Warrior Cross-Country Signs Recruits For 2005 Season

6-10-05

Lewiston, ID- The Lewis-Clark State College men and women’s Cross Country teams announced the signing of new recruits for the 2005 season.

For the women’s team, Coach Collins has added three new student-athletes to this falls roster.  They include Katja Palm-Loevslett (Stavanger, Norway), Cristina Pineda (Yakima, Washington), and Rosa Bautista (Stanfield, Oregon).  

Katja, from Stavenger, Norway, becomes the first foreign athlete to run for Coach Collins.  Katja spent her junior year in 2003 at Boise’s Capital High School, which happened to be where Collins recruited her.  That year she finished 12th at the state Cross Country meet, 7th in the mile (5:27) and eighth in the 2-mile (12:25) at the 5A state track meet.  The impressive part about these accomplishments is this marked her first year ever competing in running events.  “We are excited to have her and believe that she has a lot of untapped potential” stated head coach Mike Collins.

Cristina Pineda, a native of Yakima, Washington, joins the Warrior Cross-country team

from one of the most recognized and competitive high school programs in the country, Eisenhower high.  Coach Collins had this to say about Christina, “She has been a part of an environment that has learned the values of hard work and sacrifice and what it takes to become a winner.  She will undoubtedly bring those traits with her to LCSC.”  Pineda finished 35^th overall in Washington’s State Cross Country meet.

Rosa Bautista joins L-C from Stanfield high school in Stanfield, OR.  She qualified for Oregon's state Cross Country meet last fall, and for the 1500 and 3000 in track this spring.  “She has a great attitude and great work ethic, and I  believe that once she gets around a group of similarly talented girls on a daily basis she will see big improvements in her personal performance”, stated Collins.

The women’s Cross Country team has made four consecutive trips to the NAIA National meet.  The only loss to the 2005 roster is All-American Tausha Kuzmic.  With the addition of these new recruits, the women’s team looks to continue the established tradition of a strong team program.

The men’s program signed three new recruits to the 2005 roster.  Like the women, the men too are only losing one runner to graduation, and will be looking upon the new incoming class to add to an already deep team.

Adrian Ramirez, from Yakima, Washington, has committed to run for the Warriors this fall.   The Toppenish high school standout finished 24^th in the cross country state meet, while placing runner up most recently at the State track and field meet in the 2 mile, and fishing 5^th in the 4 mile.

“We believe he is just now learning how to run up front and what it takes to win races and expect a lot of great things out of him over the next four years”, stated Coach Collins.

Victor Palma has also signed with the Warrior Cross Country team.   Like Ramirez, he will be joining the team this fall.  Palma, a resident of Yakima, Washington, ran for Eisenhower high school, where their team finished third in the state Cross-Country meet.  “A year ago he ran neck and neck with Aaron Galbraith, who was one of our top three runners this past year,” stated Collins.  “This bodes well in his ability to contribute and be a valuable member of the team.”

The third student-athlete to commit to the men’s program is Michael Swart.  A native of Joseph, Oregon, Michael attended school at Enterprise high.  Swart finished ninth in the state XC meet last fall.  “With a good summer of training and transitioning into the college distance and our environment, we have no doubt that Michael will excel at this level” stated Collins.

For more information on the Warrior Cross-Country programs, visit us at www.lcsc.edu/athletics.