Nicole Campbell wasn’t expecting to break any records in her first cross country race of the season, but when the starting gun was fired she took off with the lead group, kept up the fast pace and crossed the finish line in fourth place Saturday at the UC Santa Cruz XC Challenge.
The 2000 Palisades High graduate, who now runs for the West Valley Track Club in the Bay Area, completed the four-mile course in 24 minutes, 19 seconds, just two seconds behind the third-place finisher and 18 seconds off her personal-best time. Campbell’s splits were 6:30 for the first mile, 6:16 for the second and 11:31 for the last two miles.
Campbell grew up in Topanga and was captain of Pali High’s cross country and track teams, qualifying for the City Section finals in the 1,600 meters all four years. She went on to run at Humboldt State, where she graduated with a degree in Environmental Engineering.
In July, Campbell concluded the extended spring track season with a sixth-place finish in the Marin Miracle Mile, clocking 5:07. Her next race is the fourth annual Rebels XC Challenge on Saturday in Sacramento, followed by the Golden Gate Park Open on Sept. 7 in San Francisco.
— Steve Galluzzo
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