Times Sports Writer

Kelly Wolfe put in the miles. Now she is reaping her reward.

"It had been my goal since the season started to qualify for the state (cross country) meet," she said earlier this week. The Hancock College freshman met her goal, and she is running in the California Junior College Women/s Cross Country Championships today.

The race is at Woodward Park in Fresno at 10 a.m.

After she graduated from St. Joseph last spring, "I put in a lot of miles last summer," in preparation for her first collegiate cross country season, says Wolfe.

That included the Fields to Fair race last summer. "That was in Guadalupe, and it was the first time I/d run a 10-miler in my life," she says. Wolfe won her division.

"I wasn/t used to running that kind of distance, but I/m a pretty competitive person."

"She put in a good base," last summer, Hancock coach Luis Quintana says of Wolfe. "That was the most important part. She/s had a very successful cross country season for us."

Wolfe, the sole Bulldog to qualify for the state meet, has been Hancock/s top women/s runner all year.

Today she will tackle a three-mile Woodward course that figures to be to her liking.

"It/s got a lot of rolling hills, and that/s my favorite kind of course," says Wolfe. "From what I/ve heard, it/s a really good course."

Wolfe says she is happy enough with the way her inaugural college cross country season has gone so far but, "I could do better.

"I want to run in the 19/s," as in 19 minutes, today, says Wolfe. "Sometimes I/ve run in the 19/s, sometimes I/ve run in the 20/s."

Wolfe says she/s been running since her sophomore year at St. Joseph, "but it wasn/t serious until last year." Wolfe qualified for the CIF Preliminary Meet her senior season, the first post-season for her.

Now, she is in her first state meet. Wolfe qualified by finishing 25th at the Southern California Finals Nov. 8 at the Mt. San Antonio College course.

"When I qualified at the Finals, everyone (in the Hancock program) was really happy," says Wolfe. "I was really excited."

The Mt. SAC course has the reputation of being a rugged one, but it apparently didn/t faze Wolfe. The course, which includes some substantial hills, and winding trails, called switchbacks, on an upgrade "wasn/t that hard," says Wolfe.

"That course wasn/t nearly as bad as the one at Ventura," says Quintana. "That was the toughest course we ran all year." Quintana says the Ventura course included some awesome hills.

Wolfe/s best finishes were ninth at the Bakersfield Invitational and again at the Western State Conference Meet at Waller Park.

She is not one of those distance runners who runs cross country merely to get in shape for track, though "track is still my favorite sport.

"Cross country has grown on me."

Wolfe says she will run track for Quintana this spring in his first season as Hancock track coach. Quintana, a former long-time Righetti cross country and track coach, took over as Hancock/s cross country coach in 2002.

Wolfe figures her first track season at Hancock will be an adventure. "I/ll run the 1,500, the 5,000," she says.

Also, "Luis wants me to try the steeplechase," Wolfe says with an apprehensive smile and a slight wince.

The steeplechase is a 3,000 meter race that includes several low barriers and water jumps. Wolfe says she is most wary of the water jumps.

To Wolfe/s relief, "They don/t run the steeplechase every week," Quintana says. "I think her main race will be the 5,000, the longer races.

"She has the endurance base," Quintana says of Wolfe. "Now we/re trying to build the speed. That/s been improving."

Wolfe acknowledges that she is not one of those runners who has a devastating finishing kick.

Nonetheless, she has built good momentum for herself with a successful cross country season. "I think I/ll run here next year too, and then try to get some sort of scholarship," to run at a four-year school.

Quintana says Wolfe is off to a good start toward that goal. And besides her physical talent, "She has a great work ethic."

After this cross country and track season it/s more summer road work for Wolfe followed by, she envisions, a return trip to Woodward Park for another state meet next fall.

Times sports writer Kenny Cress can be reached at 739-2237 or by e-mail at kcress@pulitzer.net

November 22, 2003