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Spartans confident heading into NCAA Championships

By Joey Nowak (Last updated: 08/28/09 6:25pm) For the MSU women's cross country team, a bid to Monday's NCAA Championships was guaranteed after winning its Regional Championship. For the men's team, it didn't come quite as easy.

The women's team defeated two Top 10 schools last weekend on its way to the third regional title in school history. The win bumped the team's ranking from No. 11 to No. 4, but more importantly, it advanced the Spartans to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.

"We train to race well during the championship races," said sophomore Alissa McKaig, who was named to the All-Regional team along with teammates Michelle Rafferty, Nicole Bush, Katie Kelly and Sara Price.

"The team just really stepped it up, and we all ran really well. It was just kind of one of those races that a lot of things clicked for a lot of people."

The men's team finished fourth in the regional but had to wait several days to find out its postseason hopes. When the 31-team field was announced Monday, director of track and field Walt Drenth and the Spartans finally could breathe a sigh of relief — they had been awarded an at-large bid.

"As it turned out, we did just enough," said senior Matt Bartlebaugh, one of three Spartans men to earn All-Region honors. "There's an actual formula that the NCAA uses that's perfectly objective. It has to do with teams you beat during the year and teams that are automatic qualifiers in other regions.

"I think we were actually the 31st team in."

The tournament is nothing new to either team. The men have eight national titles to their credit and are heading to the NCAA Championships for the fourth time since 2000 and 38th time in school history. The women head to the finals for the sixth straight year after capturing their third regional championship ever.

But the women have never won a national title in the 25 years of NCAA women's cross country, and the men haven't finished higher than seventh since 1997.

Those are two streaks the Spartans are hoping to snap on Monday.

"Coach does a really good job preparing us to have the regionals, nationals and the Big Ten meet be our crescendo — peaking at the right time," Bartlebaugh said.

"You're bound to be tired after a three-and-a-half month season, but if you can't get up for this, you can't get up for anything."

Originally Published: 11/16/06 12:00am