| Angela Bizzarri is the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Champion. She led her Illinois team to a twelfth place finish. She also won the 2009 NCAA 5,000 meters and 2009 Big Ten 5,000 meters outdoors. Angela has received numerous major awards including the 2010 Honda Award for Cross Country, twice the University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year and multiple All-American, All-Big Ten and All-Academic designations in college. In high school she earned many All-State and Cincinnati Enquirer All-Star awards. At Mason (Ohio) High School she was a two-time Ohio State Cross Country Champion and won six Ohio State titles in track and field including four straight in the 3,200 meters. Her personal best times are: 5,000 meters - 15:33.02; 3,000 meters - 9:11.62; mile - 4:41.98 and 1,500 meters - 4:16.86. Angela will finish her degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology in December of 2010. She was gracious to spend over an hour on the phone during exam week in mid-December, 2009. |
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| GCR: | When you toed the line at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships, you were expected to be one of the top competitors. Bur with Colorado’s Jenny Barringer and Florida State’s Susan Kuijken as favorites what was your pre-race strategy to place high and to put yourself in position to win? How did the first third of the race play out? |
| AB | I thought the race might go out faster than I wanted to run and I hoped to run an even race. On that course it can be kind of difficult because the first mile is down hill and runners tend to get out fast. So my strategy was to maintain a balance between not going too fast early while still keeping in contact with the leaders. Early on I felt in my comfort zone and was confident that I could handle the pace. Since I wasn’t with a lot of runners it made running good as there wasn’t a big crowd to contend with. |
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| GCR: | Barringer and Kuijken had about a thirty meter lead over you, Washington’s Kendra Schaaf and Villanova’s Sheila Reid through 2,000 meters. How did you feel at this point and what were your thoughts about how the race had developed? |
| AB | I felt pretty good but I realized that I have a tendency to stay in a pack and I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone and to push it a bit if there was going to be a chance to catch the top elite duo. My plan was to try to push the pace through the middle and it was nice to have our small pack. If there was any time I slowed a little, Kendra would pick it up and get a few steps on me which would help me to refocus. |
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| GCR: | When Jenny Barringer suddenly faded a bit past the halfway point of the race and your group went by, how did this change your plan as one of your top adversaries was no longer in the championship mix? |
| AB | When I’m racing I’m focused on my goals so when something like that happens I have to try to not let it throw me off my plan. So I just took the race as it happened and knew then that there was only one person left in front of our pack. So now I thought that we needed to push to catch Susan. |
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| GCR: | At 4,000 meters Kuijken had extended her lead over Schaaf, Reid and you to 13 seconds. Did you feel you could reel her in or were you thinking you might be racing for second? |
| AB | At that point she really had a gap and, truthfully, I wasn’t sure we could move up. Susan was moving more than we were and it seemed to be quite a lead to close. But with about one and a half kilometers left we started closing in and I thought we had a chance to catch her. Throughout a race a runner has to be confident that their race strategy is going to work and I felt that an even pace gave me the best opportunity to do what I could to have a chance to win. |
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| GCR: | Kuijken faded in the final kilometer, you and Schaaf pulled away from Reid and then Schaaf and you quickly past Kuijken with 400 meters remaining. Did you work together and did you feel confident in your kick? |
| AB | I don’t know if you could say that Kendra and I worked together, but she definitely helped me and I hoped I helped her out. It wasn’t planned, but it helps to have two runners pushing each other. If I was on my own I may not have been able to do it. At Pre-Nationals I raced Kendra and it came down to a similar situation toward the finish except I came up on her with about 200 meters to go and went past. I have confidence in my finishing speed. With 400 meters to go in any race, if I am making a move, I like my chances to win the race. But you never know – even though I had confidence in my kick, I can’t control my competitor. |
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| GCR: | As you crossed the finish line what were your thoughts and what else has hit you since the race as you realize you beat all of the top NCAA women at distances from 1,500 meters to 10,000 meters who came together to compete as one in the NCAA Cross Country Championships? |
| AB | I was really shocked and it took a few days to sink in. I went into the race knowing I could do well but not expecting myself to win. When I finished and exceeded my expectations it was astonishing. I know my own abilities, but it was still a great surprise. |
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| GCR: | After the race you were congratulated by Craig Virgin, former NCAA Cross Country Champion while at Illinois and two-time World Cross Country Champion. Is Craig a close supporter of Illinois Cross Country? |
| AB | Craig is a fantastic supporter of Illinois athletics. He comes to all of the home meets and is usually at Regionals and Nationals. He congratulated me and it was nice to share my success with someone who has also been there. It is great to see people who were competitors in our sport continue to support it and be involved with throughout their lives. I appreciate the support of athletes who paved the way for those of us who are running now. |
