If each meet in the ASU cross-country season was a test leading up to the final at the NCAA Division I Championships, the Sun Devils find themselves at the one directly before midterms.
“I've been telling the guys this week that we treat this season like a semester-long class and each race is a test,” men's head coach Louie Quintana said.
The “test” this weekend however will not include the Sun Devils' finest athletes. ASU will not be sending their top runners to Saturday's Grand Canyon Invitational in Goodyear, but this meet is still crucial to the Sun Devils' season for the rest of the team. The team is still looking to earn high marks in their first meet of the year in the Phoenix area.
“We are running some girls who need a racing opportunity, so we will line up and treat it like any other race and run hard,” women's head coach Ryan Cole said.
Other than giving other runners more experience, the reasoning behind sending different runners to this meet is simple. The other two Division 1 schools competing Saturday, NAU and UA, are also sending limited squads The Sun Devils are also in preparations for possibly their most challenging meet next weekend at the Wisconsin Invitational.
Regardless, the Sun Devils are excited to race Saturday.
“For the girls racing on Saturday, it's a big deal,” Cole said. “Anytime you put the ASU uniform on and run it's important.”
The race, hosted by Grand Canyon University, will take place at Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu
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