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Salukis learn from Notre Dame

SIU head coach Matt Sparks said despite how the results of Friday's Notre Dame Invitational look on paper, the event was exactly what both teams needed to prepare for more competitive meets.

Although the women finished 15th out of 24 teams, the event produced some of the best results yet seen from the Saluki women.

Sophomore Brittani Christensen finished the five kilometer run in under 18 minutes, something Sparks said they have been trying to do all season. She finished 56th with a time of 17 minutes and 50 seconds to lead the Salukis.

Senior Noa Beitler and sophomore Lindsay Wagner also ran strong, finishing 84th and 86th, respectively, with identical times of 18:11.

Beitler said the race was a great experience, especially for freshmen and sophomores who had to concentrate more on passing people and less on their individual times.

"It went by so fast for me," Beitler said. "Running with so many competitors is great because it motivates me to do better."

According to Sparks, the highly competitive event also led to almost half of the Saluki women setting personal bests in the 5k run.

Facing off against such teams as nationally-ranked Stanford, Sparks said the women knew what to expect.

"They know these events require a mental focus," Sparks said. "Previous meets were basically training for things like this."

One thing that may have hurt the Salukis was the absence of sophomore Sarah Rinker. After spraining her ankle recently, Rinker was unable to compete Friday for the Salukis.

An injury marred the men's results as well.

Joe Byrne ran with a slight knee problem. The junior was still the highest Saluki runner, finishing 94th with a time of 25:09 in the men's eight kilometer run.

The men's team finished 22nd and Sparks said the mindset needed for these larger events are something the men aren't quite used to.

"They ran their usual times," Sparks said. "Now, they'll know what to expect, how intense these meets can be."

One person less intimidated by the large field of competitors was junior Kyle Monroe. Sparks said Monroe recognized the difference between this event and previous ones that had been smaller.

"He took it in stride," Sparks said. "He ran the race he needed to for his team."

With the Missouri Valley Conference and NCAA regional championships fast approaching, Sparks said both teams needed the reality check Notre Dame provided.

Beitler said knowing the differences between larger events such as Friday's and smaller meets can make a huge difference in terms of the approach to be taken.

"You have to be prepared for both types of events," Beitler said. "This can only help us in the future."