11-04-2002
Marshall boys outpace competition at end of season
By Drew Geraets
Marshall Cross Country Webmaster
The tiger boys brought home a multitude of accolades and hardware over the course of the 2002 season. They repeated as Southwest Conference Champions for the fourth consecutive year and claimed the first section 2AA title for the boys program. The pack mentality rang true throughout the season as Yahya Iman was closely followed by teammates Jon Tauer, Tom Allen, Akey Jumale, Salah Mohamed, Abdillahi Awali, and Bart Johnson. Jumale, Allen, Mohamed, and Tauer all qualified for the state meet as individuals showcasing the depth of talent the tigers enjoyed this season.
The year culminated in a 2nd place finish at the state meet for a squad ranked 4th coming into the contest.
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�Yeah, we surprised some people today,� Iman said. �We did what we can,� Jumale said. �A lot of the coaches were saying that you better look out for Marshall.�
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�I thought they had an awesome run,� Jacobs said. �We wrapped up the season with our two strongest runs, here and at the section.�
And while their second place finish at the 2002 Minnesota State Meet categorizes the squad as the best Marshall CC team of all time, they finish the season unsatisfied. Unsettled because they came a mere 10 points away from dethroning perennial state champion Hopkins.
Don�t be surprised to find other teams asking if they belong in the ranks with Marshall next year.