Lisa Griego served as Westmont’s lone representative at the 2008 NAIA Women’s Cross Country National Championship on Saturday in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Griego finished in forty-first place out of a field of 336 qualifiers, completing the course in 18:22.
It wasn’t the experience which Griego had expected in her final year of competition. Last year, Griego competed as part of the Westmont team, but neither the men’s nor women’s teams qualified for this year’s championship race at the Wayne E. Dannehl Cross Country Course, leaving the teaching credential student as the only Warrior to take a place on the starting line.
Also missing from the experience was Westmont head coach Russell Smelley whose home was one of 15 faculty homes destroyed in the Tea Fire last week as it swept through the Westmont campus. Griego was accompanied to the race by assistant coach Lindsey Connolly and teammates Chrissa Trudelle and Daniel Lew.
“It was definitely tough circumstances,” acknowledge Griego. “After the fire my perspective changed. I was fighting emotion and the race just didn’t seem important. But then my thoughts changed again and I wanted to do well for Westmont and be a good representative.”
Griego was encouraged when three additional teammates showed up at the start line – Kirsten Wiersma, Mycah Bain and Charlie Detmar. Wiersma and Bain traveled to the championship event from their homes in Minnesota while Detmar made his way to Kenosha from his home in Michigan. The three returned to their homes earlier in the week as a result of the suspension of classes at Westmont until December 1.
“It was very encouraging to have a handful of people cheering,” noted a grateful Griego. “They spread out around the course and it was very helpful.”
Though missing her goal of a top-30 finish and, therefore, a title of All-American, Griego was pleased with her race.
“Last year, I got stuck towards the back at the beginning of the race,” recalled Griego. “This year I got into a better position and was around seventy to eightieth after the first mile. Because of the terrain, the first mile is slower than I am use to.
“After the first mile, I was never passed,” continued Griego, “and I started working my way up the pack. With about a half mile to go, I was in about forty-fifth place. When I was in position to see the finish line, I saw that the thirtieth runner was just crossing so I new I would not make All-American. But I kept on pushing. I saw Kristen Schmidt from Biola and was able to pass her which I was happy about because I have never beaten her before.”
