MacDougall in the Running for a Conference Title

The Big West Conference cross-country meet is Saturday at Boise State, and Sarah MacDougall probably is Cal State Fullerton’s best hope of doing well there.

“We’ve been shooting for this stage of the season, so I hope I’ll be ready,” she said.

MacDougall has had some bad luck recently. She was running well at the Stanford Invitational three weeks ago, then faltered because of heat exhaustion in the late stages of the race. Then two weeks ago an asthma condition flared up at the San Luis Obispo meet, and her performance again was below par.

But MacDougall got the breakthrough she has been hoping for Saturday in the Bronco Invitational at Cal Poly Pomona, where she ran her best time of the season (17 minutes 32 seconds). Her previous best was 18:19.

“I feel I’m running more consistently now,” she said.

Coach John Elders, however, believes it will take MacDougall’s “best race of the season” for her to be a threat for the conference individual title.

“We’re going there with the idea that she can win it,” Elders said, “but I just want her to run her best and not worry about the other runners.”

Elders expects the Big West field to be strong. “Boise State has a couple of runners from Ireland we haven’t seen yet, but both of them have been running under 18 minutes,” Elders said. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also has two leading contenders.

MacDougall has improved dramatically from her time a year ago. Her best time last season was 19:11 in the NCAA West Regional.

“She’s made huge jumps in a short period of time,” Elders said. “The first year she ran with us I didn’t see anything that would indicate she would become one of our top people.”

MacDougall, who ran for Crescenta Valley High, didn’t compete the next two years. She missed one year because of a knee injury, and then took another year off after the birth of her daughter, Cassidy, who is 2.

“I was a lot more focused on both school and running when I came back,” MacDougall said.

Elders was surprised by MacDougall’s showing in cross-country last year, but he was really amazed during the track season when she ran the 5,000 in 17:12 at the Mt. San Antonio Relays. She finished second in the 5,000 in the Big West Conference track meet and was fifth in the 3,000.

“She’s really been motivated to be the best runner she can be, as well as to get her college degree,” Elders said.

MacDougall, a junior in eligibility, hopes she can continue her progress into the track season. Her goal is to break Heather Killeen-Frisone’s school record of 16:52.85 in the 5,000.

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The women’s gymnastics team has started preseason workouts, and the main focus is on Alexis Lott’s comeback. She missed last season because of a knee injury.

Lott was the Big West champion on bars and second in the all-around as a sophomore in 1995.

“She’s doing great so far,” Coach Lynn Rogers said. “She’s not been cleared to do full-on landings yet, but she’s doing everything else, and then rolling off the landings. The doctors are pleased.”

Lott stayed on campus during the summer, rather than return home to St. Louis, so she could continue rehabilitation of the knee and train.

“She’s really worked hard to get back to where she is,” Rogers said.

The Titans’ first meet is Jan. 10 at home against UCLA. “That still gives her quite a bit of time to train, and we think she’ll be ready by then,” Rogers said.

Injuries were a problem for the Titans throughout last season, and Rogers hopes this year will be better.

The Titans have only one senior, Heather Fritzsche, on this year’s squad, and should benefit from the year of experience for sophomores Katy Mady, Courtney Bogart and Sara Taylor.

The Titans have a new, well-known volunteer assistant coach, Don Peters. Peters is a former Olympic team coach who regularly coaches at the SCATS Gymnastics Academy in Huntington Beach.

“Don and I have been good friends for a long time,” Rogers said. “He has been a strong supporter of our program, and college gymnastics in general. This will take it another step. We’ll be working out at the SCATS facilities at times as well.”

Associate head coach Julie Knight and assistant Richard Gishi coached at SCATS before joining Rogers’ staff.

Titan Notes

The first of two exhibition men’s basketball games is Monday at 7:05 p.m. in Titan Gym against High Five America. . . . Dolores Browning leads the women’s soccer team in scoring with 34 points on 14 goals and six assists. Barbie Gil is second with 17, and leads in assists with 11. . . . Sheldon Thomas leads the men’s soccer team in points with 33 and goals with 14. Goalkeeper Mike Forensich has a 1.26 goals-against average. . . . Katy Gayton has left the women’s volleyball team for personal reasons.

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Coming Attractions

Here’s a look at key games this week for Cal State Fullerton:

* Women’s soccer against Brigham Young at 5 p.m. Friday at Titan Stadium. Fullerton is 13-3-1 after defeating Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and tying UC Irvine last week and Pacific this week.

* Men’s soccer against San Diego at 7 p.m. Friday at Titan Stadium. The Titans are 9-4-3 after a tie with St. Louis and a victory over Oregon State last week.

* Women’s volleyball against UC Irvine at 7 p.m. Saturday at Titan Gym. Fullerton is 14-10, 4-7 in the Big West Conference.

* Men’s and women’s cross-country at the Big West Conference meet at Boise, Idaho, 12:30 p.m. Saturday.