Bowen, Green represent UCLA squad at NCAAs

By Dylan Hernandez
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

When UCLA cross country head coach Eric Peterson recruited
Christina Bowen five years ago, he never thought she would one day
be one of the school’s only two representatives at the NCAA
Championships.

“At the time, it would have been a stretch to say
she’d develop into an athlete that would be an individual
qualifier to the national championships,” he said.

But she and Bryan Green of the men’s squad grabbed
at-large bids to the finals, held today in Ames, Iowa, and
prevented UCLA from getting shut out from the big meet.

Bowen admits she didn’t expect to be in this position. A
sub-five-minute miler in high school, she always thought of herself
as a middle-distance track runner.

Also, she never would have guessed that as a fifth-year senior,
her team wouldn’t be able to grab one of the 31 spots in the
field.

“I have very mixed emotions,” said Bowen, who
finished ninth at the West Regional meet. “It feels like a
void not having my team with me. When I’m at the starting
line, it’s going to feel bizarre.”

Bowen, who had a series of tough workouts last week, said she
would be aggressive from the start of the race. She said she
learned a lesson at the championships two years ago, when she got
out too slowly.

And Bowen made it clear that her goal was to be an
All-American.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this in cross
country,” she said. “But I’m going for it.
It’s definitely going to hurt, but I’ve been preparing
myself for it.”

Tugging Bowen and the rest of the lead pack will be defending
champion Erika Palmer of Wisconsin and Colorado’s Kara
Wheeler, who became the favorite for the individual crown after
winning the Pre-NCAA meet. Team title favorites include Colorado,
BYU and Stanford.

Green says he plans to get out quickly as well. If he does, it
will be the first time this season he has done so, since he has
pack-run with UCLA’s other runners through the first three
miles in each of his races.

He is considering running with Stanford’s squad for the
early parts of the race. And when pre-race co-favorite Jorge Torres
of Colorado makes his expected mid-race break, Green hopes he will
have enough fuel to come in strongly. “My goal is to be in
the top 25,” he said. “It has to be ““ I’m
in good shape.”

Aside from Torres, other top contenders in the race are
defending David Kimani of Alabama, Jonathan Riley of Stanford, Luke
Watson of Notre Dame and Keith Kelly of Providence. None are
considered to be a clear favorite. The winner of the team race is
just as hard to predict, with Colorado, Stanford, Arkansas,
Providence and Georgetown all in the hunt.