At last weekend’s Notre Dame Invitational, the Northwestern cross country team contributed to Ball State’s tumble from the Top 25. But the work doesn’t stop there for NU.
The Cats are now looking to dethrone more of the nation’s Top 25 in Saturday’s Iowa State Memorial Cross Country Classic in Ames, Iowa.
The 6-kilometer race features 66 teams, 13 of which are in the Top 25. The Cats are ever-so-slightly narrowing the gap between themselves and the elite teams as they received the third-most votes of teams yet to be ranked (6.5) just shy of Texas Christian and Wake Forest, both with seven.
Coach April Ecke explained that the team still needs to keep its mind on the race at hand.
“I’m trying not to get too wrapped up in (the rankings),” she said.
“When it comes down to it, the day of a race (rankings) mean nothing. What’s important is that we race what we’re capable of doing. All seven (of the top runners) have to run the best race of their lives.”
Nevertheless, the Cats still will be eyeing the ranked teams because beating them helps NU’s chances of receiving an at-large bid to nationals. Among the catchable teams for NU at the Iowa State meet are Brown, Oregon, Duke, Northern Arizona, and South Florida Nos. 21 through 25, respectively.
To outshine these teams, the Cats must stick together and work off each other to improve their individual places.
“It’s important for all of us to make it a goal as a group to run well and race well together,” explained sophomore Karen Rogers. “It’s not just an individual responsibility. It’s like a collective thing. You’re accountable for yourself and (the other) girls.”
Should NU qualify for nationals, this meet will be excellent preparation for the Nov. 20 meet. Not only are the Cats facing the stiffest competition they have seen thus far, but the meet will also be run on the same course that will host nationals.
“It’ll be good because we’ll know where the mile marker is and we’ll know the course,” freshman Nora Colligan said. “You know what to expect.”
Colligan, who has been running well as of late, was the team’s No. 5 runner in last weekend’s highly competitive Notre Dame Invitational.
Colligan is not fazed, however, by the hype which surrounds the big meets. This was especially true of last weekend’s meet when both she and teammate Nicole Kuznia were able to recover from an early race fall.
“I don’t think (the fall) affected us at all,” she said. “I didn’t fall for very long. It kind of took my mind off the race for a little while. It didn’t hurt me.”
But NU will be hurt if it does not come out fighting on Saturday.
“We just need to put together the best race of the year,” Ecke said. “This is the biggest meet that they’ve ever been to. This is the last opportunity we have to go against teams that are going to give us the opportunity to get the at-large bid.”