WVU Arrives in Terre Haute
November 22, 2008 10:56 PM | General
The No. 5-ranked West Virginia University cross country team woke up bright and early Saturday morning to bus to Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. After making our way through Columbus and Indianapolis, we finally pulled into the small city of Terre Haute, home of Indiana State University and the great Larry Bird.
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| West Virginia team members enjoy dinner at the NCAA banquet Saturday evening.
Allison Hoehn photo |
After a quick lunch in Ohio we arrived at the LaVern Gibson Championship course to get off the bus, stretch their legs, and get a feel for just how cold it is.
After dressing in ear warmers, warm socks and mittens, the team got a nice run on the course. The course itself is fairly flat with some small hills; the ground is cold, hard and fast. Banners and signs welcomed the teams, fans and student-athletes. Of course, NCAA logos are every where.
The runners I talked to said they liked the course, which is unique in the fact that it is one of the few permanent cross country courses in the country.
After an hour workout the entire team got back on the bus, checked into the hotel and had about 40 minutes to get ready for the NCAA Championship banquet.
The coaches and student-athletes got dressed to the nines to join the other 31 teams and 255 student-athletes to recognize the past season. Dinner was served first - carbohydrates and protein galore with grilled chicken, pasta and meat sauce, salad, fruit salad and assorted desserts.
After dinner, the Master of Ceremonies, Dennis McNulty, welcomed everyone and introduced us to mayor of Terre Haute, Duke Bennett, who further welcomed the city’s newest inhabitants. Indiana State University’s President, Dr. Daniel J. Bradley and NCAA Subcommittee Chair, Alecia Shields-Gadson, continued with remarks before members of the USTFCCCA were welcomed on stage to hand out the annual regional awards.
USTFCCCA President John Gartland presented awards to all nine regions – among those recognized was our Sean Cleary, named the Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year.
After closing remarks were made by Indiana State Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman, the Mountaineers got together for a few group photos, stopped to pick up some official NCAA gear, and headed back to the hotel. A quick Kroger run for some hotel and breakfast snacks put a cap on a very eventful day.
Tomorrow the team will rise and shine for one final workout on the course at 10:30 am. The NCAA Championship race will take place on Monday, Nov. 24.
