The Tommie men tied for first in the region and took 19^th at nationals during the 2009 cross country season. Junior All-American Ben Sathre is among four runners back from the Tommies’ seven-man NCAA contingent.

The St. Thomas women return four of their top five runners from their 2009 postseason lineup. Senior Allie Metzler leads the 2010 team. She’s improved each year at the conference meet -– from 30^th as a freshman in 2007, to 16^th as a sophomore, to an All-MIAC honor last season is finishing 10th. Sophomore Taylor Berg and juniors Nikki Schminski and Larissa Peyton joined Metzler with top-45 regional finishes in 2009.

Click here to view 2010 regional CC polls:

http://www.ustfccca.org/featured/regional-cross-country-preseason-rankings-in-division-iii-unveiled

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2010 St. Thomas Men's Cross Country 

The Buzz

St. Thomas men tied for first in the region and took 19^th at nationals during the 2009 cross country season. Junior All-American Ben Sathre is among four runners back from the Tommies’ seven-man NCAA contingent.

Coaching Staff

Pete Wareham, who starts his 18^th season as UST’s head coach, was named 2009 Central Region Coach of the Year.

2009 Recap

The Tommies placed third of 11 teams at the conference meet on Halloween Saturday then finished strong in November. UST tied for first out of 22 teams at the region championship and placed 19^th at nationals. It was St. Thomas’ 24^th team trip to the NCAA Championships but first since 2002. Sathre took third out of 177 runners at the regional then placed 26^th at nationals to earn All-America distinction. Juniors Tyler Iverson (16^th MIAC, 21st region) and Crawford Hubbell  (53^rd MIAC, 106th region) and sophomore Brian Farley (43^rd MIAC) also return.

Did You Know?

At last November’s NCAA Championships, just 11 non-senior runners (seven juniors, four sophomores) finished ahead of Sathre (then a sophomore).

Momentum

Last spring and winter, Sathre, Iverson and Hubbell were members of the Toms’ MIAC champion indoor and outdoor track and field teams. Sathre ran a conference-best  time of 14:34 for 5,000 meters and hit 3:55.19 for the 1,500. Iverson had a season best of 15:27 for 5,000. Hubbell ran 1:58 for 800 meters and 4:05 for 1,500.

New Faces

A large freshman class includes John Taylor (Shorewood, Wis.), who placed 14th in the Wisconsin Division II state meet in 16:52; and Rob Wicks of Totino-Grace, who placed 81^st in the Minnesota large-class state meet in 17:10.

Senior Watch

St. Thomas graduated three seniors in its top five and its 22-man preseason roster for 2010 has just three seniors -- Seth Rosvold, Nick Michalik and Tony Gerten. Rosvold will look to recapture the form he displayed as a freshman when he placed 33rd in the MIAC and 51st in the NCAA regional. Michalak took 65th in the MIAC in 2007 and was 68^th last season.

Key Dates

The Tommies start fall practice the first week of September. They will compete Sept. 11 in the Grinnell Invite. The MIAC Championships again will be held at St. Paul’s Como Golf Course on Oct. 30. Both the NCAA regional and national meet will be held in Waverly, Iowa, Nov. 13 and 20.  

The Challenge

Wareham will look to build a consistent pack behind Sathre to man the Nos. 2-7 spots in the Tommies’ bid to contend for a conference crown and return to the NCAA meet.

A record 110 Division III men's teams were honored, including eight from the MIAC.

Coach Pete Wareham's Tommies have a 3.17 cumulative grade-point average.

Two St. Thomas runners -- sophomores Ben Sathre and Tyler Iverson -- earned USTFCCCA All-Academic with a minimum 3.30 cumulative grade-point average and a top-35 regional finish.

Click here for USTFCCCA news release:

http://www.ustfccca.org/featured/williams-college-named-ustfccca-division-iii-men%E2%80%99s-xc-scholar-team-of-the-year

MORE

Click here for results:

Men's Team:

http://www.bw.edu/athletics/09ccnationals/Men_team.htm

Men's Individual:

http://www.bw.edu/athletics/09ccnationals/Men_individual.htm

Wareham guided the Tommies to their first NCAA team qualifying birth since 2002 in a close finish at the Central Regional, where just five points separated the top four teams. The Tommies took third in the MIAC championship race behind Hamline and St. Olaf two weeks earlier. Wareham, in his 17th season, is taking his eighth team to nationals.

