Cross: men 4th, women 7th
Freshman runs to first team All-GLIAC and Freshman of the Year
Andrew Dodson
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Sports
The last time a freshman cross country runner placed second in the GLIAC Championships was in 2005. That runner, now a senior from Grand Valley State University, was this year's GLIAC champion. He won by only three seconds more than Hillsdale freshman, Tim Jagielski.
Jagielski's GLIAC Freshman of the Year performance ranks as one of the top times in Charger history and places him as a hopeful for winning this year's NCAA regional title.
"Jagielski was superb," head coach Bill Lundberg said. "He was running for the crown down the last straightaway into the finish. Being the runner-up and Freshman of the Year are great honors."
Jagielski's runner-up finish paced his team for a fourth place finish, narrowly missing Ashland University by five points.
Following Jagielski was junior Timothy Howse, who just missed All-Conference, placing fifteenth - the top 14 runners earn All-Conference honors.
"I was nervous going into the race," Jagielski said. "The coaches and I talked about different strategies, and I knew that I should be able to hold on to the front pack and see what happened in the last mile."
Victory was in sight for Jagielski entering his final mile. He decided to make a move for first place earlier than other competitors in the pack and led the field with 800 meters to go. Chris Hammer of Grand Valley began his kick with 400 meters remaining. Jagielski tried to hang on, but fell three seconds short.
"I never imagined that my freshman season would be this successful," Jagielski said. "With one big race left and a possible chance of competing at the national meet, I just need to have a good couple weeks of training, stay focused and treat it like it's just another race."
The NCAA Regional meet is the first 10-kilometer race of the season for the Chargers and the first race of that distance ever for Jagielski.
Quietly running faster each meet, junior Britton Deuel ran a career race, placing third overall for the Chargers with a time of 25 minutes and 34 seconds - clearing his personal record at that distance by more than one minute. Assistant coach Michael Nikkila said Deuel's race was quite similar to Jagielski's.
Jagielski's GLIAC Freshman of the Year performance ranks as one of the top times in Charger history and places him as a hopeful for winning this year's NCAA regional title.
"Jagielski was superb," head coach Bill Lundberg said. "He was running for the crown down the last straightaway into the finish. Being the runner-up and Freshman of the Year are great honors."
Jagielski's runner-up finish paced his team for a fourth place finish, narrowly missing Ashland University by five points.
Following Jagielski was junior Timothy Howse, who just missed All-Conference, placing fifteenth - the top 14 runners earn All-Conference honors.
"I was nervous going into the race," Jagielski said. "The coaches and I talked about different strategies, and I knew that I should be able to hold on to the front pack and see what happened in the last mile."
Victory was in sight for Jagielski entering his final mile. He decided to make a move for first place earlier than other competitors in the pack and led the field with 800 meters to go. Chris Hammer of Grand Valley began his kick with 400 meters remaining. Jagielski tried to hang on, but fell three seconds short.
"I never imagined that my freshman season would be this successful," Jagielski said. "With one big race left and a possible chance of competing at the national meet, I just need to have a good couple weeks of training, stay focused and treat it like it's just another race."
The NCAA Regional meet is the first 10-kilometer race of the season for the Chargers and the first race of that distance ever for Jagielski.
Quietly running faster each meet, junior Britton Deuel ran a career race, placing third overall for the Chargers with a time of 25 minutes and 34 seconds - clearing his personal record at that distance by more than one minute. Assistant coach Michael Nikkila said Deuel's race was quite similar to Jagielski's.
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