Junior runner Kim Prestenbach has been participating in cross-country as a member of the Nicholls Cross Country team for the past two years, improving greatly along the way according to head cross country coach Agapius Amo.According to Amo, Prestenbach has the ability and talent to be a top runner for the Lady Colonels crosscountry team.
“When I first met Kim, I thought she was a very good runner,” Amo said.
“She’s a person who has a lot of speed. She could be our number one runner, because she’s got speed.”
Amo said a little bit of an aerobic workout is used when running a distance like what is required in cross-country. He said that Prestenbach would be the team’s number one runner if she could implement the aerobic workout required for cross-country into her running.
“She has leg speed,” Amo said. “If she could add a little bit of distance, she could be a good runner.” Prestenbach said she uses the invitationals during the early part of the season as a means to improve for the conference meet.
“Invitationals don’t really matter too much; it’s just improving your time over here (at Nicholls) training,” Prestenbach said. “We’re still getting in shape. We still have a lot more (to go) until conference to get ready.”
“That’s usually, for any runner, the big meet,” Prestenbach added when asked how important the conference meet was to her, “That’s what you go for.”
Amo said Prestenbach showed improvement in her running in all the meets the team went to by dropping her overall time, but she especially showed a great deal of improvement when the team participated in the regionals.
In stating her team goals for this year, Prestenbach hopes her team can finish in the top six for the Southland Conference.
With regards to personal goals, Prestenbach said placing in the top 20 in the Southland Conference would be nice for this year.
During her career at Nicholls, Prestenbach has recorded a career-best fifth place finish during her sophomore year at the Nicholls State University 2003 Colonel Cross Country Invitational.
She recorded a time of 19:32.40 at the 2003 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships, which placed her 37th overall. Prestenbach finished in the top 50 at the 2003 NCAA Cross Country South Central Regionals with a time of 23:24.
Prestenbach prepped at H.L. Bourgeois High School in Houma where she was named to the All-District and All-Regional Team in both cross country and track. She was selected as the MVP in both sports as well.
In her free time, Prestenbach said she enjoys drawing, dancing and hanging out with friends.
After graduating from Nicholls, Prestenbach plans to attend the University of New Orleans where she will pursue both her master’s degree and doctorate in psychology.
