Saturday, October 29
Athens, Ohio
Noon
University of Toledo
vs
MAC Championships
Toledo came in second place at the MAC Championships on Saturday afternoon in Athens, Ohio.
Photo by: Xavier Gallo
Rockets Take Second Place at 2022 MAC Championships
10/29/2022 4:42:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
ATHENS, Ohio – Sophomore Dennis Mutai and senior Mathew Chesum finished in fourth and sixth place, respectively, to lead the Toledo men's cross country team to a second-place finish at the 2022 MAC Men's Cross Country Championships at the Ohio University Golf Course on Saturday. The Rockets scored 54 team points, just eight points behind first-place Miami's 46. Eight of the nine Rockets who competed finished with personal-best times.
It was the second consecutive runner-up finish for Toledo, whose previous best mark prior to 2011 was fifth place.
Mutai (23:46.2) and Chesum (23:53.0) both had PRs, as did juniors Benjamin Otis and Geoff Howles, who came in 13th and 14th with identical times of 24:13.2. Sophomore Charles Kipchumba rounded out the scoring with a PR time of 24:24.6 and finished in 17th place.
Other Rocket finishers were senior Jake Rethman (18th/PR 24:27.5), senior Jonathon Hrivnak (34th/25:08.8), junior Ben Towler (38th/PR25:18.7) and freshman Joshuah Taylor (40th/25:22.3).
"I'm really proud of both of our programs, especially our men," head cross country coach Andrea Grove-McDonough said. "It really couldn't have been a closer meet, right to that last mile. I was really proud of the men for taking some big risks out there on the course and trying to see if they could pull off the big upset. It's remarkable how far our men's program has come, and what an incredible job coach Nick Stenuf has done to take them from where they were to knocking on the door of a MAC title.
"If you look at where the other men's-only cross country programs are finishing in these races compared to where we are, I think it's incredible. For a moment there, we thought maybe we would do it. This group of men and coach Nick have really believed in this from the beginning of the year. They started to see the pieces coming together last year. To watch those guys come out here and run as well as they did, I am super proud of them."
Mutai and Chesum were named First-Team All-MAC, while Otis and Howles made Second-Team All-MAC. For Otis, this was his third consecutive all-conference honor, while Chesum made all-conference for the second consecutive season.
Toledo will next attempt to qualify for the NCAA Championship Meet at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Terre Haute, Ind. on Friday, Nov. 11.
2022 MAC Cross Country Championships
Athens, Ohio | Ohio University Golf Course
Saturday, Oct. 29
Men's 8K Team Results
1. Miami – 46 pts.
2. Toledo – 54 pts.
3. Eastern Michigan – 79 pts.
4. Buffalo – 111 pts.
4. Kent State – 111 pts.
6. Ohio – 168 pts.
7. Central Michigan – 175 pts.
8. Bowling Green – 176 pts.
Top-5 Individual Runners
1. Obessa Feda, Miami – 23:39.7
2. Toby Gualter, Eastern Michigan – 23:42.1
3. Baldvin Magnusson, Eastern Michigan – 23:45.1
4. Dennis Mutai, Toledo – 23:46.2
5. Ryan Buzby, Buffalo – 23:48.0
Toledo Individual Finishes
4. Dennis Mutai, Toledo – 23:46.2 *PR
6. Mathew Chesum – 23:53.0 *PR
13. Benjamin Otis – 24:13.2 *PR
14. Geoff Howles – 24:13.2 *PR
17. Charles Kipchumba – 24:24.6 *PR
18. Jake Rethman – 24:27.6 *PR
34. Jonathon Hrivnak – 25:08.8 *PR
38. Ben Towler – 25:18.7 *PR
40. Joshuah Taylor – 25:22.3
2022 MAC Men's Cross Country First-Team All-MAC
Obsaa Feda, Miami
Toby Gualter, Eastern Michigan
Baldvin Magnusson, Eastern Michigan
Dennis Mutai, Toledo
Ryan Buzby, Buffalo
Mathew Chesum, Toledo
Baidy Ba, Kent State
2022 MAC Men's Cross Country Second-Team All-MAC
Mhalicki Bronson, Miami
Joe Farley, Kent State
Jake Bertelsen, Miami
Max Polak, Miami
Adam Rzentkowski, Central Michigan
Ben Otis, Toledo
Geoff Howles, Toledo
It was the second consecutive runner-up finish for Toledo, whose previous best mark prior to 2011 was fifth place.
