McRaven & Co. ready for Arturo Barrios Invite to close out regular season

Texas A&M track & field's long-distance coach Wendell McRaven and assistant Julia Abell joined us in-studio for an update on the cross country program. McRaven looked back on a couple of productive meets for the Maroon & White and much more.

Key notes from Wendel McRaven interview

• This week, 41 women's and 38 men's teams are coming to town for the Arturo Barrios Invitational. Teams from all over the country, including Gonzaga, Arizona, Colorado and Delaware, are coming. It has turned into a true interregional meet. 
   
• The Nuttycombe Invitational at Wisconsin is probably the best regular-season meet in the country. There were probably twenty nationally ranked teams there. We had some illnesses going into it, and we weren't even sure if we would take the men's team a week out. The women's team had some illness and injuries, so we weren't a full strength, but it was a good experience for both teams to be in that field.
   
• I think it prepares us well for the Barrios meet. We've had three weeks of good training since then, and everyone seems healthy. We have a long stretch at home with the Barrios meet, SECs, and regionals all being hosted by us.
   
• Cross country is unique in the sense that the courses vary and narrow at different points. Every cross country race starts too fast, but that's just the nature of it because everyone is trying to get in a good position. It's about being in a decent enough position, so you're fine when it does settle down.
   
• Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and we have some athletes who are way better at being aggressive at the front, and we have some athletes who are better at coming from behind. Part of that is their learning about themselves. If you stand by a big, good cross-country meet, it sounds violent. It's loud. You have sweat dripping and people grunting and groaning. To keep your head in that chaos is what we're trying to achieve. Focus on what you're supposed to do when you're supposed to do it, despite all of the alarm bells going around.
   
• It comes with experience and confidence. Sometimes, it takes the discipline to dial it back or cross-train. That could be hopping on the elliptical, bike or pool. It's still aerobic work, and some of our athletes do quite a bit of that because we have athletes who can't handle a ton of miles. Megan Roberts is someone who has really embraced it.
   
• Zack Munger is having a great year. He has embraced the lifestyle of being a great distance runner. He has upped his workload significantly since he came in. He came in with a mindset out of high school, thinking there was one way of doing things. We let him learn along the way, and he has flipped his mindset. I have to hold him back now.
   
• Arturo Barrios ran at A&M and is probably the most successful distance runner to come through A&M. He was the world record holder for 10,000 meter. He went on to represent Mexico in the Olympics multiple times, and I think his highest finish was fifth in 1988.