Peck Running in Mental Overdrive

Running used to be a chore for Cathi Peck, Woodbridge High School’s top cross-country runner. Now it is an outlet; it distracts her, calms her, keeps her on an even keel.

“Before, I was pounding it out just for competitiveness,” Peck said. “But now, I go on these long runs to clear my mind. It’s basically mental--there are just a million times you can give up in a race.”

Peck, The Times’ Athlete of the Week, has been Woodbridge’s top runner for four years. In Friday’s Southern Section 2-A finals at Mt. San Antonio College, she finished third, helping to boost her team to the CIF finals on Saturday at Mt. SAC. And thanks to her outlook, which has changed over the years, the competition doesn’t take such a toll on her psyche.

“For the past three years I’ve put way too much pressure on myself and completely psyched myself out,” Peck said. “I would do better in workouts than I would in meets. But now, I tell myself, ‘This is just a workout.’ ”

Peck said consistency has been the key factor in her team’s No. 1 county ranking and her current success. “Everyone’s good on our team--we don’t have any real standouts and that’s where we get our depth,” she said.

Coach George Varvas, who has been at Woodbridge for 10 years, said Peck’s psychological makeup has enhanced her running.

“Cathi is a very interesting person,” Varvas said. “She’s into all kinds of things; she spends a lot of time reading, is very philosophical.”

Peck said her time revolves around running, school and her part-time job at a sporting goods store, but reading is her favorite thing to do.

“I’m on about three books right now, but then there’s my chemistry homework,” she said.

“My most influential book has probably been ‘Illusions’ by Richard Bach, but I’ll read anything to get my mind off homework.”

With a 1210 score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, Peck’s mind would seem to have been only on homework, but she has other concerns, too.

“The ecology, the rain forests are in such bad shape,” Peck said. “I want to help conservation, I want to be involved in some way besides recycling and picking up trash. There are so many things I’d like to do, but I have to wait until I’m out of high school.”

Whatever she decides to do, no doubt Peck will be running toward it.

TOP PERFORMERS

Page Bartelt, Capistrano Valley High School’s No. 1 tennis player, had lost to Canyon’s Lisa Alipaz in two previous matches this season. Saturday, however, she avenged the losses, sweeping her sets and leading the host Cougars to a 13-5 victory in the second round of the Southern Section 3-A playoffs.

Brooke Fleming played flawless tennis for Laguna Hills, leading the Hawks with a 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 sweep at Mission Viejo in the Southern Section 3-A playoffs.

Amanda Goldstein and Robyn Takabayashi proved to be the deciding team in Foothill’s victory over South Torrance. Takabayashi and Goldstein, Foothill’s No. 3 doubles team, won their last set to tie the match, 9-9, and the Knights won on games, 73-66, in the 3-A playoffs.

Mandy Gomez did not lose a set in the Southern Section 2-A playoffs, leading Rosary to an 11-7 victory over Hemet.

Cathi Peck

Woodbridge High School

* Position: Cross-country runner

* Height, Weight, Class: 5-7 1/2, 125, Senior

* Last Week: Peck finished third in the Southern Section 2-A finals Friday.

* Season: Peck won the Sea View League finals with a time of 18 minutes 4O seconds.