How sad for Chmiel. Henes said that this has been emotionally hard on the team. They will rally.
View Tuohy's face as they boarded the bus. Does it give her fuel ("Win it for Kelsey") or does it weigh on her>
She looks very stoic and resolved. Kelsey’s not only her teammate, but one of her best friends. Maybe she wins maybe not. But she will lay it all out there trying.
How sad for Chmiel. Henes said that this has been emotionally hard on the team. They will rally.
View Tuohy's face as they boarded the bus. Does it give her fuel ("Win it for Kelsey") or does it weigh on her>
It is not like she found out about it today like we did. She has known for weeks this was a distinct possibility. The intensity with which Touhy hunted down Valby last year is not going away because Chmiel can't race. Touhy may not win, but it won't have anything to do with Chmiel.
How sad for Chmiel. Henes said that this has been emotionally hard on the team. They will rally.
That must be very tough for her. Already 4 time AA. Last college XC race. If she starts Vet school might have been last race for NC St. Wiped away.
Running is a cruel mistress. Its amazing how many injuries we have for this relatively straight forward activity. Such a balance at the end of the year and beginning. If she could go you know she would.
Its a grind of a year round 3 season sport and its just one of those seasons for NC State with the injury bug. Happens to teams sometimes. Look at the UNC women too 5th at natty's last year and returning everyone and then the injuries struck and they didn't even qualify.
Henes said Tuohy is in the best shape of her life. Now that the team win is unlikely, she’s not going out conservatively, she’s going for that 1 point.
I agree. This loss of 2nd best on team means Tuohy is free to race however she wants. I’m quite sure Tuohy knows where she wants to make time on the course and try to put some hurt on Valby. Hills pay the bills!
Regarding the course, all I have to say is thank god they won’t be on the Zimmer course for the umpteenth time.
The degree that this affects Tuohy is only something that we can theorize about. IMO, since Tuohy is such a team runner and since this win has been the goal, I believe this very well could negatively impact her mental approach more than a small nagging injury would. At the same time, she very well could still be able to put it behind her and run great. For all we know, she could completely put it behind her and run horribly for some other unknown reason. If she wins despite this (which imo is significant), then I have to give her props for racing well and doing what she can do and putting aside things that she cannot control.
i would say letsrun rumors are often like the end of a game of telephone where they often get the gist but have a few of the facts wrong. Chmiel is hurt like the post said, but there was no surgery like that thread also suggested.
Its a grind of a year round 3 season sport and its just one of those seasons for NC State with the injury bug. Happens to teams sometimes.
I’m surprised by how much of a bummer this news is. Not only because the idea of a full-strength NAU vs NC State would be exciting to watch (from a fan perspective) but also, Chmiel has proven year-after-year to be a strong performer. She’s just one of those solid athletes that you can see pours her heart into all she does. I feel for her, as a runner.
View Tuohy's face as they boarded the bus. Does it give her fuel ("Win it for Kelsey") or does it weigh on her>
It is not like she found out about it today like we did. She has known for weeks this was a distinct possibility. The intensity with which Touhy hunted down Valby last year is not going away because Chmiel can't race. Touhy may not win, but it won't have anything to do with Chmiel.
Henes literally said tgey just made the decision in the lsdt few days, so you are wrong. They had hope she cpuld race. Watch the video.
View Tuohy's face as they boarded the bus. Does it give her fuel ("Win it for Kelsey") or does it weigh on her>
I wondered the same; she looks upset. I was surprised that photo was chosen, actually. Now we know why. This is a major blow to the team. I hope they can channel that energy and run their best.
no Chmiel and a banged up Tyynysmma. wow, that's a devastating blow. do they even podium?
I've updated my article with quotes now. Henes said Tyynismmaa has been working out great and is ready to go.
Yes, the podium. I'm not 100% ruling them out for the win.
Rojo wrote:
NC State's quest for a three-peat at the women's NCAA Cross Country Championships suffered a major blow today as NC State Laurie Henes told our Jonathan Gault this morning that her #2 runner - Kelsey Chmiel - will not race in tomorrow's championships. Chmiel developed a lower leg injury after ACCs and they were hoping it would get better but it hasn't and she will not start tomorrow.
"That's obviously a big blow," said Henes. "I mean she's a 13 -time All-American and one of the most consistent athletes in the NCAA. I think everybody loves Kelsey. It's just it's been hard on us the last couple of days. She did everything she can to get (back) but it's not gonna happen. It's not fractured. It's not surgical. So she'll be okay, but she is not able to run on it."
"It's just like a little bit hard energy wise," added Henes."Because Kelsey is like the heart and soul of the program and it's been tough. But she's here - ready to cheer everybody on and they're gonna put it all out there for her, too."
