LCSC cross country team adds recruit from Weiser

 

3-11-08

Amanda Palmer, a senior at Weiser High School in Idaho, has signed a letter-of-intent to run for the Lewis-Clark State College women’s cross country team in the fall, LCSC coach Mike Collins announced on Monday. 

“Amanda has been a very sought after runner and we feel very fortunate that she has decided to continue her running and academic career here at Lewis-Clark State,” Collins says. 

At the Idaho State Cross Country meets, Palmer finished third once and second three times in the 3A meet. She is a four-time district cross country champion and has a personal best of 18 minutes, 46 seconds in a 5-kilometer cross country race. Palmer also excels on the track and has personal-best time of 2:22 in the 800, 5:28 in the 1,600, and 11:56 in the 3,200 entering her senior season. 

Collins says Palmer is an excellent student with a GPA of more than 3.90. 

“Not only does Amanda have what we are looking for in student-athletes (great character, great student and great runner), but she also has history on her side,” Collins says.  “The first all-American we had here at LCSC was a Weiser graduate, Marissa (Rynearson) Thompson, who ended up earning a total of five all-American honors before she was done as well as being the first-ever qualifier in both cross country and track and field for the national championships. 

“We believe Amanda has the potential to improve a lot,” Collins continued.  “She has the work ethic to get much better.  Add to that the team environment around her and a program that works to help all of its runners get better, and you never know what may happen, and the odds are that it is going to be pretty good.” 

She is the seventh recruit signed by Collins this spring. Collins also is the outdoor track and field coach, which is in its first year of being fully sponsored by LCSC.