Fresno State Athletics
Buckner's Love For Running Leads Bulldogs
10/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 15, 2004
Fresno, Calif. - Imagine stumbling out of bed every morning at 5 a.m. But instead of driving to work, or reading the paper, you grab your shoes and head out to meet with 40 other women to start the first of two runs you'll have today. In three weeks, they'll run 170 miles; the same distance as traveling from Fresno to Sacramento. It sounds surprising, but talk to any of those women and you'll find that they truly love all of it: the running, the competitions, and even the early mornings. They love it because that is what cross country running is about.
One of those runners is Andrea Buckner. In only her second year of competitive distance running, Buckner is becoming one of the best in Fresno State history. She has been the top finisher for the Bulldogs in every race this year, and has placed among the all-time top 10 in school history in the two-mile and the all-time top 25 time in the 5k distances. However, what really sets Buckner apart is how she got there, and her love for the sport. "She is such a positive person," said head coach Shannon Lieder. "She came in as a walk-on, and immediately made an impact with her attitude and talent."
Buckner spent her time growing up playing sports, including track and soccer. She ran track during her first two years in high school, but ran shorter events such as the 400 meters. That was merely a training exercise to prepare for the soccer season. Every summer she put the cleats back on and got back on the soccer field, from the time she was in grade school clear through high school, and the work showed. She was first-team All-League at Ezperanza High School in Anaheim, and her positive attitude was already apparent, being named the most inspirational athlete three years in a row. While she was recruited to go to schools up and down the coast, she chose to go to Fresno State, the school where her parents met. She also chose not to continue playing soccer.
"I had just gotten tired of it," Buckner said. "So coming to college gave me a chance to focus on some different things." After a year passed, Buckner started to realize that she missed competing, missed being a part of a team, even with a variety of the other experiences that college life offers. So when a friend decided to talk with Lieder about joining the track team, she invited Buckner along, and the wheels started turning.
"Coach Lieder said that she would love to have us try out. All we had to do was to run during the summer and show up for cross country in the fall. That was the first I had thought about cross country," Buckner said.
That next fall was not exactly what she had expected. Even while she was improving every day, and consistently finishing second on the team, she was learning everyday. "I have been so lucky," she said. "Right from the beginning I was surrounded with other runners like the four seniors this year. They are all so knowledgeable. I'm always asking them questions. Between their help and the help from Coach Lieder, they make things easy for me."
All that help is really making a difference, as the team tries to keep a balance between having fun and being serious competitors. "I think that running is much more disciplined than soccer," Buckner said. "I believe I was really lucky that I was a little naïve. It's easy to get really nervous before a race and get hung up on running a certain time, or beating a close competitor. It's important to remember to just go out and run."
While Buckner continues to be impressive at the cross country meets, she is also a highly accomplished student, staying on the Dean's List while studying for a degree in Liberal Studies. "Time management is really important to me; so is never missing class," she said. "It's hard, but I study when I can, and it seems I have so many people that help me out in little ways."
Buckner and the steadily improving Bulldog cross country team are looking forward to the rest of their season, including the WAC championship meet and hopefully, qualifying for the 2004 NCAA Regional Championships, which are being hosted at Fresno's Woodward Park Nov. 13.
"I'm excited about the rest of this year. Everyone is running so well, and making personal bests," said Buckner.
Asked what she had to say to other aspiring runners, Buckner replied, "It might sound crazy to some people, running for fun, but I really love it. Running is great, and I get to spend so much time with my teammates. They really are my best friends in the world."
With that, she grabbed her running shoes and headed back to her friends and that unexpected new joy -- her second run of the day.
