Off-Week Release: Buckeye News and Notes – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/5/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Nov. 5, 2014
NCAA Great Lakes Regional on the Horizon
The University of Wisconsin will host the 2014 NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday, Nov. 14.
The six-year-old Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course will serve as the site of the championship races, which consist of a 6k race for the women and a 10k race for the men.
The women’s race gets underway at 1 p.m. (ET), with the men’s race to follow at 2 p.m.
Buckeye Women Remain 19th in USTFCCCA National Poll
The Ohio State women were ranked 19th in the nation by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Nov. 4. The appearance in the national Top-30 poll is the third in program history and the second this season.
The Buckeyes were also ranked 17th as a team in the Saucony Flo 50 rankings by Flotrack.
Borchers is Burnin’
Senior All-American Katie Borchers has enjoyed a remarkable senior season in 2014 as the top Buckeye runner at all five meets for the women’s team. The first athlete in school history to earn two All-Big Ten awards in cross country, Borchers is a two-time Big Ten Athlete of the Week selection this season and has set personal-best times at both the 5k (16:19 at Notre Dame) and 6k (20:16 at the Big Ten championships) distances. In a ranking of the top athletes in Division I this season by Flotrack, Borchers has been ranked as high as 22 by the website.
“She’s been consistent this season, and it’s impressive for someone who’s blossoming into an XC talent,” the site said. “Her aggressive running will take her far in Terre Haute.”
Big Ten Sportsmanship Awards Announced
Borchers and senior Jackson Neff were announced as the Buckeye recipients of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award at the conclusion of the Big Ten championships on Sunday. The award is presented to one male and one female athlete from each institution, and the duo is now eligible for the all-sport Big Ten Sportsmanship Award announced at the end of the 2014-15 school year.
Elswick in the Student-Athlete Spotlight
Freshman Nick Elswick was the featured Student-Athlete Spotlight on OhioStateBuckeyes.com last week.
Elswick has enjoyed a breakout freshman season for the men’s cross country team, leading the squad at three of five 8k races this year. The Chardon, Ohio, native ran a top time of 24:30.70 in September at the Kentucky Bluegrass Invitational.
Follow the link to read a Q&A with Elswick.
Lots to Compare with Identical Twins
Juniors Minori and Sakiko Minagawa were profiled in a recent Q&A with The Columbus Dispatch. Follow the link to see what the sisters had to say about life as teammates and twins at OSU.
OSU in the USTFCCCA Regional Rankings
The Buckeye women remained No. 4 in the Nov. 4 edition of the USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional rankings, while the men climbed one spot to No. 12.
No. 1 Michigan State is the top-ranked team in the region on the women’s side, followed by No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 8 Michigan, No. 19 Ohio State and No. 26 Toledo.
The men’s regional rankings are led by No. 6 Wisconsin, followed by No. 12 Michigan, No. 20 Indiana, No. 27 Michigan State and Eastern Michigan.
Last Time Out
Ohio State competed at the Big Ten championships in Iowa City, Iowa, Nov. 2.
The Buckeye women totaled a score of 127 to join the 1984 team as the only OSU squads to finish fourth at the Big Ten meet in the 33-year history of the program. Borchers (ninth) and senior Michelle Thomas (20th) both placed in the Top 20 for the Scarlet and Gray.
The men’s team finished 10th overall with a team score of 277. Senior Jackson Neff led the Buckeyes with a personal-best 8k time of 24:44.7, finishing 48th overall.
