NCAAs mean revenge

In any sport, few things are as satisfying as revenge.

Teams may wait an entire year for one opportunity to avenge a loss to a hated rival; the animosity becomes more intense if that rival employed questionable tactics in order to win.

Fortunately for the Michigan women's cross country team, the chance for redemption comes two weeks after the defeat when it faces Wisconsin on Saturday at the NCAA Regionals in Terre Haute, Ind.

The Wolverines lost the Big Ten Championships by a total of five points to Wisconsin on Oct. 31.

Even worse, Wisconsin provided a trick of its own on Halloween, disguising in uniforms which obscured the school name in an effort to throw the Wolverines for a loop.

Though some on the team question the motives of such a move, no one holds it against Wisconsin.

"They won fair and square," senior co-captain Katie McGregor said.

Coach Mike McGuire also downplayed Wisconsin's strategy.

"It's a whole lot of nothing," McGuire said. "They didn't win because of their jerseys."

The top two teams from regionals will automatically advance to the NCAA championships. The third and fourthplace finishers stand the chance for an at-large bid, when factors such as record and performance against non-regional teams are taken into account.

The Wolverines will likely challenge the Badgers for their first regional title since 1995.

"We would definitely like to beat Wisconsin, but the top two teams advance," McGuire said. "You don't go into a meet to get second, but second advances us to the next meet in this case."

McGregor, cross-country's Big Ten athlete of the year, would like to close out her cross country career with an individual and team crown.

"I think we are experienced and this is (Michelle) Slater's and my last season," McGregor said. "We know that as a team, we are capable of winning it."

McGuire thinks that the regional course will provide a welcome change from the monstrous Michigan Golf Course they have run on for the past two meets. McGuire said that while the Michigan Course rates "a 9 or an 8.5" on a one to 10 scale of difficulty, the Indiana course constitutes a mere "5" in comparison.

"We'll be a little more aggressive," McGuire said. "We can't have Wisconsin put three in front of our second like last time."

The rest of the field consists of teams Michigan has handled easily throughout the year, although McGuire underestimates no one.

"Bowling Green had a good conference meet and they could go with the at-large criteria," he said.

11-12-98