The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 8, 2002 - 9
Shorter race calls for new pace
Team mentality key
to success for harriers
By Megan Kolodgy
For the Daily
After weeks of training for 5,000-meter races,
Michigan's women's cross country team is ready for a
little change of pace - literally. The runners' times at
this week's Michigan Intercollegiate, a 4,000-meter
race in Milford, will be three to four minutes shorter
endurance person than a speed person."
Leightman's teammate, sophomore Theresa Feld-
kamp, is also a novice, not only in short-course races,
but in cross country in general.
This will mark her fourth race this season, and she is
expecting it to be a learning experience.
"I didn't run in high school, and I was redshirted last
season," Feldkamp explained. "I need to stay aggres-
than their average 5000-meter times.
Coach Mike McGuire predicts that the
this week's competition will not be as
fierce as others this season, as the teams
participating in the meet are local, and not
highly ranked. Because of this, the
Wolverines are sending their younger and
less experienced runners, as well as those
with backgrounds in middle distance rac-
ing, to Milford. Despite this, McGuire has
high hopes for his team's performance.
"The expectations are the same for this
group as they .were for last week's, and
the week before," McGuire said.
What: Michigan Intercolle-
giate
When: 3:30 p.m.
Latest: A number of new
faces will see action this
weekend, including Jennifer
Leichtman, who is compet-
ing for the first time since
the middle of September.
sive, and go out hard, but not too hard. I
want to stay up with the lead pack.
"The shorter it is, the happier I am. I am
feeling confident, and I think I could do
pretty well."
Leichtman also recognizes the fact that
because this is a short-course meet, she
must alter her racing strategy slightly.
"I am going to have to go out faster,"
Leichtman said. "In fact, I am going to
have to run the whole thing faster."
To combat the obstacles of inexperience
and changes in strategy, the team is taking
1
Freshman Jennifer Leichtman, who is competing for
the first time since mid-September, has had little expe-
rience with short-course racing. Though the race is
shorter than normal, it will be no less challenging than
a 5,000-meter race.
"I think I might've had a 4K race in high school, but
this will be a new experience for me" Leichtman said.
"Longer races are easier for me. I'm more of an
a different approach to practice.
"The course is supposed to be hilly," Feldkamp said.
"So this week we are spending a lot of extra time on
hills. We are also going to do more speed work."
Despite difficulties, these athletes are optimistic
about the ramifications of a shorter track.
"The 4K will be useful because it's shorter and
faster," Leichtman said. "And it might make me go
faster in my 5K races."
By Joel Hirsh
For the Daily
While most people think of cross
country as a fairly isolated sport,
with amazingly fast runners com-
peting against one another to finish
as quickly as they possibly can,
there's much more to it than just
that. The runners at Michigan are
well aware of this.
"The success of our
team has been due to MIL
running as a close-knit
group," coach Ron what: Michig
Warhurst said. "You're giate
only as strong as your When: 3:30
weakest link." looking to co
His message isn't lost hot streak aft
on the team. By continu- second at the
ally running as a group invitational IaI
during practices, the run-
ners learn to run at a good pace,
while keeping their team score as
low as possible.
Running as a team "makes it a lot
easier when you're running with
seven guys around you with a big
'M' on their chest," said sophomore
Nathan Brannan, who finished last
weekend with Michigan's fastest
time (24:38) at Notre Dame.
In addition to winning the Big Ten
team championship, Brannan is
looking for a top finish individually
as well.
Warhurst understands the impor-
tance of not holding back runners
from achieving their personal goals,
ian
Wol\
ontir
fer
ast
but he prefers to see the group stay
together as long as possible. Brannan,
says he and freshman Nick Willis
tend to pull away at a little under
three miles, but even then, those two
will try to run together as a team.
The team concept will undoubted-
ly help the squad perform well at the
Big Ten Championships. Unlike
other varsity sports, the cross coun-
try team. won't have the
" chance to compete
>RD against any of the other
Big Ten schools before its.
Intercolle- conference tournament.
"We train for 10 to 12
erines are weeks. Then we go to the
nue their Big Ten Championships,"
finishing Warhurst said. "You have
otre Dame 25 minutes to do what
weekend. you've got to do. No time
outs. No halftime."
This week, the Wolverines will
travel to Milford to compete in the
Michigan Intercollegiate. To better
prepare for the Big Ten Champi-
onships, the coach is employing a
unconventional strategy.
Normally the top runners compete
in the 8,000-meters, but this time his
top runners will compete in a shorter
race.
"I'm entering (my best team) into
the 4,000 meters so they get used to
running at a quick pace at the begin-
ning, which we'll have to do at the
Big Ten's and Nationals."
They'll probably learn that lesson
as a team, too.
New Jersey-native Lindsey Gallo will be running a
shorter course this weekend in Milford, Mich.
BIG TEN
Continued from Page 8
PURDUE AT ILLINOIS, SATURDAY, NOON:
Quick trivia: Who leads the Big Ten in
passing yards? Based on his team's dis-
mal 1-5 record, you probably wouldn't
guess Illinois' Jon Beutjer, but the jun-
ior quarterback has amassed a confer-
ence-best 1,423 yards in the air.
Unfortunately, even the daunting pres-
ence of linebacker Joe Bevis hasn't been
enough to bolster a defense that made
John Navarre look like Dan Marino.
Kyle Orton's is injured, but head
coach Joe Tiller could call his own
number and still throw for 300 yards
against the porous Illini defense.
Purdue 35, Illinois 24
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