University of Minnesota Athletics
Griak: Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Competition
9/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
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MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) -- Now in its 31st year, the Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Competition for Division I runners will once again be highly entertaining for both competitors and spectators alike.
With 30 teams and almost 350 athletes registered to run on Saturday at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn., a large field will provide plenty of excitement on the eight-kilometer course.
Looking back a the 2015 Roy Griak Invitational Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Competition, seven of the top eight teams will return as will eight of the top 10 programs.
Michigan State is back to defend their 2015 team Griak title as is Southern Utah, which finished one spot back in second a year ago. The Spartans led the field last year with 74 points followed by Southern Utah with 88 points and California (one of only two top-10 programs from last year not in the 2016 field along with Adams State) at 94.
Only 22 points separated the top four teams in the 2015 Griak with Colorado State scoring 96 points. The Rams will also be back in action on Saturday.
In addition to the hosting Gophers, who finished fifth last year with 107 points, this year's Griak will also bring back Boise State (143 points), San Francisco (155 points), South Dakota State (257 points) and Wyoming (300 points) from last year's top 10.
The individual competition is just as exciting this year as four of the top five finishers from last year's Griak are back including the top three runners.
Colorado State's Jefferson Abbey is back as the defending individual champion for the Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Competition after clocking a 25:51.4 to lead the field one year ago.
The Rams carried the top two finishers in 2015 with Jerrell Mock coming in second at 24:55.6. He'll also be back in the race while Boise State's Michael Vennard will look to dethrone the duo after finishing third a year ago at 24:58.0.
Alex Short of San Francisco and Ryan Robinson of Michigan State are also back after top-10 performances in last year's Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Competition. Short finished fifth one year ago, crossing the finish line at 25:04.8 while Robinson came in eighth at 25:09.9.
For the hosting Gophers, Second Team All-Big Ten and NCAA All-Region honoree Obsa Ali returns to the field. A two-time high school Griak Invitational champion for Ritchfield High School, Ali led the Gophers with a 15th-place showing in 2015 and a time of 25:20.5.
A relatively young squad for the Maroon & Gold will have plenty of new faces in the field although they'll have to replace All-Big Ten and NCAA All-Region selections Aaron Bartnik and Adam Zutz.
Minnesota does bring back NCAA All-Region pick Charlie Lawrence, who will serve as team captain for the Gophers this year. Lawrence added a 25th-place finish in the Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Competition last year after clocking a 25:28.0. The Gophers will also return redshirt junior Matt Welch, who scored for Minnesota with a 29th-place finish in 2015 at 25:41.1.
In addition to the Gophers, half of the Big Ten field will be in attendance for this year's Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Competition as a preview for the upcoming 2016 Big Ten Championships on Sunday, Oct. 30.
Joining the hosts are Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Penn State while Wisconsin got a look at Les Bolstad Golf Course earlier this season at the Oz Memorial.
Including the Big Ten, eight of 30 teams entered into this year's Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Competition were nationally ranked after the first week of competition by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Boise State leads the pack at No. 17 followed by Michigan at 18, Oklahoma at 19, Portland at 22, Furman at 23, Colorado State at 24, Southern Utah at 25 and Michigan State at 30.
With a field as talented as this year's Griak Invitational, one thing is for certain when it comes to the Merrill Fischbein Men's Gold Competition.
Anything can happen on race day.
Players Mentioned
