Photo: The Eastern Michigan team and cross country coach John Goodridge receive third-place trophy.
On a cold sunny day at the Laverne Gibson Championship Cross Country Course at Indiana State University Michigan college flags were plentiful. Michigan's four men's teams were the most of any state: 11th ranked Central Michigan, 7th ranked Eastern Michigan, 19th ranked Michigan, and 28th ranked Michigan State. Spartan and Wolverine women brought the total to six and Kim Hemstreet of University of Detroit Mercy was an individual qualifier.

Eastern Michigan's Boaz Cheboiywo was poised to defend his 2001 individual title against a tough field including 1999 champion David Kimani of Alabama and Jorge Torres of Colorado. Course record- holder Vicky Gill of Florida State and North Carolina's Shalane Flanagan were top contenders for the women's title. A deep Stanford men's team was favored to take the team title and 2001 champion Brigham Young's women were expended to defend their title.

Photo: Jorge Torres and Shalane Flanagan meet the press.
When it was all over, in what seemed to be a flash, three Michigan men's cross country teams finished in the top ten of the Division I, NCAA Cross Country National Championships. A surprising Eastern Michigan men's took the third-place trophy--surprising without a first place finish by Boaz Cheboiyo. Central Michigan's Chippewa's placed 8th and University of Michigan finished 9th. Both Michigan State women (12th) and Michigan women (15th) finished in the top 25.

Team Results - Men
1. Stanford 47 points
2. Wisconsin 107
3. Eastern Michigan 165
4. Colorado 190
5. Oregon 210

Team Results - Women
1. Brigham Young 85
2. Stanford 113
3. Notre Dame 170
4. Georgetown 214
5. Colorado 220

An elated Jorge Torres won the individual title in an extremely close race for first and his twin brother Edwardo helped make NCAA history by finishing 10th to help the Colorado team place 4th. Dathan Ritzenhein, 4th last year but red-shirting this season, was there to cheer on his Colorado teammates. Boaz finished 7th. Michigan's Nate Brannen and Eastern Michigan's Gavin Thompson also won All-American honors, as did former Rockford star, Jason Hartmann, who runs for Oregon. Shalane Flanagan's first place win was especially sweet for her mother- - one-time marathon world record-holder and Indiana State hall-of-famer Cheryl Treworgy, (formerly Cheryl Bridges).

Michigan Runner TV will feature this meet in an upcoming show. For complete results, see http:// www.ncaasports.com/0,5920,1_705_0_24809,00.html.