Cross Country

By Alyssa Brosious '10

Kim Chinn

"Last year was ideal," continued Chinn, who carries an outstanding 3.75 grade point average in broadcasting, mass communications and public relations. "I got to experience my first national cross country meet with my teammates and at our home course (B-W hosted both the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Meet and the 2010 Outdoor Track National Championship Meet). So, it will be very different this year at a different course and without my teammates on the start line with me."

Chinn also realizes that part of her success can be attributed to her teammates.

"It will be strange not having Katie [senior Katie White] and Karin [senior Karin Coyne] and the rest of the girls on the line with me," said Chinn. "They are a calming factor on race day. We also have traditions of a team huddle, so the atmosphere will be very different.

"There really hasn't been just one person who has influenced my running and success, said Chinn. "I feel it has been many people, teammates and coaches, who have helped me. It wasn't just this year, it was all four years where someone challenged me to run and little faster, a bit harder and a little further. All of those people have influenced my success, and I am so grateful."

Chinn has had an outstanding senior season. She began the season by placing first of 35 runners at The College of Wooster Invitational, then placed second of 130 runners at the Case Western Reserve University Bill Sudeck Classic and then second at the Ohio Wesleyan University Invitational Meet en route to being named as the OAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week.  Her season has culminated by placing sixth at the All-Ohio Championships, being the OAC Championship Meet runner-up on Oct. 30 at Otterbein College in Westerville and then placing third of 240 runners at Hope last Saturday.

"Kim has the talent and ability to be an All-American, and I think she has a chance to have the best-ever finish by a B-W runner at the national meet," said veteran 27-year Yellow Jacket Head Coach Dr. Bill Taraschke. "She has gained confidence every year.  Last year, we [team] and she [Kim] were just happy to be there [at the national meet]. This year, after her NCAA Meet performance in track, she is poised to be an All-American."

Taraschke feels that during the past four years that Chinn has improved both as a team leader and runner.

"Kim is a caring person with a good sense for team unity," said Taraschke, who has led the B-W cross country and track teams to 46 OAC titles, including 16 of the past 23 in cross country. "She has in her quiet way used her position as a team leader to bring the team together, and not just the women, but the men too, and promote a good atmosphere.

"As a runner, Kim's OHSAA State Meet time as a senior was 19:48 and her best as a freshman, despite being injured, was 19:55," continued Taraschke. "Last Saturday, her 5K equivilent was 17:40, so she's improved by more than two minutes. More importantly, her attitude and confidence is so much better. She tends to save her best efforts for the big meets."

Chinn is no stranger to success at either the collegiate or high school levels, including her second place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at last spring's NCAA Outdoor Meet at B-W.

While at West Muskingum High School, Chinn participated and lettered four years in cross country and track and field and played soccer for four years and lettered three times.  She was a two-time All-Ohio, four-time All-District and three-time All-Muskingum Valley League and All-Region runner.

“I thought I was going to be done [running] when high school was over,” said Chinn about whether or not running was a deciding factor in choosing B-W.  “I’ve run my whole life, but my decision to run in college changed when I arrived on campus.

"I felt more comfortable and at home at B-W after visiting the College twice during high school," continued the Academic All-OAC and ESPN Academic All-District IV competitor that will be an ESPN Academic All-America candidate this spring.  “Everyone [the B-W student-athletes and coaching staff] was really welcoming and it was fun.  I felt like I could fit in with the team.

And, fit in she has.

Last season, Chinn was one of the top two runners on the OAC-champion cross country team. She placed fifth as an individual at the league championship meet, earned All-Great Lakes Region accolades and helped to lead the team into the NCAA Div. III National Championship Meet.  During the indoor track season, she won the OAC 1,000-meter run in a time of 3:03.11 to set a Marietta College facility record and was second in the 1-mile run.

But it was outdoors where she truly blossomed into a top-flight Division III-national challenger.

At the 2010 OAC Outdoor Championships, Chinn was named the OAC Women's Distance Runner of the Meet as she ran on the first place 4x800-meter relay team and won both the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 5,000-meter run. In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Chinn set a school-record and was national runner-up in a time of 10:30.53 to earn All-America honors. Chinn’s time broke the school record by eight seconds and bettered her personal-best by 15 seconds.

So, in Chinn's mind, did that race change her.

"I'm not sure that placing second or being an All-American raised my confidence level, but I think it showed me that I can push myself to achiveve things I didn't think were possible," said Chinn. "My track success definitely rolled over to my summer and fall training. I felt that I could achieve similar things on the cross country course."

Coming into the race, Chinn has a few modest goals.

"I'm not really sure what to expect with this meet," said Chinn. "I am running better than last year and I finished 117th last year, so ideally, I'd like to be in the Top-75 this year.  I'm not sure what the course is like, whether it is hilly or flat, so I have no time that I want to hit, I just want to finish well."

Taraschke says, "I'm not surprised that Kim said that [of a Top-75 finish]. She such a good person and so modest, but once she gets out there and she becomes fully competitive, that will change.  I definitely expect her to be better than the Top-75, a lot better than the Top-75."

Just like athletics, Chinn is an over-achiever in the classroom.  It seems that after three-plus years at the College that Chinn has it [balancing academics and athletics] down to a science.

“I really have gotten time management down," said Chinn.  "I spend lots of time in the library.  In between classes I’m usually doing homework. It’s just me being dedicated to making sure that I meet the expectations for myself academically.”

Not all was well and smooth out of the gates in to the realm of college competition for Chinn as she suffered appendicitis her freshman year which put her out-of-play for the season.  Unfortunately for her, the following year Chinn discovered that recurring knee pain turned out to be a torn lateral meniscus, which put her out for about a month during her sophomore season.

“I was pretty cautious about running on it,” Chinn said of recovering from her injury.  “I’m more careful about watching my miles and making sure I’m not doing too much.  I listen to my body, and if it starts to hurt, I back off.”

So, following Saturday's cross country meet, what does Taraschke have in store for Chinn?

"Of course right after the New Year, the indoor track season starts," said a confident and smiling Taraschke. "We are looking for her to lead us to a conference title both indoors and outdoors. And, I think she is the best steepler in Division III.  With some things going the right way, she should be considered one of the favorites for the medal [given to the national champion in each individual event in track]."

Chinn has approached the idea of graduate school as well as jumping into the workforce after graduation, and she plans to continue running.

"After graduating, I plan on gettinhg a job in public or media relations and eventually obtaining my graduate degree in an area of communications."

After participating in a marathon two years ago, she intends on continuing with recreational running, so she can enjoy it without the pressure of competition.

“I’ll definitely keep running - for sure.”

Now, there's a surprise!

FOR MORE B-W Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics.