North Carolina State University Athletics
Cross Country Faces Make Or Break Weekend At Regionals
11/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
RALEIGH, N.C. Top two or go home. That’s pretty much how it works in cross country when it comes to the NCAA regionals. That’s what NC faces this weekend at the NCAA Southeast Regional at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, N.C.
The top two men’s and women’s teams in the regional advance to the NCAA Championships on November 24 in Terre Haute, Ind. At-large bids will be extended to a few teams, but the criteria for receiving an at-large bid are difficult, meaning it’s better for teams to take matters into their own hands and finish first or second at the regionals.
The NC State men enter the Southeast Regionals facing two teams that have beaten them this season. William & Mary easily outdistanced the Wolfpack on October 18 at the NCAA Pre-Nationals. The Tribe took sixth place in the 41-team Blue race with a team score of 242. The Pack was 10th at 366.
Two weeks after Pre-Nationals, NC State finished second to Virginia in the 12-team ACC Championships. The Cavaliers won with a score of 40, a comfortable lead over the Wolfpack’s team score of 56.
“We’re facing two very good cross country teams that have both beaten us this year,” NC State men’s coach Rollie Geiger said. “We’re certainly capable of finishing in the top two, but it’s going to take a great performance.”
The Wolfpack will line up seniors Bobby Mack and Gavin Coombs, junior John Martinez, and freshmen Ryan Hill, Bobby Moldovan, Greg Dame and Andrew North at the Southeast Regionals. Mack, Coombs, Martinez and Hill were all-conference at the ACC meet, and Hill was the conference rookie of the year.
The NC State men have failed to make nationals just twice in the last 17 years, in 1994 and 2005.
The NC State women, looking to extend a trying season, will line up a team comprised entirely of freshmen and sophomores. The Wolfpack finished 32nd in the 41-team Blue race at the Pre-Nationals, and then finished 10th at the ACC Championships.
With the bulk of her returning starters beset by physical issues, women’s coach Laurie Henes has had to line up run five true freshmen this season. Those five Emily Pritt, Andie Cozzarelli, Lauren Bishop, Tiayonna Blackmon and Caroline Kirby will be joined in the lineup at the regional by redshirt-freshman Amanda Burger and sophomore Krista Moss.
“It’s been a tough season, but these kids have continued to work hard,” Henes said. “They have good workouts, but then they have trouble getting the same results in the races. They just have to keep working at it. They’re a tough bunch. They show no signs of giving up, which is the good news.”
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