TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The long-awaited meet for the Sun Devil cross country team is finally here, as Arizona State makes the biggest trip of the season for the 2016 adidas Pre-National Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Lavern Gibson National Championship Cross Country Course.
Known as Cross Country Town USA, the Pre-National Invitational is one of the biggest and best meets of the season, hosting 16 of the top-25 teams between the men and the women for a grand total of 130 teams overall.
"I think that there are two big meets going into the year that really determine who makes it to the NCAA's," said head coach Louie Quintana. "That's the Wisconsin meet, which is running on the same day, and this meet. These are the two meets that almost every team that makes the NCAA meet will go to. This is how they'll get there, this is the path to the national meet. This is why we go to these meets. For one, it simulates the field size more accurately."
The name Pre-National is exactly what it means, as this will be the exact course – barring a longer route for the men come November – the top 48 teams in the country will compete on for the NCAA Championships this season. Meaning, for the third straight week, the Sun Devils will compete on a course that they will potentially compete at in the postseason.
While the race for both the men and women is divided into two races based on national and regional ranking, Saturday will feature 287 runners in each race.
"I think the purpose is to be in that field size, to learn composure in a race when it gets really tough and there are a lot of people around you," said Quintana of racing in a meet this size. "I think it's very easy to get to that moment where you start feeling sorry for yourself and it's educating the young people in checking your ego at the door and racing for your teammates. Cross country is a team sport the way we serve it here. Everybody is very important to the bottom line. I don't want them to overthink it, get tight and overwhelmed, but I also want them to be educated on the surroundings and what it's going to be like if we do make the NCAA meet."
Along with the amount of competitors, Quintana says the atmosphere in Terre Haute is like the Super Bowl of cross country.
"There's a lot of fanfare, they do a really good job at Terre Haute," he said. "If you don't follow cross country, which 99% of people in the world don't, and you go to a meet like this, it's amazing. It's really neat, it's a great setting and great venue. We haven't been there in a long time but the way our season has been set up, I wanted to mirror our season and go to three courses that we'd have to go back to in two weeks. I think that's going to serve my young group really well."
The men and women have been running just about as well as they could through three meets, finishing 1st or 2nd in every one. Same goes for each of their top runners, as the husband and wife duo of CJ and Chelsey Albertson have placed 1st or 2nd in each meet thus far.
Most recently, Chelsey ran away with the top spot at the NCAA West Preview at the Capital Cross Challenge on Oct. 1. Quintana called it the best race of her collegiate career and he hopes to see her build off that on the national stage this week.
CJ continues to pace the men, with redshirt sophomore John Reniewicki picking up steam behind him. Quintana also looks for redshirt sophomore Brandon Boys and true freshman Michael Coccia to be contributing factors for the men this weekend.
The women hit the course first on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. EST/8 a.m. AZT, while the men follow immediately after at 11:35 a.m. EST/8:35 a.m. AZT.
Known as Cross Country Town USA, the Pre-National Invitational is one of the biggest and best meets of the season, hosting 16 of the top-25 teams between the men and the women for a grand total of 130 teams overall.
"I think that there are two big meets going into the year that really determine who makes it to the NCAA's," said head coach Louie Quintana. "That's the Wisconsin meet, which is running on the same day, and this meet. These are the two meets that almost every team that makes the NCAA meet will go to. This is how they'll get there, this is the path to the national meet. This is why we go to these meets. For one, it simulates the field size more accurately."
The name Pre-National is exactly what it means, as this will be the exact course – barring a longer route for the men come November – the top 48 teams in the country will compete on for the NCAA Championships this season. Meaning, for the third straight week, the Sun Devils will compete on a course that they will potentially compete at in the postseason.
While the race for both the men and women is divided into two races based on national and regional ranking, Saturday will feature 287 runners in each race.
"I think the purpose is to be in that field size, to learn composure in a race when it gets really tough and there are a lot of people around you," said Quintana of racing in a meet this size. "I think it's very easy to get to that moment where you start feeling sorry for yourself and it's educating the young people in checking your ego at the door and racing for your teammates. Cross country is a team sport the way we serve it here. Everybody is very important to the bottom line. I don't want them to overthink it, get tight and overwhelmed, but I also want them to be educated on the surroundings and what it's going to be like if we do make the NCAA meet."
Along with the amount of competitors, Quintana says the atmosphere in Terre Haute is like the Super Bowl of cross country.
"There's a lot of fanfare, they do a really good job at Terre Haute," he said. "If you don't follow cross country, which 99% of people in the world don't, and you go to a meet like this, it's amazing. It's really neat, it's a great setting and great venue. We haven't been there in a long time but the way our season has been set up, I wanted to mirror our season and go to three courses that we'd have to go back to in two weeks. I think that's going to serve my young group really well."
The men and women have been running just about as well as they could through three meets, finishing 1st or 2nd in every one. Same goes for each of their top runners, as the husband and wife duo of CJ and Chelsey Albertson have placed 1st or 2nd in each meet thus far.
Most recently, Chelsey ran away with the top spot at the NCAA West Preview at the Capital Cross Challenge on Oct. 1. Quintana called it the best race of her collegiate career and he hopes to see her build off that on the national stage this week.
CJ continues to pace the men, with redshirt sophomore John Reniewicki picking up steam behind him. Quintana also looks for redshirt sophomore Brandon Boys and true freshman Michael Coccia to be contributing factors for the men this weekend.
The women hit the course first on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. EST/8 a.m. AZT, while the men follow immediately after at 11:35 a.m. EST/8:35 a.m. AZT.