On Sunday, Jenny Barringer spoke like a woman who only envisions one way to finish an outstanding NCAA running career.
The fifth-year Colorado senior redshirted last fall after competing in the 2008 Olympics, and returns to race today at LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute after runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2007.
“The last couple times, I don’t think I was considered a favorite to win,” said Barringer, who was second to Kenyan Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech as a sophomore and junior. “It’s exciting that this is the first time in cross that I’m someone that’s considered somebody that could win the meet.
“That’s been a fun experience. I’m trying to take it all in.”
Florida State’s Susan Kuijken also knows something about runner-up finishes at the NCAA meet, taking second to Kipyego last year.
“I’m going to try to get my highest placing ever in cross country,” Kuijken simplified.
Both 2008 individual champions have graduated since last season, as Oregon’s Galen Rupp has moved on to a professional career. But last year’s men’s runner-up is back. Kenyan Sam Chelanga of Liberty University hopes he can take advantage of fast conditions today to chase down NCAA glory after getting outkicked by Rupp last November.
On the women’s side, a repeat champion appears likely as the Washington Huskies go for a second straight title after one of the most dominant victories in NCAA history last year. Coach Greg Metcalf’s squad has fought some more adversity this season, but Washington is “fit and healthy,” he said at Sunday’s press conference at the Holiday Inn.
“Our team is a little more calm, cool and collected this year, and a little more battle tested,” Metcalf said.
Washington became just the 11th women’s program to take hope a title since NCAA Championships began in 1981. One of the programs to win multiple titles, Villanova, has the best chance to be Washington’s spoiler. The Wildcats, dominant winners of the Mid-Atlantic Region, graduated just one senior from last year’s sixth-place squad.
Villanova coach Gina Procaccio said she’s not surprised by her team’s rise. The Wildcats picked off No. 2 Oregon in the Bill Dellinger Invitational, and they haven’t looked back.
“We just kind of went from there. We only had one senior, one junior, four sophomores and a freshman on the 6th place team,” Procaccio said. “Usually you see a big breakthrough in your athlete’s junior year. We’re just more experienced.”
Third-ranked Princeton could also contend if the Tigers experience a good day. The Tigers are led by Liz Costello, who was 11th last year, and three-time champion at the Gibson Course, Alex Banfich of Culver.
“We’ve got a great strategy this year. In basketball, it’s called a box-and-one,” Princeton coach Peter Farrell said. “We’ve got one girl running up front and four of them running together. I kind of like those chances.”
Washington’s Metcalf also likes his chances with a group led by sophomores Kendra Schaaf and Christine Babcock and two-time All-American Katie Follett.
“We can’t dwell too much on last year, we have to keep our focus forward and run a great race [Monday],” said Follett, Washington’s only senior. “Bringing back so much of the same team, I think does help us to carry the momentum we had last year. But it is a different year, and it will be a different race obviously. We’re all just not trying to get too caught up in expectations and pressures.”
Like Follett, Barringer is focused on a good result for her team. The Buffaloes are ranked 6th in the nation after not qualifying for the NCAAs for the first time since 1991 last year. Colorado won national titles prior to Barringer’s arrival in Boulder.
“I’m really excited about the team this year,” Barringer said. “We have some freshman and sophomores that are here for the first time. I’m trying to be a big sister to them.
“I’m one of only two that have been to the national championships before. My teammates always say, ‘if there’s pressure, I’ve dealt with it.’ I think they look up to me in that way. That helps me to remember to be encouraging and a good role model for them.”
College
NCAA Cross Country Nationals: Colorado’s Barringer wants to end her career on high note with women’s NCAA title
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Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
Forty-eight teams had been chosen for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show and things were getting antsy in the Indiana State clubhouse on Monday.
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Indiana State’s baseball fate to be decided today
At high noon today, the train arrives for the Indiana State baseball team.
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ISU hurdler Swift becomes 5th Sycamore to make NCAAs
Indiana State sophomore Greggmar Swift became the second member of the men’s team and the fifth Sycamore overall to qualify for the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Finals at Drake University, placing second in the second heat of the 110 meter hurdle quarterfinals Saturday at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
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FROM THE PRESS BOX: ISU baseball has pluses, minuses for tourney bid
Last Thursday, when Indiana State’s baseball jumped around in a celebratory dogpile after clinching the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship at Bob Warn Field, no one thought that a little over a week later, the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble would fly over Terre Haute. -
Lou Watson, former IU player and coach, dies at 88
Former Indiana University player and coach Lou Watson died on Thursday in Fairfax, Va., the school announced. He was 88.
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METRO ROUNDUP: ISU’s Pounds qualifies for NCAA Championships
Brandon Pounds of Indiana State missed the 2011 outdoor season with a hand injury but has made up for lost time, qualifying for the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake University with a fifth place finish in the men’s hammer throw at the NCAA East Preliminary Friday.
