Cardinal Points

Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Tony Casey Members of Plattsburgh State's women's cross country team, joined by head coach John Lynch, make a practice run on course they will run tomorrow in the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - The NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship course wasn't as intimidating as the Plattsburgh State women's team had initially thought.

There was word of massive hills and the Lady Cards' game plan was to get out hard and hang on over the 6K course.

"After seeing the course, we saw that it played into our favor." Head Coach John Lynch said.

Now the idea is to still get out hard, but then settle in for the middle of the race and try to finish strong, Lynch said.

Containing no tarmac, this course is run mostly on grass, wood chips and crushed rock.

"I loved the course," senior Jen Taft said. "The surface is firm, hard grass."

It will not be the fastest course the PSUC women have run this season, but the chance for personal bests is not out of the question.

"Every one is still in the process of peaking, so personal records are not likely, but they are possible," Taft said.

Not a stranger to sending runners to the national championships, the Cards are looking to make their coach, their supporters and their teammates proud.

Over the past three years every one of the Lady Cards have ran here at least once each. "We are one of the big five teams that could do well here," senior Allison Busby said.

The official course diagram says that there are three moderate hills at the 1200m, 2400m and 4200m marks, none being referred to as anything more than "moderate". The final hill, coming with less than 200m left in the race, leads right into the final straightaway for a spectator friendly finish.

There is a chance of snow, but the conditions will be optimum for fast pace racing -

around 40 degrees, with a mixture of clouds and sunshine.

This season's workouts and races alike helped prepare the Co-Regional Champion Cardinals for anything this course had to offer.

"We were surprised to not see that many big hills," senior Alyssa Recny said. "We've done a hill workout up Dannemora Mountain to prepare us for these types of hills."

Continued...

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