Keys to Victory

Katherine K. Gardiner Arizona Daily Wildcat Cross country runner freshman Katrin Engelen crouches in a tree above senior Margarito Casillas yesterday by McKale Center. For Arizona to make the NCAA National Cross Country Championships in two weeks in Greenville, S.C., they need to finish in the top three in Saturday's race at Tucson's Del Urich Golf Course.

The NCAA Cross Country Championships are in Greenville, S.C. in two weeks and for the UA men's and women's teams to go, they need to finish in the top three in Saturday's race at Tucson's Del Urich Golf Course.

To be in the top three, senior Margarito Casillas for the men and freshman Katrin Engelen for the women hold UA's chances in their hands.

"Right now she's one of the keys for us," said UA head coach Dave Murray of Engelen.

Engelen is new to the Wildcats this season, coming to UA from her native Germany.

Murray said that he expected great things from Engelen, the German national champion in the 3,000-meters in 1992.

"We counted on her and (sophomore) Kristin Parrish to be the number two and three runners for us this year," Murray said.

Instead, Engelen has struggled, most recently coming in 57th at the Pacific 10 Conference Championships two weeks ago with a time of 19 minutes, 59 seconds.

"I'm still getting into shape," Engelen said. "It's a whole different rhythm here."

Engelen's problems are two-fold. She is still recovering from an injury that she incurred over the summer, and this is not the usual running season in Germany.

"They run at different times (of the year) over there," Murray said. "Right now is when she usually has time off."

Engelen said that she was "a bit surprised" that Murray anticipated her to form the backbone of the team in her first year.

"I'm getting better and better," she said. "At the beginning it was just tiresome doing all the traveling. The heat the first two or three weeks I was here was really tough to get used to, and the practices were tougher, too."

Engelen said that she knows she has to do well this weekend for the team to make the NCAA field. The top two teams at the Regional automatically qualify, and then four more teams are chosen at-large.

"We should be at least second," Engelen said. "It's very important for us all to do well."

While Murray knows Engelen has the potential, he is somewhat understanding of her struggles.

"From a training standpoint it's tough to catch up," he said. "It may not happen this year with Katrin. It's a whole new ballgame over here and sometimes it takes a little bit longer for someone to adjust."

Casillas has been battling injuries as well. He was redshirted last season after a knee injury, which was followed by compartment syndrome, an affliction that forced Casillas to undergo surgery on both of his calves. After recovering from both injuries, Casillas was just beginning to get back into shape this summer when he fell and broke his collarbone.

"Coming back was the worst," Casillas said. "It was very mentally frustrating. I'd never taken that long off from running."

Casillas credits his teammates with helping him come back.

"I owe it to them," he said. "Being the team captain, your teammates need you. That motivated me as much as anything."

Being the Wildcats' lone senior, Murray named Casillas the captain despite his absence.

"He's a real leader on the team," Murray said. "He's one of the keys for us to get into nationals."

Casillas said that he has "been feeling the pressure all year," to carry the team.

"I'm not where I should be right now," he said. "I should be up there with the number one guy."

Abdirahman has that spot covered. Casillas started the year in the seventh spot for UA, but has since moved up to number three.

"If he (Abdirahman) runs a good race and finishes in the top five there's no doubt in my mind that we can come in second or third," Casillas said.

For Casillas, this will be his final race in front of the home crowd.

"It's been a long road," he said. "It's kind of good that this (race) is in Tucson.

"We should do way better here. We should have a lot of people out to cheer for us."

Looking back, Casillas said "it's been an up and downhill road" over his five years at Arizona.

"It's changed a lot for me," he said. "I came in with so many goals, so many hopes."

This Saturday's race could be the last for Casillas, while Engelen has many more to run for Arizona, though none have yet been as important as this one.

Nonetheless, both runners know what they have to do with an NCAA berth on the line.

"We need them both to do well if we're going to have a shot," Murray said.

The Western Regional Championships begin on Saturday with the men's race at 9:30 a.m. and the women's at 10:45.