University of San Francisco Athletics

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Junior Elena Burkard has emerged as one of the Dons premier cross country and track athletes during her time at the Hilltop. The German native has already amassed several awards for her performance on the field and in the classroom, and last season she qualified for the NCAA National Championships in cross country.

Burkard hasn't slowed down during the off-season.

She won the U23 German National Cross Country Championship last March and was named the recipient of the Anne Dolan Female Athlete of the Year award in June.

"Elena has a tremendous impact on our women's cross country and track team over the past two years," head coach Helen Lehman-Winters says. "Not only is she extremely hardworking and disciplined, but she is also a big time competitor. Elena Loves to race and compete and she loves cross country."

This fall, the Dons will pursue their sixth-straight West Coast Conference title and second-straight appearance at nationals. But after graduating five important runners from last season, this year's squad is young, and will rely on upperclassmen, like Burkard, to lead the team to another successful campaign in 2014.

"We are expecting her to just continue with this improvement and compete with the nations best at the end of the season," Lehman-Winters says.

Burkard recently sat down to talk about her role on the team, goals for the upcoming season and more.

Q: What did you do for fun this summer?

A: I love horseback riding. We have a horse back home so I spent a lot of time doing that. I enjoyed nature, just hiking in the Black Forest, meeting some friends, spending some family time and enjoy being home, which is something special when you study abroad.

Q: After graduating five good runners, how have the dynamics of the team changed?

A: Of course the dynamics are way different. We lost basically five seniors who were leading our team, so we're still in the process of everyone finding their spot. I feel like we're getting better everyday. We're improving together. Of course, it needs some time, but we're getting there.

Q: Is a team leader important in cross country?

A: It is important, I feel, on every team to have somebody who is taking responsibility, especially in cross country, which is such a team sport. It's important to have someone who will say, 'OK guys, let's go, let's do this and work together,' and just having somebody who oversees everything.

Q: Has anyone establish herself as a leader?

A: Kate Jamboretz is our senior now. With her, Jana Soethout, me, we're the top three runners, I would say, for this year, so we're trying to find our way. Kate is mostly stepping up, and we're trying to help her, Jana and I.

Q: After losing a handful of important runners, will the pursuit of this conference title be more challenging than the other two you've been a part of?

A: It's hard to say because we haven't raced our freshmen yet and this team hasn't raced together yet. I feel like we're on a really good way, but we don't know exactly where we stand yet because that's what you see in a race situation, where that really comes in. But we definitely have a chance to do it and we have the potential.

Q: Which freshmen have impressed you so far?

A: Catherine Clohesy, from Australia, is coming back from an injury and already looks pretty strong. Haley Dorris is coming from a really good high school so she's going to help us a lot. But all of the freshmen are in the working-hard mood and that's what we need. And the next couple weeks will show how practice pays off for them.

Q: Do you have any individual goals for the season?

A: The big goal is to go back to the nationals.

Q: You and Jana Soethout are both from Germany. Has that allowed you two to develop a bond?

A: Of course it's always nice to have someone to talk in German to, sometimes just switch your head off and talk in German. But we try not to do that too often because it's not polite.