Oct. 25, 2007

FRESNO, Calif. - When Erick Garcia laced up his shoes at the UC Irvine Invitational to open the 2007 cross country season, he was slightly unsure how to run the first collegiate race of his career. Should he start out fast? Should he pick up the pace after each mile? Or should he slow down and save his energy for the final 400 meters?

Obviously, Garcia has figured it out. After placing 17th in the first invitational of the season, Garcia won the Pepperdine Invitational and has posted two second place finishes as well.

"I really know how to run the 8K now," Garcia said. "I try to pick one guy and stick with him, and if he falls back, I'm going to pick out another guy to go after."

Garcia and the rest of the Bulldogs will go after the competition at the Western Athletic Conference Championships, Oct. 27 in Logan, Utah.

The men's team is led by Garcia, a freshman from Parlier, Calif., who won three Valley Championships while at Parlier High School.

Fresno State placed sixth out of seven teams last year, but the Bulldogs are vastly improved.

Along with Garcia, the additions of freshman Elijah Carillo, junior Mehdi Taieb-Brahim and senior David Vartanian have given the Bulldogs depth. Returning sophomores Frank Sanders and Brandon Geis are stronger than last year and provide the glue that keeps the team together.

"A couple of weeks ago, Frank was right behind me during the first two miles," Garcia said. "He was saying, 'come on Erick, come on Erick.'

"It makes a difference when we hear our teammates cheering for each other."

Sanders has clocked in below the 26-minute mark in all three of the 8K contests this season, something he didn't do last year. Geis has also improved his marks from last year, clocking in under the 27-minute mark twice already and posting a 25:51 at the Sacramento State Hornet Jamboree.

"Give coach Gonzales a lot of credit," said Taieb-Brahim. "He's prepared us both mentally and physically to get to the next level. From day one, our goal has been to win the WAC."

The women's team is also aiming high this year at the conference championships. The Bulldogs set a goal to rank among the top-three schools at the WAC meet and they are right on course.

Junior Roxanne Sellick and sophomore Marissa McPhail have been as effective as a title fighter's one-two punch this season.

Sellick is an experienced and tough runner. She had her appendix removed just days prior to the annual Watermelon Run in August, yet she won the two-mile race with a time of 11:37. Since then, Sellick has finished either first or second among Fresno State runners at each competition.

When Sellick is not Fresno State's top runner on a particular week, McPhail is. McPhail won the Sacramento State Hornet Jamboree on Sept. 15, capturing the 5K title with a time of 18:27, averaging just less than six minutes per mile.

"Roxanne is a great running partner for me," McPhail said. "If I didn't have her to push me all year long, I wouldn't have performed to my ability."

Senior Meredith Hawkins has been a constant in the middle of the pack. She finished third among the Bulldogs at each meet this year, including a seventh-place finish at the Hornet Jamboree 5K with a time of 19:10.

Junior Briana Cleary is in her first season with the Bulldogs and has made an immediate impact. Cleary has finished fourth among Fresno State runners in each of the first four meets. Sophomore Jennifer Hernandez has also been a bright spot for the Bulldogs.

"We depend on each other for everything," McPhail said. "We've really developed into a great team, but more importantly, we've become a family."