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Thursday, October 30, 1997

Bruin's surprise turns to success

FEATURE: Team's fifth man never expected to be running in Westwood

By Donald Morrison

Daily Bruin Contributor

Senior cross-country runner Matt Olin sometimes stops and reflects about his running career at UCLA. Running isn't something that Olin ever thought he would be doing in college.

Coming out of high school, Olin was not heavily recruited by, and his cross-country times were not impressive enough to earn a scholarship. However, former UCLA cross-country runner Steve Ortiz saw that Olin had the potential to be a good runner and relayed Olin's name to UCLA head coach Bob Larsen.

"(Ortiz) was out from where I was in the desert," Olin said, "and told (Larsen) that he saw me run and said that I had potential. But I didn't plan to run. I didn't choose to run. I was really into skateboarding in junior high and I played soccer. Once I was in high school I just wanted to skate all time."

While Olin wanted to skate all the time, Olin's parents weren't so keen on the idea. They suggested that he expand his horizons, so he joined the Apple Valley track and cross-country team.

Olin became the No. 1 runner and garnered All-CIF honors his senior year for cross country and set a league record in track and field for the 1600 meters with a time of 4 minutes, 25 seconds.

However, since his times were not good enough for a scholarship to UCLA, Olin was not sure if he was going to attend the Westwood campus.

"I thought I'd go to UC Santa Barbara or kind of a smaller school," says Olin. "I looked around at some other UC schools and Arizona State but that's about it. But when I found I had a chance to come here, I said if I'm accepted this is where I'm going."

Olin was accepted and has been a member of the cross-country team for four years. This year is different than previous years for Olin because he is a senior and the No.5 man on the team.

"He's in the best shape of his life," Larsen said. "He's living more so the life of an athlete right now. He's making sure he's rested and taking care of all the little things like nutrition and all of those things that help him get to a higher level."

Olin has been running at that higher level this season for the Bruins, consistently placing in the top five within the team. Olin started the season by placing sixth overall at the Texas Invitational in September and 36th at the Stanford Invitational.

Olin's performances for the Bruins are crucial as the top five members of a cross-country team count in scoring at meets. Larsen feels Olin's race performances are very important since the fourth and fifth men are important in order for the team to place high.

"All five guys are extremely important," Larsen said. "If the fourth and fifth men don't run well there's so many people in their area that they could lose 20 or 30 spots very easily."

Olin secured the fifth spot on the team this summer as he managed to run every day, while traveling across the United States, before starting summer workouts with the team.

"A lot of the guys thought I wouldn't get a lot of training in since I was going to be on the road all the time. It was just something I wanted to do. I wanted to get out," Olin said. "Every morning before I would drive I'd run and then when I would get to my destination for that day I'd run."

Olin's ultimate destination is to reach Greenville, S.C., site of the NCAA championships in November with the rest of the team. Olin says it's been the team's goal for the entire season.

An individual aspiration for Olin is to run his best race of the season at what could be his last collegiate cross-country race, the District VIII meet. Olin feels that he has not run as well as he could be running.

"I know I'm capable of a lot more," Olin says. "I don't want to finish the season and let all my hard work go to waste. I know I'm capable of more and I don't want to miss that opportunity."

The opportunity to have a stellar last cross-country season is an opportunity that Olin has taken to heart. He feels he is more determined and confident than he has been in the past and is ready to run well at the Pacific 10 championships on Saturday and at the District VIII meet in two weeks.

Teammate Mebrahtom Keflezighi has known Olin all four years that the two runners have been at UCLA. Keflezighi notices that Olin is coming to practices and meets with a different attitude than in the past.

"He was a little wild his first coupler of years," Keflezighi said. "He's matured and calmed down quite a bit. He's more focused. He's a guy that's fun to be around with. I think he's always excited about the workouts and the races."

Olin's excitement toward running has grown over the years from his days in high school - when he ran just to appease his parents - all the way to the present as - a member of the UCLA cross-country team.

Olin learned to have fun and work hard at a sport that he never thought he'd be doing in college.

"I'm willing to put in the work to reap the benefits," Olin said. "Once I saw how running worked and how you trained for it and what you had to do to be good I knew I could do it."

JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS/ Daily Bruin

Matt Olin hopes to help UCLA get to nationals.

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