CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE CROSS-COUNTRY PREVIEW : Women May Be in Running

A chance to compete in a conference meet for the first time in five years and the fact that this could be his strongest women’s team since 1990 has Cal State Northridge cross-country Coach Don Strametz looking forward to the upcoming season.

The Matadors, who run in the UC Irvine Invitational today, have competed as an independent since moving to the NCAA Division I level in 1990, but they’ll in the American West Conference this season.

The conference, which includes Northridge, Cal State Sacramento, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Southern Utah, is on the small side, but Strametz figures that membership in a conference of any size beats the alternative.

“The fact that we’re in a conference will be a definite plus,” he said. “I know that everyone is already talking about running in the conference meet on Oct. 29.”

The American West championships in San Luis Obispo will precede the District VIII meet in Tucson on Nov. 12. The top two teams and the top three individuals among the top 15 finishers but not on a qualifying team will advance to the NCAA championships.

Strametz will consider the season a success if the Matador women can finish among the top 10 teams in the District VIII meet.

“If we can crack into the top 10, that would be a definite breakthrough for us,” he said.

Junior Lori Miller and freshman Jamie Whitmore are expected to be Northridge’s top runners. They’ll be followed by seniors Jennifer Andrews, Cheri-Lee Segal and Karla Sanford, and freshmen Eman Barfield and Andrea Bruins.

Andrews was Northridge’s highest finisher at last year’s regional--placing 55th--but Strametz says she could finish much higher this year.

range between third and seventh on this year’s team.

“Lori and Jamie have established themselves as No. 1 and No. 2 in workouts, but we’ve got four or five others who can run between (third and seventh),” he said.

The last time Northridge had any depth to speak of was in 1989, when individual champion Darcy Arreola led the Matadors to a fourth-place finish in the Division II finals.

“We don’t have someone like Darcy on this team,” Strametz said. “But I think this group will be more tightly bunched.”

Senior Brian Godsey, who redshirted last year; sophomore Armando Lerma, 89th in the District VIII meet; and junior Dave Hensley, a transfer from Antelope Valley College, are expected to be the Matadors’ top runners. Middle-distance runners Jeff Nasternak and Warren Reich fill the fourth and fifth positions.

Nasternak has run 1:51.8 for 800 meters and Reich made tremendous strides over the summer, according to Strametz, but how well they’ll perform in cross-country races measuring five miles or 10,000 meters remains to be seen.