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Rose’s Liz Evans wins fourth NCAA high jump title
Junior Liz Evans became the first Rose-Hulman athlete to earn four career NCAA Division III championships by winning the women’s high jump at Friday’s 2012 outdoor national meet at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
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Indiana State throwers advance to NCAA championships
A pair of Indiana State juniors punched their ticket to Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday as Felisha Johnson finished fifth and Mary Theisen ninth in the women’s shot put at the 2012 NCAA East Preliminary track and field championships on the University of North Florida campus.
“Both were very focused and had great starts,” ISU women’s track coach Angela Martin said. “They did just what we wanted them to … be relaxed, have fun, and do what they have already done this season.” -
Blanked by Blach: ISU drops MVC tournament opener
Things went wrong for Indiana State’s baseball team in its Missouri Valley Conference Tournament opener against Creighton, but one statistic glowed white-hot.
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MVP of the MVC: Lucas first Sycamore to earn Player of Year honors
Indiana State’s baseball team got the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season hardware last week and it’s hoping to grab more gold this week in its quest to win the Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament.
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Sycamores try to catch Missouri Valley Conference tourney vibe
A Missouri Valley Conference championship season has bloomed for the Indiana State baseball team in 2012. The Sycamores have been dominant through most of the season.
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FROM THE PRESS BOX: Subtle switch has fostered MVC baseball parity
When Indiana State was crowned as the regular season baseball champion of the Missouri Valley Conference last Thursday, it marked the fifth different regular season champion the league has had since 2005.
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ISU claims Missouri Valley Conference baseball title
Entering Thursday’s game against Indiana State, Missouri State starting pitcher Nick Petree had gone 72 1/3 innings without surrendering an earned run, an unofficial NCAA record.
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ISU baseball in familiar territory with MVC title on line
First place is there is for the taking for Indiana State's baseball team this weekend … so is redemption.
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A time for firsts: SMWC seniors have national title aspirations
Even though St. Mary-of-the-Woods College has won eight national titles in softball in the last 16 years, seniors Sara Goelz and Jessica Jonas are among the many current Woods players who have not been part of a national championship team.
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Win over SIU puts Sycamores in first place
As Indiana State’s baseball team tried to climb to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference mountain on Saturday against Southern Illinois, it stood to reason that the air would get more rarefied as they neared the summit.
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Major Clay takes fourth straight MVC high jump title
For the fourth straight year, Indiana State’s Major Clay will climb to the top spot on the awards podium as the Sycamore captured his fourth high jump championship at the 2012 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday.
The competition was conducted at Cessna Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University. -
Edgewood takes Western Indiana Conference golf crown
Edgewood and senior Jackson Cowden took top honors in the Western Indiana Conference boys golf championship played Saturday at Idle Creek.
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North grad wins 10,000 at Big Ten Championships
Terre Haute North alumnus Zach Mayhew ran a Dan McClimon track record at the University of Wisconsin to win the 10,000 meters at the Big Ten Championships.
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Top-seeded Rose-Hulman falls in opener of HCAC Tournament
A couple of Rose-Hulman streaks came to an end Thursday night in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament action, but the home-team jinx looks to be still alive.
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ISU's Ort getting hot at right time for Sycamores
Indiana State’s baseball game notes list game-by-game performance for each Sycamore batter. It lists them box score-style: at-bats, runs, hits and RBI.
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Terre Haute native getting national attention as freshman for Kentucky
On a day where Terre Haute native A.J. Reed returned home to continue his college career, he got plenty of time to be on-stage.
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Top seed, home field doesn’t guarantee Rose success
On the surface, serving as host for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament would appear to benefit Rose-Hulman’s No. 1-seeded team, which finished the regular season 27-12 overall and 18-6 in the conference.
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Metro roundup: ISU’s Lucas honored by Missouri Valley again
For the fifth time in the last nine weeks, Indiana State junior catcher Jeremy Lucas has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
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Sycamores top Shockers in 10 innings in MVC series opener
If free baseball is what you want, Indiana State has what you need. For the sixth time in the span of a month, ISU’s series opener went extra innings.
- METRO ROUNDUP: Rose baseball team takes first game of doubleheader
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ISU starting pitchers in rhythm heading into Wichita State series
“Gettting into rhythm” is such an oft-used cliché in sports that it’s hard to hear the term and fight the urge to not let it enter one ear and escape another.
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ISU goes to well too many times
Perhaps the most unnecessary pursuit for a Wabash Valley sports fan during the now-completed weekend was watching the first few innings of nonconference college baseball between Indiana State and visiting Nebraska-Omaha.
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ISU baseball living on the edge
Indiana State’s baseball team got its game against Nebraska-Omaha in Saturday between morning and evening rain showers. But in the wake of another walk-off 3-2 victory against the struggling Mavericks, one might be forgiven if they felt the Sycamores are walking between the raindrops a bit.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North Central baseball improves to 10-2
North Central lost a 7-1 game to Vincennes Rivet, and then Nolan Kinnett pitched the Thunderbirds to victory, adding a double and three RBIs against Riverton Parke in a pair of high school baseball games on Saturday.
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