by Ben Arthur |
Just hours before her first competitive 5,000 meter race in college, Parkes Kendrick did not want to think about how she would run. Instead, she kept her mind occupied. Kendrick did her homework on the 50 minute drive south from Portland to Salem for the Willamette Invite. She cheered on her Portland teammates as they competed.
Kendrick did not psych herself up when it was time to warm up. She never does before she runs. She jogged for 20 minutes with her teammates, stretched and did strides to get her legs warm. There was no stress on her to perform well. University of Portland women’s track and field head coach Ian Solof did not even give her a goal time.
With no pressure, she excelled and exceeded all expectations.
Kendrick took first place in the event, effectively placing herself in the national spotlight. Her time of 16:19:93 is currently the fourth fastest in the country for the 5,000 meter and qualifies her for the NCAA West Regionals where she will have the opportunity to secure a spot at the Track and Field National Championships this coming June.
I knew (my time) was good, but I didn’t really know how good it was I guess,” Kendrick said. “I’m still trying to process it.”
Kendrick has made her imprint in the Pilots running program. On top of her first place finish in the 5,000 meter in Salem, the junior won the 1,500 meter at the Lewis and Clark Spring Break Open last month.
She has not been running for long at UP. She was a standout soccer player for her first three years on The Bluff. She started all but three of the games she appeared in, racking up five goals and eight assists. But soccer became more stressful than enjoyable. She stopped looking forward to practices and lost her passion for the game.
With a love for competition, she decided to pick up a familiar sport: running. She ran at Portland’s Grant High School and is the second fastest Cross Country runner in the school’s history.
Kendrick has relived her high school glory in less than four months with UP’s track team. She already ranks in Portland’s all-time top 10 for three different long-distance events.
Solof did not expect Kendrick to run so well right off the bat.
“We’re really excited for the fall when she’s going to be a major contributor to our varsity and one of our top runners,” Solof said.
Solof believes that much of Kendrick’s early success comes from natural ability. She has the aerobic fitness of a long-distance runner coupled with the speed of a soccer player. Her short-sprinting abilities gives her an advantageous kick at the end of races.
But a will to win is what Kendrick is most thankful for her in her time playing soccer.
“You’re always working 100% to stay on the field in soccer,” Kendrick said. “There’s not much of an opportunity to let up. I approach running that way even if I’m really tired during a race.”
Kendrick has not run enough to know what times she should be aiming for. She has made huge strides since joining the Pilot track team, but her main focus is getting through races one-by-one.
She recalls advice from her youth whenever she thinks about quitting before finishing.
“My coaches use to tell me that by the end of the race you should know every stitch on your opponent’s jersey,” Kendrick said. “I still try and do that and it helps me not to think about how painful it is.”
The 48 women in the western United States with the fastest times in the 5,000 meter will compete against each other at the West Regional. Only the top 12 will advance to the National Championships.
Kendrick won’t put additional pressure on herself to run fast because of the level of competition. She will focus on staying within her limits to win. The backs of her opponents’ jerseys will distract her from thoughts of pain and her speed will serve as a weapon on the home stretch.
That is when the former soccer player is at her best.
“If it comes down to that last couple laps, Parkes is gonna be right there and she’s gonna be fighting pretty hard for a spot,” Solof said. “To have the finishing speed she has, she has a pretty good chance.”
Contact Sports Writer Ben Arthur by email at arthur17@up.edu or on twitter @KingArthur_425.