A native of Minneapolis and a graduate of Southwest High, Wareham ran for St. Thomas from 1981-85 and was a six-time All-American in cross country and track. He ran in all four NCAA Championships in cross country. He placed third at nationals as a senior, leading the Tommies to the national team title. He also placed 22nd and second at the national CC meet, helping St. Thomas to fourth- and third-place team finishes.

In track and field, he won three MIAC titles, and the best of his four NCAA All-America finishes was a runner-up placing in the outdoor 5,000 as a sophomore.

Wareham's teams have won MIAC championships in 1993, 2000, 2001 and 2003. In six NCAA Division III cross country meets from 1997-2002, the Tommies placed eighth, 12th, 12th, 15th, fifth and 18th, with seven individual All-America finishes. He also coached three track and field All-Americans in the NCAA Division III 1,500 meters in 1998 and 2000.

http://www.ustfccca.org/featured/hamiltons-kosgei-north-centrals-carius-top-mens-division-iii-list-of-region-winners

Sophomore Ben Sathre gets an entourage as he continues his journey to All-America status.

Senior Mike Connell gets to enjoy one more college cross country race.

And 17-year head coach Pete Wareham, already celebrating a special championship anniversary, has yet another fun November experience on a cross country course.

All because of what happened at last Saturday’s NCAA regional meet near Grinnell, Iowa. The Tommie men trusted their coach, trusted themselves and followed a simple rule of CC championship races -– the last 200 meters are just as important as the first 7,800 meters.

Shortly after 25 men’s teams battled for approximately 28 minutes in the qualifying race, the results revealed one of the closest regional team finishes in memory. Four teams were separated by just five points -- St. Thomas shared the region championship with Nebraska Wesleyan with 116 points. Those teams claimed the two automatic berths into this week’s NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio.

St. Olaf (117) and Hamline (121) took third and fourth places, and 24 hours later were rewarded with at-large berths.

“We felt pretty good about the race, but when the final scores came up minutes after the finish and revealed we had won, it was really one of those great feelings of all-time,” Wareham said. “The guys were really jacked.”

Who knew a quiet golf course nestled among Iowa cornfields could be so inspiring. To borrow a phrase from a famous sports movie: Was this heaven? No, it’s Iowa.

“The guys proved to themselves and others what high-quality people they are,” Wareham said. “They know how good it feels to have success be the reward for long hours and years of hard work.”

Highland high

Maybe it’s an omen that the national race will take place in the city of Cleveland at Highland Park Golf Course, since the Tommies often do training runs in St. Paul down Cleveland Avenue into the Highland Park neighborhood.

This will mark St. Thomas’ 24th team trip to men’s CC nationals in the last 36 seasons, but first since 2002. It brings satisfaction to a group that has come close to a team breakthrough in recent seasons.

“Winning the regional meet was one of the best memories I have ever made here at UST,” said Sames, a four-time track and field All-American, four-time MIAC champ at 800 meters, and four-event school record holder. “I never made it to the state meet in cross country in high school, and our CC team hasn't made it to the national meet since I have been here.”

On this day, if just one or two UST runners had lost a sprint to the finish line, that could have turned a victory and an automatic berth into a fourth-place showing. That would have meant 24 hours of uncertainly until the remaining at-large berths were announced on Sunday. And one breakdown by one of the Tommies’ top five guys could have knocked them out of nationals’ consideration all together.

But this group took care of business for three reasons: Preparation, preparation, preparation.

“We don't have any guys who take short cuts,” Wareham said. “They know, accept, and want to test their upper limits. You can't ask for any more than that.”

Big gains

The Tommie leaders:

--Sathre, of Chaska, took third in a field of 177 finishers in a career-best 25:00 time and improved 20 places from the 2008 regional.

--Sames, of Shakopee, placed ninth in 25:19, an improvement of 32 places from one year earlier, and 81 spots ahead of his 2007 region showing.

--Connell, an Eau Claire native and one of the most improved runners UST has seen this decade, placed 14th in 25:37. He took 41st place in 2008 and didn’t even crack the top 90 at the 2007 MIAC meet.

--Sophomore Tyler Iverson of Moorhead placed 21st in 25:52 after a 69th-place regional run in 2008.

--The Toms' final scorer, fifth-year senior Greg Dowe of Apple Valley, continued his return from injuries. He outkicked four runners by less than two seconds to help the Toms return to nationals.

UST sophomore Crawford Hubbell of Des Moines and senior George Williams of St. Thomas Academy are also packing their bags for Ohio and their first national meets.

St. Thomas took a respectable third in the MIAC Championships on Oct. 31, but the team knew it could compete better as a whole. The Tommies used that as motivation as they battled in Saturday’s deeper field of nearly 200 runners.

