The pressure is rising as the Illinois women's cross country team travels southwest to partake in their NCAA Regional Championship meet in Stillwater, Okla. The team is one race away from qualifying for the NCAA Championship meet.

In order for the team to qualify for the NCAA Championship meet, they need to finish first or second overall in tomorrow's race. The top five individuals to finish that are not affiliated with the two qualifying teams also advance.

Harvey predicts that her team will finish between second and fourth places. If Illinois doesn't qualify for the championship meet she believes freshman Cassie Hunt has a chance to qualify as an individual.

"The girls know that they need to go out hard on Saturday," head coach Karen Harvey said. "They need to start the race with a faster pace than they did at the Big Ten Championship meet and there needs to be a cluster of our girls near Cassie. If they do not do that, we'll finish fourth."

"I want my team to qualify," Hunt said. "I think we have a good shot at qualifying as a team. Individually, I think that I could be top five."

Seven runners will be wearing orange and blue to represent the Illini. Juniors Casie Simpson and Jaime Turilli, along with sophomore Tabitha Volling will guide freshmen Hunt, Pam Wolf, Stephanie Simms and Lisa Phillips through their first regional meet of their collegiate careers.

The team has been preparing for this upcoming race differently than they have been for the past couple races. They have been working on their footing and terrain to help prepare themselves for this weekend's course. They are back to running up and down hills and practicing at Lake in the Woods.

"We're back to getting our body used to running hills," Harvey said. "Saturday's race is on a real cross country course. It is not a flat course like Michigan State."

Prior to the Big Ten Championship meet, the team gave up candy to form team unity and to help excite the team for the race. Right after that race, the girls decided to give up both candy and dessert before the regional race.

"(Coach) Harv said if we make it to nationals we can have a big dessert after the race on Saturday, before we start getting ready for the next big meet," Wolf said. "And we can of course have dessert on Saturday if we don't qualify."

According to Harvey, the team's top competition in Stillwater is Southwest Missouri State, Missouri and Nebraska.

"We need to stay in our packs and keep our minds on the race," Wolf said. "Everything is on the line this weekend and we cannot beat ourselves before the race if we want to beat our competition and qualify for nationals."

Illinois was given a sneak peek of the course earlier this season when they participated in the Cowboy Jamboree on Oct. 4.

"I feel more confident going into the race," Wolf said. "I can picture myself running the race. I can remember where I got tired, so I can concentrate on beating that fatigue."

Besides feeling confident, Wolf also is feeling other emotions regarding the upcoming race.

"I'm really excited, but nervous," Wolf said. "But I'm more excited."