Wendy CoulsonOld Gold and Black Reporter
Wendy Coulson
Senior Nicole Stevenson and sophomore Katie Brandy compete at Districts Saturday.
The result of Saturday's NCAA District 3 Meet at Furman University hardly seems fair. In fact, the outcome of the race, held in what Head Coach Francie Goodridge described as, "the worst conditions I've ever seen," can be accurately declared an outright tragedy.
The women's cross country team, which established itself as one of the nation's best early this season, will not get a chance to compete in the NCAA National Championship Meet Monday because of an unfortunate circumstance that no training strategy or prior preparation could have prevented.
Less than 400 meters from the finish of one of her best races ever, sophomore Katie Brandy collapsed from extreme physical exhaustion. Seventy-one runners passed her as she painfully struggled to the finish, and the Deacons fell from a position of contention to sixth place in the meet and out of championship consideration.
Senior Nicole Stevenson ran an incredible race for the Deacons and was near the front of the pack over the entire 5K course. Stevenson wound up second overall, four seconds behind North Carolina State junior Kristen Hall and ahead of the ACC champion, North Carolina's Karen Godlock, and Florida's Becki Wells, the 1993 District champ
Stevenson's high finish qualified her to compete at Monday's NCAA National Championship as an individual. Goodridge said of the 1993 All-American, "She now carries the Wake Forest banner into the seventh NCAA Championship in which Wake Forest has competed as a team or on an individual basis."
Senior Cindy Moreshead crossed the line 10th overall in her final collegiate race. Moreshead ran exceptionally well despite the frigid downpour and poor drainage of the course. The 5-0 Moreshead ran through water and mud up to her waist in places.
Junior Liz Cotter, rebounding from a sub-par race in the ACC Championships, finished 14th overall and in the team's third position. Junior Chrissy Person crossed the line fourth for the Deacons and 42nd in the race.
As the race unfurled, the Deacons appeared to have a great chance of finishing third in the meet and earning an NCAA National Championship berth. Goodridge said, "Through three of the top-five scoring positions, Wake Forest had it won. At two miles, our fourth runner was holding 17th place, running one of her best races ever, and Chrissy Person our No. 5, although back in 42nd place, still held us as a team in third place and a probable national qualification. Then disaster struck in the final stretch of the race.
"Our hopes as a team for this season were dashed in that final stretch as we went from being a team more than capable of contending for a top national finish to a non-qualifier."
For Goodridge, Saturday's race was a bitter end to a potentially magical season. "We went into this competition as defending champions whose great early season had taken a downward spiral. It was show-me time, and most of the team responded with gutsy performances, only to suffer a heartbreaking loss at the end.
"In my 23 years of coaching I have never had a team more able, relative to their competition, to win big. After a season of such great promise, I can only be extremely disappointed with the final result."