Full Results
DETROIT (9/18/2015) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's cross country team had two runners in the top 50 and five in the top 100 as the Titans took seventh at the historic 36th Annual National Catholic Championship.
Detroit posted 172 points for seventh in the 8k Division I race, held on a hot and humid Friday afternoon at the Burke Golf Course.
For the second-straight week, sophomore
Ben Kendell led the Titans earning 10th in 25:23, four seconds better than his time on the course last season and the first top-10 run by the Titans at Notre Dame since 2005.
Senior
Derek Gielarowski finished 13th in 25:35, while senior
Colin Creagh was 52nd in 26:15.
THE FINISH LINE QUOTE OF THE NIGHT- "After last week's cool race, high humidity made for some tougher conditions." – Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Guy Murray '89.
HISTORIC RACE- This was the 36th running of the National Catholic Championships and the Titans have raced in all 36 events.
- The 36 races is the longest running event in Titan history ahead of the 35 Horizon League Championships, which will turn into 36 in October.
- UDM has run in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship since 76, but it has changed formats over the years and was known as districts until 1998.
SEEN IT ALL- Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Guy Murray '89 has raced or coached at 34 of the 36 National Catholic Championships.
BACK IN THE TOP 10- Sophomore Ben Kendell's 10th-place effort was the best for a Titan at Notre Dame since Mead Goedert was eighth in 2005, while his 25:23 was the best time on the course since Chris McPhee's 25:10 in 2001.
SO CLOSE TO A PR- Senior Derek Gielarowski's 25:35 was 10 seconds off his career best, while shattering his top career time on the Burke Golf Course by 47 seconds over the 26:22 last year.
- His best finish at Notre Dame coming into the race was 36th in 2013.
- He now has three top-50 finishes at Notre Dame in his career as he was 41st last year and did not run in the race as a freshman.
BACK RUNNING- Senior Colin Creagh returned to the line-up after sitting out last week and was just outside the top 50 finishing 52nd in 26:15.
- Creagh ran in the season opener at Oakland and posted a top-10 time in the 4-mile race.
NATIONAL CATHOLIC DEBUTS- Sophomores Charlie Felton and Cody Smith made their debuts in the event on the day.
- Felton took 91st in 26:57, while Smith was 164th in 28:18, which was also his 8k debut.
WRAP UP- "A little disappointing for us as we thought we could challenge a bit more up front. Ben ran a great race and Derek was fantastic. Colin was not far off from last year, which is a good sign coming off his injury. We have never run that great in humidity and coming off last week's ideal conditions, it was tough to adjust." - Coach Murray.
UP NEXT- After running three races in three-straight weeks to begin the year, Detroit will have a week off before returning to action on October. 3.
