Northwestern University Athletics
Runners Set to Go At NCAAs Today
11/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Nov. 25, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - For just the second time in school history -- and the first since women's cross country was revived as a varsity sport in 1998 -- the Wildcats will participate in the NCAA National Cross Country Championships, which take place today in Terre Haute, Ind.
The 31-team women's race is scheduled to go off at noon Eastern on the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, which is located within the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, near the campus of Indiana State.
Northwestern -- ranked 30th in the latest national poll -- gained admission into the championships by virtue of its second-place finish at the Midwest Regional Nov. 16. The only other previous appearance by the Wildcats came in 1985, when they finished 13th out of 16 squads.
"We're looking forward to this race," said head coach Amy Tush. "All the hard work has been done, and now there's nothing left for us to do except run our best. We have nothing to lose -- just getting here is a major accomplishment. I think that without any weight of expectation on us, we'll run very well."
For seniors Laura Evans (Christiansburg, Va./Christiansburg), Rachel Evjen (Eau Claire, Wis./North), Nicole Kuznia (Olivia, Minn./BOLD) and Karen Rogers (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood), this marks the end of the line in a Northwestern uniform. They have provided the nucleus of a program that has made major strides in their four years, and so it only seems appropriate that they should get to end their careers at the NCAA meet.
The senior quartet will be joined at the starting line by junior Emily Blakeslee (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) and sophomores Diana Hossfeld (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona Del Mar) and Kyna Forkins (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West).
"I'm so happy for this group," said Tush, who is in her second season as head coach of the Wildcats. "They have been the leaders of this program since they arrived on campus, so this is a nice way to close things out. This is a day they will never forget."
Click here for more information on the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
