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.”
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NCAA Cross Country Nationals: Colorado’s Barringer wants to end her career on high note with women’s NCAA title
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ISU women looking to end five-game losing streak at Illinois State
Within a few points in the final minutes, Indiana State had chances to win women’s basketball games at Missouri State and Wichita State last weekend.
But the Sycamores lost for the fourth and fifth straight games, also losing freshman Jessica Valley for the season at Wichita State. The promising backcourt player tore the ACL in her right knee and began strengthening exercises this week in order to make plans for surgery. -
ISU Senior Day game to be televised on ESPN
The Missouri Valley Conference announced Thursday that Indiana State’s regular season finale against No. 12-ranked Creighton on Feb. 25 in Hulman Center has been chosen as the MVC’s “wild card” game that will be telecast on either ESPN or ESPN2.
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Hoosiers load up on in-state players
With a 1-11 record in his first season as IU football coach, Kevin Wilson knew there were a lot of holes to fill in terms of personnel.
- Wabash Valley verbal commitments
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It’s on: Sycamores, Bulldogs to play at Hinkle on Feb. 18
How badly did Indiana State want to get Butler as its BracketBusters opponent?
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METRO ROUNDUP: Four from Rose receive weekly honors
Four Rose-Hulman athletes earned Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference weekly honors, the HCAC announced Monday.
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Hoosiers reclaim needed offensive momentum
Indiana hadn’t allowed an opponent to shoot better than 40 percent in three straight games heading into Sunday’s home game against Iowa.
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Sycamores will have to match Aces’ toughness
Indiana State men’s basketball coach Greg Lansing has an enduring respect for the toughness Evansville coach Marty Simmons coaxes out of his Purple Aces.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Rose, The Woods post weekend victories
Rose-Hulman relied on a balanced scoring attack and a strong defensive effort to earn a 55-44 women’s basketball victory Saturday over Mount St. Joseph.
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ISU's Stacia Weatherford sets school record in 60-meter hurdles
Indiana State junior Stacia Weatherford set the school record in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, while sophomore Greggmar Swift dominated the action in the men’s 60 hurdles during competition Saturday at the Indiana Relays.
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Rose takes first in Engineer Track and Field Invitational
Rose-Hulman relied on nine event victories, 13 top-two finishes and three school records for a strong performance at the ninth annual Engineer Track and Field Invitational on Saturday.
The men’s squad captured first place honors in a meet that featured two of the nation's top 20 NCAA Division III squads and 12 institutions from seven states. The day’s competition also included 10 meet records. -
Mattox’s 31 not enough for ISU women
Indiana State pulled within 63-57 with a 6-0 run with 8 minutes, 50 seconds remaining Friday night at JQH Arena, but the Sycamores lost 84-70 to host Missouri State in a Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball game.
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Mattox, Sycamores staying positive on road trip to Missouri State, Wichita State
Indiana State seniors Brittany Schoen and Deja Mattox are within striking distance of passing 1,000 points in their women’s basketball careers, and they would join classmate Shannon Thomas in that club. Schoen needs just 16 points, while Mattox is 89 points away.
But Mattox has been on a roll of late, scoring a team-high 15.1 points through ISU’s 4-3 start to Missouri Valley Conference play. -
IU triumphs
When Indiana’s Will Sheehey left the floor after receiving his second technical foul, the Hoosier fans cheered.
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ISU women nipped at buzzer
Creighton sophomore Carli Tritz — blanketed by Indiana State senior Brittany Schoen — had just two points at halftime Friday in Hulman Center.
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ISU needs to find chip on its shoulder
When one looks back at the totality of Indiana State’s 2010-11 men’s basketball season, there’s a recurrent theme that tied together the high points in a 20-14 campaign. A recurrent theme that might give ISU a lifeline in what has been a disappointing 2012 season.
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ISU women look to reverse recent trend vs. Creighton
The Creighton women’s basketball team has won three of their last four games in Hulman Center. While the Bluejays have been one of the winningest programs in the Missouri Valley Conference — with at least 12 league wins in seven of the last nine seasons — the Bluejays’ success in Terre Haute would need to end if the Sycamores want to show that their 4-1 start to league play is not a fluke.
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Hoosiers, Buckeyes meet after suffering upsets
Ohio State standout Jared Sullinger blames himself for the fifth-ranked Buckeyes’ most recent loss.
“There were times in the Illinois game where I just kind of took a break on the defensive end instead of the offensive end and it cost us,” Sullinger said, referring to a 79-74 setback on Tuesday. -
Rose drops pair to Transylvania
Transylvania withstood a second half charge by Rose-Hulman to earn a 60-46 men’s basketball victory in a battle of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference co-leaders Saturday.
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Bradley shoots down ISU women
The Indiana State women’s basketball team ran into a hot-shooting Bradley team on Saturday afternoon, as the Sycamores dropped a road contest 79-58 inside the Renaissance Coliseum.
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Defense fails ISU again in loss at Southern Illinois
Defense wins championships. So what does lack of defense do?
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ISU women pick up big road win against defending champion Northern Iowa
Brittany Schoen hit a 3-pointer to begin the second half that put Indiana State ahead 36-25. The senior’s shot and ISU’s stingy defense helped the Sycamores pull ahead by as many as 16 in the second half on the way to a 68-62 triumph at Northern Iowa.
Indiana State moved into a tie for first place with a 4-0 record. -
Grueling stretch of MVC schedule continues at SIU
It’s a stretch of the Missouri Valley Conference schedule Allen Iverson would love.
Indiana State’s men’s basketball team travels to Southern Illinois tonight for a rare Friday night game. It is the second of three games ISU — and the rest of the MVC teams — will play in a six-day span.
Included is a Friday-Sunday swing for each league school. All teams will play one home and one road game in those three days. -
IU suffers first loss this season in Assembly Hall
So much for Indiana’s perfect record at Assembly Hall.
Minnesota held off a late rally by the seventh-ranked Hoosiers to win 77-74 on Thursday night, the Golden Gophers’ first win in the Big Ten this season and the first time since 1985 that Minnesota defeated a ranked college basketball team on the road. -
Ivy Tech to host ‘Faces in the Crowd’ political exhibit
Ivy Tech Community College-Wabash Valley welcomes “Faces in the Crowd: Indiana and the Political Process,” a traveling exhibition of the Indiana Historical Society through Feb. 2.
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Theatrical group to perform ‘Bachelor of Death’ murder mystery
Indiana State University will host the Random Acts Murder Mystery/Student Leader Dinner on Feb. 3 at Hulman Memorial Student Union Dede I.
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Yeargin, Odum fight ailment as a pair
Often overlooked, athletic trainers are as much a part of the fabric of a team as the players and coaches are.
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Evansville will test ISU’s toughness
Indiana State’s fall-from-ahead 69-63 loss to Missouri State on Saturday exposed several problems on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, but the root cause can be traced back to the lack of a important quality.
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Missouri State takes game from Indiana State in second half
Hulman Center is no longer impregnable. Missouri State’s men’s basketball team stormed the Indiana State parapets in the second half and the Sycamores offered little resistance until it was too late.
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Rose wins twinbill
Playing an afternoon doubleheader inside Hulbert Arena, the Rose women routed Mount St. Joseph 71-40 to post their largest margin of victory since the 2006-07 season when the female Engineers defeated St. Mary-of-the-Woods by 41.
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