University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Out to Prove Themselves at NCAAs
11/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
By Mallory Wickman, Athletic Communications Student Intern
MINNEAPOLIS - Heading into the NCAA Championships this weekend in Terre Haute, Ind., the Golden Gopher women's cross country team is motivated and determined to finish the season strong.
After losing a large talented group to graduation last spring, head coach Sarah Hopkins knew this season could turn out to be about rebuilding the team. However it was anything but a rebuilding year as the No. 20 Gophers are bound for their 10th-straight appearance at the NCAA Championships.
"This year we had to be a little smarter and do some things differently," Hopkins said. "Not because of a lack of talent but because of that mass loss of talent with last year's seniors. We are almost a completely different team. This year in some ways is going to make next year and the year after so much easier because we aren't going to have to reinvent the wheel, just build on what we did this year."
With a mixture of experienced runners and rookies, the 2014 Gophers embraced new roles and almost seamlessly picked up where last year's squad left off. Minnesota finished 20th at the 2013 NCAA Championship and enters this weekend's national championship again ranked No. 20 in the country.
"I think we have a better dispersion of talent throughout our roster instead of having just one class dominating everything," Hopkins said, explaining the balance on this year's team. "It makes me breath a little easier knowing that for at least the next few years, we won't have a huge graduating class."
Just eight days before Saturday's NCAA Championship, four Gophers clocked career-best times at the Midwest Regional: Liz Berkholtz (20:16.9), Kaila Urick (20:25.9), Danielle Anderson (20:53.4) and Kate Bucknam (21:38.8).
"It's a really quick turnaround," Hopkins said. "Obviously, this weekend, it is the national championship, so everyone there is good, which is kind of what makes it fun. In some ways there is less pressure, even though it's the biggest meet of the year, because nothing comes after it."
There may be less pressure, but the Gophers will not take this weekend's race lightly.
"Everyone has to run their race," Hopkins said. "They just have to run what they are capable of running and know that whatever pack they are in is the pack they are working with, whether it is teammates or other people. The top dogs are really starting to understand that and I think if we can have them do it again this weekend it could be really fun.
"I still do think that there is a little bit of a chip on everyone's shoulder to prove that we made it and we are just as good as we were last year."
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Players Mentioned
