The Grand Views

Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Grand View College Obsie Birru [Click to enlarge]

Obsie Birru, undecided freshman and a Viking cross-country runner, was named Midwest Collegiate Conference Runner of the Week for the third week in a row.

On Sept. 27, the Vikings ran at the Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota. Birru finished second out of 257 runners. Most of the runners there were from division II schools. Birru finished the 6k race with a personal best time of 22:31.

This isn't the first race Birru has come close to winning. On Aug. 30 Birru won first place at the Mustang Gallop in Cedar Rapids with a 4K time of 15:15. Sept. 6 she won first out of 124 runners at the 5K Central Invitational with a school record time 18:10. She also placed eighth out of 328 runners at the 6K Les Duke Invitational in Grinnell with a time of 22:59.

"The hardest thing for me running at college is keeping the mileage down, over the summer I ran 75 miles a week and when I came here I had to stop running what I was and only run 40," Birru said.

Jerry Monner, head coach for the women's and men's cross country teams, said, "She's definitely a hard worker and a very good teammate."

The strength training has been the most beneficial and the hardest, Birru said.

"I was one of the worst freshman in the strength training program because I was never in the weight room before I came here I feel a lot more stronger since I have been lifting, it's very important to have strong legs in a race because they carry you," Birru said.

Monner said, "She's a very good teammate, she's the kind of person that as soon as she finishes the race she runs back to encourage her other teammates."

Birru was a four-time cross-country state qualifier in high school and finished fifth at the Iowa Class 4A State Championships last fall.

Birru turned down full ride scholarships to come and run at Grand View.

"I didn't want to go to a big school like the ones that were wanting me, I wanted to go somewhere that had small class sizes and a team that was close like a family," said Birru.

"I love it here at Grand View and I enjoy the people around me. I love my teammates, the he said.

On Friday October 3 at Ewing Park the Vikings will host the fourth annual Viking Invitational. The women's 5K race will start at 5 p.m. and the men's 8K race will start at 5:45 p.m.

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