Advertisement

Vujic Picks Up Pace and Dashes Criticism : Cross-Country: The Northridge sophomore shows that he can thrive in the important meets.

Share
TIMES STAFF WRITER

Don Strametz, Cal State Northridge’s cross-country coach, is not in the habit of patting himself on the back, except when the subject is Matador sophomore Sasha Vujic.

After all, it was Strametz who recruited the unheralded Vujic from Burroughs High last year when few colleges had taken notice of him.

It was Strametz who said that Vujic (pronounced VOO-jick) had more potential than either Jeff Gilkey of El Monte Arroyo High or Mike Glaze of Notre Dame, the Matadors’ more renowned freshmen recruits in 1988.

Advertisement

And, finally, it was Strametz--along with assistant Bob Augello--who has helped Vujic develop into the Matadors’ top distance runner this year.

“It took a little time,” Strametz said, flashing an “I-told-you-so” smile, “but he’s starting to come into his own. He’s starting to run to the potential I saw in him two years ago.”

Vujic, who was the No. 3 runner on an injury-plagued 1988 Northridge team, will lead the third-ranked Matadors into today’s National Collegiate Athletic Assn. Division II championships at Mountain Manor Country Club.

Fifth in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. championships and ninth in the NCAA Division II West regional last year, Northridge has undergone a resurgence this season behind Vujic.

The Matadors won the Riverside Invitational in September, placed second in the CCAA championships in Bakersfield last month and shocked many observers by winning the Division II West regional in McKinleyville, Calif., two weeks ago.

“I never imagined us winning the West regionals at the start of the season,” said Vujic, who was born in Yugoslavia but has lived in the United States since he was 1 1/2 years of age. “And I never imagined myself running as well as I have.”

Advertisement

Vujic’s assessment of himself is somewhat surprising considering that he is coming off an outstanding track campaign during which he set Northridge freshman records in the 5,000 (14 minutes, 30.3 seconds) and 10,000 meters (30:44.38) and moved to third on the all-time freshman list in the 1,500 (3:53.73). Yet it is understandable when one considers that consistency is the criterion by which Vujic measures success.

“I wasn’t consistent then, like I am now,” he said. “I haven’t had a bad race this season. I did during track . . . I was pleased with my times last season, but I couldn’t believe how easy they felt. The 3:53. The 14:30. The 30:44. They all felt so easy. I know I could have run faster if I had just gotten into the right race.”

Getting into the right race has not been a problem in cross-country. Vujic has used his newly found confidence from track to consistently run with the lead pack.

“My outlook has totally changed,” he said. “Before I was always thinking too much. When I started to get tired, I’d totally concentrate on the pain instead of the race. Now I just get out in the lead and concentrate on what the other guys are doing around me.

“When someone makes a move, I react and go with them. I try not to worry about how I’m feeling compared to them. I just try to stick with them.”

There is more to Vujic’s success than just an increase in confidence.

A lot of hard work and dedication also is involved. Hard work that Vujic avoided religiously until January, when he realized--along with Gilkey--that consistency in training was the key to consistency in racing.

Advertisement

After running fewer than 40 miles a week in high school, Vujic wasn’t mentally prepared to run 65 miles a week when he arrived at Northridge.

“I was a stupid freshman,” he said with a laugh. “I figured I could take off Tuesdays and Thursdays and still run well. I was wrong.”

Race results don’t lie.

After finishing 27th in the CCAA championships and 41st in the West regional last season, Vujic knew he had to make a change.

“From then on, Jeff and I started running every day, rain or shine,” Vujic said.

Additionally, Vujic strictly adhered to Augello’s cross-training regimen that includes cycling 10 hours a week and lifting weights twice weekly.

“Sash was much more dedicated,” Augello said. “He did more than anyone else consistently. I never had to get on him about doing the workouts.”

That was a pleasant surprise for Augello, who said that Vujic was not the easiest person to coach when he came to Northridge.

Advertisement

“He has a very excitable personality,” Augello said, “which is great if he’s in the right frame of mind. He can really get pumped up when he wants to, but he can also be a distractive force on the team if he’s in a negative mood.”

The positives have far outweighed the negatives this season; Vujic placed third in the CCAA meet and fifth in the West regional.

Those two races--along with his runner-up finish in the 10,000 in the CCAA track championships at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in May--put to rest speculation that Vujic could not run well in the big races at the end of the season.

In high school, Vujic had a best of 9:18.63 in the 3,200 as a junior but placed ninth (10:16.47) in the Southern Section 3-A Division finals, and, as a senior, he lowered his best to 9:14.74 but only placed eighth (10:05.48) in the 3-A meet.

In hindsight, Vujic blamed his troubles on too much speed work in the final weeks of the season, which left his legs weak and weary for the section championships.

“I didn’t know what I was doing back then,” he said. “I just did what the coach told me to do.”

Advertisement

Vujic is looking forward to competing against the top Division II runners today.

“After West regionals, I think I have a very good chance at making All-American (top 25),” Vujic said. “And I think our team has a great shot at placing in the top three. . . . We’ve yet to have a race where five of us ran really well. If everyone just runs their own race, we could do some damage. We could do some serious damage.”

Augello said that Vujic is capable of a top-10 finish if he runs well--a top-five finish if he runs superbly.

“He’s been racing tired all season,” Augello said. “This will be the first race all season that we’ve rested up for. You’re going to see a different Sash out there.”

One that could have Strametz patting his own back even more.

Advertisement