Whether it be in professional sports or at the collegiate level, some athletes elect to be modest, while others bask in the limelight.
Kristin Cobb '95 is shy and modest when it comes to discussing her achievements as a student and as a standout cross-country and track athlete at the College. "I enjoy running," she said. "I started running in the seventh grade, and I've kept at it ever since."
Cobb's notion of enjoyable running, however, is slightly different from the 16 laps some students huff through on the Alumni Gym track. She runs cross-country, as well as the 800 meter, 1000 meter, mile, 3000 meter, 5000 meter, 10,000 meter, the 3200 meter relay and the distance medley relay.
During the 1992 and 1993 cross-country seasons, Cobb made the All-East team and was an NCAA individual cross-country qualifier. In each of her four years at the College, Cobb has also been an Eastern qualifier in track. She was also a member of the team which set a school record in the 3200 relay.
The rigors of running, however, have not detracted from her academic pursuits. Cobb was honored with the Phi Beta Kappa award for the '95 class, an award given to the class member with the highest grade point average. Her cumulative averooage is a 4.0.
It is Cobb's ability to excel both in the classroom and on the track which has most impressed her coach, Ellen O'Neil. "What Kristin has done so far," O'Neil said, "is what students come to Dartmouth looking to accomplish."
In a four-way meet February 12, Cobb set a personal best, winning the mile run with a time of four minutes, 49.02 seconds.
But both Cobb and O'Neil believe there is room for growth and improvement. While Cobb has been experimenting with the 10K, which O'Neil says may become Cobb's best event, the coach has also pushed Cobb to lower her times for the 3K and the 5K.
"Kristin has the speed to win the mile and the endurance for the 10,000 meter," O'Neil said. "After running a 4.49 mile, she has to feel confident that she can improve her 3K and 5K times."
Judging by her track record, so to speak, there seems to be little doubt that Cobb will only get better as the NCAAs approach.
"I respect Kristin a great deal," O'Neil said. "She is a good example of what one can do with focus and determination."
Team captain Maribel Sanchez '96 said she has always admired Cobb's versatility. "She excels at any event you put her in," Sanchez said. "And I've never seen anyone work as hard as she does."
In describing her future aspirations, Cobb mentioned that she would someday like to continue her studies in biology, perhaps as a biological researcher.
When pressed to say whether she will try to compete in track after graduation, she shrugged and said, "I'd like to stick with it and see what happens."
