Veith, Bloom Earn All-MAC Honors at Championship Meet

Mary Veith

YPSILANTI, MI – The University at Buffalo men's and women's cross country teams competed Saturday at the Mid-American Conference Championships at the Eagle Crest Golf Course in Ypsilanti, MI as two Bulls runners earned first-team All-MAC honors in their races.

The UB women, ranked 15th in the Northeast Regional poll according to the USTFCCCAA, placed seventh in a 12-team field with 177 points. The UB men finished sixth among nine teams with 169 points. Miami's women's team (39) and Eastern Michigan's men (42) won the team titles. The seventh-place women's finish was their highest since 2005 when they placed fourth. The men's finish was even more impressive as their finish was the best since a sixth-place in 2002.

Senior Mary Veith finished fifth in the women's race as 101 entrants and earned first-team All-MAC honors in the process. Veith completed the 5K women's course in a season-best 17:16.4, slicing 57 seconds from her previous 5K best this season, 18:13, set at the UB Stampede Invitational on September 20. Veith's time was also the fastest of her four MAC Championship appearances, bettering the 17:48.6 mark set last season when she finished third. This is Veith's third consecutive time on the first-team All-MAC list. The top seven finishers earn first-team honors with the next seven finishers taking second-team honors.

Ryan Bloom

In the men's 8K race, sophomore Ryan Bloom finished fitth in a season-best 24:44.9, cutting nearly 20 seconds from his previous best, set at the Bowling Green Falcon Invitational two weeks ago. Bloom was narrowly beaten out for fourth place by Kent State's Aiman Scullion as he finished in 24:44.4. Bloom finished 34th at last season's meet, held in Bowling Green, OH, and improved his time at the championships by more than 1:20. It was UB's first All-MAC First Team honoree since Jeremie Slick accomplished the feat in 2002.

Other women's finishers for the Bulls included Jessica Schultz in 27th place in 18:05.4, Ellen Muster in 32nd place in 18:10.6, Alex Bykowska in 58th place in 18:37.6 and Jackie Bozich in 68th place in 18:48.7. All were season-best 5K times with Muster cutting a full two minutes from her previous best. Ohio's Annie Beecham won the overall race in 16:56.8, setting a MAC women's record.

Four men's runners finished among the top 50 as Chris Allen was UB's second male finisher in 26:06.0 for 40th place. Ryan Zillmann was 44th in 26:11.5. Jacob Hagen placed 45th in 26:13.3 and Dylan Conway took 46th place in 26:16.0. Eastern Michigan's Josh Karanja won the men's race on his home course in 24:18.7.

Although the UB women placed in the middle of the pack, it should be noted that five of the six teams ahead of the Bulls were ranked in the USTFCCCAA's Great Lakes Regional poll. Kent State's women were also in the poll as the Bulls finished seven points ahead of the Golden Flashes.

The postseason continues for the Bulls on November 15 when they travel to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx for the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships.

Women's team results: Miami 39, Akron 81, Ohio 107, Central Michigan 141, Bowling Green 147, Toledo 165, UB 177, Kent State 184, Western Michigan 218, Eastern Michigan 238, Ball State 251, Northern Illinois 355.

Men's team results: Eastern Michigan 42, Miami 56, Kent State 61, Central Michigan 103, Ohio 122, UB 169, Akron 179, Toledo 186, Bowling Green 270.