By Rick Stupack
Contributing Writer
Ole Miss junior Bernie Kuria of Kenya will be the first to tell you he hasn't performed this year like he has in years past.
After redshirting last track season due to a stress fracture in his foot, causing him stop all training for several months, Kuria has had to battle through the season trying to regain his old form.
While he may not be there yet, he still has put himself in position to have a year like no other runner in Ole Miss history has ever had.
Kuria became just the third Rebel to earn back-to-back all-Southeastern Conference honors in cross country on Nov. 1 at the SEC Championships.
Last Saturday at the District IX Cross Country Championships, Kuria earned the highest finish ever by an Ole Miss athlete at the district meet, finishing fourth.
That fourth-place showing earned him a berth to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, to be held Monday in Greenville, S.C.
"It means a lot to me," said Kuria, only the second runner in Ole Miss history to advance to the NCAA meet. "I've made it to nationals in track before, but never in cross country. It's very tough to get to the national meet in cross country and I'm very excited about taking this step."
To qualify for the NCAA meet, Kuria had to be one of the top three runners not the top two teams that earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship at the district meet.
He grabbed the third and final individual at-large spot with what head coach Joe Walker called a courageous effort over the final mile of last Saturday's 6.2-mile race.
Heading into the final mile and facing the hill-laden part of the course, Kuria was sitting in fifth-place, one spot behind of an at-large bid to the NCAAs.
With the help of a little encouragement for Walker, Kuria over took the runner ahead of him in the final half-mile and was able to out-kick him to the finish line to earn a trip to South Carolina.
"Bernie ran a courageous race last Saturday," Walker said. "He was in the fifth heading into the last mile and I told him, not really in a positive way, that if he didn't catch that guy he wasn't going to nationals. He also had to catch that runner on the hilliest part of the course, and once he caught him, he did a good job of protecting his position."
Kuria is familiar with the course at Furman University, the site of this year's NCAA Championships. He ran there last season when Ole Miss competed in the District III Cross Country Championships, finishing 17th and missing an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships by three spots.
He feels that last year's experience will be benefit this time around.
"I ran there last year and ran just terrible," Kuria said. "This year, I know the course. There's a lot of pop-up hills out there and I remember where they are. I'm going to go out there and try and do something for the school and myself."
Kuria is aiming for a top 20 finish and earning All-America honors. Walker feels Kuria is capable of reaching that goal, especially if he performs to his potential.
"I still don't think he's run what he's capable of this year," Walker said.
"He's ran better each time out but he can still improve, he hasn't maxed out. I think he's ready for a big race. Running at nationals is a matter of not panicking and losing focus. Cross country is such a mental sport. In other sports, like football, if somebody's out there knocking you around there isn't a lot you can do about it. In cross country, you're the one that's causing yourself pain and all you have to do to stop it is slow down."
"You have to stay focused when the pain starts and if Kuria can do that, he's a threat to be an All-American."
Kuria feels he has one advantage going for him, like the district meet, the NCAA Championships is a 10,000 meter race, compared to 8,000 meters at the SEC Championships.
Kuria considers himself a better 10K, citing the second wind he seems to get four miles into a race. With a 10,000 meters covering just over six miles compared to five miles in an 8K, he has an extra mile to use his late kick and move up on the leaders.
"I'm a 10K runner," Kuria says. "I usually get a little tired after the first couple of miles and people start catching up with me around the second and third mile. However, I always seem to start picking up again around the four-and-a-half mile mark. I'm very confident towards the end of the race."
And if Kuria can go that extra mile on Monday, he'll run himself right into his own place in the Ole Miss history books.