Oct. 21, 2005

Bigfork, MT -

By SAM KAUFMAN, Bigfork Eagle

It didn't take long for Logan Senrud, a 2003 Bigfork High graduate, to establish a personal best 10K cross country time this season for Western Washington University in Bellingham.

Senrud ran a 33:10 to pace the Vikings at last week's 32nd annual WWU Invitational. It was the junior's first major race this fall. The success--he finished eighth overall--was satisfying because Senrud is coming off an arch injury that made him miss half the season.

"I feel like all the cross training paid off," Senrud said of his bicycle and pool work during the recuperation process. "It kept me in pretty good shape. I'm still getting back into running speed."

Senrud started running about three weeks before the WWU Invite. He's the lead runner on a fairly young WWU team that's ranked 21st in the latest NCAA II coaches poll. The Vikings are ranked No. 4 in the West Region.

Senrud said WWU's goal is to qualify for the national meet after missing last season. The former Bigfork High standout said it was difficult being relegated to a spectator earlier this season. That's because Senrud has been a key cog in WWU's cross country program since he was a freshman on the Vikings' national-qualifying team. At most meets this season, he was forced to keep track of teammates because of his injury. That's why Senrud was so ecstatic about finally competing at the WWU Invite.

"It was hard to sit back and (write down) times of others," the 20-year-old Senrud said. "But it's great to be back racing again. It was definitely icing on the cake to finish first on the team and high in the standings."

For his WWU Invite efforts, Senrud was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's men's Runner of the Week. Senrud has turned in a solid collegiate career thus far. He made major strides as a runner between the summer of his senior year at Bigfork and first year at college.

During his final season with the Vikings, Senrud placed third at the divisional and 10th at the state cross country meet. He said the reason for his prep career taking a surge was added training the summer before his senior season. Senrud did the same the summer before heading to college and improved even more.

The longer distances at the collegiate level also assisted the diminutive runner, he said. The 10K races, equivalent to just over six miles nearly doubled the high school distance.

"The longer distance is better for me," Senrud noted. "I'm five-foot-six and 128 pounds so when it comes to endurance races I can shine a little more."

Senrud was an instant success at WWU. As a freshman, he earned the No. 5 spot on a senior-laden team that went to nationals. He wasn't recruited by the Vikings out of Bigfork, but he made an immediate impact. The Vikings placed 13th at the 2003 NCAA Division II meet and participating on a team with four seniors provided Senrud with necessary experience.

"I was the fifth man and I rode the seniors' train to nationals," he said. "We were ranked 21st but we placed 13th there. I was pretty proud to be part of it."

Last season was a rebuilding year for the Vikings, but Senrud performed well by leading WWU in one race and placing 24th at the conference meet. He's currently one of two WWU cross country runners on partial scholarship.

Senrud has high hopes as a junior, but he hurt himself during a rigorous training regimen over the summer. The arch injury, known as Plantar Fasciitis, sidelined him the first month of the season. Senrud kept his conditioning up through bicycling and pool running.

"The arch injury came from running a lot," he noted. "I was running 70 miles a week, working 40 hours a week as a greenskeeper and not getting much sleep. My body began breaking down a bit and it came in the form of the injury. I started cross training right away and it has kept me in pretty good shape. But I definitely haven't peaked yet."

Senrud believes the Viking have a decent shot at making the nationals by placing in the top four at the regional meet. Conference foe Alaska-Anchorage will likely be the major hurdle in WWU's path.

"Our team is deep and if we run well we should be able to beat Alaska," he said.

Senrud also runs track at WWU. Last year, he placed fifth in the 10,000 meters and sixth in the 5,000 to help the Vikings win their first-ever GNAC indoor team title. He also finished third in the 3,000 steeplechase at the 2005 GNAC outdoor meet, which WWU also won.

Senrud is majoring in geology.