Women's Cross Country Hopes To Surprise Regional Foes
11/13/2003 | 12:00:00 | Cross Country
Nov. 13, 2003
By Josh Magill
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The women's cross country team enjoys the opportunity to surprise those who underestimate it - it allows the Salukis to sneak up on opponents with their talent. That's the mentality SIU hopes for at the 2003 NCAA Midwest Regional meet on Saturday.
"This is by far the biggest meet we've competed in this year, as far as total individuals running," head coach Matt Sparks said. "There could be over 30 teams and more than 200 runners, but for our girls to stay positive and stay confident throughout the race, they need to understand it's okay to have fifty or so people in front of them. That is a good race for us, but it's easy to get demoralized when you're not used to that."
Ranked at #9 in the Midwest Region - the highest the Salukis have been all season - many would think SIU is feeling the pressure to perform, but Sparks says rankings can be proven wrong.
"I don't put a whole lot of stock into rankings. It's just one person's opinion," Sparks said. "I know, and the girls know, that we're much better than that. We just have to go out and prove it Saturday."
One factor the Salukis are prepared for going into the regional meet is the six-kilometer distance. Sparks says the team wasn't quite ready for such a distance at the Indiana State Invite, but that has changed since then.
"The first time we ran (a 6K), they had no idea what to expect. This time they have a better understanding of what it's going to feel like," Sparks said. "They realized it wasn't much different than a 5K. They are much more confident runners at this point in the season."
The 2003 NCAA Midwest Regional meet is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Stillwater, Okla. The meet will be held on the campus of Oklahoma State University. Results can be found at www.ncaasports.com or www.SIUSalukis.com.
