ND MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Striowski, Mobley prove key to win
By NOAH AMSTADTER
Sports Editor
NEW YORK
The highlights of Friday afternoon's first place finish by the Notre Dame men's cross country team mostly included the team's two highest-profile members: Luke Watson, who finished second in the race by a matter of feet and Ryan Shay, the All-American who pushed through an Achilles Tendon injury to give the Irish an important 11th-place finish.
But Notre Dame couldn't have won without the two runners who crossed the line between Watson and Shay.
Sophomore Todd Mobley, who stepped up to emerge as the team's No. 3 runner this year, crossed the line in eighth place, just inches in front of teammate Marc Striowski, who finished No. 9.
Without the two All-Big East performances, Villanova would have walked home with the conference title.
Striowski, who finished 42nd at last year's NCAA Championships, actually led the race heading into the first backstretch.
"It went out pretty slow for the first half-mile," he said. "I was getting pushed around in the pack so I just decided to go to the front and speed it up a bit. I wasn't planning on like leading the whole race. I just pushed the first mile and in the hills I let the other guys take over and just kind of tried to run with them."
At that point, Mobley, who handles hills better with his smaller legs, pushed to the front of the pack while Striowski stayed near the front and Shay began to drop back. As the race progressed, it became obvious that Shay, who won the meet in 1999, could not be counted on for the same performance.
"Those guys definitely know how to step it up and Marc, a senior, he was fired up for this," Shay said. "Those guys aren't going to let anything deter them from winning."
So while the injured Shay pushed through, Mobley and Striowski battled to break up packs of Villanova and Providence runners. They succeeded against the Friars, finishing just ahead of No. 10 Dermot Galvin and No. 12 and 13 Dermot Moulton and Dylan Wykes.
But they couldn't push in front of the Wildcats, who placed runners in spots four through seven.
"I think that he and I could have done a better job of breaking up Villanova's first four," Striowski said. "That should be our goal for the next couple of races."
"I didn't think they'd have four runners in front of me," Mobley added. "When the race was going on I realized that running No. 2 right now I had to try to go for these people. I tried to catch themat the end and I kind of fell short but luckily we still came away with the victory."
Stepping to the forefront in big races is nothing new for Striowski. The Canadian senior placed ninth at last fall's Big East Championships in Boston, one place behind Watson as a younger team running without Shay took fourth.
The senior competed in the NCAA Championships both as a sophomore and junior and has been Notre Dame's No. 2, 3 or 4 runner in each race in which he has competed this season.
Mobley was a solid contributor as a freshman, taking 26th at the Big East meet and 24th at the NCAA District IV Championships. But he stepped it up a notch in his summer training in hopes of a contributing to an NCAA contender in the fall.
"Over the summer I just dedicated myself to training more than I have before," Mobley said. "I increased my mileage and I was much better at running every day. When it's the middle of July it's hot out and you have to work and do other things. I did much better at staying focused and staying with coach's plan."
It paid off in the season's first meet. With Watson and Shay resting, Mobley stepped to the forefront, taking the gold medal at the Valparaiso Invitational in a time of 25:17.
But for the Michigan native, running near the front of the pack was a preview of what Irish cross country fans should see for the next two autumns.
Of the five Notre Dame runners who scored, only Mobley returns next fall. And he's ready to take over at the head of the pack.
"I'm not to worried because we're a very deep team and the seniors have shown us what we have to do in order to win," Mobley said. "David Alber, Brian Kerwin and those guys are going to be there next year and they understand that. I don't think leading the team is going to be that difficult as far as the leadership role."
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, October 30, 2001
