Pre-NCAA invite promises prime competition

The men's cross country team will face their toughest test of the season Saturday when they travel to Terre Haute for the pre-nationals meet. The top teams in the nation will line up at Indiana State in preparation for the NCAA Championships, which are held at the same site Nov. 25.\nThe team enters the meet at No. 17 in the nation, its highest ranking since 2000. Coach Robert Chapman said the team has the talent to make a strong showing and should just run relaxed. He said the most important goal for the meet was simply to keep everyone healthy and make progress for nationals and the other big November meets.\n"I think for our team to be successful this weekend we have to run like we've been running all year," freshman John Jefferson said.\nThe Hoosiers will be running on the same course as they competed on in their last meet two weeks ago at the Indiana State Invitational. The team finished runners-up, with three freshmen in their top five. John and Sean Jefferson fished fourth and fifth overall, respectively and Eric Redman was the team's fourth finisher.\n"I am happy that our younger runners have found success, they take the pressure off me," junior Bart Phariss said. "I know that they will run well, so I can just worry about myself."\nThe Jeffersons have been the top two runners in all of the team's meets so far. John Jefferson had won every race as an individual before the Indiana State Invitational and has twice been named the Big Ten Runner of the Week. Sean Jefferson finished only .1 second behind his twin at Indiana State.\nThis weekend will be the second of the team's three meets at Terre Haute. The runners said racing on the course so often builds confidence for nationals.\n"We probably know that course as good or better than anyone in the country outside of Indiana State," Chapman said, " Knowing what to expect takes a little of the mental burden off."\nThe team has not placed much mental burden on the pre-nationals meet. Phariss said the team has raced well enough to this point of the season to ensure a spot at the NCAA Championships, so they will use this meet to build momentum.\n"This is the least important big race I have ever run," Phariss said. "We have enough wins to go to nationals, so this race is not a big deal."\nAll season long, Chapman has planned to prepare the team for November while compiling enough wins to earn a spot in nationals. With a string of solid performances already, the team is confident they will make the meet. Now, Chapman said, they can focus on November.\n"If they put together a good race this weekend, then you're not just wishing and hoping for the championship races," Chapman said. "You've got something tangible to base your dreams on, which makes it a little easier to take that emotional risk"