“I knew that our guys were running great from early on,” Wareham said. “Our plan was to get into a solid position as a team and then remain steady throughout the race. Our guys did a perfect job of this with Ben right in the lead group, Brian and Mike in a group near 15th to 20th place, and Tyler right around 30th. We had our No. 5 guy be a bit more aggressive early in the race, and Greg Dowe did this for us. As the race progressed it was clear that our top four put us near the top teams. It was just a matter of our No. 5 guy having a stronger day than we did in the (Oct. 31) conference meet.  In the end all of our guys had great finishes with Ben squeaking past a Hamline runner, Brian passing 3-4 guys down the homestretch, Mike and Tyler holding off all challengers, and Greg passing 8-10 guys in the final 250 yards. All of those things made a huge difference.”

Pete's proud

For Wareham, this week marks his 25th anniversary of leading the 1984 Tommies’ NCAA championship team victory, also in the state of Ohio. Wareham’s third-place NCAA individual finish –- his third All-America honor in cross country -– helped St. Thomas claim the first men’s team national championship in school history.

Fifteen weeks later, Wareham (shown at right) was a part of the Tommies’ 1985 NCAA indoor track and field team title.

Wareham has coached a few more talented and experienced UST squads. His 1997-2002 Tommie teams all reached nationals and placed eighth, 12th, 12th, 15th, fifth and 18th, with seven individual All-America finishes. But Wareham has a special admiration for this year’s group.

“We've had great leadership from our seniors this year,” Wareham explained. “They showed passion for the sport and teamwork. They led by example, and they showed all year that they are willing to take on a challenge and give it their best. These guys -- Mike Connell, Brian Sames, Greg Dowe, George Williams, Tony Gerten, and Steve Arves -- are hard working and reliable each and every day. They led the way, and the others picked up on their ability to stay focused, committed, and passionate about team success.”

Sathre (pictured at right) beat Hamline standout Ian Bauer in a photo finish for third place (click here to view the link to the image: http://www.raceberryjam.com/indexcc.html) and continues to gain confidence and experience at the front of the pack.

“Ben Sathre is one tough kid who has a clear understanding of what it takes to be successful in this sport,” Wareham said. “He doesn't shy away from the many challenges that present themselves. This sport requires consistent hard work, talent, and the highest level of mental toughness. No doubt he is one of the very best sophomore runners in the nation.”

“It was definitely a breakthrough for the team to have everyone perform well on the same day at a time when it counts,” Sathre said. “The biggest difference for me between 2008 and 2009 was the adjustment to collegiate running. I was used to running 30 miles a week in high school and suddenly we were doing 55-60 miles, and this year I was doing 75-80 when I wasn't injured. I also learned the importance of taking care of myself outside of practice and making sure I was eating right and getting enough sleep.”

Fond farewell

For super seniors like Sames and Dowe (pictured at right), the fifth time’s a charm.

“Last season was a heart break. We could've been more successful, but nothing seemed to go our way,” Sames explained. “I think that we have learned that nothing will be given to us, and everyday at practice, our coach, Pete, reminded us that to accomplish our goals we need to work harder than anyone else in our sport. Whether it was a workout, longer run or just a couple miles in the morning, every athlete on our team focused on winning. We were confident and knew what had to be done, and we put in the work that was necessary.

“Personally, I’m trying to enjoy that last bit of collegiate eligibility that I have left. I’ve really enjoyed this last season with the seniors and other guys. We knew we would have a strong team and could realistically make it this far, and now that our goals are becoming realized, it really makes us proud to be part of such a good program. I am so proud of the team for all of their work and success, and it is wonderful that my last race as a Tommie will be in the national meet. It‘s just a dream come true.”

In 72 hours, Pete Wareham’s Tommies will line up together at a golf course in Cleveland and proudly join a national field of 32 teams. They’ll look to make even better memories.

Is this heaven? No, it’s Ohio, and it’s an NCAA championship meet where dreams are realized.

It's the first team trip to the NCAA neet for Coach Pete Wareham's Tommies since 2002. The 32-team race is Nov. 21 in Cleveland, Ohio. St. Thomas will make it 24th team trip to nationals in the last 36 seasons.

The Tommies and Nebraska Wesleyan each tallied 116, while St. Olaf had 117, Hamline had 121 and Grinnell had 147. St. Olaf and Hamline will learn Sunday if they receive at-large berths.

Sophomore Ben Sathre took third in a field of 177 finishers in a career-best 25:00 time. Senior Brian Sames placed ninth in 25:19; senior Mike Connell placed 14th in 25:37; sophomore Tyler Iverson placed 21st in 25:52.