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| GCR: | During your four years at Illinois you improved each year at the NCAA Cross Country Championships from 24th as a freshman to 14th your sophomore year to sixth last year and to first as a senior. What are the main elements of your mental and physical training that led to such consistent improvement? |
| AB | I feel like a lot of times athletes put a lot of pressure on one event or one race. We’ve always had a relaxed approach at Illinois that it doesn’t have to happen immediately and as long as we see improvement in our fitness it will also be there when we race. I’ve only made little changes during college without any major adjustments to my training which has made it easier. I never look back at my training and think that a particular workout was awesome or amazing. I always feel like the training generally went well, but there may have been a few off days so I continue to have room for improvement. I also don’t compare within a short window of time such as recent training sessions or the previous season, but look back to how I have progressed since the previous year. We have some workouts here at Illinois that I’ve done each year so I have tangible evidence that my times are faster. And I know that if I’m faster and feel strong that it confirms I’m ready to race faster. |
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| GCR: | What has been your typical training mileage during the summers and then when cross country season was underway? |
| AB | In the summers I haven’t concentrated on building mileage because I’m training for and running in the U.S. Nationals. I get up to full mileage starting in August and the early part of cross country season. Before my sophomore year I got up to about 45 miles a week and this year I was up to 50 to 52 miles a week. I keep in mind how I’m feeling and don’t focus on a specific number. I use my mileage as a gauge but don’t have to hit a certain number. |
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| GCR: | What are some of your bread-and butter stamina and speed sessions and did you do any final preparatory sessions during cross country season that gave you an extra edge? How about hill repeats and barefoot running? |
| AB | During cross country our main stamina workout is four repeat miles with a three minute rest which we are doing in the middle of the season. They are at my 6k cross country race pace or just a bit faster. In another workout we do some 1000s and 400s. Early in the season we do as many as eight 400s, but before Region we do fewer at a faster pace. In the cross country season we do run hills but don’t do any barefoot running as it’s too cold in Champaign, Illinois. Also sometimes my feet bother me so it probably wouldn’t be good to run barefoot. |
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| GCR: | On the track you had some great success in 2009, winning the NCAA 5,000 meters in a slow, tactical race and then running a personal best of 15:33.02 to finish third at the U.S. Championships. How did these two races cement in your mind that you could run to win off of a slow pace and then also place high against the best women in our country? |
| AB | They were very different races due to the big difference in pace. But for most of the runners at the U.S. Championship it was still tactical due to the high talent level of the field. The first two miles were slower than five minutes and the final mile was much faster. It wasn’t an easy race for me but was nice to get a personal best. The NCAA race was extremely tactical as we ran much slower. Coming into NCAAs every race had been tactical so I felt comfortable with that strategy. That’s why I let the pace go like it did. |
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| GCR: | Your third place finish at the U.S. Championships put you in line to go to the World Championships, but you needed to be eight seconds faster to reach the qualifying time. Do you think you could have ran 15:25 if the early pace was faster? |
| AB | I may have been able to go faster, but since I did race my PR, it’s hard to tell. Now it has given me a goal to hit the qualifying mark in the future. |
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| GCR: | Though you run to do your best as an individual, you also race with teammates on relay events in track and score in meets as a team in both cross country and track. How important is it and how much fun is it competing with your Illinois teammates in invitational meets, the Big Ten Conference, Regionals and at NCAAs? |
| AB | It makes it so much more fun when there is a group. It’s much more enjoyable to have a team supporting me and I like pulling for them. The camaraderie makes it a more gratifying feeling than doing it alone. It was awesome that my Illinois cross country team placed twelfth at NCAAs. In track it’s neat to watch so many different events and it’s both fun and interesting to see how my teammates train. |
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| GCR: | Behind every successful runner there is usually a great coach. What has your coach, Jeremy Rasmussen, done to take you from being a great high school runner to becoming an outstanding collegiate racer? |
| AB | He is very good at helping me to realize what is too much and what is just enough. As an athlete we have to recognize our boundaries and Coach Rasmussen helps me know what I can sustain and continue to do to build up my fitness. I feel like I have grown as a runner through his training and have a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. |
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| GCR: | Are there any other collegiate races that stand out during your time so far at Illinois? |
