TEMPE, Ariz. – After over two months of preparation, the Sun Devil Cross Country team is finally in conference championship week, as the University of Arizona hosts the 2016 Pac-12 Championships with two Territorial Cup® points on the line in Tucson on Friday, Oct. 28.
Lucky for the Devils, one factor in the preparation process has been eliminated thanks to strategic planning from their head coach Louie Quintana. On Sept. 16, the team participated in the Dave Murray Invitational down south at the same course the conference meet will be held – the Randolph North Golf Course.
"When we set up our schedule, we scheduled it for this exact reason," said Quintana. "Even though we have an older men's team, it was a very inexperienced men's team. A lot of those guys had never been on the travel roster before like CJ (Albertson) or Chelsey (Albertson) who have been through the ranks. We needed to get everyone else on and get them some familiar territory, run these courses, that way the second time that we go through, there's a little less race anxiety. It's very fortunate that the championship meet is in Tucson since we have a lot of Arizona kids -- it takes a little bit of the nervousness away. We're not traveling to Eugene or Colfax or somewhere that requires a plane. I think that they feel in that sense, there's a lot of comfort there.
"Certainly, there will be race anxiety and those kind of things that any kid lining up in the race is going to feel, but I feel that the 'hay is in the barn' and there's not much more that we can do at this point. We'll just get them to the line with positive energy, happy, healthy and ready to go."
While the meet in September didn't feature some of the top teams in the Pac-12, who are also several of the top in the country, the Devils ran well with a 1st-place finish on the men's side and 2nd place by the women.
Veterans Chelsey and CJ Albertson led the group then, and Quintana expects nothing different this week. Especially being the married duo has had a great week of preparation.
"Every big meet we've had up to this point, CJ has had a very off week," said Quintana. "He tweaked his hamstring going into the pre-national meet, tweaked his quad going into Sacramento. He's a very durable guy, so it's just been sort of off-putting to our group because guys are really expecting him to get things done. Such is the life of being a captain, you carry a lot more than your physical performance. You sort of embody being in a good mood and so the guys are in a really good spot because he's had such a great week.
"Same for his wife, Chelsey. She tried to make some things happen at pre-nationals like, 'this is my moment and I've done all this great work.' She's in a similar boat and for us, talking about the race within the race -- trying to beat Arizona -- the thing that they really have on us is two really good front-runners. In fact, they have two girls that have beaten Chelsey this year, so that's something that she is focused on. Claire Green, their top girl is liable to be in the top 10. But Chelsey can run with her. She needs to run herself into it. She was 28th last year and she's in much better fitness right now."
In each of the last two years, CJ has improved his finish at the Pac-12 meet, going from 35th in 2014 to 19th in 2015. The same goes for Chelsey, who placed 75th in 2013 followed by a 28th-place finish the next time she competed in 2015 (redshirted in 2014).
Along with CJ on the men's squad, Quintana looks for redshirt sophomore John Reniewicki to continue running the way he has this season and be within the top-30. Behind him, it will be a fight to the finish with redshirt sophomore Brandon Boys, freshman Michael Coccia, redshirt junior Cody Brazeal, redshirt sophomore Nick Dale and redshirt freshman Simon Paige.
Behind Chelsey, the women are one of the youngest teams they've had in recent years. Redshirt senior Jenna Maack and junior transfer Billie Jo Dytrt are two of the oldest, with true freshman Courtney Lewis and Megan Reniewicki also expected to contribute.
The women's 6K event will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Tucson, followed by the men's 8K at 10:30 a.m. The meet will have live results posted the day of, and the Pac-12 will air the meet tape delayed on Monday, Oct. 31. The women's show will air at 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT followed by the men's show at 6:30 p.m. PT/7:30 MT.
Lucky for the Devils, one factor in the preparation process has been eliminated thanks to strategic planning from their head coach Louie Quintana. On Sept. 16, the team participated in the Dave Murray Invitational down south at the same course the conference meet will be held – the Randolph North Golf Course.
"When we set up our schedule, we scheduled it for this exact reason," said Quintana. "Even though we have an older men's team, it was a very inexperienced men's team. A lot of those guys had never been on the travel roster before like CJ (Albertson) or Chelsey (Albertson) who have been through the ranks. We needed to get everyone else on and get them some familiar territory, run these courses, that way the second time that we go through, there's a little less race anxiety. It's very fortunate that the championship meet is in Tucson since we have a lot of Arizona kids -- it takes a little bit of the nervousness away. We're not traveling to Eugene or Colfax or somewhere that requires a plane. I think that they feel in that sense, there's a lot of comfort there.
"Certainly, there will be race anxiety and those kind of things that any kid lining up in the race is going to feel, but I feel that the 'hay is in the barn' and there's not much more that we can do at this point. We'll just get them to the line with positive energy, happy, healthy and ready to go."
While the meet in September didn't feature some of the top teams in the Pac-12, who are also several of the top in the country, the Devils ran well with a 1st-place finish on the men's side and 2nd place by the women.
Veterans Chelsey and CJ Albertson led the group then, and Quintana expects nothing different this week. Especially being the married duo has had a great week of preparation.
"Every big meet we've had up to this point, CJ has had a very off week," said Quintana. "He tweaked his hamstring going into the pre-national meet, tweaked his quad going into Sacramento. He's a very durable guy, so it's just been sort of off-putting to our group because guys are really expecting him to get things done. Such is the life of being a captain, you carry a lot more than your physical performance. You sort of embody being in a good mood and so the guys are in a really good spot because he's had such a great week.
"Same for his wife, Chelsey. She tried to make some things happen at pre-nationals like, 'this is my moment and I've done all this great work.' She's in a similar boat and for us, talking about the race within the race -- trying to beat Arizona -- the thing that they really have on us is two really good front-runners. In fact, they have two girls that have beaten Chelsey this year, so that's something that she is focused on. Claire Green, their top girl is liable to be in the top 10. But Chelsey can run with her. She needs to run herself into it. She was 28th last year and she's in much better fitness right now."
In each of the last two years, CJ has improved his finish at the Pac-12 meet, going from 35th in 2014 to 19th in 2015. The same goes for Chelsey, who placed 75th in 2013 followed by a 28th-place finish the next time she competed in 2015 (redshirted in 2014).
Along with CJ on the men's squad, Quintana looks for redshirt sophomore John Reniewicki to continue running the way he has this season and be within the top-30. Behind him, it will be a fight to the finish with redshirt sophomore Brandon Boys, freshman Michael Coccia, redshirt junior Cody Brazeal, redshirt sophomore Nick Dale and redshirt freshman Simon Paige.
Behind Chelsey, the women are one of the youngest teams they've had in recent years. Redshirt senior Jenna Maack and junior transfer Billie Jo Dytrt are two of the oldest, with true freshman Courtney Lewis and Megan Reniewicki also expected to contribute.
The women's 6K event will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Tucson, followed by the men's 8K at 10:30 a.m. The meet will have live results posted the day of, and the Pac-12 will air the meet tape delayed on Monday, Oct. 31. The women's show will air at 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT followed by the men's show at 6:30 p.m. PT/7:30 MT.