The words free time do not exist in Michele Greening's vocabulary. The senior distance runner, in her final season of cross country at Cal State Long Beach, has not only been one of the top distance runners at the school, but she is also one of the school's top scholar athletes.

Greening manages the delicate balance between academics and athletics well enough to rank among the top of her class in both.

"Its incredible that she can keep the balance," said Andy Sythe, GreeningÕs cross country and track coach .

A nursing major, Greening, credits people's understanding of her goals as the main reason she can maintain a busy schedule.

"Making people understand what my priorities are has been important," Greening said, adding that she "couldn't be involved in something that wasnÕt flexible."

This flexibility has been useful for Greening on more than one occasion.

She has had situations where, according to Sythe, she has had to fly in for a track meet and then leave immediately after to fulfill other commitments.

"For someone who has so many things going, I keep thinking that we would make more exceptions for her," Sythe said.

Exceptions or not, Greening has maintained this balancing act to become a quintessential model of what coaches look for in top athletes.

She has maintained a GPA of at least 3.50 for eight semesters, with two semesters at 4.00.

While maintaining high academic status, Greening involves herself in many community activities.

She devotes her time working with the Long Beach Health Dept., the Boy Scouts of America, and is a member of her church's pastoral council.

Her academic performance, along with service to her community and athletic achievements, led Sythe to recommend her as CSULB's nominee for 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year.

In addition to her work with various community groups, Greening is also a competitive musician and instructor.

The accomplished vocalist, also plays the piano and the accordion. She has played at the White House on two different occasions.

Athletically, Greening has traditionally been a runner that starts off slow then begins to peak near the end the season, in time for the Big West race.

This style of running resulted in her posting a season best time of 19 minutes, 42 seconds at UC San Diego. Her style, she says, is in response to physical reactions.

"I like to listen to my body. I hear what it tells me to do, instead of pushing to try to be the best early in the season," she said.

Once cross country season ends, Greening is unsure of what she will do, though she does have one season of indoor track eligibility left. Her uncertainty also applies to her future beyond college.

"Right now [the future] is a giant abyss for me," Greening said. "I'm very open to what comes my way."