Cromer looks to make Olympic field

Dawn Cromer has two reasons to go all-out in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field trials that begin Friday and run through July 6. The 1998 Woodbridge High School graduate is attempting to secure an Olympic berth in the event. She is also competing knowing this is the final opportunity she is giving herself to compete in the Olympics. She is hanging up her track shoes and after the summer to devote time to her real estate career.
“I’m going to be focused on myself,” said Cromer, 28. “I can’t control what other competitors do. I can only control myself. I’m focused on myself and I’m going to be like, ‘All right Dawn this is it. It’s show time. It’s up to me. It’s about proving to myself what I’m capable of doing.’ ”
This is the first year the steeplechase is being recognized as an Olympic event for women. The event is broken down into two semifinal heats. They are run June 30 and the final July 3. Only 14 of the 24 competitors advance to the event final where the top three finishers make the Olympic team.
Cromer hopes to be on the team. She competed in the steeplechase at the 2004 U.S. Olympic trials and finished seventh.
But this time she has ground to make up. She enters the competition seeded 20th with a time of 10:03.23. Lisa Galaviz, the 2006 U.S. outdoor champion and 2005 U.S. outdoor runner-up, holds the top seed (9:28.75).
“I’m hoping to be one of those 14,” Cromer said. “The atmosphere is going to be amazing. It’s in Eugene, Oregon. It’s track city U.S.A. I’m not nervous. I’m just going to let my confidence take over. I’m really going to enjoy this experience a lot.”
She is training for the steeplechase at U.Va.
A volunteer assistant coach for Virginia’s cross country and track and field teams, Cromer trains three to four hours per day and 20-25 hours per week.
Her workouts start with a 10-to-11 mile run before she returns to run three laps at the track.
She follows with sprint drills, two sets of hurdle drills and core conditioning before going to weight lift.
Cromer rises early some mornings and runs five to six miles before going to work at Keller Williams Realty. She resumes working out in the afternoon, running seven to eight miles before going to Virginia’s weight room for more conditioning drills.
“Every day has a purpose,” Cromer said.
Cromer spent her prep career running for Vikings coach Jim Rodgers. She participated in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. During track season, she ran the 800, 3200-relay, 1600 and 3200.
Cromer was a two-time all-state cross country athlete and all-state in the mile during her junior and senior years of indoor and outdoor track.
Her accomplishments earned her a scholarship to the University of Virginia. In college, she became an All-American by finishing sixth in the steeplechase at the 2003 NCAA championships. She finished fifth in the event at the ’03 U.S. national championships in a personal-best 9:59.30.
Cromer helped Virginia’s women’s cross country team finish ninth and 20th at the 2001 and 2002 NCAA championships, respectively.
She continued competing after college. Cromer was ninth in the steeplechase at the 2005 U.S. outdoor championships and made the final at the 2006 championships, but did not finish her race.
“My experience that I gained as a collegiate athlete is what carried through to running after college,” Cromer said. “This event for women was not an event in college until 2001. I’ve raced it since 2001 when my college coach introduced me to it.”
Cromer leaves for Eugene on Saturday. She hopes her summer will include a flight to Beijing in August as an Olympian.
If she gives her best and fails to make the U.S. team, Cromer will have no regrets.
She knows she will have given her all.
“I feel like I’ve given steeplechase an honest effort,” Cromer said. “I have no regrets of closing my elite running career and looking forward to having a family with my husband.”