| AB | The Big Ten Championships last spring are memorable because I won the 5,000 meters and it was my first Big Ten Conference victory. It was a huge day for me. For some reason it’s been hard for me to double and that day I did well in two races. I was second in the 1,500 meters before winning the 5k. I even set a PR in the 1,500 which was fun as I don’t run too many 1,500 meter races. I pushed the entire race and took the race out fast as there were many good 800/1500 runners in the race. Then in the 5,000 meters there were several good runners such as Amy and Bridget Franek from Penn State and Nicole Bush from Michigan State. It came down to the last 200 meters and was mentally challenging. Since there weren’t any steeplechase barriers it helped me with Bridget and Nicole (laughing). |
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| GCR: | Stepping back in time to Mason High School, you won the Ohio State Championship at 3,200 meters four straight years, often by close margins. What are some highlights and memories of your victories: 2006 – 10:44.06 to beat Brooklyne Ridder by 14 seconds; 2005 - 10:51.19 to edge Sediah Erskine by three seconds; 2004 – 10:46.68 to nip Carol Eckerly by less than a second and 2003 – 10:45.59 to finish five seconds up on Michelle Sikes? |
| AB | I don’t remember much about those 3,200 meter races except that I didn’t lead too many races in high school. I usually waited because I loved the last 200 meters. That was my place where I got going. My senior year I remember that I was rejuvenated for track since Brooklyne had beaten me in cross country. I didn’t really run times that were much different each year as I was running to win, but my senior year I stepped up my training and ran faster and broke through some PR barriers. I don’t always remember all the specifics about the race details but I do remember the exciting emotions of racing and winning. |
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| GCR: | Your senior year you had quite a duel with Emily Infield in the 1,600 meters prevailing 4:51.19 to 4:51.82. She had great leg speed as evidenced by her subsequent 800 meter victory in 2:10.28. Take us through what transpired in that race. |
| AB | My personal best was 4:57 my freshman year and then it didn’t improve as I ran around 4:59 the next two years. My senior year it was a huge sprint against Emily. That race is very vivid in my memory. She was a very good middle distance runner with a good kick, but I also had done relay splits of 2:10 and 2:11. I had to come from behind and it was a big surprise to PR by six seconds as I wasn’t thinking about my time but was focused on passing Emily. |
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| GCR: | You also won two Ohio State Cross Country Individual Championships? How exciting was the first one and how did that race develop? How disappointing was it being edged by Brooklyne Ridder your senior year? |
| AB | I won my freshman and junior years. The first year was exciting as it was a huge surprise for me. I went into that year and I ended up dueling with Michelle Sikes, who was a very accomplished runner. In fact, she ran in Worlds a couple years ago and I remember watching that race on television and was pumped up as to how successful she has been and that we used to race each other. It’s been real cool to see how so many runners I raced in high school have had great running careers in college and beyond. My senior year Brooklyne just had a better race than me on that day. I was running well and she just killed me. She came from behind, I didn’t react and she just took the victory. |
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| GCR: | You helped Mason High School to tie for the Ohio State Track and Field title your sophomore year. How did this compare to winning an individual title? |
| AB | It was so much more fun. I enjoy competing and doing well at what I do but I like to stay in the background. I like the excitement and celebrating when there is a big group that succeeds with a collective effort. Even if we run as individuals there is a group that all works together every day and it is much more exciting to be celebrating as one. When I win an individual title, it’s nice for them to celebrate with me, but to share a team title is fun on a higher level. |
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| GCR: | In addition to your 3,200 meter win that year you also finished third in the 1,600 meters with three girls less than a second behind you. Did you outkick them or were they closing as if one of them finished ahead of you it would have relegated your team to runner up? |
| AB | There were two girls who were expected to be way out in front and I had to save some effort for the 3,200 meters. My plan was to play it conservative and race for third place which appeared to be the smart thing to do. With 200 meters to go I was back in sixth or seventh place and put on my usual kick, but I’ve never really looked back and thought that if I hadn’t caught those runners we wouldn’t have won State. For some reason I always love to kick and it was good I passed them all that day. On that same day the anchor leg runner on our 4 x 400 meter team ran a PR by about one and a half seconds to place third which also was a big factor in our team win. I had run on the 4 x 400 relay at some races and wanted to run at State, but my coaches thought it was too much since it was right after the 3,200 meters. But I get so much more nervous watching as there isn’t anything I can do like if I was out on the track. |
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| GCR: | You raced the 4 x 800 meter relay all four years at the Ohio State meet in high school. How exciting was it to win your senior year and to have Kelsey Flaherty as one of your relay teammates all four years? |
| AB | It was great to be able to share a victory with relay teammates. After doing well as an individual it was much more exciting to have a group of us do well together. It was fun and exciting for all of us to accomplish something new. I still talk to Kelsey – she went to Xavier. |
