Oct. 31, 2002

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Santa Clara University graduate student Kim Bates has been named the West Coast Conference Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Month, the league announced today.

Bates, a native of Los Alamitos, Calif., transferred to Santa Clara following a career as a three-year letterwinner at the University of Arizona. She made an immediate impact on the squad, serving as the Broncos' top runner at each of the four meets she competed in.

Kim Bates has made a significant impact on the Bronco cross country program.

At the Willamette Invitational earlier this month, Bates defeated preseason WCC meet favorite Nicole Ricci with an 11th place finish with a 5,000-meter time of 17:28.88. She won first place at the Bronco Invitational two weeks ago, defeating Saint Mary's College's Alegra Porter in a time of 17:44, the fourth-fastest ever at the Crystal Springs Course at that distance.

While a member of the Wildcat cross country team, Bates competed in two NCAA championships before earning her degree in psychology last spring. She is currently enrolled in the SCU counseling psychology graduate program and will exhaust her eligibility this fall.