Ferrell leads women at NCAAs

With a season resume that boasts an early-season win at the Fordham Invitational, finishes of fifth and seventh at the Griak and Pre-National Invitationals, decisive victories over Harvard and Yale, a runner-up finish at Ivy League Heptagonals and a convincing victory last week at NCAA Regional Championships, women's cross country has already achieved most of its ambitious preseason goals. But the Tigers are not content quite yet.

Princeton, currently ranked 13th nationally, will compete in the NCAA Championships this Monday at Indiana State. The Tigers earned their spot in the Championships with their win at Regionals last Saturday. They will compete against region winners and runners-up from all across the nation, including No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Stanford and Ivy League Heptagonal winner No. 11 Columbia. Thirty-one total teams will run in the meet.

For senior standout Cack Ferrell, this is the last cross country race in what has been an illustrious career. One year ago, in the NCAA Championships, she finished 20th, earning All-American status. In 2005, Ferrell has tallied two individual wins and three third-place finishes, including a sub-20-minute six-kilometer win at Regionals.

This year, Ferrell plans on running for All-American honors again, as she is running better times and finishing higher than she was a year ago. Given her success this year against national competition (at Griak and Pre-Nats), she is well suited for the challenge.

Macreery, Nightingale compete individually

On the men's side, while the team as a whole did not receive an automatic bid to nationals, senior Frank Macreery and sophomore David Nightingale earned individual bids by being among the top four finishers from non-qualifying teams at Regionals. Princeton finished third overall, only four points behind second-place American.

Though the Tigers finished third, there was still a chance that they would earn an at-large bid to Nationals — an invitation extended to only 13 teams. But after more than a day of nervous anticipation, the news came that Princeton was the first team not to be invited.

Going into Regionals, the Tigers were optimistic about their chances of beating American, and many on the team still feel as if the team underperformed. For the seniors, the finish is especially tough, as this was the third time in four years that Princeton has finished third at Regionals but has not received an at-large bid.

"It was a very bittersweet feeling for me," Nightingale said. "I'm glad to be going to the race, but I'm disappointed the rest of the team can't come, too."

Nightingale expressed relief that he and Macreery will not be racing alone, as Austin Smith '05 had to do last year when he finished 66th overall. Macreery and Nightingale plan on working together in the meet and racing together as they have for much of the season.

"Since the team can't be there, our goal is make All-American," Nightingale said.

All-American status is given to the top 35 finishers.