For the ASU women's cross-country team, finding out about their bid to the NCAA Championship meet was a little unorthodox. The Sun Devils were just arriving back in Phoenix from the NCAA West Regional when the Nationals selection show began.
“Everybody was huddled around the phone in the airport (listening) and when Arizona State's name came up all the girls started screaming and making a scene,” coach Ryan Cole said. “Everyone was looking at us like we were kind of crazy.”
“Crazy” could also be applied to describing ASU's path to the National Championships. The Sun Devils had to finish sixth place or better in the Pac-12 Championships to keep in contention for Nationals, and did just that by finishing sixth. In the following meet, the NCAA West Regional, ASU followed up the solid performance at the Pac-12s with a seventh place finish.
Now, with an at-large bid, the Sun Devils is one of the 31 teams competing at the NCAA National Meet Monday in Terre Haute, Ind. For top runner and freshman Shelby Houlihan, the whole experience is still all too surreal.
“It hasn't really sunk in yet,” Houlihan said.
Going into the Regional meet, Houlihan was the only sure bet to make it to Nationals. Thankfully, the Sun Devil team will be competing with her and giving extra motivation.
“It will help a lot,” Houlihan said. “In high school, my team would never make it to State with me. Going as an individual, you don't have as much motivation there to pump you up. It's just nice to have a team there.”
The same Sun Devil squad that raced at the West Regional
joins Houlihan in Indiana. The group includes Houlihan, senior Lindsay Prescott, redshirt juniors Kate Lydy, Natasa Vulic and freshman Hailey Hanna. Cole is confident for his team if they can stick to the plan.
“We just need to keep our wits about us,” Cole said. “The game plan going in is to keep the girls focused on what they need to do and not do something heroic.”
Houlihan has the same mindset as her coach.
“This is what we have been working for the whole year, so we just need to stay focused and keep doing what we need to,” she said.
As for their expectations for the National Championships, the Sun Devils really don't have any. Cole just wants for his team to run a good, hard race and let the results take care of themselves.
“I expect them to compete hard and with a lot of poise,” Cole said “It's the expectation every time we line up.”
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu
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