TicketsBearcat to Watch: Jennifer Limle
Contact: Christie Hadley
10/6/2003
It is fitting that in the last home meet of her last cross country season, Cincinnati native Jennifer Limle would finish the Queen City Invitational as the top UC runner for the first time in her career.
It is even more fitting that she was chosen as captain this season following a vote from her teammates. A soft spoken, jovial psychology major, Limle leads by an example of hard work and dedication.
?She brings a splendid attitude to the team,? head coach Bill Schnier stated. ?Now she is a leader of the team, and her excellence in running and character has allowed her to be chosen captain.?
Limle started running competitively her freshman year at Colerain High School.
Falling into cross country because her track coach required her to run in the fall if she wanted to run in the spring, Limle tasted success early. She was a member of the state championship team for two straight years, and also helped the 4x800 meter relay team capture its own championship. She knew she wanted to continue running, so her coach contacted Cincinnati.
?I wanted to stay in the area, and when I met Bill, I really liked him,? Limle said. ?The team has always gotten along great in the past, but I think this year?s team is my favorite because everyone just clicks together, and we all really want to do well.?
Although the women?s team has been plagued with injuries this season, it still hopes to place well in the conference and regional meets. If the team can get everyone running at full strength at the same time, the Bearcats could be a contender for the Conference USA championship title. With Ruth Limo recovering from a hip injury, and Karen Berling struggling with tendonitis, UC has yet to run with a full team.
?I was glad I could step up,? Limle said of her 10th place finish at the Queen City Invitational. ?It felt good to say finally that I was number one.?
Cross country is a team sport based on the performances of individuals. One runner can?t make a team successful, and Limle has added the needed strength and depth for the last three years. Although this is the first time she has placed on top, she has consistently scored for the Bearcats, and scored well. Her personal record in a 5K race is 18:17, and she averages a little over five minutes per mile during her races.
?This year we have a lot of runners that are the same,? Limle said. ?We can really run as a pack, and I really like that because you always have your teammates around you. It helps when you are tired in the race because you tell yourself, I have my friend right next to me, and I?ve got to stay with her.?
Limle doesn?t take time off after cross country is over. She heads straight into track season, running the mile for the UC indoor team and 1,500 meters for the outdoor team. Last season she set a personal record, finishing in 4:37 and placing seventh in the C-USA outdoor meet.
?My favorite college memory would be last year at the conference meet in track,? Limle said. ?Our team did well, the distance side particularly did well, and I was happy with my race. It all clicked that day. Everybody set PR?s that day, and it just worked.?
Set to graduate in June, Limle is working on finalizing her plans. She would like to continue on to graduate school in Social Work, and is looking into the program at UC. She plans on training over the summer to run a marathon next fall, but plans to cut back on her mileage.
?I don?t see myself running a lot of road races,? Limle said. ?I just want to run a marathon to say I did it, but I hope I won?t get addicted to it; 26.2 miles, I think I just want to do that once.?