Toeing the Line #4: at NCAA-Pre Nationals
10/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 14, 2015
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• Athlete Spotlight: Rachel Barrett
THIS WEEK
Saturday, Oct. 17 -- at NCAA Pre-Nationals (Louisville, Ky.), 10:15 a.m.
Live Results
• Event Information: Event Information | Course Map | Spectator Info | Teams Competing 
| Results
In its second regular-season race at the site of the 2015 NCAA Championships, the fifth-ranked University of Michigan women's cross country team returns to E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky, for the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet hosted by the University of Louisville. The race begins at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday (Oct. 17).
Earlier this month, U-M took the team title at the Greater Louisville Classic, led by the first-place finisher, junior Erin Finn. This weekend, U-M will have an opportunity to see the course once again, continuing head coach Mike McGuire's trend of regular-season visits to the NCAA meet site. The Wolverines will run a 6,000-meter race against 42 other programs from across the nation. This meet will feature eight ranked programs including U-M, creating yet another opportunity for the Maize and Blue to earn points against the stiff competition they will later face in the postseason.
U-M will travel 12 athletes to the meet in uniform, which includes competition from the following ranked programs: No. 2 Colorado, No. 4 Oregon, No. 7 Georgetown, No. 9 Stanford, No. 26 Villanova, No. 27 Texas, No. 29 Cornell
[ More Information ]
THINGS TO KNOW
• This weekend marks the prestigious NCAA Pre-Nationals meet, which is a preview of the upcoming NCAA Cross Country National Championship held on Nov. 21 in Louisville, providing a look at a handful of squads hoping to compete for the top-four podium honors the weekend before Thanksgiving. Michigan has competed at this meet in 13 of the previous 14 seasons.
• Junior Erin Finn has led the team in the last eight consecutive scoring meets in which she has competed, dating to her freshman campaign in 2013. Last week, she earned her fourth career career Big Ten Athlete of the Week award for her efforts.
• E.P. Tom Sawyer Park is the site of the NCAA Championships (Nov. 21), also hosted by the University of Louisville. The venue has been the host of five NAIA National Championships, the 2010 and 2014 NCAA DII National Championships and the 2012 NCAA DI National Championships.
• The meet will also feature many other top Division I teams, including eight ranked teams -- with five of the top 10, including U-M. The meet also features five other programs that received votes in the latest USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll: California, Purdue, Weber State, Utah and Mississippi State.
• U-M opened the USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll at No. 12 in the preseason, and the season has seen U-M climb to fifth in the latest edition released last week.
• Last week's poll marks the first time since 2008 that both the men's (No. 8) and women's programs have been ranked in the top 10 of the USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll.
• The Maize and Blue will travel 12 athletes to compete at Louisville: Rachel Barrett, Claire Borchers, Erin Finn, Corinne Florie, Sophie Linn, Taylor Manett, Jamie Morrissey, Courtney Munley, Shannon Osika, Anna Pasternak, Jaimie Phelan and Gina Sereno.
• Still fresh off her varsity debut at the Commodore Classic (Sept. 19), sophomore/freshman Rachel Barrett will run her first 6K at the collegiate level this weekend. Her classmate Claire Borchers and junior/sophomore Sophie Linn will also make their in-uniform debuts at 6,000 meters.
• Aside from Barrett, each of the other 11 Wolverines set to toe the line this weekend ran at the 5,000-meter Greater Louisville Classic earlier this month (Oct. 3) on the same course.
Top Returning Times at 6,000 meters (from 2014)
| Athlete | Time |
| Shannon Osika | 20:03.4 |
| Erin Finn | 20:43.3 |
| Gina Sereno | 20:46 |
| Jaimie Phelan | 20:47.2 |
| Anna Pasternak | 20:48.9 |
| Laura Addison | 20:59 |
TWEET OF THE WEEK
it seems like @masonferlic and I are on different pages 😂 https://t.co/bYsIK0Y39a
-- Erin Finn (@erinefinn) October 13, 2015
UP NEXT
Friday, Oct. 23 -- at EMU Fall Classic (Dexter, Mich.), 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1 -- at Big Ten Championships (Evanston, Ill.), 10:45 a.m. CDT
Communications Contact: Chad Shepard
Players Mentioned
