The Longhorns have one goal this weekend: get to nationals.

This weekend Texas will compete in the NCAA South Central Regional Championship. The top two teams automatically qualify for the national championship. Only 10 percent of men’s teams qualify for nationals, and less than 10 percent of women team’s do.

“You never know what can happen if you fight all the way through the race,” redshirt freshman Jacob Pickle said. “The top two teams make it to nationals and we’re definitely not going to leave without that.”

In order to prepare for this meet, sophomore redshirt Hannah Grubb said the team had two intense workouts last week but eased up after Sunday. Pickle said the men’s team worked out at a faster speed to prepare them for the regional meet race.

Grubb said Arkansas, “always a powerhouse,” will be the women’s toughest competition this weekend. The men consider Arkansas, A&M and Lamar the biggest threats.

“Everyone wants to go to nationals so it’s not going to be an easy race,” Pickle said. “All the work’s been done. It’s just time to go out there and have fun.”

Grubb, too, said the women have “total confidence” in their training.

“We’ve done all these hard workouts, we’ve practiced this race pace, we’ve worked as a team together,” Grubb said. “We have to remember when we get there on the course we are as prepared as we’ve ever been, and we have to go out there with confidence and trust our training.”