This should have been one of the best weeks of the year. One of the greatest events on the running calendar -- the NCAA Cross Country Championships -- were supposed to be tomorrow in Stillwater, Okla. Instead, we're stuck in the middle of a pandemic, one that has claimed 250,000 American lives and shows no sign of abating.
This time of year is supposed to be about giving thanks. And generally, we've tried to be grateful for the events that
are happening as opposed to those postponed or cancelled. There are still races to discuss, from the cross country action last weekend in
Terre Haute and
Lubbock to
Keira D'Amato's
attempt to break the women's-only American record at 10 miles on Monday in Washington, D.C.
But sometimes, it's okay to reflect on what we're missing. Sometimes, it's okay to be sad. It hurts not having NCAAs on the calendar this fall. Yes, the meet has been pushed back to March. But it won't be the same. There's no regionals this year to qualify from. Spectator numbers will be down. And the Arkansas women -- the reigning national champions and #1 team in the country in the USTFCCCA poll -- may not even compete because NCAA Indoors is scheduled two days prior.
So let's hope that we see pictures like the one above -- taken from the 2016 champs, with the three men pictured responsible for a combined
five individual titles -- again soon. Now that would be something to be thankful for.
