Eleven weeks ago tomorrow, we began practicing. All of the summer training and these last eleven weeks are to prepare us for the 12th week and the NCAA South Southeast Regional Race. This year we will be running at the Emory/Nash Battlefield Course on November 10th.
Cross Country works a tad different than the other sports. In our sport everyone runs a Conference Championship, but Conference Champions do not automatically qualify for the NCAA National Race.
In our sport National Qualifiers come from the eight regional races. The top two teams from each regional qualify for the National Race, also the top seven runners not on the top two teams from each region qualify.
After those 168 runners, then their are 16 at large team bids awarded based on performance at the team's last four meets (This makes it a little more like NCAA for other sports). The National field will then have 280 runners each year. This race will take place in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 17th!
The USA South race was great for us, as we had many great performances, to include the race winner, and a Squirrel on each All Conference teams. It took all the MBC runners to lead the team to a Third Place conference finish.
The team has been dedicated to getting through workouts in the early and sometimes cold, sometimes rainy mornings. I appreciate their dedication to working hard to prepare themselves for each race. We finish as individuals at meets, but it takes the team together motivating and pushing each other during practice to finish high at those meets.
So, now it is taper time and if you are a runner you know that this is a good reward, but also a little scary as you decrease the amount of time running. However, I will encourage the runners to think about the phrase - the hay is in the barn - basically what they will do at the regional race they have been preparing during these last 11 weeks!
