DENAEYER ON THE RUN AGAIN; FORMER PREP STAR COMPETING AT MOORPARK COLLEGE.Byline: Kirby Lee Special to the Daily News Chrystall DeNaeyer might be the best kept secret on the Moorpark College Moorpark College is a California-state funded community college located on a 134 acre (542,000 m²) property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. women's cross country team. And the seven-time state high school track champion from Nebraska would prefer to keep it that way. DeNaeyer, who is returning to competition for the first time in four years, has told only her closest friends and family in Nebraska. ``When I left high school there was pressure of being a great athlete with everyone knowing you,'' DeNaeyer said. ``I'm running for myself and not anyone else. It's more enjoyable.'' Plagued by injuries during two years at the University of Nebraska, DeNaeyer is also starting to regain the form that earned her a full track scholarship with the Cornhuskers after graduating from 250-student Rural High in Valentine, Neb., in 1991. The addition of DeNaeyer has helped Moorpark earn a berth in today's state junior college championships at Woodward Park Woodward Park (34 acres) is a public park, botanical garden, and arboretum located between 21st Street and 24th Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is open to the public daily. in Fresno. ``She's done OK in cross country,'' Moorpark coach Doni Green said. ``But if she does anything close to what she's done in track, she'll be something we haven't seen in awhile a·while adv. For a short time. Usage Note: Awhile, an adverb, is never preceded by a preposition such as for, but the two-word form a while may be preceded by a preposition. .'' DeNaeyer, who clocked 55.17 seconds for 400 meters as a high school junior, won the Nebraska state 400 title as a freshman and captured the 400 and 800 in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons at Rural. She also qualified for the 100 and 200 her last three years. At Nebraska, DeNaeyer finished fourth in the 800 in a lifetime best 2:12.10 in the Big 8 Conference indoor meet as a sophomore in 1993. DeNaeyer, who redshirted her freshman season because of a lower back injury, was sidelined for most of the outdoor season with stress fractures stress fracture n. A fatigue fracture of bone caused by repeated application of a heavy load, such as the constant pounding on a surface by runners, gymnasts, and dancers. in her hip and foot. The death of her father, Buzz DeNaeyer, 63, in a hunting accident in January, 1993 also had a profound impact on her running career. ``He was my big motivator and I lost my will to run,'' DeNaeyer said. In March, 1994, DeNaeyer left school, packed her bags and moved to California after finding a job as a nanny nanny mature goat doe. with a family in Ventura County through a job agency. ``I needed to go somewhere different and do something with kids,'' said DeNaeyer, a child-development major. ``It was practical. I didn't have to pay for anything and I made a salary on top of that.'' DeNaeyer worked with families in Camarillo and Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. for the next 2-1/2 years before deciding to return to school, primarily to complete her degree and partly to run. ``Moorpark was always in the back of my mind, wondering what I could have run,'' DeNaeyer said. ``I didn't come out with any expectations, mostly to meet people and have some fun in cross country. I'll take track a lot more seriously.'' DeNaeyer and Jennifer Hanson were 17th and 18th in the Western State Conference finals Oct. 30, which helped Moorpark finish fifth. In the Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, Regional championships Nov. 8, Hanson and DeNaeyer were 59th and 66th to lift the Raiders to 14th place for the final qualifying spot for the state championships. Her progress has given her incentive to continue to compete collegiately at a NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II, Division III
Division III (or DIII) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States. or NAIA NAIA abbr. National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes institution after graduating from Moorpark. ``When I stopped running, I stopped period, but I was always active,'' said the 5-foot-1 DeNaeyer, who is 10 pounds lighter than she was at Nebraska. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Runners Jesus Villavicencio and Chrystall DeNaeyer are making an impact at Moorpark College. Evan Yee / Daily News |
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