Senior duo to run in NCAA Championships

Seniors Jessica Gall and Lindsay Hattendorf will try to salvage a disappointing season for the IU women's cross country team at the NCAA Championships today.\nWhile the Hoosiers did not qualify for the meet as a team, the two seniors qualified individually to become the first two IU runners to compete at the NCAA Championships all four years.\n"It's a big moment for IU," Hoosier coach Judy Wilson said. "They kind of took a chance on us (coming to IU), and I am very grateful for that. They're good runners, but they're better people." \nAfter an impressive four years at IU, Gall will try to become a three-time All-American for the Hoosiers, while Hattendorf will try to accomplish the feat for the first time in her career. Wilson said she is looking for a top-10 finish from Gall and a top-40 finish from Hattendorf as the two end their cross country careers as Hoosiers.\n"It hasn't really sunk in yet," Gall said. "It's my last cross country race, and it's even more motivation for me to make it my best one ever."\nLast season at nationals, Gall placed 32nd and is coming off of a fifth-place finish at the Great Lakes Regional meet Nov. 11. Hattendorf finished 61st at the meet last year. For Gall, running at the NCAA Championships for the fourth straight year, along with Hattendorf, came somewhat as a surprise.\n"It's kind of hard to believe, but it's really an honor considering all of the really good runners that have run at IU before," Gall said. "Honestly, I was surprised to find out that we were the first two people to run all four years."\nThough Wilson expects Gall to have a good day, she said Hattendorf is going to have to work hard to be named an All-American. In order to be successful, Hattendorf is going to have to hang around the late pack and not break off, Wilson said.\nEven with Gall and Hattendorf qualifying for the NCAA Championships, the season did not meet the Hoosiers' expectations. For the second year in a row, IU did not qualify for the NCAA Championships, a disappointment to Wilson.\n"You always want to get your team there, but from the beginning of October, I knew it was going to be tough," Wilson said. "But we have a good young group coming back after these two. I think our goal next year is going to have to be on the process, not the end result. We're going to have to do a little more teaching rather than saying we're going to go to nationals."\nGall echoed her coach's thoughts.\n"I wish so badly that the rest of the team was here with us," Gall said. "I know they gave it their all at regionals, and we were just unlucky in a few spots. I hope to represent the rest of my teammates really well at nationals because without them, I wouldn't be where I am"