Two GLIAC Teams Place In NCAA Championship Meet

Two GLIAC Teams Place In NCAA Championship Meet
Posted: Jul 23, 2008

Joplin, MO - Grand Valley State University and Wayne State University both competed in the Men's Cross Country NCAA Championship Meet. The Lakers finished 4th. overall in the contest while the Warriors ended up placing 19th.  

Nate Peck's time of 30:24.7 earned him a seventh-place finish, All-American honors and helped Grand Valley State to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA National Championships. Peck led four Lakers who earned All-American honors, and their 152 points overall earned them fourth-place. The Lakers were ranked No. 4 heading into the competition.

 Peck crossed the finish line first for the Lakers, as he has done consistently this season. Robbie Young followed him, finishing 23rd overall with a time of 31:16.4. Also finishing in the top 30 was Chris Hammer, who crossed at 31:36.2.

Grant Fall's time of 31:47.6 was good enough for 38th place. James Gale was the final point scorer for GVSU, finishing 54th with a time of 32:17.0. Ross Faasse was right behind him, finishing 57th with a time of 32:23.9.

Young, Hammer and Fall all earned All-American honors, along with Peck, by finishing in the top 30 of American runners.

 The Warriors were led by junior Abdullah Saleh (Dearborn, Mich./Fordson) who placed 66th (55th in team scoring) in a time of 32:17.5.

Sophomore Sam Breen (Brownstown, Mich./Woodhaven), who did not run in last year's national championship meet was 79th (66th in team scoring) with a time of 32:36.5, while senior Kevin Christensen (Battle Creek, Mich./Pennfield) placed 118th (99th in team scoring) in a time of 33:16.1 in his fourth NCAA Championship meet appearance.

Sophomore Dan Kapadia (Canton, Mich./Salem) and freshman Chris Tassen (Troy, Mich./Athens) rounded out the top five for WSU. Kapadia was 122nd (102nd in team scoring) in a time of 33:20.5, while Tassen was 140th (120th in team scoring) with a time of 33:59.0.

Senior Dave Lucas (Dearborn, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central) and freshman Pat Webster (Sterling Heights, Mich./Henry Ford II) also competed in the national championship meet. Lucas was 155th in a time of 34:30.6, while Webster placed 162nd in a time of 34:40.7.