49ers have competitive showing in Big West Championships

By Michael Bower
Online Forty-Niner
Sports Editor

The cross country program made a huge leap in Saturday's Big West Conference Championships in UC Riverside as they ran one of the most competitive races in Long Beach State history.

Eleven runners finished with personal bests, including all seven women runners as the women's and the men's team took sixth place in the conference.

"This was a real competitive meet, and based on time, the most competitive we have been in school-history," first year Distance Coach Matt Roe said. "And to do this with the injuries and health issues that we have had, it is a real accomplishment. To run some of the best times in school-history, this is a huge step forward."

Before this season just five Long Beach State women had run a 6K race under 23 minutes, and on Saturday the women had five in one day. Sophomore Nicole Blalock led the way as she raced to a school-record time of 21 minute, 52.2 seconds, becoming the first woman in school history to break the 22-minute mark. Blalock finished in 23rd place.

Crystal Roethlisberger was just behind Blalock as she posted the second-fastest time in school history with a 22:01.4 finish – good enough for 31st place.

Three 49er women rounded out the top-10 fastest times in school history at the Big West Championship.

Meredith Kramon finished at 22:35.1, Bethany Gardner finished at 22:36.9 and Danielle Miller 23:00.6 for the seventh, eighth and ninth fastest times, respectively.

Jimmy Grabow was the top-49er finisher for the men's team placing 24th with a time of 25:08.9 in the 8K. Wolhan Ovalle finished in 30th place while Kenny Lawerence was one of four men to run personal bests with a time of 25:30.2 for 32nd place.

The cross country team will be off to the NCAA Regional at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 13 at 9 a.m.