Horizon League Cross Country Championship Page (Course Map, Ticket Information, etc.)

Preview With Coach Murray

DETROIT (10/26/12) -- Five races are in the books and the Titans will now focus their attention on a conference championship as the Detroit men's and women's cross country teams will travel to Kenosha, Wisc., for the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

The women's 5k will start the action at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course at Noon, while the men's 8k will go off at 1:00 p.m. The award ceremony will follow right after the men's race.

The women have actually run in six races with its last effort a 3k duel against Oakland.

UDM has had two standout runners for the most part this season as junior Louisa Coppola has been the first Titan to cross the finish line in the last three races, while senior Katrina Oberski claimed the top spot in the first three events on the year and has been second in her last three outings.

Coppola, the junior college transfer from Macomb Community College, has run under 20 in each of her three races, with her best time of 18:57 coming at the Vic Matthews Open back on Oct. 13. In that event, she became just the third Titan since 2005 to clock a time under 19.

Oberski has tallied career times in the 4k (15:15 at Golden Grizzly Open) and 5k (19:06 at Running Fit – Detroit Titan Invitational) on the season and has run under 20 in each of the four 5k events on the year. She has posted back-to-back 33rd-place performances at the HL Championships.

Senior Sarah Martinez has tallied a pair of runs under 20, with her best time of 19:33 at the National Catholic Championships on Sept. 14, while sophomore Sara Taylor has improved each week, taking her 5k time down in each race with a career-best 19:54 at the Vic Matthews Open.

The women will be without the services of sophomore Zeinab Baydoun – last year's top Titan at the league placing 25th – but will have three other racers with championship experience in senior Olivia Smid (68th in 2012) and juniors Torrie Eger and Rachel Hofsess.

The women tied for seventh last year, but do own a pair of conference titles (1986, 1987). Three Titans have also won the individual championship in Kim Hemstreet (2002), Angie Lefere (1997) and Bonnie (Fitzpatrick) Wood (1987).

On the men's side, the Titans have run as a pack the entire season, but two harriers have been at the top in junior Martin Nelkie and sophomore Colin Creagh. Detroit returns its top six runners from last year's sixth-place score at the league championship.

Nelkie has been the top runner in three of the five races, while taking second on the team in the other two. Nelkie has posted top-55 finishes in the crowded fields at the National Catholic Championships, Greater Louisville Classic and the Vic Matthews Open, tying his career 8k time at Louisville in 25:54. In 2011, Nelkie led UDM at the HL's with a 22nd-place finish.

When Nelkie was second, it was Creagh who surged ahead of his teammate for top team honors, while also taking second twice. Once again just like Nelkie, Creagh tied his career 8k this season with a 26:01 run at Notre Dame. Creagh claimed 29th as a freshman in the title race.

Senior Edwin Gay has been consistent in his times on the season and will look to rise higher than the 36th place, 28:23 run he had last year, while senior Bob Radlich has lowered his time in each of the last three races, clocking a 25:46 at the Vic Matthews Open. He secured 28th last season at the conference meet in 28:00.

Sophomore Ylli Alla was 38th in the HL race as a freshman crossing the finish line in 28:26, while sophomore Ryan Hofsess was 47th last year and earlier this season, set his 8k career time of 26:22 at Louisville.

The Titans have never won the men's championship, but have three runner-up finishes to their credit in 1980, 1985, and '86, with the latter two teams led by current Titan head coach Guy Murray. Detroit will also be in search of its first individual winner. Ken Dubois holds the highest finish at the event taking second in 1987.

Tickets for the championships start at $5.00 with seniors and student prices set at $3.00. (Anyone under 17 w/valid high school student ID and seniors 60 and over). Students with valid ID from a Horizon League school are admitted FREE