Final Push

After a disappointing showing at the Big 12 cross country championships this past weekend in Columbia, MO we are definitely recharged and as hungry as ever to run our asses off and qualify for the NCAA Division I championships next week. The first step is to compete at the regional championships, which take place in Waco, TX. Gross haha. Those of us who are seniors have now run the course in Waco two other times throughout our careers. Personally, I think it is a bit of a boring course considering it is on a rather open golf course, but it is ultimately not bad for an important race such as this. The past week has been full of quality training that has helped us to realize how fit we are and how ready we are to fight like crazy for the coveted spots at the national meet. Nationals take place on the Monday prior to Thanksgiving in Terra Haute, IN. It will be cold, it might be wet, and it will be tough as hell, but we all want nothing more than to be there to experience it all, good, bad, and ugly.

Cold, not cool.

Well, we have arrived in Indiana. It is 11:13 according to our body's and 12:13 local time. Indiana has two 'time zones'? That is just wrong. Anyhow, we have settled in to our hotel and are getting ready for bed. Let's just say that the chilly 42 degree temperatures and light rain did not go over well with the majority (more like all) of the team, who except for myself, are from Texas. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but it doesn't look like 85 degree weather is in our horizon. Damn.

History of the Red River Rivalry

Here are a few facts about the history of the Red River Rivalry:

- originated in 1900

- has been played in Dallas, TX since 1912 because it is halfway between Austin, TX and Norman, OK

- since 1932 the game has been held at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas during the second weekend in October during the State Fair of Texas

- known as the Red River Shootout until 2005 (the 100th meeting between the schools)

- name is derived from the Red River that forms part of the boundary between the states of Texas and Oklahoma

- prior to overtime games, there were 5 tied games (with the most recent being in 1995)

- ticket sales for the games are equally divided between both schools, with Longhorn and Sooner fans split evenly at the 50-yard line

- Since 1945, one or both of the two teams has been ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation coming into 60 out of the 65 games

- Five of the last nine showings features one of the participants in the National Championship Game

- the game produces about $17 million annually for local businesses

The Red River Rivalry Runs Deep for Fans

The Red River Rivalry has been a long standing competition between Texas and OU where they go head to head in a highly anticipated and glamorized game. While the teams are playing their hearts out on the field, the fans are waging a war of their own. Texas and OU fans are intense about their teams and they both have a valid reason for being so, but when the coin drops the verbal gloves come off. One reason that the rivalry may be so strong with the fans is that it provides a sense of unity. What’s a better way to bring people together than to have a unified hatred for another group? (JK) The fans have a lot of pride and are willing to fight it out like the players to prove that their team is the best. For instance, in 2007 an OU fan was charged with aggravated assault after harassing and attacking a UT fan for wearing his Texas shirt into an Oklahoma bar. Although this is an extreme example of fan pride, it proves that it has the possibility of ranging from verbal disagreements to all out brawls. All in all, a healthy rivalry is all in good fun so if you’ll be in the stands this Saturday be sure to play clean.

Cross Country, here we go!

This weekend the UT women's cross country team will be traveling to Indiana to compete in the NCAA Division 1 Pre-national meet. The nation's top teams will be competing in two separate races on Saturday. The longhorns are in the second of the two races, and will have an opportunity to learn the course prior to the national meet in November, which they will be looking to qualify for.

Most people don't know what cross country even is, so I will try to give a good synopsis about the sport. Cross Country is ultimately one race in which up to hundreds of competitors run at one time. The sport is defined by its rugged terrain. The races are often run on golf courses but can take place in parks, rec fields, and anywhere with a combination of grass, woods, prairie and trail.

As far as scoring goes, it is quite like gold in that a team hopes to keep their score as low as possible. Each person is scored by the place in which they finish. So, if your team runs in places 2, 9, 14, 15, and 22 then your team has scored the summation of these places, that is, 62 points in this example.

This weekend will be the first of several larger and more competitive races for the women longhorns. In two weeks they will compete again in Missouri at the Big 12 Conference meet and two weeks after that they will head to Waco for the NCAA South Central Region meet. If all goes well they will then return to Indiana for the national meet.

Check back here for updates regarding this weekend's meet and those to come!