Running for Nebraska: The races are just around the corner

August 31, 2010

The races are just around the corner

I got my uniform today! It is very surreal, I can't put it on yet because I know I'll get too excited, lol. But I will post a picture, and I got to run on our home course today. Our course is at Pioneers Park and while I did believe that Nebraska was a flat state, the "hill" on the course is in fact a hill (comparable to Reservoir Hill at Mt. Sac, but a bit shorter and steeper). There are some woopdy-do type of downhill to uphill transitions along the course as well. The meet hosts about 30 teams and has been an annual event since 1990. A 668 acre natural preserve, the park has a nature center, trails, and some elk, bison, turkey vultures, a bald eagle, and owls are exhibited in their natural habitat. Below are some pictures, I'll be racing there Sept. 18th!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: I love all of these pictures, as well as the ones in your previous / other posts! It's so beautiful! And I love the pics of your dorm and team and such :) It's supposed to be super humid at Cornell (at least at first) too, so I can appreciate the humidity you have going on there in Nebraska! :) how do you deal? any tips? haha, hopefully I'll get used to that! <3 Anna; July 19, 2011 at 11:16 PM

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Why Nebraska?

When I began the college search I knew that I wanted to continue running at the NCAA Division 1 level. I desired a school rich in pride for its sports with good academics as well. I found this in Lincoln, NE. College sports are a very big deal in the state of Nebraska and it shows in the school's facilities and coaching staff. I picked Nebraska because of all it had to offer me as a student athlete and because of the at-home feeling I got on my visit and with the team. Quite a few of my teammates have become a lot faster since their high school PR's and this was a good indicator to me that I could trust in the training tendencies of my long time Nebraska Cross Country coach Jay Dirksen. A graduate of South Dakota State in '68, Jay was an All American steeplechaser and has coached at Nebraska for 28 years producing a total of 3 NCAA National Champions, 1 U.S Olympic Trials Champion, 20 Cross Country NCAA All Americans, 39 NCAA Track and Field All Americans, 5 Big XII Cross Country Team Titles, 6 NCAA Regional Titles and 22 NCAA Cross Country Teams.

Before Nebraska

I ran four years of Cross Country and Track for Great Oak High School under coaches Doug Soles and Daniel Noble. I was a four year letter winner in both sports and went to Nike Cross Nationals all four years. Some notable awards include #1 Freshman in Riverside County in 2006 and Freshman of the Year, as well as the #3 Sophomore in 2007, winner of the Long Beach Invitational, the Mt. SAC D1 sophomore girls champion and Sophomore of the Year. My Junior and Senior seasons I was a team captain and the Most Improved athlete on the track team, Junior and Senior of the Year as well as 1st Team All-League in the SWL, a scholar athlete, a member of the 2008 Riverside County Academic Team winner (gohs xc), part of the CIF Southern Section team champion in 2009, and the tie breaker of Great Oak's 2009 Runner Up accolades at the California State Meet. In track I was the Inland Empire 1600m Champ, held senior records in the 1600m (5:02.54), 3200m (11:09.10), and 3 miles (17:19, xc); and was a California High School Heisman Finalist in 2010.