Runners head to Alabama for invitational

The IU women's cross country team travels to Auburn, Ala., today for the Auburn Invitational. Ranked No. 36 in this week's FinishLynx NCAA Women's Cross Country Association Poll, the Hoosiers look to improve on their 15th place finish two weeks ago in the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota.\nThe same seven that competed at the Roy Griak Invitational will also be competing in the Auburn Invitational. Those seven Hoosiers are: senior Audrey Giesler; juniors Mindy Peterson and Julie Shields; sophomores Allison Miller, Larra Overton and Kelly Siefker; and freshman Kristin Whitezell.\nIU women's cross country coach Judy Wilson said that with the recent injuries to senior Becky Obrecht and sophomores Jessica Gall and Lindsay Hattendorf, the Auburn Invitational gives an opportunity to Overton, Siefker, and Shields to gain experience for later in the season. Wilson said this meet will throw Whitezell "into the fire," whereas previously, Whitezell would have been at the tail end of the top five.\n"In the long term, this is probably good in that we are giving some other girls some experience in running in the top five and being held accountable," Wilson said. "Because you know, top five score."\nBoth Coach Wilson and Peterson said the team needs to close the time gap between the team's first and fifth runners.\n"We just need the next group of five runners to really step it up," Peterson said. "We need Audrey and I to be as far towards the front of the races as possible."\nGiesler said that she hopes the team is able to gain confidence in the Auburn Invitational.\n"I hope we are able to prove to ourselves as well as the other teams that we are still one of the top national teams despite some of the setbacks we have been faced with," Giesler said.\nThe women's 5-kilometer race begins at 4 p.m. at the Indian Pines Golf Course in Auburn, Ala.\n-- Contact staff writer Steve Slivka at smslivka@indiana.edu.