Dennis Mutai Becomes Toledo’s First Men's XC Individual Champion, Rockets Finish Runner-up at MAC Championships

Saturday, October 28

Bowling Green, Ohio

11:00 a.m.

University of Toledo

MAC Championships

Sophomore Dennis Mutai became the first Toledo runner to earn an individual championship at the MAC Championships and on Saturday afternoon.

Photo by: Bree Bee

Dennis Mutai Becomes Toledo’s First Men's XC Individual Champion, Rockets Finish Runner-up at MAC Championships

10/28/2023 3:05:00 PM | Men's Cross Country

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Mutai sets a course record of 23:57.19; Tito Medrano Named MAC Men’s Coach of the Year

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Sophomore Dennis Mutai finished in first place with a course record time of 23:57:19 to lead the University of Toledo men's cross country team to a runner-up finish at the 2023 Mid-American Conference Championships at the Mel Brodt Cross Country Course on Saturday afternoon. The Rockets collected 59 team points, just four points behind first-place Akron's 55 points.

Associate Head Coach Tito Medrano was named MAC Men's Coach of the Year as well, leading Toledo to its third consecutive runner-up finish.

Mutai won the men's 8K race, the first men's cross country runner in program history to win an individual conference title, beating his fourth-place finish at the 2022 conference meet.

Following Mutai were senior Benjamin Otis (11^th/24:37.16), senior Geoff Howles (14^th/ 24:47.99), junior Sean Smith (16^th/ 24:50.75), and freshman Peter McMahon (17^th/ 24:52.22) to round out the scoring Rockets. The rest of UT's finishers were sophomore Joshuah Taylor (18^th), senior Jake Rethman (26^th), senior Max Matolin (50^th), and junior Charles Kipchumba (55^th).

Mutai was named First-Team All-MAC for the second straight season, while Otis and Howles were named Second-Team All-MAC. This is the second all-conference honor for Howles and the fourth-consecutive all-conference honor for Otis. Medrano became the first Toledo men's coach to earn MAC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Toledo will head to Madison, Wis. to try and qualify for the NCAA Championship Meet at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday, Nov 10.

2023 MAC Cross Country Championships
Bowling Green, Ohio | Mel Brodt Cross Country Course
Saturday, Oct. 28

Men's 8K Results
1. Akron – 55
2. Toledo – 59
3. Miami – 60
4. Buffalo – 103
5. Eastern Michigan – 139
6. Kent State – 151
7. Ohio – 159
8. Central Michigan – 216
9. Bowling Green – 229

Top-5 Individual Runners
1. Dennis Mutai, Toledo – 23:57.3
2. Timothy Chesondin, Akron- 25:59.82
3. Brian Masai, Akron – 24:01.49
4. Baidy Ba, Kent State – 24:12.01
5. Kenneth Easterling, Akron – 24:21.75

2023 MAC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year – Tito Medrano, Toledo
2023 MAC Men's Freshman Runner of the Year – Timothy Chesondin, Akron

First-Team All-MAC
Dennis Mutai, Toledo
Timothy Chesondin, Akron
Brian Masai, Akron
Baidy Ba, Kent State
Kenneth Easterling, Akron
Benjamin Bayless, Miami
Marcus Kemp, Eastern Michigan

Second Team All-MAC
Michael Tonkovich, Ohio
Mhalicki Bronson, Miami
Patrick Wills, Miami
Benjamin Otis, Toledo
Titus Kirui, Akron
Evan Hilbert, Buffalo
Geoff Howles, Toledo

Toledo Individual Finishes
1. Dennis Mutai – 23:57.3 *PR
11. Benjamin Otis – 24:37.16
14. Geoff Howles – 24:47.99
16. Sean Smith – 24:50.75 *PR
17. Peter McMahon – 24:52.22 *PR
18. Joshuah Taylor – 24:53.31 *PR
26. Jake Rethman – 25:06.17
50. Max Matolin – 25:44.97 *PR
55. Charles Kipchumba – 25:28.42