The 19th ranked SMU cross-country team has been selected to compete in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships on Monday. The NCAA Selection Committee selected the Mustangs as one of the 31 women’s teams to contest for a national title.
Indiana State University will host the 6,000-meter race at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course, located at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Ind.
The field is compiled of 18 automatic bids, given to the top two teams from each of the nine regional championships, and 13 at-large bids given at the discretion of the Selection Committee.
SMU earned its at-large bid through a gutsy team effort that resulted in a fourth-place finish at the South Central Region Championships in Waco, TX. The Mustangs needed a total team effort, as top runners Silje Fjortoft and Monika Korra were hampered by the flu.
“The flu finally caught up with Silje and Monika, but they battled through it and really gutted it out,” SMU head coach Dave Wollman told SMUMustangs.com. “I was also extremely proud of how our other runners stepped up and was pleased with our overall showing today.”
Leading the supporting cast was one of the senior leaders, Rachael Forish, who stepped up to run a time of 21:07, earning 12th place. Also stepping up for the ailing team was freshman Claire Hardwick, who managed an impressive 18th place finish.
Other notable Mustangs were Jessa Simmons (31st), Ilyssa Pettigrew (38th) and Sierra Anderson (43rd). The usually dominant Norwegian tandem of Fjortoft and Korra managed solid performances despite their illnesses, taking 15th and 29th, respectively.
Wollman understands that the most important task lies ahead. “The athletic department’s personal goal is to have each team among the Top 25 in the nation, and this Monday we will have a chance to fulfill that goal.”
While Stanford has been crowned with the team national title for the last three years, this year the Washington Huskies are the favorite. But don’t rule out the 19th ranked Mustangs to upset. Earlier this year the team defeated the favored Rice Owls to win the Conference USA Championships.
The health of the Norwegian Duo could be the biggest factor in the finals. The All-Conference runners are not yet training at full level, but Wollman remains optimistic.
“Having them not 100 percent is not the perfect way to go into it, but sometimes you can have one great race after being really rested.”
CBS College Sports Network will carry the race, and NCAA.com will run live streaming online.
