Outdoor Track and Field

Kim Chinn

BEREA, OHIO – Baldwin-Wallace College senior cross country and track All-American runner Kim Chinn (Zanesville/ West Muskingum) is one of the best and most versitile runners in the history of the Ohio Athletic Conference. Every time the 2010-11 B-W Most Outstanding Female Athlete steps to the starting line, she embodies what is good in the term student-athlete.

But it almost didn't happen at all.

“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 four-plus years ago.  “I’ve run my whole life, but my decision to run in college changed when I arrived on campus.

"That is when I met the other ladies on the team," said Chinn. "I felt so comfortable with them, and it has gotten better and better each year. Now, I am really going to miss all of the ladies when I graduate.  This [B-W] is such a special place."

In her four years in Berea, Chinn has accomplished possibly what no other dual cross country and track competitor has ever achieved in a program at a school that is steeped in tradition in each sport.  Add to that a solid, 3.75 grade point average in mass communication and the three-time Division III All-American is an ideal candidate for CAPITAL ONE Academic All-America accolades.

In cross country, the 2010 NCAA Division III All-American by virtue of placing 13th individually at the national meet has competed on a pair of OAC cross country championship teams, three times earned OAC Runner of the Week honors, led the Yellow Jackets to a national finish at the 2009 meet which B-W hosted, and this fall was the Co-OAC Runner of the Year. At the national meet, Chinn set a B-W school-record with her 21:31 timing and became B-W's first cross country All-American.

Chinn is a three-time 1,000-meter
OAC Champion

In indoor track, Chinn specialized in the middle to distance races and was named three times as an OAC Runner of the Week. She helped B-W to win a pair of OAC titles, including this winter, and individually ran on four straight OAC-champion distance medley relay teams and individually won four titles. In leading her team to the OAC title this winter, Chinn won the 1,000-meter run for the third straight time and with a school-record time, won the 1-mile run and ran on the champion DMR en route to being named as the OAC's Julie Zajac Co-OAC Distance Runner of the Year award. At the NCAA Division III National Championship Meet at Capital University, Chinn earned All-American honors with a sixth place finish. A week prior, she set a school-record in the mile run.

In outdoor track, Chinn entered this year's OAC Championship Meet seeking her first OAC title and her first individual national title.  The OAC Most Outstanding Female Runner at last year's meet and 3-time OAC Runner of the Week was the returning individual champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 5,000-meter run and a three-time member of the winning 4x800-meter relay team. But it is the 3,000-meter steeplechase, where Chinn earned All-America accolades with a runner-up finish at the national meet that was hosted at B-W, that she hopes to become a national champion.

B-W Head Coach Bill Taraschke thinks Chinn's attitude of team first and individual accolades second is a big key to her success.

"Kim is such a caring person with a good sense for team unity," said Taraschke, who has led the B-W cross country and track teams to 47 OAC titles. "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.

"The other ladies and guys on the team she how hard she works and how she leads by example every single day," continued Taraschke. "It has been special to see her development. She went from having some health concerns as a freshman to an injury early in her sophomore season to becoming one of the most dominant runners in the OAC and Ohio the past two years. We just hope she can cap her career with a national title. She deserves it."

So, has there been a main influence in your growth, development and success?

Chinn finished second in the
3000-meter steeplechase at the
2010 NCAA National Championships

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

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.”

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