University of Massachusets Athletics
Met Get Set for the New England Championships
October 12, 1999 | Men's Cross Country
Oct. 11, 1999
THE WEEK AHEAD: UMass travels to Boston for the New England Championships on Friday, October 15.
MIDWAY POINT: After the first three meets of the season, a pair of Minutemen have stepped up as the early leaders. Senior Matt Ely (Andover, Mass.) paced the men in the first meet of the season with a time of 26:35. Ely has continued to be among the UMass leaders, finishing fourth and second among UMass runners in the last two meets. Sophomore Ryan Corbett (Highland, N.Y.) has led all Minutemen to the finish line in the last two consecutive meets. Corbett placed sixth at Boston College, but quickly rebounded with a top-five performance at Vermont. SOPHOMORE SENSATION: Last season, Ryan Corbett finished no higher than fourth on the team at any meet all year. This season however, Corbett has been blazing through the courses, leading all Minuteman runners in the last two consecutive events. Corbett ran the course in Van Cortland Park, N.Y. in 26:16 to lead UMass to a 10th place finish in the Meet of Champions.
HEAD COACH KEN O?BRIEN: This is Ken O?Brien?s 33rd season as head coach of the UMass men?s cross country/track & field teams. During his tenure, UMass has won 16 conference championships, four New England titles and two IC4A titles. Last season, O?Brien was named NCAA District I Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. The 1963 UMass graduate has produced seven all-Americans during his 33-year career.