Runners at crossroads of season

There comes a time in the season of any team when expectation makes way for reality. Time progresses, and the promise of August becomes the desperation of October. For the Michigan women's cross country team, the time has come for self-motivation and a late run at national prominence.

Disappointment was the word after last Sunday's Wolverine Invitational. The hosts were too gracious, allowing national powers Washington, Nebraska, and James Madison, as well as Montana State, to take the first through fourth places atop the leader board. A fifth place finish last Sunday was a not what Michigan was looking to accomplish.

LOUIS BROWN/Daily The Michigan women's cross country team can breathe a sigh of relief, because it can steadily practice plenty before Big Ten Championships on October 30.

"We really didn't improve," coach Mike McGuire said. "We haven't really improved in the last month. Some people have and some people have gone backwards. Obviously we're missing some kids. Our focus has got to be the people who are in the lineup."

Coach McGuire and the rest of the team are struggling through a difficult year plagued by injury. Injuries to runners such as junior Katie Clifford, senior Julie Frowd, senior Angie Stanifer, and junior Erin White have crippled the high expectations of this Michigan squad. The team has been working to bring their practice intensity onto the course, but so far they have been unsuccessful.

"You've got to dig down. You've got to come to run. Every meet, whether it's a medium-sized meet or a big meet, home or away. You just have to have consistency. We need consistency," McGuire said.

The team was hoping that playing host at last Sunday's meet would provide the necessary boost in team spirit. On Oct. 30, the Big Ten Championships will be run in State College. Over the next two weeks, this team that had once dreamed of knocking off Big Ten power Wisconsin now must apply itself to competing with the third, fourth, and fifth best teams in the conference.

"We can still be number two. There are some teams that we'll have to match up well against - Minnesota, Michigan St.ate. Our No. 2 and No. 3 runners will be able to run with their number two and three runners. We can do it with the people who ran on Sunday, but not by running the way we did," McGuire said.

They may not have to, if their luck at the doctor's office doesn't parallel their luck on the course. Stanifer is expected to return for Big Tens after struggling with back problems over the past few weeks. The team is hopeful that Erin White will be able to fight through stomach problems and rejoin the team by season's end.

Running at State College is the primary focus of the team. A second place finish would put Michigan in position to qualify for the NCAA championship, and success next week followed again at the regional championships in three weeks would put the team where they want to be.

"The course is an honest test of cross country," McGuire said. "It's not as difficult as ours, but the last mile is tough. If you've got a lapse in concentration, you're going to lose several places.

"We need all our scorers in the top 20, which will be harder this year than last year."

10-21-99