ND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Handley grows to head of pack
By KATIE HUGHES
Sports Writer
Jen Handley's last race says a lot about who she has become as a competitor.
She went out with the leaders and hung on, and on, and on, displaying a confidence that only experience can bring.
Handley led the team to a fourth place finish Friday in the Big East Championships.
"I always go out really hard with the leaders, and then I just hang on as long as I can," said the junior.
Handley's 5-foot-3 frame stands out among the tall, lanky runners who dominate the front of the pack. Her build demands a faster turnover, but she's found her rhythm and uses her build to generate a deceptively powerful running style from fighting the herd of runners at the start, to attacking mid-race hills, to opening it up in the home stretch.
"I love having hills and different terrains," said Handley, who had been a better mile runner than cross country runner for the first half of her college career. "Cross country is for real runners."
"She's go a heart and lungs that are just world class," said Irish head coach Tim Connelly.
A native of Barrie, Ontario, Handley was a member of the Canadian junior cross country team in high school, running at the world junior championships three times. She placed 75th in 1999, 36th in 1997 and 32nd in 1996 at the world meet. Adjusting to running in collegiate races and getting to the elite level she had been at in high school proved to be a challenge for Handley.
"Jen was one of those kids that when she was really, really young, was a great cross country runner," said Connelly. "Then she went through a spell where her body matured in high school, and that continued into college. She struggled with confidence more than anything. She was one of those kids who always trained well, but when she would line up, she wouldn't be super confident."
She had decided on Notre Dame with the help of men's cross country team member Marc Striowski, whom she trained with in high school, and current teammate Hilary Burn.
"I heard a lot about how great Notre Dame was from [Hilary and Marc], and I really wanted to be part of it, too," said Handley.
As a freshman, she was the second Notre Dame runner to cross the finish line at the NCAA championships, finishing 134th with a time of 18:13.20. She was 12th in the Big East as a freshman, but then fell to 30th in last year's Big East championships.
"I've become a lot more confident with my running and with myself, though I know I struggled a bit my freshman and sophomore year," said Handley.
Handley's break out race came in last spring's Big East Championships for track, finishing second in the 5000 meters.
"She's got great leg speed,"said Connelly. "Obviously, if she's running a 4:27, she's pretty good."
She started this season by winning the National Catholic Invitational, held at the Notre Dame golf course, in 17:31. She finished second for the team at the Notre Dame Invitational, running the same course in 17:28. Handley's seventh place finish in Friday's race is a good mark of where how she has evolved as part of a team that has been ranked as high as 24 this season.
"I just love everyone on my team. It's such a positive atmosphere on the team right now and everyone's starting to run really well," said Handley, a science business major.
"She trains hard. She works like crazy. She's got talent. She's got everything she needs. She just needed some confidence, and I think she's getting it now. She has the potential to be among the top 30 kids nationally," said Connelly.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, October 30, 2001
