MARSHALL INDEPENDENT (© 2002 story reprinted with permission)
11-02-2002
Tiger boys aiming for spot among the elite
By Wayne Cook
Independent Sports Writer
Northfield � Hopkins. Stillwater. Eden Prairie.
Those are the schools the Marshall boys cross country team wants to be mentioned with in today�s Class AA state meet in Northfield. The Tigers are coming off their first-ever sectional championship � winning by a 16-point margin over Mankato West � and are using last year�s appearance at state as a springboard this fall.
Marshall, which finished 11th a year ago, comes in ranked No. 5. The Tigers goal is to place in the top four. Coach Mike Jacobs would like to see the Tigers compete with Hopkins, Stillwater and Eden Prairie.
�If we get a good performance out of everyone, we should factor ahead of (Mankato) West,� Jacobs said. �They will be gunning for us. They will be more motivated after we beat them in the section.� The Scarlets were the state runner-up last year.
�The boys were focused on that (section) race,� Jacobs said. �They really laid it on the (Litchfield) course.� In the sectional meet, the Tigers had the 1-4-7-9-10 individuals. Yahya Iman was the champion in 15:31. Akey Jumale (16:04) was fourth, while Tom Allen (16:18), Salah Mohamed (16:22) and Jon Tauer (16:23) also cracked the top 10. It�s been tight pack running that has carried the Tigers to their best season in cross country.
They almost had all seven runners under 17 minutes. Eighth-grader Abdillahi Awali ran 16:56 and Bart Johnson ran 17:22.
�We are just lucky,� Jacobs said. �That we have quality (runners) to do it. I could ask them to do it. If they don�t, I�m out of luck. We are very fortunate that we have as many people that can pull it off.
�They are good and have worked hard to close the gap even more. They want to close on Salah and Akey. Tom and Bart, they�re not our leaders, but they�re out there working their hardest.� Jacobs said it will be an advantage having run the St. Olaf College course last year.
�We talked about that,� he said. �We have looked at pictures of the course and reminded ourselves what it looks like.� For example, the runners go through a wildlife area in the first mile. �We already have a plan ... we have a strategy,� Jacobs said. A half-mile from the finish line, there�s a big hill. �Talking about things that they can visualize is important,� Jacobs said. The Tigers ran and jogged the course Friday. Although Marshall doesn�t have a senior in its lineup, the team hopes to draw on the experience of back-to-back trips to the state meet. �They were pretty knotted up last year,� Jacobs said. �Our goal was to shoot for the top half (eight teams)
�This year, we have loftier goals, and it brings more pressure. They�ll crank it up. Hopefully, they will be composed when the race starts.� The Tigers know the Northfield course is much more difficult than Litchfield�s. �It�s a stiffer course, and they know it�s not going to be easy,� Jacobs said. With a high placing among state competition, the Marshall Tigers will take another step to be among the elite teams in Minnesota. In the past two years, the boys program has gained notoriety. �I think some people are noticing us,� Jacobs said of the Tigers� state ranking each week this year.
People across the state began noticing when the Tiger boys performed well at several large meets this year, placing fourth at the Roy Griak meet in Minneapolis and fifth at Alexandria.
Marshall wants to improve on last year�s state meet performance. �With their success last year ... getting there and coming back and being stronger this year, they are getting a reputation that Marshall is a team you have to go through to get to state,� Jacobs said.
A reputation that was first earned by the Marshall Tiger girls, who participated in seven consecutive state meets.
-Courtesy Marshall Independent