University of Massachusets Athletics
Men Prepare For Atlantic 10 Championships
October 25, 1999 | Men's Cross Country
Oct. 25, 1999
THE WEEK AHEAD: UMass travels to Philadelphia on Saturday, Oct. 30 for the Atlantic 10 Championships.
ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: The Minutemen are hoping to improve on last season?s fifth place finish in the A-10 Championhips. Leading the way for UMass will be Ryan Corbett (Highland, N.Y.), who has led all Minutemen runners in the past three meets. UMass is currently ranked fourth in the latest A-10 coaches poll. La Salle is picked as the favorite to win the event followed by last season?s champion, St. Joseph?s and Virginia Tech. OUT OF NOWHERE: Coming into the New England Championships, sophomore Colin Baughman (Sherril, N.Y.) had finished no better than fifth among UMass runners in any race the past two seasons. Then Baughman ran a career-best 25:44 at Boston?s Franklin Park, good enough for second on the team and 61st overall, just three spots behind UMass? top runner, Ryan Corbett. Baughman?s fifth place UMass finish in the first meet of the season was his best career finish until the New England Championships.
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.
