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Parris qualifies for NCAA championship
Former Patuxent High standout is only JMU runner to earn berth
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009
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Former Patuxent High athlete Alison Parris recently qualified for the NCAA cross country championship.
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It's been three years since James Madison University sent a qualifying cross country runner to the Division I NCAA Cross Country Championships, but they will this year and that runner is former Patuxent High standout Saint Leonard resident and senior Alison Parris, the older sister of Caroline Parris, Calvert's top-seeded runner.
Alison qualified individually after placing ninth at the NCAA southeast regional championships on Nov. 14 with a new personal-best time of 20 minutes, 41.5 seconds. She improved her previous best of 20:46. She is just the ninth runner to advance in JMU history.
"I'm excited for this great opportunity," said Parris, a communications major. "I like running in big crowds and this is a big race for me and I really just want to improve my time by 5 to 10 seconds better."
"She's worked extremely hard for this and she deserves to be recognized," sister Caroline said. ".I hope she does her best and that she's proud of her performance. That's what I would want."
Parris ran the course in October and handled the 6,000-meter (6K) course in 21:18.9 and placed 30th overall.
"The course has some rolling hills," Parris said. "There is a slight incline at the start and it's pretty flat overall, but it's all up for interpretation.
"Some may disagree with me, but I don't really pay attention, I just focus solely on the race."
Parris missed the opportunity to run in the East Coast Athletic Championships held in New York with her team on Saturday (JMU placed third), but is excited about being the only runner to represent JMU at the NCAA championships.
Parris is just the sixth Dukes runner since 2001 to qualify. Dena Spickard last ran for James Madison in 2006.
"We missed her," James Madison University head coach Dave Rinker said. "She [Parris] has improved in every way possible over the last few years. She's gotten faster in every event in [cross] country and track as well. Her running tactics have improved and she manages her time well. She's disciplined with her time and her training."
Parris boarded the plane for Terre Haute, Ind. on Saturday and competed in the La Vera Gibson Championship at the Wabash Valley family Sports Center on Monday.
Her time was too late for inclusion in this edition.
Parris will be joined by Southeast regional champs Janet Jesang of Western Kentucky, Tarah McKay of Louisville, Brittany Tinsley or North Carolina State, and Emily Pritt of North Carolina State.
Rinker will be coaching this regional team and isn't concerned so much with time placements but stated that a placement in the top 100 would be success.
"The course is going to be wet," Rinker said, "and it's a tougher course. It's more about placing well than improving time."
"I'm healthy and ready to go," Parris said. "I got my flu shot a couple weeks ago and I waited to get the H1N1 until after this race. I didn't want that to affect my race at all. There have been a couple cases at the school, but I just try and be careful in order to stay healthy. They do have signs posted everywhere to remind us to wash our hands."
"Alison has stayed healthy for the past 3 and a half years," Rinker said. "She's very durable and does the little things she needs to do. She's meticulous about taking good care of herself."
Parris is double-minoring in human resources and coaching. She's mulling the idea of coming back home to Calvert County to coach or continuing to grad school.
She has changed her major so she may return to JMU, which would give her another year on the cross country circuit. There's a good feeling Rinker wouldn't mind seeing one of his most consistent leaders for just one more year.
