a runner to keep an eye on in the UMAC this fall.
All eight teams will run in various races throughout September and October before meeting at Flandreau State Park in New Ulm for the previously mentioned 2012 UMAC Championship race on Saturday, October 27.