by Ketan Dhawan
Daily Lobo
Indianapolis hadn't seen the sun in almost a week.
It was still snowing Saturday when 112 of the nation's best runners contended for a victory in the 4K and a spot on the USA cross country team. Among them was UNM junior Matt Gonzales, away from his team and his coach, running for himself.
Fighting icy conditions and 20 below zero temperatures, Gonzales finished 13th at the USA Cross Country Championships. He was the first collegian to cross the finish line, a mere 10 seconds behind the legendary Alan Webb, who was the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes.
"I felt really good about the race," Gonzales said. "There were about 10 guys who went out hard, and a bunch of us who really were cautious due to the conditions. I was in the cautious pack, but I managed to catch 12 people in the last 2,000 meters."
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What Matt called "conditions" was actually a huge snowstorm that hit Indianapolis a week earlier and was still pummeling the city at the time of the race.
"I didn't see the sun except when I was on the plane," he said.
Gonzales said he was a little disappointed he didn't make the U.S. team, but all in all, he was happy.
"It really allowed me to assess what I need to change in my training," he said.
The qualifying time for the U.S. national team was 11:22 and the top six finishers also earned an automatic bid. He was just 20 seconds shy of qualifying.
This is Gonzales' second appearance at the USA nationals. He also ran in the NCAA National Championships, where he placed third in the 10K last June.
At 5-foot-four and 115 pounds, Gonzales is living large. He is 22 years old, and a junior at UNM majoring in University Studies.
After spending a year at Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M., he transferred to UNM to pursue a running career. Gonzales said he hopes to one day become a professional runner.
Gonzales is extremely dedicated to cross country. After waking up at 8:30 every morning, he goes to class until 2 p.m., which is followed by practice until 4:30. He also works the night shift at Blockbuster, sometimes as late as 2 a.m. - and this routine is only for those days with one practice.
By spending so much time practicing, Gonzales has developed a close relationship with cross country head coach, Matt Henry.
It has been said that behind every great runner is a great coach, and that statement certainly applies to Gonzales.
"Coach Henry has helped me through so much," Gonzales said. "You see other coaches favoring their top guys, because that's what brings them money. Coach is different. He's there for everybody. He's really fair."
Gonzales said Henry has been a strong influence on him since high school.
As for the future, Gonzales has already begun a rigorous training schedule for July - that's when Olympic tryouts will be held.
