The ASU cross country teams have two meets this weekend, but just one has implications for the national championship meet later this year.
ASU’s top runners will race in the 2008 NCAA Pre-National meet on Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind.
The race will give the Sun Devils a look at the best teams in the country and a preview of the course that will host the NCAA Championships on Nov. 24.
The women’s team enters the race No. 8 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll.
The team is expected to finish in the top two at the NCAA West Regional Championships on Nov. 15, guaranteeing it a spot in the championship meet.
The men, however, hope to gain enough points to secure one of the 13 at-large spots in the tournament.
Points are gained by finishing ahead of teams that qualify to race in the NCAA Championships.
With 24 of the top 30 ranked teams running in the men’s race, there will be plenty of competition for the at-large bids.
In the past four years, the women’s team has finished at least third every year while the men’s team has finished in the top 20.
ASU will send seven runners to the race, while several others will compete in the open race, following the team race.
Each of the men’s 8,000-meters and women’s 6,000-meters races will be split in two, with the Sun Devils racing in the second of each of the two races.
ASU runners that are not running in the NCAA Pre-National meet will compete in the Mesa Thunderbird Invitational at Kiwanis Park in Tempe Friday.
Reach the reporter at cyrus.karimi@asu.edu.
