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Olympic qualifier has distance running in her genes
(by Tony Lange - July 11, 2012)
Olympic qualifier has distance running in her genes
By TONY LANGE
Distance races usually come down to whoever has the better kick at the end.
In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, however, it often comes down to whoever doesn't fall.
Bridget Franek, granddaughter of Chuck and Beth Franek, of Bainbridge, was a favorite to finish second at the U.S. Olympic trials June 29 and seal a bid to London, but she didn't take that for granted.
"Nothing is given in this sport, even if you have the fastest time going in or if you are ranked second," she said. "It doesn't mean you'll get that position. It was a little stressful knowing that, but I was just trying to put it out of my mind and really just focus on what I could control and not get caught up with everything around me."
The steeplechase, one of the most challenging events at the Olympic Games, involves a 7 1/2-lap race with 35 barriers that competitors have to hurdle over. They are 30 inches tall, and seven of them have 12-foot-long water pits waiting on the other side.
"The farther you jump out, the less water you have to overcome, because the pit is at an angle, and it gets shallower as you run out of it, so you try to get out as far as you can, so you have less water to run through," Franek said. "It just takes a lot of strength and mental toughness to not only push your body to its limit running but also to overcome obstacles on top of that."
Unlike those used in hurdling, steeplechase barriers do not fall over if hit.
During her race at the U.S. Olympic trials, Franek, 24, was in third place heading into the final water jump, but her leap propelled her past Colorado University's Shalaya Kipp, whom she held off for second place with a time of 9:35.62.
Franek was bested only by Colorado's other Olympic qualifier, Emma Coburn, who clocked a 9:32.78.
"I think, much more than anything, it was just a lot of relief," Franek said about qualifying for the London Olympics, where she will run the steeplechase again on Aug. 4 and perhaps Aug. 6, if she makes the finals. "This is something that I've had on the horizon for four years now, and I knew everyone had made sacrifices to get to where they've gotten, and my sacrifices have been difficult for me."
After graduating from Penn State University, Franek moved to Eugene, Ore., in October 2010 to train with the professional Oregon Track Club Elite, leaving family, friends and her entire lifestyle, she said.
One of those family members is her dad, Tom Franek, who graduated from Kenston High School in 1982. He was the high school state champion in cross country and the 3,200-meter run in track and field during his senior year.
Following college at Bowling Green State University, he settled down with his wife, Rosalie, in Hiram, where Bridget grew up running on forest trails.
She attended Crestwood High School, where she won one state title in cross country and five in track and field. During her senior season in 2006, Franek won the 800-meter, 1,600-meter, 3,200-meter and four-by-800-meter relay at the Division II state championship meet.
At Penn State, she earned 10 All-American titles and one NCAA national championship in the steeplechase.
"Growing up, my parents always provided a really healthy environment, and we were always doing sports for fun, basically," Franek said about competing in softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball and swimming before eventually specializing in running. "So I grew up doing a lot of different things, and that really paid off for the steeplechase. I think just having that background of doing everything, not just running on the road but running on trails and playing other sports really helped in my development."
After failing to advance to the finals at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2008, Franek said her hopes of becoming an Olympian were renewed in 2009, when she qualified as a member of Team USA for the world championships in Berlin.
"When I made that team, it was kind of like a wakeup call of, 'OK, you can actually do something here,' and so that was really exciting for me," she said. "It was really the first time that I considered training after college and training for something other than my college career."
Franek said her grandparents traveled to Berlin with her that year. "Just having them there was truly special and something that meant a lot to me," she said.
"They're going to be traveling to London as well, and I just want them to know that I know how hard it is and to support me from afar and travel so far to see me, but it really means a ton to me. I know I'm probably not going to be able to see them much while I'm there, but just to have them there means the world to me. Whenever I go home, we just have a lot of fun when we spend time together."
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