Cross country season ends

Cross Country • Junior transfer Jimmy Grabow finished the cross country season with a 61st place finish at the NCAA Regional in Fresno. Matt Brown/CSULB Sports Information

 

By Michael Bower
Online Forty-Niner
Sports Editor

The cross country season came to an end for Long Beach State on Saturday, but the season proved to be a great first step in the right direction for the future of the program.

"I'm really excited about the job our distance coach Matt Roe did in such a short amount of time," track and field director Andy Sythe said. "He started September 1 and accomplished a great deal. He's the right guy, an excellent coach and the distance program here has a bright future. I'm especially proud of our athletes, and our seniors, who ran consistency all year."

Roe arrived at Long Beach State just one week before the season began and was forced to take on a team riddled with injuries. Roe proved to be up to the task as the men and women's team turned in one of the best years the program has seen in a long time.

The men and women ended the season at the NCAA Regional in Fresno on Saturday. The men finished in 15th place with 412 points as the women finished in 20th place with 561 points.

Both top runners for the men and women's team had an off day for the 49ers. Nicole Blalock, who developed abdominal cramps half way through the race for the women's team, placed 110th with a time of 22 minutes, 59 seconds.

"We had a really good season. We had a strong group of girls, who are all young and who are all coming back next season," Blalock said.

Blalock set the fastest 6K time in school history and also set the sixth-fastest 5K time in 2004.

Jimmy Grabow for the men's team placed 61st with a time of 32:09. Grabow has been a great addition to the 49ers' program and has been touted as the best runner the program has seen since Dave Schumacher in 1987. He finished the season posting the fastest 5K time in school history since Schumacher in 1987 and the third fastest time overall.

"In the three months that I have been here, our team made great leaps and we were able to click as a team. That is pretty impressive," Grabow said.

Senior Jacob Kruczynski was the third 49er to cross the finish line as he placed 84th to cap off his career at Long Beach State. Wohan Ovalle was the second 49er to cross the line finishing in 81st place with a time of 32:44.

Meredith Kramon was the first to cross the finish line on the women's side as she finished in 92nd place with a time of 22:39. Alyssum Skejeie battled her way across the finish line to place 155th for the 49ers.

"On the women's side, our core ran well, especially Alyssum Skejeie, but our top two had off days and that hurt us in the standings," Roe said. "The men ran pretty well, and though it won't show in the points, our team is much better than last year. Jake Kruczynski ran a great final race to cap off his career. We are not a program that shies away from anyone, this experience today will make us a successful program in the future."