The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NCAA championships: cross country had an All-American get the thing started, and then we had career-best races out of our runners. "Erin was outstanding. She was the first freshman across the line. I thought [sophomore] Taylor Mannett really showed up and had her best race. [Sophomore] Shannon Osika and [junior] Brook Handler were really solid for us, and then [redshirt sophomore] Anna Pasternak really did a heck of a job. She started in the back and weaved her way through the crowd to make up about 65 places. "For someone to do that, it takes tremendous perseverance because when you get buried, you can stay buried." Finn covered the 6,000-meter race in 20:40.3 to pace the Maize and Blue, while Osika (56th, 20:56.6), Mannett (57th, 20:56.6), and Handler (64th, 21:03.4) all stayed within a pack, and Pasternak helped elevate the Wolverines' overall standing with a 105th showing (21:20.6). "We have a lot of depth, and we worked together at NCAAs to put up our best effort," said Osika, who overcame an injury that sidelined her the first two months of the season. "We wear yellow bows in our hair so we can see each other even with all of those people, and to see your teammates in the field helped motivate us." An All-Big Ten second-team honoree (13th place) in her freshman season, Osika ran in just four meets this year, and had not raced since Aug. 30 when she stood in at the starting line for the Big Ten Championships. She finished 11th and then placed sixth at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. "Without the interruptions to her training, I'm confident she's an All-American," McGuire said. "She had so much to do with us performing well during the championships — she's a very capable runner and high scorer. Women's Top-10 NCAA "Shannon is just scratching the surChampionships Finishes face. She has two more years and will Under Mike McGuire continue to be a big part of our future." YearFinish Osika and Finn will make a dynamic 19928th one-two punch. A West Bloomfield, 19936th Mich., native, Finn was the runner-up at 19942nd the Junior Cross Country Nationals dur19957th ing her senior year in high school and 19977th a two-time state champion. She was 20034th expected to impact at Michigan and 20046th has, becoming only the third freshman 20056th in Big Ten history to win the individual 20063rd conference title. 20125th "Erin was one of the top kids in the 20134th country before she came, and in her