TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Six elite men's runners sat on a dais for a press conference Friday. They were there to preview the NCAA cross country championship to be contested Saturday morning.
Of the six, Oregon's Edward Cheserek was the most soft-spoken. But the other five were struck completely dumb by the second question posed from the pool of reporters in attendance.
How, they were asked, could the three-time champion Cheserek be beaten? The answer: silence, and some furtive glances to see if any of the five was willing to bite.
"When you talk about how to beat Edward Cheserek, there's no real plan," said Syracuse junior Justyn Knight (below), who was fourth at nationals last year and is undefeated this fall.