Colorado State University Athletics
Cross country preview: Rams set for Pre-Nationals
10/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 14, 2010
By Chris Feller
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – After having a weekend off from competition, the Colorado State cross country teams return to action in Terre Haute, Ind., for Pre-Nationals Saturday. The Rams will face a field of nationally ranked competition, including six teams ranked in the top 10.
Both the men’s and women’s teams will get to preview the same course at which NCAA nationals will be held a month later. At the same time the Rams will try to improve on their 2009 showing in which the women placed 16th and men 31st.
This might be easier said than done as the men will go up against No. 1-ranked Stanford, No. 4 Colorado and four other top 10 teams. The women face Florida State, which enters the meet ranked second in the nation, as well as five other top 10 teams. In addition each team will face fellow Mountain West members Air Force and BYU.
“Minus the national championships, this is the most competitive race you can run all year,” Head Coach Bryan Berryhill said. “I would like to see both teams finish in the top 10, which means we would earn some points toward nationals and beat a handful of ranked teams.”
As in their last invitational, the men will compete in the 8,000–meter race while the women will run in the 6,000-meter race. Each race will be split into two heats, beginning with the women at 9 a.m MT. followed by the men at 10:10 p.m MT. It will be the first race this year in which the Rams do not compete on a golf course.
“This course is unique in that it is solely a cross country course," Berryhill mentioned.
Coaches and players alike hope their performance this weekend will give the Rams some confidence going into the Mountain West Conference championships at the end of the month.
"It gives us the opportunity to gain some points and momentum going into the Mountain West meet."