Meredith Kramon

 

Nuggets in the Rough: women's cross country

By Michael Bower
Daily Forty-Niner
Sports Editor

The Nugget in the Rough award usually goes to the most outstanding athlete of the week, but this week since the women's cross country team had such a huge accomplishment they are our Nuggets in the Rough.

The women's team captured its first title since 1994 at the UC Riverside Invite, beating out some of the nations top programs such as Southern Utah. The Beach finished 22 points ahead of the second place team (Southern Utah).

"It's pretty exciting," Head Distance Coach Matt Roe said. "To beat a team like Southern Utah, who I saw while I was coaching at Western Illinois, and who has won the last six Mid-Continent titles, it's a big deal."

All five runners finished in the top-35 in the 12-team race for The Beach. Three runners finished in the top-15, including sophomore Nicole Blalock.

Blalock led the way for the women's team as she finished in fifth place with a time of 18 minutes, 1.60 seconds on the 5k course where the Big West Conference Championship will be held on Oct. 30. Blalock finished just 30 seconds behind Southern Utah's standout runner Alisha Bezanson.

Meredith Kramon, a transfer from the University of Miami, finished in 12th place for the 49ers with a time of 18:19.20. Kramon played soccer for the Hurricanes in 2002 and redshirted for the 49ers' soccer team in 2003.

Crystal Roethlisberger finished just behind Kramon in 14th place. Roethlisberger finished in a time of 18:24.90. Last season Roethlisberger was the No. 3 runner for the 49ers, and finished in 33rd place at the Big West Conference Championship.

A couple of freshmen helped put the 49ers over the top, and on their way to their first meet title in over a decade. Bethany Gardner finished with a time of 18:41.00, and Danielle Miller, from Palo Alto, finished with a time of 18:53.80 – good enough for 32nd place.

"I think a lot of the credit for our win [Saturday] goes to Crystal Roethlisberger and Danielle Miller, for putting us over the top," Roe said.

The first year coach from Portland, Roe, has dealt with many injuries since taking over the cross country program this season, but he has still been able to make remarkable leaps in the cross country program.

The cross country team will be back in action when they participate in the Cal Poly Invite in San Louis Obispo on Oct. 16.