|
CSM’S EMILY PATTON WINS FIRST CROSS COUNTRY RACE TO TAKE COAST TITLE
College
of San Mateo Sports News, October 30, 2003
Contact: Fred Baer 650-345-4114
It’s not often a college
runner wins her first ever cross country race at a conference championship meet.
But that’s just what
College of San Mateo Emily Patton accomplished in the Coast Conference Championships
Thursday at her rugged “home” Crystal Springs Course in Belmont.
After almost tripping at
the start, Patton sprinted to the lead and never let up. She covered the 2.9
mile course in 18 minutes, 52 seconds to defeat runner-up Kristin Gallup of
Monterey Peninsula.by a whopping 37 seconds.
It took awhile for Patton
to enjoy the spotlight after her victory. “I’ve never done this before,”
she said. “Yes, it’s good to win. This will prepare me for track.”
She has had success in that arena.
In Patton’s only previous
cross country race, on Oct. 2, she finished second running against most of Northern
California’s top runners at the Lou Vasquez Invitational on a flat course
in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park course.
She’ll face them again
in the Northern California Championships at Sierra College on Nov. 8.
Patton did not run cross
country at Quincy High or during her freshman year at CSM, where she concentrated
on basketball. She incurred a stress fracture in the third game last year and
missed the remainder of the basketball season and was also sidelined for track.
She is an accomplished track
runner. Patton won her league 800 meter title as a senior at Quincy High in
2002 and finished second in the Northern Section championships, just missing
a berth in the state high school championships. Her best time was 2:18.
Hartnell won the men’s
team title with 30 points and the women’s crown with 28 points.
###
|