With Chmiel, who has finished 3rd and 6th individually at the last two NCAA Cross Country Championships, out, #2 NC State now will likely need everything else to go well for it tomorrow if they are going to upset #1 NAU. The good news for NC State is Coach Henes said everyone else on the team is ready to go, including transfer Amaris Tyynismaa, who has finished in the top 10 individually at each of the last two NCAAs for Alabama but has dropped out of NC State's last two races.
Henes said Tyynismaa had a calf cramp at ACCs but wasn't sure what ailed her at the regional meet. "I think I think we're just going to be careful to not have too specific of a (race) strategy for her. I think she's just a pretty intuitive runner with a lot of talent and we're just gonna let her go out there and run how she feels," said Henes.
As for defending NCAA champ Katelyn Tuohy, Henes said she's ready to go. "Kaitlyn is in better shape than she's ever been."
I wondered the same; she looks upset. I was surprised that photo was chosen, actually. Now we know why. This is a major blow to the team. I hope they can channel that energy and run their best.
The degree that this affects Tuohy is only something that we can theorize about. IMO, since Tuohy is such a team runner and since this win has been the goal, I believe this very well could negatively impact her mental approach more than a small nagging injury would. At the same time, she very well could still be able to put it behind her and run great. For all we know, she could completely put it behind her and run horribly for some other unknown reason. If she wins despite this (which imo is significant), then I have to give her props for racing well and doing what she can do and putting aside things that she cannot control.
I think NC State goes in with a "go for broke" mentality. They cannot be conservative. They have to push to have a chance, and they have to know that. Their chances are not zero. If Tuohy is in the top 3, and Tynissma races to her full potential (which Henes made clear was possible), and Sam Bush is back (15th last year and a proven history of stepping up at nationals), and rested Leah Stevens has a great race, then they need a #5 to have the race of her life, and they have several women who are capable of that. Yes, this hurts. Yes, it is much harder and more of a long shot. But it is not impossible. If they pulled it off, it would be the XC version of Miracle.
no Chmiel and a banged up Tyynysmma. wow, that's a devastating blow. do they even podium?
I've updated my article with quotes now. Henes said Tyynismmaa has been working out great and is ready to go.
Yes, the podium. I'm not 100% ruling them out for the win.
Rojo wrote:
NC State's quest for a three-peat at the women's NCAA Cross Country Championships suffered a major blow today as NC State Laurie Henes told our Jonathan Gault this morning that her #2 runner - Kelsey Chmiel - will not race in tomorrow's championships. Chmiel developed a lower leg injury after ACCs and they were hoping it would get better but it hasn't and she will not start tomorrow.
"That's obviously a big blow," said Henes. "I mean she's a 13 -time All-American and one of the most consistent athletes in the NCAA. I think everybody loves Kelsey. It's just it's been hard on us the last couple of days. She did everything she can to get (back) but it's not gonna happen. It's not fractured. It's not surgical. So she'll be okay, but she is not able to run on it."
"It's just like a little bit hard energy wise," added Henes."Because Kelsey is like the heart and soul of the program and it's been tough. But she's here - ready to cheer everybody on and they're gonna put it all out there for her, too."
With Chmiel, who has finished 3rd and 6th individually at the last two NCAA Cross Country Championships, out, #2 NC State now will likely need everything else to go well for it tomorrow if they are going to upset #1 NAU. The good news for NC State is Coach Henes said everyone else on the team is ready to go, including transfer Amaris Tyynismaa, who has finished in the top 10 individually at each of the last two NCAAs for Alabama but has dropped out of NC State's last two races.
Henes said Tyynismaa had a calf cramp at ACCs but wasn't sure what ailed her at the regional meet. "I think I think we're just going to be careful to not have too specific of a (race) strategy for her. I think she's just a pretty intuitive runner with a lot of talent and we're just gonna let her go out there and run how she feels," said Henes.
As for defending NCAA champ Katelyn Tuohy, Henes said she's ready to go. "Kaitlyn is in better shape than she's ever been."
It is not like she found out about it today like we did. She has known for weeks this was a distinct possibility. The intensity with which Touhy hunted down Valby last year is not going away because Chmiel can't race. Touhy may not win, but it won't have anything to do with Chmiel.
Henes literally said tgey just made the decision in the lsdt few days, so you are wrong. They had hope she cpuld race. Watch the video.
I did. Read my post. It says they knew it was a "distinct possibility" weeks ago. Yes, they "hoped" she could run, but they obviously knew that she might not.
How many times have we seen this? An athlete gets an injury a couple weeks before champs, everyone hopes they can run, but they just can't get there and pull the plug. No one on NC State surprised. Disappointed, yes. Surprised, no.