Colorado State University Athletics
Women's cross country to run in Pre-Nationals
10/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 12, 2007
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Colorado State women's cross country team is among the nation's best with a No. 15 national ranking. This weekend the Rams will test their skills against some of the top teams in the nation, 22 of them in fact.
The NCAA Pre-Nationals event has drawn 23 of the top 30 teams in the nation, including seven of the nine regional No.1's. Top-ranked Stanford and second-ranked Colorado are among the teams competing in the traditional mid-October event that gives runners a chance to test the same course used for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships next month.
"It is going to be a great opportunity to race some of the best teams in the country and see where we stack up," said Head Coach Bryan Berryhill. "Anytime you get a chance to run against quality teams like tomorrow it increases our chances against a key opponent like BYU. I think the team in general is motivated. I expect good things with Heather (Loseke) and April (Thomas). I also think our three-four-five runners are getting a little closer to where Heather is at No. 2."
Saturday's Pre-Nationals will feature separate "White" and "Blue" races over the 6,000 meter LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. The Rams have drawn the early race with a heavily loaded field which includes five of the regional No. 1 seeds.
"Being in this race is a good thing," Berryhill further commented. "We may finish a little lower but we have the opportunity to beat some really good teams. If we can knock off a couple of the regional top-seeds and aren't in the top two in our region it gives us an advantage for the at-large berth to the NCAA Championships.
The 2007 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships will be held Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, on the same course that the Rams will race this weekend. CSU's men's squad will not compete in Terre Haute and instead will race in Denver this Saturday.