Laker men claim sixth straight team title; Nate Peck win third straight individual crown

Erie, Pa. - Grand Valley State won its sixth straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Cross Country Championship Saturday afternoon in Erie, Pa. with a team score of 19, while GVSU senior Nate Peck won his third straight GLIAC individual crown. The Lakers easily outdistanced Wayne State by 62 points in the team race, while Peck won the individual race by 20 seconds and bettered his 2006 winning time by nearly one minute. GVSU will now prepare for the 2007 NCAA DII Great Lakes Regional Championship in two weeks.

Peck was tabbed as the Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year.  Cameron Johnson of Ashland was named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year, and Wayne State's Rick Cummins was the 2007 GLIAC Coach of the Year.

GVSU placed eight among the top 15 overall, including four among the top five and six among the top 10. Nate Peck claimed his third straight GLIAC tile by crossing the finish line in 25:21. Fellow senior, Robbie Young, finished second in 25:41, while James Gale was fourth (25:46), and Nick Polk fifth (25:55). Grant Fall was seventh (25:58), Ross Faasse 10th (26:06), Chris Hammer 14th (26:17) and Mark VanderMeer 15th (26:19).Peck, Young and Gale earned First-Team All-GLIAC honors for the second straight year.

GLIAC Championship Team Results

Team                                     Points 

1.  Grand Valley State             19

2.  Wayne State                      81

3.  Ashland                              85

4.  Saginaw Valley State         102

5.  Hillsdale                             127

6.  Ferris State                        139

7.  Northwood                         206

8.  Michigan Tech                     208

9.  Lake Superior State           265

10. Findlay                              269

11. Mercyhurst                        301

12. Gannon                             378

GLIAC Men's Cross Country Postseason Awards

Athlete of the Year

Nate Peck ~ Grand Valley State

Freshman of the Year

Cameron Johnson ~ Ashland

Coach of the Year

Rick Cummins ~ Wayne State

 All-GLIAC First Team

 1.  Nate Peck                       GVSU              Sr.       25:21.55

2.  Robbie Young                  GVSU              Sr.        25:41.49

3.  Abdullah Saleh                WSU               Jr.         25:42.79

4.  James Gale                     GVSU              Sr.         25:46.87

5.  Nick Polk                         GVSU              Sr.         25:55.05

6.  Jared Kelsh                     FSU                 Jr.         25:57.45

7.  Grant Fall                        GVSU              Sr.         25:58.00

All-GLIAC Second Team

8.  Jeremy Trein                   AU                   Jr.        26:02.83

9.  Nick Krus                        SVSU                Sr.       26:03.13

10. Ross Faasse                  GVSU               So.       26:06.44

11. Kevin Christensen         WSU                Sr.        26:07.79

12. Tim Sayers                    HC                    Sr.        26:09.42

13. Steve Genther              SVSU                So.        26:10.11

14. Chris Hammer               GVSU                Jr.         26:17.39