Cross country runs all the way to NCAA Regionals

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Abdi Abdirahman

The men's team is currently ranked No. 7 in the nation while the women's team stands at No. 11, and both will race for spots in the NCAA Championships in Lawrence, Kan., on Nov. 23.

"The regional championship will be pretty much a repeat of the Pac-10 race except the field will be twice the size," UA head coach Dave Murray said.

Thirty-one teams from the nation will be given bids to the NCAA Championship with the two teams who place first and second in at the NCAA Regionals getting automatic bids. A strong finish by the Wildcat squad is necessary for a NCAA Championship berth, and this will be no easy task considering the remarkable strength of the Pacific 10 Conference.

"The Pac-10 is the dominant conference in cross country racing right now," Murray said.

Fresh off a record-setting race at the Pac-10 Championships, senior Abdi Abdir-ahman will once again lead the UA men's team at the NCAA Regionals.

"I'm looking forward to running this weekend, and showing what we can do as a team," Abdirahman said.

Juniors Micheil Jones and Jeremy Lyon, along with sophomore David Lopez and freshman Steve Smith, round out the men's squad.

Yet again, senior and strong runner Jeff McLarty will be absent from the Wildcat squad in Fresno this weekend because of an ankle injury that has sidelined him for more than half the season.

"I'd love to compete but the team has just pulled away from me in the level of fitness," he said.

The women's team looks to improve upon their somewhat disappointing Pac-10 Conference meet, in which they finished third behind Stanford and Washington.

"I'm looking for a much better race from Tara Chaplin and Kristen Parrish," Murray said. "I think we could place second."

Another Wildcat fresh off a Pac-10 title is senior Amy Skieresz, who will head the women's team as it races for a NCAA Championship bid. Freshman Chaplin and junior Parrish look to improve on last meet's performance with strong races this weekend.

"I'm anticipating a good race from both our men and our women," Murray said.

The women's 5,000-meter race starts early tomorrow at 10 a.m., foll-owed by the men's 10,000m race at 11.

Brian Wahlund can be reached via e-mail at Brian.Wahlund@wildcat.arizona.edu.