News Story - Idaho State Journal

tflagstad@journalnet.com

Each lap, the runners face a barrier with an imposing 12-foot water pit on the other side of it.

Even with a good leap, the competitors are going to get wet, and the lost momentum the water jump causes is almost like falling down and having to get started again every lap. That's not even counting the four other 30-inch hurdles spread around the track.

Welcome to the 3,000-meter steeplechase - one of Lois Ricardi's signature events for the Idaho State women's track and field team.

''I don't know why I chose it,'' the senior said. ''I just saw the event and thought it was the coolest thing ever and just wanted to do it.''

That desire remained even after taking a swan dive into the water pit in one of her first competitions, and her drive has made her one of the Big Sky's best in the event.

When the league track and field championships start Wednesday at Sacramento State, Ricardi will compete in the steeplechase and two other events, trying to help the Bengal women repeat as champions.

Distance running has been a part of Ricardi's life since, well, almost forever, and she equates the sport with some of the basic elements of survival.

''As bad as it sounds, it's almost addictive. I started running at a young age,'' she said. ''Running's just been a part of my life like for some people just walking, eating, sleeping, breathing. It's hard to explain.''

Coming out of Manhattan Christian High near Bozeman, Mont., Ricardi wasn't heavily recruited. She participated in four sports in high school and never did focus all her attention on track or cross country.

Once she came to Idaho State, she started concentrating on her running, and it's been a steady path of progress since then.

''I came in and took it one year at a time, one season at a time, try to better myself and not worry about what other people are doing,'' Ricardi said. ''By the time I got to be a senior, I was at a level where it was pretty fun to go out and race. Everything seemed to click this year.''

Indeed it has.

In the indoor season, Ricardi entered the school's record books, recording the top 3,000-meter run in Bengals history with her time of 9 minutes, 52.44 seconds after altitude adjustment. She also anchored a record-setting distance medley relay team that finished second at the conference meet.

''She's improved just immensely,'' said Idaho State distance coach Brian Janssen. ''The last couple years she's become such a better runner mechanically, and that's been the big difference.''

She first recorded a qualifying time for the West Regional meet in the steeplechase at the Mount SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., when she finished in 10:40.64.

At the race, she also learned an important lesson about how to approach upcoming races.

''I noticed in the first meet of the year at Boise I was thinking about getting that qualifying mark, and I didn't hit it,'' Ricardi said. ''I got too caught up in a time, whereas at Mount SAC I was just relaxed. I thought whatever happens, happens. I'm just gonna go out and run the race with these girls and just compete. I didn't think about split times or anything.''

She later bested her Mount SAC time at the Robison Invitational in Provo, Utah. There she finished in 10:30.45 after the altitude adjustment, which knocks time off of marks based on a site's altitude, allowing for equitable times across the nation.

Entering the Big Sky championships, Ricardi's best steeplechase time is the second-best in the conference, according to the league's latest track and field release. She trails only Weber State's Sariah Long, whose best mark of 9:59.63 is the third-best collegiate time in the nation, according to www.trackshark.com.

While Ricardi will compete in the 1,500, 5,000 and steeplechase at conference, her high ranking in the steeplechase makes that the event where she feels she has the best chance to finish in the top three, especially because the meet will be held at sea level.

It's also in the steeplechase that she dreams of qualifying for nationals. She already knows she'll be running in the West Regionals on May 30-31 in Northridge, Calif., but the region is the nation's best when it comes to distance running.

Finishing in the top five there to secure an automatic berth at regionals certainly is no given. But there's also a chance to qualify as a wild card if she can put up a fast time at conference or regionals.

''That has been goal since I set my foot on the track,'' Ricardi said of making the NCAA championships, which are set for June 11-14 in Des Moines, Iowa. ''It would be a good way to go out in Idaho State.''

To shave valuable seconds off her time, Ricardi has focused on her water jumps, which have slowed her down all season. Janssen feels that she could reduce her time by as much as 15 seconds by perfecting the water jumps.

''For women, it's really a long ways away,'' Janssen said of the 12-foot water pit. ''Not being afraid is part of it. The toughest part is just breaking stride. It's like falling down every lap.''

Whether Ricardi's senior season ends at the West Regional meet or the NCAA championships, she certainly doesn't plan on giving up running.

How could she? There's that addiction to feed.

She knows it won't be easy, though.

She graduated with a degree in mass communication Saturday and would like to work in broadcast journalism. She's also set to marry Levi Keller, a standout athlete on the men's track and field team, in August.

By Tim Flagstad

This document was originally published online on Sunday, May 11, 2008

Article Rating

Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of our paper.

Submit a Comment

Commenting Rules

We encourage your feedback and dialog. All comments are subject to deletion by our Web staff.

Report a Comment

Report a comment for review to the ISJ web staff.