Another feature, this one written by Dordt College student Ashlee Stallinga about Michelle Steiger’s upcoming race at nationals this Saturday.  For your reading pleasure on this Wednesday night…………………

When she runs the cross country National Championship meet on Nov. 21, Michelle Steiger will feel right at home.

Steiger, a sophomore at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, will be running the race in Vancouver, Wash., just a few hours from Lynden, her hometown.

Steiger finished in the top ten in every race this season; she won the Dordt College and Buena Vista (Storm Lake) Invitationals; and she ran a season-best 18:38 (over a 5,000 meter course) at Briar Cliff in Sioux City, Iowa.

“Michelle has had an outstanding season,” said Coach Greg Van Dyke. “She’s one of the most focused runners I’ve ever coached, and her hard work and dedication have paid off.”

This is Steiger’s first trip to the National cross country meet.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “It will be nice to have the whole family there.”

Steiger’s parents, Pete and Jennifer, will be making the drive down to Vancouver, along with her three siblings and two of her grandparents.

“We can’t wait to see Michelle race – and right in our own state,” Jennifer Steiger said.

Steiger qualified for Nationals with a time of 18:47 at the Great Plains Athletic Conference Championship meet in Fremont, Neb., on Nov. 7.

She was the only qualifier from Dordt’s women’s team; the top finisher from the men’s team, Brent Van Schepen, also qualified.

The first person she called after the race was her father.

“My dad been a second coach to me,” Steiger said. “He’s a motivator. I always look for him during my races, because I know he’ll have something useful to say.”

Pete Steiger was also a cross-country runner when he attended Dordt, and part of a National-qualifying team.

“I grew up watching him run,” Steiger said. “We run together, talking about anything and everything.”

Now that she attends college over 1600 miles away from her hometown, her father’s influence has taken on a different form.

“I call him every Friday night for my pre-race talk,” she said. “After the meet on Saturday he’s the first person I call, and we analyze the race.”

Steiger and her father will have plenty of time to analyze after the National race; she will be staying home until after the Thanksgiving weekend.

“This might be the only opportunity we have to see her run in this kind of race,” said Pete Steiger. “And having her home for Thanksgiving is an added bonus.”

As she prepares to run in the National meet, Michelle enjoys the accomplishment and keeps her season in perspective.

“Mostly, I’m just excited about the opportunity. I know I won’t place high; I just want to see what I can do,” she said. “Overall, I can’t wait to go home, compete, have fun, and then spend extra time with my family.”

Steiger, Van Schepen, and their coaches leave for Washington on Nov. 18; on the night of Nov. 20, they will attend the Nike-sponsored “Banquet of Champions,” at which New York marathon-winner Alberto Salazar is the speaker.

Steiger’s race will be at 11:45 the following morning.