Hoosiers finish season at Regionals`

The men's cross country team ran in the Great Lakes Regionals this weekend. The team's goal was to qualify for the NCAA Championship, and it needed an impressive performance by everyone to advance. IU was unable to put it together and finished seventh overall. \nThe Hoosiers said they were disappointed about their performance.\n"We ran like we have been all season. Chad (Andrews) and I ran well. (Chris) Powers, (Kurtis) George, and (Tom) Burns ran average," sophomore Bart Phariss said. "We needed everyone to have a great day. It was very disappointing." \nNotre Dame won and Michigan finished second. In doing so, the teams they earned automatic bids for the NCAA Championship. Michigan State and Wisconsin finished third and fourth, respectively. Butler (fifth) and Eastern Michigan (sixth) also finished ahead of IU. \nThere were a few bright spots for the Hoosiers. Andrews, a junior, finished 12th with a time of 31:01 and Phariss finished 17th, crossing the line in 31:19. In his 12th place finish Andrews qualified for nationals as an individual. \n"It is a little bittersweet," Andrews said. "I wish the team could be there with me."\nPhariss just missed out on his chance to advance to nationals as well. \n"If Eastern Michigan would have made it (to the NCAA championship) I would have went," Phariss said.\nThe rest of the team did not fare as well. Powers, a junior, finished third for the team and 31st overall, finishing in 31:54. Burns, a freshman, finished 57th overall with a time of 32:26. The fifth man for IU, George, a freshman, who finished 60th with a time of 32:31. \nIU plans to red-shirt both Andrews and Powers next season. With an extra year of training, these two should help make IU one of the top teams in the nation. Several of the men believe that even though these two are not going to run next season, the team will still be solid. \n"I think we will be better next year," Phariss said. "I think (this year's) freshmen will be able to make it a seamless transition."\nFor now, the team is looking ahead to the indoor and outdoor track seasons. \n"Everybody is going to focus on indoor and outdoor and try to make it to nationals there," Andrews said. "Then the team will put the base miles in over the summer."\nHead coach Robert Chapman said despite the disappointment, some things were gained this season.\n"I think the team has learned that they can't take things for granted," he said. "We're more fit than we were last season, but when race day came around we just couldn't put it all together. I hope that they've learned that. I know that I certainly have"