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| GCR: | What impact did your high school coaches Tony and Kelly Affatato and middle school coach Jeff Branhan have on your development as a runner? |
| AB | Jeff Branhan started coaching me in middle school and was the one who got me into the sport more than just some jogging. We went to Junior Olympic meets and AAU Nationals and competed. Before that I was a soccer player and had travelled some, but going to other places for track meets helped me to look at track as a sport. He opened my eyes to a new experience. He still helped me some during high school, we continue to talk and he has been a great mentor. Tony and Kelly Affatato coached me in high school through all of the good and bad times and helped me to enjoy the sport. My favorite thing about high school is that we enjoyed running – we did the work, but never got too serious and always tried to have a good time. We trained hard but we loved every moment of it. This set me up in college to love track. If we didn’t have so much fun in high school I may not have continued with it in college. |
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| GCR: | What factors led you to select the University of Illinois to further your academics and running? |
| AB | The coach at Illinois who recruited me was Karen Harvey and I thought she was a great coach. I planned to major in engineering and Illinois has a great program in that subject. It is also close enough to home for visits as it’s only a few hour drive to Mason. |
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| GCR: | Who were some of your favorite competitors in college and high school for their talent and determination? |
| AB | The people who stick out are those I raced often who are Big Ten athletes. Nicole Bush was a great competitor. I raced her a lot and she always killed me in cross country. She always worked hard. Bridget Franek from Penn State and Nicole Everett from Michigan State were two others. I have a bond with my competitors as we have a shared experience and love for the sport. We compete hard but then it’s easy to be friends with these women who share the same passion that I do. It was so exciting cheering for Bridget at the U.S. Championships when she ended up finishing third in the steeplechase. Earlier when I came in third in the 5,000 meters I was happy, but felt somewhat out of place. When she ran so well I felt comfortable that another athlete I shared a history with had also done well. |
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| GCR: | What advice do you have for younger runners to improve consistency, minimize injuries and reach their potential? |
| AB | A runner needs to understand his or her limits and find the right balance. Otherwise they will be frustrated or end up injured often. |
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| GCR: | You’ve received numerous major awards including the 2010 Honda Award for Cross Country, twice the University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year and multiple All-American, All-Big Ten and All-Academic designations in college. You also earned many All-State and Cincinnati Enquirer All-Star awards in high school. Does any one award stand out? |
| AB | The Honda Award was special when I read the names of people who had received it in the past. It was a huge honor. In high school the Cincinnati Athlete of the Year was neat as all of the athletes in many sports came together. |
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| GCR: | What events do you plan to focus on in the 2010 indoor and outdoor track seasons? |
| AB | Indoors I’ll probably concentrate on the 3,000 meters and mile. I did one 5,000 meters indoors and didn’t like it that much. Outdoors I love running the 5,000 meters and it will definitely be my focus. I don’t plan on trying the 10,000 meters. I will run some 1,500s for sharpening, probably one during the season and maybe at the Big Ten Conference meet. I like changing up between distances as it keeps it fresh and exciting. There are positives and negatives to each distance. A funny memory is when I ran my first 5,000 meters on the track I said, ‘Coach – this is the longest distance ever!’ Now that I run more 5,000s the 1,500 meters seems real fast. |
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| GCR: | Have you given much thought to your post-collegiate plan for running, grad school, work or some combination? |
| AB | I will finish my bachelor’s degree in December of 2010. Next fall while I finish up my degree I hope to continue supporting my Illinois cross country team. I will go to graduate school as I want to go into health care. I’m thinking about becoming a physician’s assistant. I want to give running a chance so I’ll try to balance both. If I have opportunities to continue running professionally then it will be exciting. |
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| GCR: | Will you continue to compete after graduation in cross country at the USATF Championships and possibly the World Championships? |
| AB | I haven’t looked that far ahead. It will depend on how long my track season goes and how I feel afterward. I do like cross country and it would be awesome to represent my country which is something that I haven’t done yet. |
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| GCR: | Do you have making a World Championship or Olympic track team team high on your list of goals? What event do you and your coach think may be your best in the upcoming years? |
| AB | I’ve watched the Olympics and World Championships many times. If I continue to run I want to be on that level. I just have to get a little faster. Right now my best event is the 5,000 meters but I’ll have to be open and see where the future takes me. |
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