Regionals is finally here!

On Saturday morning, the athletes on the Penn State Cross Country team will step to the line at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships with heavy hearts and profound pride in our team. This week has been a tough one for Penn State. Now, more than ever, we need to come together and fight for what we want and what we believe in. We want to represent our school at the National Championships. While qualifying is a possibility, we will put everything on the line to make a statement that we have become a top ten NCAA program.

           

Big Tens was a blur for me. I still can't believe I walked away the champ. But as exciting as it was, I've moved on. There are bigger and better things to accomplish this season. Since the Big Ten Championships, we have focused on recovery and getting pumped for this weekend. We had several light training days after we arrived back in Happy Valley but then got right back into the swing of things. We haven't let coming up a tiny bit short at Big Tens distract us from our other goals.

           

This weekend is going to be a challenge. Villanova, Georgetown and West Virginia are going to be formidable. The stiff competition will push us harder than we've been pushed so far this season. I hope we step up to the challenge and surprise people. As well as we have done this season; we are without a doubt the underdog. I love the position we are in as we get ready for Saturday's competition. We left Big Tens "pleased" but with a little chip on our shoulders. We wanted to win. The chances of us winning this weekend, I'll just come out and say it, are slim. We compete in one of, if not the toughest region in the country, and winning isn't the goal. But being close is. Coach Sullivan sat us down and we reevaluated our goals. The Penn State women's team has never gone to the Regional Championships trying to get an auto-bid. That is exactly what we are going to try to do this weekend. Why not? We have nothing to lose. If we go for it, it only makes our chances better.

           

Being top two in the Regional is a lofty goal. One that I know I am willing to try to achieve. I believe the other girls on my team are up to the challenge as well. This season has gone by so quickly, I've almost forgotten to take everything in. Realizing that, in the blink of an eye, it's my senior year, my last cross-country season with these girls. It is crazy to think about. There are moments from this season I will never forget. I am extremely excited to see what the next few weeks hold for us. The first step will be in Princess Anne, Maryland on Saturday. I'm excited for the opportunity to help take our program to the next level.    

Recap of Big Tens

             I’m not normally one to be at a loss for words. But trying to put together something to say right now is very difficult. I’ve pictured crossing the finish line first at the Big Ten Championships one hundred times, but I never imagined what it would actually feel like. It’s an unbelievable feeling. Unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I have been a part of four Big Ten Championship teams, and I didn’t think anything could compare. Sunday was a special day, and one I will never forget. Thank you to my coaches, my parents and family, my friends and most importantly my teammates. There is no way I could have done it without every single one of you. Knowing that you all believed in me helped me more than you know. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

            We toed the line at the Big Ten Championships thinking that anything could happen. We just had to compete. Race the race. We competed and we raced hard. We came up short, but there is no reason we can’t all hold our heads high. We were 3^rd place in a talented field. We scored 71 points, the same amount of points we scored in 2009 when we won and placed 14^th at the NCAA Championships. Although we didn’t win, we accomplished a lot. Kara Millhouse and Emily Gianotti had great races finishing in 7^th and 14^th, both placing much better than the year before. Juniors Natalie Bower and Brooklyne Ridder rounded out the top-5 finishing in 24^th and 25^th helping us secure 3^rd place. Abbie Benson, Lindsey Graybill, Katie Rodden and Bekka Simko all put together great races in a challenging field. I am so proud of these girls and all that we have accomplished this season.

            While people may be upset with the end result of Big Tens, we need to move on. There are bigger and better things still ahead of us. The Mid-Atlantic Regional is next weekend at Maryland Eastern Shores where we will face top ten powerhouses Villanova and Georgetown. We will also face nationally ranked West Virginia who we saw just a few weeks ago and we will try to redeem ourselves against them. We moved up to 22^nd in the country and I hope we keep on climbing. The best team I’ve been on was 14^th and I think we have the legs to do that and better.

            This week is all about recovery and getting fired up for next weekend. Regionals is so important because it is the deciding factor. It is what gets us to Nationals. We need to give it everything we have because I know that I don’t want to be sitting at home when people are lacing up their spikes on Monday, November 20^th. This is the real deal. I can hardly sit still in my chair while I type this. The excitement from Sunday and the excitement looking forward to next weekend is making it hard for me to pay attention in class too! I cannot wait to until I get to lace up my bright orange spikes in a little less than two weeks!