2 runners head to national meet

While most IU students are only thinking about Thanksgiving break, two members of the IU women's cross country team have a much different focus. All Jessica Gall and Lindsay Hattendorf can think about is the NCAA Cross Country Championships. When many students are already on their way home, Gall and Hattendorf will be traveling to Terre Haute to race early Monday afternoon.\nThis marks the fourth consecutive year IU has been represented in the national championship either by a team or an individual. Gall and Hattendorf, both juniors, qualified for the meet through their top 10 performances in last week's NCAA Great Lakes Regional. Despite competing on the highest stage collegiate women's cross country offers, the two said they will not approach the race differently than any other.\n"It's just like any other meet, just a little higher caliber," Hattendorf said. She said she maintains the same strategy throughout all of her races: "Don't think. Just run." \nBy running in the last two meets, Hattendorf latched on to the top packs at both Big Ten and Regional meets and found herself finishing in the top 10. \n"I want to be the same way I've been at Big Tens and at Regionals," Hattendorf said. "I'll just put my self up there and not worry about it and just hang on for dear life."\nLast year, Gall took home All-American honors with her 18th place finish in the national meet. \n"I'd love for us to bring home two All-Americans and I think they have a legitimate shot at that," IU coach Judy Wilson said. \nIt will take a finish in the 30s or better to accomplish this, Wilson said. But she said both girls are peaking at the moment and have excellent chances.\n"Jess is in familiar territory and with the way Lindsay is running and just sticking her nose up there, you never know," Wilson said.\nTypically upbeat, Gall said she is staying loose for this meet with a smile on her face, but she knows the significance of this final showdown of the season.\n"All the long hours and hard work are all for this one meet," Gall said.\nAlthough the race is in Terre Haute, which is a course the Hoosiers are familiar with, the weather Monday might be unexpected. Wilson said she knows the late fall Indiana weather could be anything from pouring rain to freezing snow.\n"The worse the weather, the better because I don't think it will affect these two at all," Wilson said.