After back-to-back meets in Indiana, the Cougars are back in’ Texas for the’ 2009 Conference USA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships on Saturday.
Coming off the men’s and women’s teams’ respective third-place finishes in the Sam Bell Invitational, the teams are in good shape for the championship meet.
‘I think we went in and we beat the teams we were supposed to beat and lost to the teams we were supposed to lose to,’ head coach Ryan Turner said.
Sophomore Nate Pineda is still fighting a foot injury, which flared up during the Sam Bell meet. Turner, however, has seen good signs of late.’
‘Right now, (Nate) actually ran on Monday; we had a hard workout, he ran it and looked like old Nate,’ Turner said. ‘So I think he benefited from a little bit of rest.’
Pineda has been running strong all season and is coming off a top finish for the men’s team with a time of 26:52 at the Sam Bell Invitational. A nagging leg injury has caused Pineda to wear a protective boot this week as a safety precaution, but Pineda is a competitor and says he should be ready to run this weekend.
‘We’re a team. I’m not going to let my team down even if its just a little pain,’ Pineda said.
Sophomore Derrick Joe said he hopes to have a breakout meet for the Cougars on a big stage at the championships. Pineda, for one, shows confidence in his fellow sophomore.
‘He has been one of our guys that can really take a big leap forward,’ Pineda said. ‘I know if he’s real confident, he’ll (have) a big race this week.’
The team has trained diligently this season and understands the importance of performing at a high level in the championships.
‘I think we’re excited,’ Turner said. ‘This is Conference (USA) Championships. It kind of has a different feel than most conference championships. It has its advantages. We don’t have to travel ‘hellip; it’s a good experience for us.’
