After last week's victory finish at the Tri-State invitational, Saint Mary's is anxious to prove itself again tonight at the Aquinas College Invitational in Grand Rapids, Mich. The team has spent many hours practicing in preparation to face the stiff competition.
"This week we got back on the track, got speed back into the legs," Belles coach Jackie Bauters said. "We've also been working on pacing."
Bauters has especially high hopes for freshman Sam Wieczorek, whose time of 21:58 was tops at the Tri-State Invitational.
"I expect her to be up front, scoring for us," Bauters said. "She'll be at the front of the pack."
The Aquinas College Invitational is notorious for its flat course, and Bauters predicts the times will reflect the change in incline.
"Times should be dramatically better for everyone," she said.
Among the team's toughest competition tonight will be Aquinas, Olivet, St. Xavier, Holy Cross and Indiana Tech. Although several teams at the meet have many more runners than Saint Mary's, the team remains confident.
"A couple teams are outside our division, but I think we'll do well," Bauters said. "It will be good competition; it will push us."
In preparation for this meet, Bauters has slightly changed the team's strategy, in an attempt to get the runners at a faster pace.
"We'll be running in packs, so we'll see how that turns out," she said.
