NCAA preview awaits 'M' cross country in Illinois

The dreaded Organic Chemistry exam is a whole two months away and you haven't started to study. Who cares?

How soon before a final exam does the average student begin studying anyways? Maybe a week, a few days - some possibly a couple of hours. Few would dream of starting to study two months in advance.

That's about how much preparation the Michigan men's cross country team is allowing for its "final exam."

The Michigan men's cross country team will face its toughest competition of the season at NCAA championships. This meet is nearly two months away, but it's never too early to prepare.

The Wolverines travel to Champaign this Saturday to get an early start at this year's NCAAs. The meet at Illinois this weekend is a 10,000-meter race, a length usually run by the Wolverines later on in the season.

This season, however, coach Ron Warhurst wants his fifth-ranked Wolverines to be ready come nationals.

"I want our team to be better prepared this year for the NCAA championship," Warhurst said. "We usually don't run a 10K this early in the season, but I feel it will better prepare the team for national competition."

The Wolverines were disappointed with last year's 14th-place showing at NCAA championships and want to improve on that mark this season.

Does that mean the conference meets are being overlooked? Of course not.

Entering his 24th season as Michigan's head coach, Warhurst realizes the importance of a successful Big Ten season and the difficulty of achieving a Big Ten championship.

"We are by no means overlooking Big Tens or NCAA districts," Warhurst said. "We have the talent to be successful at both of these meets."

Michigan's opponents at this weekend's race include the likes of Illinois, Iowa, Northern Iowa and Missouri. Those teams do not have the depth and firepower to compete with Michigan, but the race itself will give the Wolverines experience for NCAAs.

Although the team will be mostly competing with itself, it does have goals and a strategy. Warhurst wants the team to run together for the first 5K. After that point, senior Kevin Sullivan and junior John Mortimer will break away and race to the finish.

And who better than these two to lead the way.

Sullivan, a three-time All-American, is healthy after last season's foot injury. Mortimer, 1996's Big Ten Athlete of the Year, has been cruising in the team's first two meets, breaking a course record at the Jayhawk Invitational.

As for the next four or five Wolverines, their job is to finish ahead of the other team's No. 1 runners. The depth of this year's cross country team is what will determine its success later in the season.

Warhurst is hoping that this strategy will improve the Wolverine's chances at NCAAs this year. If it works, don't expect the success to set any parallel trends.

Studying habits, on the other hand, probably won't be influenced by their success.

Study two months before a final exam? Not likely.

09-25-97