Hard work is paying off for harrier Harlick
X-country runner constantly pushes herself to improve
By Mark Singerton
Jeanene Harlick is a perfectionist.
She may be the No. 3 runner on the UCLA women’s cross country
team, but she is no doubt its hardest worker. Both on and off the
practice field, in and out of the classroom, she always tries to
outdo herself.
Doing this isn’t always easy, and more often than not, it’s
impossible. Coaches say she is her own biggest critic, but what
does Harlick have to say about her self-criticism?
"It’s true. I come down on myself a lot. But it’s because I want
to try my hardest in whatever I do."
Her determination is no farce.
"Jeanene has had to work for everything she’s ever gotten," said
Ed Parker, her high school coach.
Harlick’s struggle to make the UCLA cross country team
epitomizes her spirit. She was a walk-on as a freshman, and were it
not for cross country coach Bob Larsen’s patience, she never would
have made the team. As it turned out, Larsen granted her a tryout
with the 1992 squad, and eventually welcomed her to the team.
"I was just happy to be here," Harlick said.
Her modesty stems from the discipline with which she has run
since she was 11 years old when she ran in the backyard with her
sister and mother. Harlick and twin sister Diane competed against
each other up to the high school level, where Diane bested her. In
her freshman year, Harlick was third behind All-Americans Karen
Hecox and Beth Bartholomew.
This year she is third behind Hecox and junior All-American
Shelley Taylor.
But Harlick insists that running in the shadows of others
doesn’t bother her, even this late in her career.
"I have respect for both Shelley and Karen as runners," Harlick
said. "One day I’d like to run on the same level as them, but at
this stage in my career I know that’s not possible. What I’m
concerned with right now is doing the best that I can do."
Harlick demands a lot of herself, but Parker said her inability
to meet her lofty expectations sometimes has a negative impact.
Both her confidence and performance have lagged recently, resulting
in what she terms "sub-standard" performances. In the Aztec and
Stanford Invitationals Sept. 17 and Oct. 1, she finished 28th and
54th, respectively.
"I was awful," Harlick said. "It was humiliating. I should have
never finished so poorly. I felt like I let my teammates down."
At the Stanford Invite, UCLA eventually finished second to the
Cardinal in the 5,000-meter event, but her teammates maintain that
Harlick should not feel ashamed.
"A lot of people had bad races there," junior Anna Delgado said.
"She (Harlick) worries too much about other people, and she needs
to worry about herself right now."
UCLA women’s cross country coach Eric Peterson agrees.
"She’s very critical of her performances," Peterson said. "She
always wants to find something to improve on."
For now, Harlick claims that her top priority lies in restoring
her confidence.
"It’s difficult for me right now because I don’t have very much
confidence in myself, and I need to get that back," Harlick said.
"I need to put (Stanford) behind me."
Her teammates say that regaining her form should not be
difficult.
"She’s got a lot of potential," junior Cathy Lee said. "She’s
extremely disciplined and can be a very strong runner. I think she
just needs a couple more races to get herself going again."
For her part, Harlick says it is her faith in God that keeps her
going.
"I think He is the greatest influence on my life," Harlick
said.
The self-proclaimed Presbyterian not only takes her faith
seriously, but her studies as well. As an English major student,
she was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic team with a 3.76 GPA. An
avid reader, she finds time between her studies and a part-time job
to write for the Viewpoint section of the Daily Bruin.
"I see myself as a writer after my running is over," Harlick
said. "Either that or teaching. I’d love to write a novel."
Hobbies aside, Harlick’s greatest aspiration is to run in the
Olympic Games.
"Well, I think it’s everyone’s ambition to run in the Olympics,"
Harlick said. "It’s my dream too. I’m not saying that I’m even in
that caliber, but it’s still a goal of mine."
And according to Parker, it’s a perfectly reasonable goal.
"Anytime someone believes in a faith or cause as strongly as
(Harlick), it can only help you reach your goals," Parker said.
Whether she will make the 1996 U.S. Olympic team is
questionable, but Harlick’s career in distance running will
continue for a long time.
"I started when I was eleven and I’ve just kept on going. I’ve
never stopped since. It’ll be very hard to leave the sport."
Saturday, Harlick’s determination will be tested when the Bruins
enter the field at the Brigham Young Invitational, and she is
unusually confident.
"I think I’m going to do very well," Harlick said. "I have
to."