Despite unseasonably warm weather, the men of JCU were able to race one of their best meets all season at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional, hosted by Anderson University on the Yule Golf Course in Alexandria, Indiana.

Freshman phenom Patrick O'Brien led the Blue Streaks for the second time this season, turning in the program's first All-Region selection since 2006, covering the eight-kilometer course in 25:55.44 for 25th place. This resulted in a ninth place team finish for John Carroll, as the Streaks tallied 342 points.

Results

After a lethargic start from the gun on the Wilmington Cross Country course at the conference meet, John Carroll looked to employ a strategy of racing to the front of the pack, seen early on especially by Nick Wojtasik and Chuck Mule.

“We wanted to go out fast since we went out so slow at conference,” O'Brien said following his race. “The rest of the race I was just pumping hard, just giving it my all, you know. I've had a couple rough races this past month, so it feels good to get a good one under my belt.”

Reflecting on his first cross country season as a Blue Streak, O'Brien was all smiles and positivity.

“It's been a blast,” he said. “I didn't think I would feel so close to all those guys so fast. It's just been so fun, all the guys are so nice, and it's been an honor to run with them. We're going to miss those seniors next year, but it's been a good first year. I'm very comfortable already.”

With his focus on the future, O'Brien is “really excited for track. We're just going to keep working hard.”

The freshman was able to display his “range” this fall, as O'Brien typically specializes in the mid-distance events.

Leaving it all on the course, senior captains Nick Wojtasik and Pat Burns finished in 65th and 69th, respectively – Wojtasik in 26:31.51 and Burns in 26:37.28. After mediocre performances at the OAC championship meet two weeks ago, the two four-year teammates came hungry to close out their collegiate cross country careers on a positive note.

Sophomore John Honkala finished a very strong season by finishing as the team's fourth runner, running 26:50.74 for 87th place.

After losing 12th-place OAC finisher Drake Sulzer, the team's number two runner, to an achilles injury, freshman Matt Chojnacki was able to step up for the Streaks and finish in 96th place to round out the scoring for John Carroll by running a personal-best 26:55.86.

Sophomore and Army ROTC member Tadhg Karski finished as the sixth runner for the Streaks, running 27:22.45 for 126th place, while junior Chuck Mule ran a 27:40.88, good for 143rd place.

First year graduate assistant Christin Handley was available for comment following the race.

“I think the guys fought pretty tough – Pat O'Brien had an awesome race,” she said. “Matt Chojnacki stepped up. He was our alternate and came in great today because we were missing Drake.”

When discussing conditions, Handley said “it's beautiful today. The course is awesome: it's pretty flat, well maintained.”

On the weather, she remarked that today was “kind of weird though, because we've been used to running in freezing rain, so to go from running in the cold our bodies were conditioned to that, and then we get hit with the warm weather again, it was tough for everyone's bodies to adapt to the sunshine again.”

Franciscan (OH) senior Bill Jones took home the individual title in 24:26.16. Calvin (36 points) and Wabash (111 points) earned the two automatic bids to the NCAA Championships next weekend, as Calvin won its 17th straight regional title.

Mount Union showed its postseason dominance by earning a fifth place team finish, making the Raiders eligible for an at-large berth to the national meet. Case Western and Manchester, finishing in third and fourth, respectively, are also eligible for at-large appearances. At-large bids will be announced Sunday.

This meet marks the conclusion of the 2012 season for John Carroll cross country. This season was another positive step for the program, as they earned their second straight third-place finish at the conference championships, and their second straight top-ten regional finish.

Two All-OAC performers and one All-Region finisher highlighted the individual accomplishments of the Streaks, and the future looks bright, as all three of these runners will return next season.