Huskies earn first No. 1 rank in women's cross country

Surrounded by her teammates under a white tent on a cold fall day last year, Anita Campbell knew she should feel some pride in Washington's eighth-place finish at the NCAA cross country championships, the best placing in school history.

But all she felt was frustration, the same as close friend Katie Follett, who finished 20th, one spot behind Campbell, both of them earning All-America honors.

"All we kept thinking when we were done was, 'What if someone [a UW teammate] had been right behind us?' " Campbell said. "It was definitely somber and we knew we could do better."

What if, indeed. With other teammates finishing near them, how high could the team have placed? This year, UW has a couple of hot new freshmen runners, and guess what? The Huskies are the No. 1 team in the country for the first time.

But that "what if" nearly swallowed Campbell up this season.

Campbell, a senior now, told coach Greg Metcalf that if she was fifth-best on the team this year, the Huskies could win the NCAA title. Soon enough, though, Campbell was hit with a cold reality.

"I realized our potential when we were running and I was [just] top 10," said Campbell, who has been the seventh-best Husky in her two races this fall. "I mean, I was the best runner last year and the year before that. For me to be top 10?

"I'm always going to run as fast as I can, now I have nine girls before me thinking the same thing. It's a good problem and that's when I realized, 'Wow! I have to work really hard.' "

Campbell had to rebound from a stress fracture in her right tibia, which slowed her times her junior season. While Campbell recovered, assistant coach Kelly Strong took the recruiting lead, helping bring in Metcalf's best recruiting class.

Freshmen Kendra Schaaf and Christine Babcock finished 1-2 when the Huskies won the 23-team Auburn Invitational on Oct. 4. Seven Huskies finished in the top nine on the 5,000-meter course (including Follett, a junior, who was sixth, and Campbell, who was ninth) in a dominating victory.

That's what earned them their ranking.

Sophomores Mel Lawrence (third) and Lauren Saylor (seventh), and senior Amanda Miller (eighth), were the other top finishers for the Huskies at Auburn.

Now the Huskies face a big test Saturday, at the Pre-National meet at Terre Haute, Ind., site of this year's NCAA championship Nov. 24.

Babcock competed in the 1,500 meters at the Olympic trials in Eugene, reaching the semifinals. Schaaf, a Canadian, ran in the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Scotland.

So they know about big meets, but Saturday they'll leap from a 5,000-meter course with 23 teams at Auburn to running a flat, 6,000-meter course packed with about 40 teams.

"There's going to be so many more people," Lawrence said. "It'll be a lot different and we'll tell them [the freshmen] not to get caught in the wrong pack."

The way the freshmen, Schaaf and Babcock, handle expectations has rubbed off on the upperclassmen. Still, the altered climate took more than adding youngsters with glitzy résumés.

The turnaround also required dedicating themselves to summer workouts and rehabilitating from injuries. Doing their drills together. Then there was getting together as a team over fresh, homemade cinnamon buns, made by sophomore Dayna Anderson, that brightened Saturday morning runs. Mexican dinners at Lawrence's off-campus apartment and flavorful creations by Campbell.

"Us wanting to spend more time together has definitely helped us in a track aspect where we know each other a lot better," Campbell said. "When we go out to races, we trust each other a lot more."

That trust is knowing Follett and Campbell won't be alone at the top.

In fact, they may not be up front at all. And that's a good thing.

"We missed an opportunity and could have won a trophy last year," said Metcalf, in his 12th season. "Being in that tent, they got it. And right now we've got great momentum, and I love the direction we're headed."

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com