TicketsOct. 21, 2005
For the last four years, University of Cincinnati cross country runner Karen Berling has been working her way to the front of the pack. As a senior, she has arrived. The Cincinnati native has earned three top-five finishes this season, including a title at the Dayton Flyer 5K on Sept. 3. The Bearcat women's team won their first three meets of the year and will try to continue that success at the BIG EAST Championships on Friday, Oct. 28.
Why do you enjoy running long distance? "I guess I enjoy it because it's one thing that I'm good at. It's just a strength. I didn't start off enjoying it, but as I realized that it's something I was good at, that's when I found the fun in it."
What made you choose Cincinnati? "I always wanted to stay home because my family is important to me. When I came on a visit, the coaches seemed real down to earth. I liked my first impression. I went to a few track meets to watch them and the coaches were real personal. Also input from other people. Parents on the team would say, 'My daughter has so much fun on the team."
What were some of your goals going into the season? "I wanted to be a part of a good team. One of our goals was to beat Miami (Ohio) because I had never been on a team at UC that beat Miami. We did that earlier this season. Mostly they were team goals. I wanted to contribute to the team every week."
You're the only senior this year. How has that affected your role of the team? "A lot of it is teaching the younger girls things, getting them used to the college running and explaining how things are. Keeping them motivated and positive also, because sometimes it's easy to get overwhelmed."
The makeup of the team is different than it has been in the past. You really rely on the team as a whole. How has that affected the season's outcomes? "It pushes me because I know if I run a little bit slower in a workout, I'm not going to be up in the lead, leading the team. I'm going to be passed by about five or six people. So it keeps me going knowing that my teammates are all with me, pulling me along. I don't want to fall back and not be a part of the success that we're having."
It has been said that this is the best UC women's cross country team in about a decade. What does it mean to you to be a part of that? "It's an awesome experience. It makes everything so much more fun because you go to meets and if you run a personal best, you also have your team and we get to go up and get a trophy or a team award. I've always enjoyed competition, but it's made it more fun that it has ever been."
What are you expecting on Oct. 28 at UC's first BIG EAST Championships? "If we run our best race, we'll probably be about seventh, which is right in the middle in one of the best distance running conferences in the country. We would be happy with that. If we can finish seventh, somewhere in the middle out of 15 teams, that would be a good start for us."
What have you enjoyed most about UC cross country? "The team and the fun time that we've had together. Realizing that our hard work pays off and when we're not working hard, we're having fun together."
Who has been a major influence in your life? "For this year, my younger brother, Brian. He runs also. He's in high school. He had a major injury and all summer he was training in a pool and just dying to be out running. So I realized that, every run that I did, I was lucky to be running. Seeing how hard that he worked to keep himself in shape and come back to running was motivating. It kept me going, always thinking of him."