Mutai (23:46.2) and Chesum (23:53.0) both had PRs, as did juniors Benjamin Otis and Geoff Howles, who came in 13th and 14th with identical times of 24:13.2. Sophomore Charles Kipchumba rounded out the scoring with a PR time of 24:24.6 and finished in 17th place.
Other Rocket finishers were senior Jake Rethman (18th/PR 24:27.5), senior Jonathon Hrivnak (34th/25:08.8), junior Ben Towler (38th/PR25:18.7) and freshman Joshuah Taylor (40th/25:22.3).
"I'm really proud of both of our programs, especially our men," head cross country coach Andrea Grove-McDonough said. "It really couldn't have been a closer meet, right to that last mile. I was really proud of the men for taking some big risks out there on the course and trying to see if they could pull off the big upset. It's remarkable how far our men's program has come, and what an incredible job coach Nick Stenuf has done to take them from where they were to knocking on the door of a MAC title.
"If you look at where the other men's-only cross country programs are finishing in these races compared to where we are, I think it's incredible. For a moment there, we thought maybe we would do it. This group of men and coach Nick have really believed in this from the beginning of the year. They started to see the pieces coming together last year. To watch those guys come out here and run as well as they did, I am super proud of them."
Mutai and Chesum were named First-Team All-MAC, while Otis and Howles made Second-Team All-MAC. For Otis, this was his third consecutive all-conference honor, while Chesum made all-conference for the second consecutive season.
Toledo will next attempt to qualify for the NCAA Championship Meet at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Terre Haute, Ind. on Friday, Nov. 11.
2022 MAC Cross Country Championships
Athens, Ohio | Ohio University Golf Course
Saturday, Oct. 29
Men's 8K Team Results
1. Miami – 46 pts.
2. Toledo – 54 pts.
3. Eastern Michigan – 79 pts.
4. Buffalo – 111 pts.
4. Kent State – 111 pts.
6. Ohio – 168 pts.
7. Central Michigan – 175 pts.
8. Bowling Green – 176 pts.
Top-5 Individual Runners
1. Obessa Feda, Miami – 23:39.7
2. Toby Gualter, Eastern Michigan – 23:42.1
3. Baldvin Magnusson, Eastern Michigan – 23:45.1
4. Dennis Mutai, Toledo – 23:46.2
5. Ryan Buzby, Buffalo – 23:48.0
Toledo Individual Finishes
4. Dennis Mutai, Toledo – 23:46.2 *PR
6. Mathew Chesum – 23:53.0 *PR
13. Benjamin Otis – 24:13.2 *PR
14. Geoff Howles – 24:13.2 *PR
17. Charles Kipchumba – 24:24.6 *PR
18. Jake Rethman – 24:27.6 *PR
34. Jonathon Hrivnak – 25:08.8 *PR
38. Ben Towler – 25:18.7 *PR
40. Joshuah Taylor – 25:22.3
2022 MAC Men's Cross Country First-Team All-MAC
Obsaa Feda, Miami
Toby Gualter, Eastern Michigan
Baldvin Magnusson, Eastern Michigan
Dennis Mutai, Toledo
Ryan Buzby, Buffalo
Mathew Chesum, Toledo
Baidy Ba, Kent State
2022 MAC Men's Cross Country Second-Team All-MAC
Mhalicki Bronson, Miami
Joe Farley, Kent State
Jake Bertelsen, Miami
Max Polak, Miami
Adam Rzentkowski, Central Michigan
Ben Otis, Toledo
Geoff Howles, Toledo
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