Livermore Running Up Titan Ranks

As a long-distance runner four years ago at Irvine High, Alison Livermore was no better than an average college prospect.

A sciatic nerve that affected her lower back caused her problems as a senior, and there were other nagging injuries.

“She was probably only the fifth-best runner on the [Irvine] team,” Cal State Fullerton cross-country Coach John Elders said.

Elders recruited her anyway.

“I just felt there was some talent there that was untapped,” he said. “She came up with a huge effort at the end of the season to help her team win the Division I state championship, and I was impressed with that.”

Elders didn’t offer her a scholarship but did give her an opportunity to run on the Division I level, and that was more than Livermore was expecting.

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to run in Division I,” Livermore said. “I was planning on maybe going to Irvine Valley College because I thought I’d be able to run there. But John came to some of our meets, and he was encouraging to me. I’m happy it has turned out as well as it has.”

Livermore became a solid runner for Fullerton in cross-country and track in her first three seasons, and has shown that her senior season probably will be her best.

“She’s already dropped 36 seconds off her cross-country time since last fall, and she’s really running well right now,” Elders said. “She’s improved every year since she came to Fullerton.”

Elders believes she has a good chance to finish in the top 10 in the Big West Conference cross-country meet this fall. “That would be quite an accomplishment if she can do that,” he said.

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A little more than a year ago, Livermore got a scare after a routine physical exam. She was told she had a brain tumor, but a series of tests confirmed the tumor was benign.

“I was really scared at first,” Livermore said. “I mean, hearing you have a brain tumor isn’t the most exciting news. But the specialist assured me that I should be be fine by taking medication on a regular basis. I’ve had no serious physical effects from it, although I do get a little dizzy sometimes when I run. But it doesn’t happen that often. It seems to be under control.”

Livermore came back from those concerns to have a solid cross-country season last fall, and then made a breakthrough in track last spring. She finished fourth in the 5,000 meters in the conference meet, and Elders is hopeful her improvement will continue into track season this spring.

“I really like her attitude about running,” Elders said. “She’s super tough on the inside.”

Livermore’s improvement, and strong performances by team leader Sarah MacDougall, has given the Titans an effective one-two threat.

“I’m working hard to keep improving,” Livermore said. “I want my senior season to be a good one.”

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The men’s basketball team will play two home exhibition games before the regular season begins Nov. 15 at Utah.

The first exhibition is scheduled for Nov. 2 against the Adidas All-Stars. The other will be Nov. 10 against Next Level Sports.

The Titan women’s team will play one exhibition game, Nov. 17, against the Slovakia national team, before opening the season Nov. 21 against Nevada Las Vegas.

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The women’s volleyball team has continued to show improvement this season, but it appears the Titans haven’t quite made it to the same level as the top teams in the Big West, which also rank among the best in the nation.

Fullerton was beaten by Long Beach State, ranked No. 2 nationally, 15-8, 15-5 and 15-5, last week. The Titans did better at 10th-ranked Pacific last weekend, but lost in four games. Fullerton won the first game, 15-2, and had a good chance of winning the second before Pacific escaped, 16-14, and went on to take the next two games easily, 15-5 and 15-1.

The Titans face their third consecutive nationally ranked opponent Friday night, when they host 11th-ranked UC Santa Barbara at Titan Gym.

Titan Notes

The men’s soccer team (4-5) has a four-game losing steak after two defeats in the Air Force tournament last weekend. The Titans were beaten by Air Force and New Mexico, both by 2-1 scores. It’s the first time Fullerton has lost four in a row since the 1991 team lost its final four matches of the season. . . . The women’s soccer team also has been struggling and is 3-6 after losing to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo last week. . . . The baseball team began three weeks of fall practice on Monday. . . . Jason Manhart, the Titans’ top freshman recruit in men’s cross-country, is out the rest of the season because of a knee injury. “We’ll go for a medical redshirt for him,” Coach John Elders said. “We think he has great potential, and there are no reasons to take any chances with him running again this season. We thought he was the best high school distance runner in Orange County last year.” Manhart ran for Trabuco Hills High. The Titans competed in the Stanford Invitational cross-country meet Saturday. Sarah MacDougall led the Titan women, finishing 24th with a time of 18 minutes 16 seconds. Alison Livermore was 29th at 18:25. Francisco Vazquez led the Titan men, finishing 58th with a time of 26:31.

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Coming Attractions

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

* Women’s volleyball against UC Santa Barbara, 7 p.m. Friday, and against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 7 p.m. Saturday, both at Titan Gym.

* Men’s and women’s cross-country at UC Santa Barbara, 11 a.m. Saturday.

* Women’s soccer against Pacific, 2 p.m. Sunday, Titan Stadium.

* Men’s soccer against Loyola Marymount, 7 p.m. Thursday, and against UC Irvine, 4 p.m. Sunday, both at Titan Stadium.