DyeStatCal Female Athlete of Week November - 11/04 - 11/08
TClaire Rethmeier (San Pasqual, Escondido) SD Section

DyeStatCal Athlete of the Week –Claire Rethmeier (San Pasqual, Escondido) - George Green photo

From the San Diego Section, the leader of last year's State Division II Champs from San Pasqual HS, Claire Rethmeier, has had a super Fall and hopes to lead her team to Statewide and National Honors once again. After a great 2001 Fall season, where she individually was 5th in State Div II, she raced 10:58.36 in the spring for 3200m. This year she has come out charging, capped with a Team Sweepstakes win at Mt. SAC in helping to lead her team to a fine performance there.

Congratulations – Best of Luck Claire
Doug Speck – DyeStatCal.com

1) Briefly describe your Invitational level meets this Fall--
The two invitationals I really pointed for this season were the Great American race and the Mt. SAC Invitational. Great American was a tough coarse with a lot of good competition and I was pleased with my effort. At Mt. SAC I just tried to run hard and compete and I was lucky enough to win.

2) What successes did you have over the last few years of high school
running?
Last year I won the division 2 CIF San Diego section cross country championships. In track I won the masters 3200 race and qualified for the state meet.

3) What were some of your goals coming into this season? (part way thru now,
how are you doing on them--?)
Out team goals were to defend our CIF and State championship. My goals were to defend my CIF title, place well in state, and run a sub-18:00 at Fresno. At this point I am happy, but I realize my biggest challenges are ahead of me.

4) What is is like to come from the 2.5-2.6 mile races you run in San Diego
to challenging longer courses such as Mt. SAC or Woodward Park in Fresno?
It helps to run shorter courses because the tempo is quicker. I feel I recover better off the 2.5 mile courses as opposed to getting beat up every week running 3.1 miles.

5) Why has San Pasqual done so good in the last couple of years in Girls
Cross-Country?
We have a really good group of girls that all get along really well. We all work hard and have steadily progressed throughout the years. We have a great coach, who knows our strenghts and weaknesses and gets the most out of our ablility.

6) What are your favorite kind of running workouts?
My favorite kinds of workouts are long road runs. I really enjoy my long run by myself on Sunday mornings.

7) What is your least favorite time spent with the sport?
My least favorite time spent with the sport is running early season races in the middle of the day when it is really hot.

8) College Plans? - If not any favorites so far, would you consider going far
away from home or rather stick close---?
I want to leave my options open, but I really want to go to a school that is good academically and athletically.

9) Bit of name assocation - first reaction to following--
State Meet Cross Country - cold
Track - hard interval workouts
Foot Locker Cross-Country - tough competition, tough coarse and I want to do better.
Ten years from now - college degree and still running

10) What advice would you offer to runners starting out in our sport?
Don't give up. Be patient. Be consistent in your work habits and workouts. Never get to upset from a bad workout or race and don't get too excited from a good one.

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