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After a long season, the No. 7 West Virginia cross country team will get a chance to capture the goal of a national championship.
The Mountaineers will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., Monday to compete in the NCAA Championships.
"The NCAA Championship is one of the purest forms of competition. Take the 31 best teams in the country, bring them to one location every year on the Monday before Thanksgiving, and let them go head to head," said WVU head coach Sean Cleary. "After 20 to 22 minutes we have the runners across the line, and the results flash up on a scoreboard.
"There are no politics involved and no controversial calls that can impact the end result of an event."
Cleary is hopeful for a successful weekend for his team. After running three consecutive meets in muddy and wet conditions, Cleary noticed his team was a little fatigued.
He gave his team a few days off to rest after NCAA Regionals last weekend.
He feels the team will be well rested and focused on one goal – bringing home a national championship.
The Mountaineers will again be counting on the team’s strengths – leadership, experience and depth – to lead them to a successful weekend, Cleary said.
Cleary feels that his team has the experience and determination to run successfully.
"Our girls have been here (before), have been rewarded at this level and know that it will require their best running in order to come home happy," Cleary said.
West Virginia will also be competiting at the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships this weekend in New York City.
The ECAC will give an opportunity to the girls on the team that will not be running in the NCAA Championships to compete one final time this season.
Cleary said the event will allow the girls to run at a competitive level and try to prove themselves for next season.
"We have future all-Americans that are not running the National Championships," Cleary said. "These young women have trained very hard this season and hope to prove their shape on Saturday."
Cleary is confident the younger girls on the team will step up to the high level of competition.
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