Team looks to Saturday's meet for inspiration

The women's cross country team hopes to visit Greenville, S. C., on more than one occasion this year. The Hoosiers will compete there this Saturday at the Pre-NCAA meet. Runners said they hope that their performance this weekend will spark them to run well the rest of the season and return for the National Meet Nov. 19.\nThe team will run against some tough competition, which is divided into two races. The Hoosiers will participate in the Women's Purple 6K Race, which features 12 teams that are either ranked in the top 25 or have received votes in the latest poll. Four of those teams are ranked in the top 10, including No. 1 Colorado.\nIU will battle against Michigan State, Ball State and Kent State. Those three teams are ranked in the top 10 in the Great Lakes Regional, the same regional that the Hoosiers run in.\nThe field will be large as it was at the Roy Griak Meet in Minneapolis with nearly 250 participants. Head coach Judy Bogenschutz hopes her young team has gained experience from that meet.\n"I think that some have learned that you can't get stuck in the middle or to the back of a 300 person race and think that you can reach to top 25-50 in a matter of 21-22 minutes," she said. \n"Runners at this level, once they go by you, they do not come back to you very often. I think we have a few who are more confident in their fitness level and know that they need to really push people after the midway point. I think that's what happened at the regional last year."\nThe Hoosiers took a step in the right direction last weekend at The Notre Dame Invitation. They look to have a break out meet this weekend. \n"(The team needs to) trust their training, trust their fitness level, push themselves through the third through fifth kilometer marks, and have the three C's -- confidence, concentration and composure," Bogenschutz said. "Every winner of every race I've seen has the three C's. With the workout they did on Monday, I know we have people not racing to their ability level. They have to go out and prove it to themselves first." \nBogenschutz said she hopes her young team will not become overwhelmed. She said the team must follow three keys to a race.\n"(Each runner needs) to concentrate on your plan, to focus on staying relaxed, and telling yourself that you can go out and beat people," she said.