The Toms' final scorer, senior Greg Dowe edged out four runners by less than two seconds, to help the Toms return to nationals. He clocked 26:53. Soph Crawford Hubbell was 106th in 27:30 and senior George Williams was 142nd in 28:46.

Click here for complete results:

http://www.grinnell.edu/athletics/mcross/includes/nc3centralmen.html

The men had 82 points to close behind Hamline (61) and St. Olaf (66). The Pipers put seven runners in the top 30.

For No. 22-ranked UST, sophomore Ben Sathre was third in 25:55, senior Brian Sames was seventh in 26:12, senior Mike Connell was 13th in 26:36, sophomore Tyler Iverson was 16th in 26:50, freshman Brian Farley was 43rd in 27:41, senior Greg Dowe placed 52nd in 28:00 and sophomore Crawford Hubbell took 53rd in 28:00. 

Five other Toms placed in the top 90 in a field of 204 finishers -- freshman Pat Bryant placed 63rd in 28:07; junior Nick Michalak was 68th in 28:11; soph Jim Leschke was 74th in 28:16; freshman Stu Lombardo was 80th in 28:25; and senior George Williams was 88th in 28:37.

Sathre, the lone non-senior in the top five, improved 11 spots from his 2008 conference finish and beat four runners he finsihed behind in the 2008 meet. He avenged two close losses to Macalester senior Wade Ekstrom.

Sames made All-MIAC cross country for the first time as he improved 12 places from 2008. Iverson improved 31 places from 2008 and missed All-MIAC by one place.

St. Thomas will compete in the NCAA regional meet Nov. 14 hosted by Grinnell College in Oakland Acres, Iowa.

Click here for men's and women's results:

http://www.raceberryjam.com/indexcc.html

Mike Ekern photos below

Coach Pete Wareham’s Tommies took fourth out of 28 teams last weekend at the Intra-Region Rumble, hosted by Oberlin (Ohio) College. NYU, Allegheny, Carnegie-Mellon and UST -- now ranked 6-7-19-22 in the poll -- took the top four team spots. UST also finished ahead of No. 29 Mount Union, No. 31 Ohio Northern and previously ranked Johns Hopkins.

Other Central Region teams ranked this week are Nebraska Wesleyan (20th) and Grinnell (32nd). No other MIAC teams are ranked.

St. Thomas is off this weekend and will run the MIAC Championships on Oct. 31 at Como Golf Course in St. Paul.

St. Thomas is nationally or regionally ranked in seven of its eight fall sports. UST is nationally ranked in volleyball (10th), football (16th), women's golf (22nd), women's CC (23rd), women's soccer (24th) and men's CC (22nd), and regionally ranked in men's soccer (eighth).  

Click here to access Division III national rankings:

http://www.ustfccca.org/rankings/division-iii-rankings

No. 18-ranked New York U. took first with 53, just ahead of No. 5-ranked Allegheny's 56.

No. 20-rated Carnegie-Mellon (98), No. 33-ranked St. Thomas (114), Elizabethtown (166). Mount Union (178), No. 20 Ohio Northern (180) and No. 31 Johns Hopkins (225) took took third through eighth place.

Sophomore Ben Sathre (25:03) placed fourth and senior Brian Sames (25:19) placed ninth out of 243 varsity finishers and had career-best times for 8,000-meters to lead the Tommies. Sathre had the best place out of 115 sophomores or freshmen in the race.

Senior Mike Connell was 19th in 25:37; soph Tyler Iverson was 31st in 25:59; senior George Williams placed 51st in 26:16; soph Jim Leschke was 150th in 27:34; and junior Nick Michalak was 166th in 27:51.

The Tommies also had a squad compete at Saturday's UW-LaCrosse Invitational. In a field of 462 finishers, senior Greg Dowe was clocked in 27:23 and placed 191st, while freshman Brian Farley was 225th in 27:49. Other UST runners to place in the top 300 were senior Tony Gerten, 272nd in 28:15; freshman Pat Bryant, 272nd in 28:20; freshman Will Roberson, 283rd in 28:24; and freshman Stu Lombardo, 300th in 28:43.

St. Thomas competes again Oct. 31 in the MIAC Championships.

Click here for complete Oberlin results:

http://www.goyeo.com/documents/2009/10/17/varsitymen.html?id=708

Click here for complete LaCrosse results:

http://www.uwlax.edu/athletics/mcrosscountry/results/men_individual.pdf