Central Michigan University Athletics
Adams Ready For NCAA National Championships
11/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Watch: Adams Pre-Race Interview | Watch Monday's Race on NCAA.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Tecumseh Adams is less than a day away from the biggest race of his career at the NCAA National Championship Meet, but the Harbor Springs sophomore is taking it all in stride.
Adams has gone for two runs on and around the Lavern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course just outside the city to get a feel for how the course will run come Monday for his 12:08 p.m start.
He anticipates having to run the race with a different strategy than he used during previous meets this season, primarily due to the competition.
"I'm trying to follow as opposed to leading," he said. "At the MAC Meet, I was leading for most of the race, so it was a different type of technique. This race is going to be sitting in the top 30 or 40 and take my time. Let the race come to me, and then at the end start moving forward."
Utilizing that strategy, he hopes to earn All-America status by finishing in the top 40. He would become CMU's first All-American since both Tristen Perlberg and Jake Flynn earned the distinction in 2002.
"My goal is All-American, I feel like that's the goal for anyone who makes it to this meet," he said. "It's a big goal, and I'm really hoping I feel fresh and feel good, and I can really close hard in the last 2K or 3K so I can get that spot. Anything in the 30s and I am going to be ecstatic, especially for my first time here."
Following a 45-minute run on Sunday, Adams said he felt great and was ready to race Monday.
"It's felt pretty good, and I'm getting really excited," he said. "Getting my legs to feel fresh for the race is what I've been doing."
He also ran this same course earlier this season, when he finished 17th at the Pre-National Meet in mid-October. He said the course is more well-groomed than it was at Pre-Nationals, which bodes well for faster times.
However, the course has been softened and slowed some due to rainfall during Adams' two days in Terre Haute, and more may be on the way. Weather.com is reporting a 60 percent chance of thundershowers overnight, but the forecast for Monday's 12:08 p.m. start shows just a ten percent chance of rain with partly sunny skies.
"Everybody's going to have to deal with it," he said. "If it rains, I'm just going to hang out a little longer and make my move a little later."
The race will be streamed live on NCAA.com beginning with pre-race coverage at noon, and the @CMUTrack twitter feed will provide live updates throughout the race.
