As IC4As approach, squad passes on NCAA Regionals

By the time the men’s cross country team competes at the Intercollegiate Association
of Amateur Athletes in America Championships this weekend, 22 days will have passed since the team last ran at the Atlantic Ten Conference Championships
Oct. 28. The Owls were scheduled to compete in the NCAA Regionals last weekend, but they chose not to attend due to injuries.

“It’s been a long season for us already,” assistant coach Todd Witzleben said.

Witzleben said the women’s team has been shut down for the season. The team has finished no higher than third from last in any event this year. For the men, top freshman Dan Reinhart has a stress facture and is wearing a boot. His return isn’t expected for a month. Reinhart led the team in three of six races this season. Regardless of the time off, the Owls still will not be completely healthy nor will they have a full roster at the IC4A event.

Witzleben expects nine of the team’s 11 runners to compete. In addition to Reinhart’s absence will also sit out.Senior Dave D’Addario said it is frustrating that the team was not able to compete at Regionals.

“We wanted to get experience,” D’Addario said. “Be healthy all the way through to make it to the big meets. But the team will get there next year.”

Witzleben said the three-week lay off is good for the Owls. “Definitely need recovery time,” he said. “It’s hard to get good training in,” he said. Because of scheduling, the Owls have not been allotted the recovery and practice time they require.

D’Addario said the desired speed might not be there but the “workouts have been productive.” The Owls are familiar with the IC4A course. The team competed there Sept. 9 at the Fordham Invitational. Temple finished eighth of 19. D’Addario expects the team to beat its times from two months ago, when he finished 58th overall and second for the Owls.

“We’ll all be in better shape, all be stronger, all be faster,” D’Addario said.

Witzleben said he expects them to “make some noise there.”

Pete Dorchak can be reached at pdorchak@temple.edu.