Junior Mutanya finishes second
The No. 7 Arizona men's cross country team kept its undefeated season intact Friday, winning the Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Ind.
"It's one of the premier meets in the nation," said Arizona head coach James Li.
Chris Solinsky of No. 1 Wisconsin won the 8,000-meter race, finishing in 23 minutes, 21 seconds, while Arizona's Obed Mutanya continued his impressive first season with the Wildcats, finishing nine seconds later to place second.
A junior college transfer from Central Arizona, Mutanya continues to make a big impact on the men's team this season, finishing second in both of the squad's meets.
"We recruited him hard because we knew he was a strong runner," Li said.
Also finishing in the top 10 for the Wildcats was junior Robert Cheseret, who came in sixth. The top-five Wildcats finished within a minute of one another, as sophomore Mohamed Trafeh finished 13th, junior Moses Mpagna ended in 22nd and senior Jonah Maiyo came in 27th.
While the win is a boost to the team's confidence, presumably moving the Wildcats up in the national rankings, Li said Arizona is aware of the many challenges ahead, including a pair of away meets before the Pacific 10 Championships in Tucson on Oct. 29.
The 5-mile men's race featured seven nationally ranked opponents in the 25-team, 200-runner field. No. 3 Notre Dame finished second behind the Wildcats and No. 1 Wisconsin finished fifth.
On the women's side, sophomore Emily McGregor led the team, finishing 40th as the Wildcat women took 17th place in the 5,000 race.
Senior Fanice Chepkorir finished 48th, three seconds behind McGregor.
No. 5 Michigan won the women's race, despite No. 3 Notre Dame's Stephanie Madia finishing first in 16:36.
Both Arizona cross country teams travel to Tempe on Friday for the ASU Invitational.
- Compiled from a press release.