Running for it all
White leads No. 11 women's cross country at nationals
Matt Watson
Issue date: 11/24/08 Section: Sports
One year after finishing just inside of the top 200 at the cross country nationals as a freshman, Catherine White has her sights set on a top 10 finish at today's NCAA National Championships.
The 19-year-old from Roanoke, Va., has taken over the Arkansas cross country scene, leading the Razorbacks in all six races this season.
She has already won three individual titles in 2008, including a personal best 6,000-meter time of 20:07 as the top finisher at the Southeastern Conference Championships.
When the starting pistol is fired, White hopes to make her way to the front of the 31-team NCAA field, establishing herself as one of the fastest female collegiate endurance runners in the world.
With a group of seasoned veterans running behind her, White could lead Arkansas to its first trophy finish since 1999, when the Razorbacks finished runner-up to Brigham Young.
Seniors Denise Bargiachi, Christine Kalmer and Dacia Perkins are all running in their fourth and final NCAA Championships, and sophomore Jillian Rosen was the first Razorback and 56th runner overall to cross the line at nationals last season.
"If everyone has the perfect race - everything sets up well, everyone runs up to their ability and no one's cramping up or [anything] - I think we can get fourth or better," White said.
The sophomore has received praise week in and week out from head coach Lance Harter.
Fittingly, Harter and White were both honored earlier this month as the SEC Coach of the Year and Athlete of the Year, respectively.
For Harter, it was the 13th time the conference picked him as the top coach. The Arkansas coach was the biggest reason why White came to Fayetteville in the first place.
Her college decision came down to the University of Virginia, about 120 miles from home, and Arkansas, where she "didn't know a soul" and her nearest family is at least ten hours away.
"I knew if I didn't come here, I'd always think, 'What could I have done at Arkansas? How much faster could I have run?'" she said.
The 19-year-old from Roanoke, Va., has taken over the Arkansas cross country scene, leading the Razorbacks in all six races this season.
She has already won three individual titles in 2008, including a personal best 6,000-meter time of 20:07 as the top finisher at the Southeastern Conference Championships.
When the starting pistol is fired, White hopes to make her way to the front of the 31-team NCAA field, establishing herself as one of the fastest female collegiate endurance runners in the world.
With a group of seasoned veterans running behind her, White could lead Arkansas to its first trophy finish since 1999, when the Razorbacks finished runner-up to Brigham Young.
Seniors Denise Bargiachi, Christine Kalmer and Dacia Perkins are all running in their fourth and final NCAA Championships, and sophomore Jillian Rosen was the first Razorback and 56th runner overall to cross the line at nationals last season.
"If everyone has the perfect race - everything sets up well, everyone runs up to their ability and no one's cramping up or [anything] - I think we can get fourth or better," White said.
The sophomore has received praise week in and week out from head coach Lance Harter.
Fittingly, Harter and White were both honored earlier this month as the SEC Coach of the Year and Athlete of the Year, respectively.
For Harter, it was the 13th time the conference picked him as the top coach. The Arkansas coach was the biggest reason why White came to Fayetteville in the first place.
Her college decision came down to the University of Virginia, about 120 miles from home, and Arkansas, where she "didn't know a soul" and her nearest family is at least ten hours away.
"I knew if I didn't come here, I'd always think, 'What could I have done at Arkansas? How much faster could I have run?'" she said.
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