Belles host first ever Jamboree
By KATIE McVOY
Assistant Sports Editor
The Belles cross country team is running into new territory this weekend at the MIAA Jamboree.
For the first time in its four-year history, the Saint Mary's cross country will be hosting a home meet.
Head coach Dave Barstis says he hopes "that the meet go off without any problems. I've never hosted a meet before so it's been a learning experience."
The Belles will run against all he teams in the MIAA on Saturday on Saint Mary's campus. The team is hoping that the home course, which winds through the Saint Mary's nature trails and will end near the softball field, will bring some advantages with it.
"I think that [having home course advantage] will help having a lot of fans cheering for us, it will pump us up and get us ready!" junior Melissa Goss said. "We are so excited to be running on our home course, this is what I have been waiting for since I have been here!"
Barstis thinks having the community cheering them on will help too.
"I hope having a lot of people turn out to cheer for us will give us a little extra push," he said. "A little extra adrenaline would help us."
"I feel the team should be able to do well this week," freshman Jessica Millanes added. "We have done some different workouts this week, and we are running better as the season progresses."
The MIAA competition will be tough, however.
The Calvin College women's cross country team is ranked second nationally in Division III competition and they will be out to keep that ranking.
"I expect Calvin and Hope to be dominate," Barstis said. "The success of their programs means a lot of runners want to compete for them."
Although the Belles don't expect to finish in the top four teams, they think the competition between the next four teams will be challenging.
"The next four positions are a toss up," Barstis said. "Adrian, Albion, Olivet and Saint Mary's could finish in any order."
Saint Mary's is ready for the competition.
"We are going to have competition, but I think we are ready for it," Goss said.
The meet kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday.
All Sports Stories for Friday, September 22, 2000
