SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- The LIU Brooklyn women's cross country team will look to continue their upward momentum and finish strong this week at the 2018 NEC Cross Country Championship at Bryant in Smithfield, R.I. on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
"We are looking forward to competing with a sense of urgency on Saturday," said head coach Yvonne Harrison. "We need to capitalize off our unexpected sixth place finish at Mets. I believe we are ready mentally and physically, which in turn will yield great performances. With it being my first conference championship, I would like to see the team run as hard and smart as the have trained."
Since Harrison came on board in the spring, she has developed the program to optimize performance at the end of October so the Blackbirds could have the best championship experience possible. This included weeks off during the season for both runners and the team, and meets that would give the individuals confidence going forward.
The team ran in the Shawn M. Nassaney Memorial Invitational to open the year on the same course as the championship meet. Then the team ran at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, considered one of the most challenging courses in the country, twice during the year to get a measuring stick on their progress.The squad also made a trip to the Disney XC Classic, a flat course in Kissimmee, Fla. that allowed every participant to secure their season-best time.
The Blackbirds will rely on their top three seniors, Esther Jean-Louis, Sarah Northup and Eugenie Hue, to lead the way as the team is looking for their best finish in years. Reinstated in 2014, LIU has not finished higher than eighth place as a team in the last four NEC championships.
This team has the pedigree to finish closer to the top than their previous counterparts, as Jean-Louis, Northup and Hue all broke the 20-minute mark recently at the Disney XC Classic and then all followed up with sub-21 minute marks at Van Cortlandt Park two weeks ago.
"Esther Jean-Louis has paved the way the entire season," said Harrison. "We also have Sarah Northup and Eugenie Hue both running at their best and ready for a breakthrough race."
Two more seniors, Zaahira Deboise and Cayla Coleman, may go a long way in determining the team's final score in the event. Deboise, a career cross country runner, is having her best season to date, as she set a new personal best time of 20:42 in Disney, as she hopes to crush her 2017 NEC Championship time of 22:33.7. On the other hand, Coleman, a long-time track athlete at LIU is excelling in her first cross country season, finishing in 21:23 on the Bryant course back in September, and following that with a 21:17 down in Disney.
Sophomore Stephanie Reyes rounded out the top five at Disney, with her first career sub-22 minute time of 21:56.35, and could get into the Blackbirds' top five at NECs. Two additional newcomers for LIU, sophomore Tara Hernandez and freshman Jasmine Douglas Grant, are both new to college cross country this season and each excelled a few weeks ago in Florida.
"We've set individual goals and team goals from the very beginning of the season," said Harrison. "I am expecting the entire team to step out on the line, give 100% and set personal records. If we do that, we will be exactly where I believe we can finish. It's been a bit rewarding to see them achieve and exceed those goals. It can only get better from here."