Cross Country's Cabrera Commutes to Case
By Kyle Akins, Case Western Reserve University
CLEVELAND, OHIO -- Case Western Reserve University sophomore runner Natalia Cabrera (Shaker Heights, OH) is a rarity on a campus which features students from all 50 states and nearly 100 countries - she's an undergraduate commuter.
In the world of college athletics, where student-athletes have on-campus time requirements far greater than the average student, commuters are almost non-existent.
Cabrera enjoys being able combine the excitement and challenges of life as a student-athlete with the familiarity and comforts of home life.
"I don't feel I miss out on the social stuff so much," said Cabrera. "It's nice to get away sometimes, go home and have my own room. To be with my family and a home cooked meal is definitely a plus."
A big reason Cabrera doesn't feel like she's missing out is the cross-country team, which is known for being a tight-knit group of friends.
"At the beginning of my freshman year, I thought my social life would be horrible because you meet all your friends in the dorms," explained Cabrera. "But as it turns out, I have friends on the cross country team I'm close with."
"I think I would still be struggling to make friends if I weren't on the team," Cabrera continued. "I have a hard time deciding that I'm going to go out and do something social unless I have a support and (my cross country teammates) are that support more or less because everyone is so friendly. You were almost automatically friends with everyone coming in."
Cabrera has an additional opportunity to meet friends as a member of an on-campus swing dancing club.
"(Swing dancing) is something different from running, less physical and more emotionally fun," said Cabrera. "You have to be so dedicated and work so much for (running) that it becomes sort of a chore sometimes and swing dancing can be more of a release. I got involved because my older brother, who also goes to Case, wanted to me to so I could practice with him. He would bring me to some of the lessons even when I was still in high school. I'm still really bad, but it's really enjoyable. "
Family is something special to every Case Western Reserve student but for students like Cabrera who still live with family, their presence is felt on a daily basis.
"I'm really close to my family, so I'm really glad for whatever time I can spend with them," said Cabrera. "I have to think about things like 'oh I haven't spent time with my little brother in awhile.' He misses me, so I will go home and just hang out with him and it's something I really enjoy."
With an older brother who also attends Case Western Reserve and a father who conducted research at University Hospital and taught as an associate professor at Case Western Reserve until he passed away in February, family was heavily involved in Cabrera's choice to come to University Circle.
"Since I was eight years old, my parents told me I was going to go to Case because dad worked here," explained Cabrera. "It turned out Case was a great school so it worked out for the best."
Losing her father, who she was extremely close to, has been tough on Cabrera these past months. The two would regularly meet for lunch when she was on campus. He was also the reason she took up running.
"It definitely started with my dad," said Cabrera. "I played soccer from (ages) eight to 14, and because of soccer I had some endurance built up. My dad was really into soccer and running. So sometimes we would get up at six in the morning and run a mile. I don't really know why but he enjoyed it and liked how I would get him up to go running. Then when I tore my meniscus playing soccer, I stopped that and decided that running could be more of my focus."
At Case, Cabrera has been a top runner on a team which has been nationally-ranked in the top 15 throughout her two seasons. The team finished 16th at the NCAA Division III National Championship last season while Cabrera finished 222nd overall. Cabrera hopes the team, currently ranked No. 11 in Division III, can make it back to this year's National Championships hosted locally by Baldwin-Wallace College. As far as long-term goals, she has her sights set high.
"I didn't do so well at nationals last year, but it was an experience just to be there," said Cabrera. My goal is to eventually become an All-American [top-35 at Nationals] in my college career."
Before the Spartans can attempt to qualify for Nationals, they first must race in the biggest meet of the season thus far - The 2009 University Athletic Association Championships. This year, Case Western Reserve gets to defend its 2008 title as host of the meet at its home course, Squire Valleevue Farm. Cabrera expects to have a great race on the home track and hopes to improve by staying with current All-American junior Justine Jeroski (Murrysville, PA) as long as possible.
"I would like to set a PR [personal record] at the conference meet because it's our home course and even though it's a hard course, I feel like we have enough of a really strong base to do our best at this race," said Cabrera. "I'm hoping I can run with Justine as long as possible, maybe for three miles. I made it 2.5 with her in the last race. She is really great to run with and she pulls me forward. It looks like the conference is going to be difficult to win this year because I think Washington U is really good and a couple others have stepped it up since last year. It's not going to be easy."