Hoosiers hope for 5th consecutive Intercollegiate win

The men's cross country team will officially open its competitive season with the Indiana Intercollegiates held at 3:30 p.m. today at the IU Cross Country course. The meet has traditionally served as IU's first meet of the season, and typically provides low-key preparation for the team's supporting runners.\n"This race will be a good one to watch to see how the younger guys are coming along in their training," said senior All-American Sean Jefferson. "They're going to need to step up in this race and show the rest of the team what kind of shape they're in."\nIU has won the meet the past four years, often treating the race as an up-tempo workout, sweeping the top spots each year. \nThis year, the Hoosiers will expect the supporting cast to carry the load. After an outdoor track season that extended into late July, IU's top three runners, seniors Sean and John Jefferson and senior All-American Stephen Haas, remain in a strength-building phase. \n"We're just getting into heavier training," Haas said. "We're going to bump our miles up for a little while longer and keep working hard, focused on November."\nIU will likely race at full strength for the first time at either the Loyola Invitational Oct. 1 or the Pre-NCAAs, scheduled for Oct. 15 in Terre Haute. \nIt is especially important for distance runners to deviate from a training plan as little as possible. While IU's core runners move through their training phases, preparing for the ultimate goal in November, they will keep a close eye on their young teammates. \n"The sophomore class is in pretty good shape so far," Jefferson said. "It's looking like Tim McLeod is going to run as a true freshman."\nIn IU's cross country program, incoming freshmen typically redshirt in favor of building strength and making a smooth transition from high school into the more rigorous collegiate environment. Should McLeod run in uniform, he would be the first to do so since 1999, when former Hoosier Chad Andrews and All-American Chris Powers raced as true freshmen. \n"When we raced as freshmen, the team wasn't nearly as strong as it is today," Powers said. "If McLeod races, it basically means that he has a chance to break into the top seven, a nice achievement considering the guys on that roster"