Photo: Cal Athletics
There has been no sophomore slump for UC Berkeley cross country and track standout Marissa Williams, who found herself running stride for stride with a familiar adversary April 8 in the Big Meet at rival Stanford.
Williams, who won the 2015 Palisadian-Post Cup Award as the outstanding senior athlete at Palisades High, twice finished runner-up to Fiona O’Keeffe (then of Davis Senior High in Northern California) at the CIF state cross country finals and the two were at it again on the oval in Palo Alto.
O’Keeffe, now a freshman for the Cardinal, came out on top, taking the lead during the fourth lap on her way to first place in the 3,000 meter race in 9:17.59. Williams was second in 9:21.65.
A week before at the Stanford Invitational, Williams had clocked a personal-best 16:06.86 in the 5,000 meters, good enough for third in her section and moving her up to eighth on Cal’s all-time performer list.
Williams won three City Section cross country titles and was a four-time City champion in both the 1,600 and 3,200 at Pali High.
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