Cierra Runge is one of five Golden Bear freshman who will make their Spieker Aquatics Complex debuts Thursday when Cal hosts Oregon State for a 12 noon meet. Runge hails from Cochranville, Pa., a small town located about 50 miles west of Philadelphia, and entered school in the fall following an outstanding summer that saw her claim runner-up finishes in the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle at the Phillips 66 National Championships.
As a result, Runge earned a berth on the U.S. team that competed at the Pan Pacific Championships in Australia in August. She captured a silver medal in the 400 free, while taking fifth in the 800 free and fourth in the 1500 free.
While the meet was Runge’s first with the U.S. senior national team, it was not her first opportunity to represent her country on an international stage. At the 2014 World Junior Championships, she won medals on four relays, including gold in the 800 free relay.
Fans can catch Runge, along with fellow freshmen Catherine Ladd, Jasmine Mau, Maija Roses and Noemie Thomas, plus the rest of the Bears, at the home-opening meet Thursday. Other fall competition in Berkeley will come against Texas Oct. 31 and vs. Wisconsin Nov. 7.
CalBears.com recently caught up with Runge to get her thoughts on her first semester at Cal and the start of her Golden Bear swimming career.
CalBears.com: You’re about eight weeks into your freshman year at Cal. How has your first semester been going?
Cierra Runge: “Things are going great. I’m getting my bearings and trying to figure everything out. My classes are good and I’m enjoying all of them. With swimming, I’m learning about the team culture. Everyone is so supportive. There’s no class system. Everybody is being very supportive and meshing together with each other. The upperclassmen are helping the freshmen get to know the team. We just feel so integrated.”
How are you feeling going into your first home meet as a Golden Bear?
“So excited. I’ve heard so many stories about how much fun it is. It’s cool swimming for the team as well as for yourself.”
How did you approach the national championships over the summer?
“I’ve been building to it. I went into nationals not expecting to make the (Pan Pacs) team. I just wanted to go in and see what happened. To be able to make that team means a lot to me. Since I was 4, I’ve wanted to be on a world-class level and to finally be able to do that was an accomplishment.”
How was your experience representing the United States at the Pan Pacs meet in Australia?
“Being at Pan Pacs was extraordinary. I was a little nervous and there was a bunch of veterans there to help me through it. I had the mentality to have fun and try not to get nervous. I’ve been nervous in the past and it hasn’t worked for me. I wanted to see how fast I could go and to bring home a medal for the U.S. was fantastic.”
When did you first get into swimming?
‘When I was younger, I was watching the Olympic Games in 2000 and I told my mom I want to do that. And my mom said, ‘Olympics? We’ll put you in swim lessons.’ From then on, I’ve been in the YMCA program, went on to club swimming, and now I’m here.”
When did you realize that you had potential in swimming?
“When I was younger, I had a fascination with the water. My parents saw it and my coaches saw it. I started working hard to see what I could do. This summer really solidified that for me.”
Do you have a favorite event?
“Over the past year, it’s changed. I was a sprinter, so I used to love the 100 freestyle. Then I changed to more of a distance orientation. I’d have to say the 400, right now, is my favorite.”
What goes through your mind when you’re in a distance free event?
“For every race, it’s kind of different. At Pan Pacs, when you’re feeling good, you get into it, see how fast you can go and how far you can push it. I take it lap by lap. If I start feeling fatigued, I start pushing myself to see what body can to. It’s kind of strategic thinking.”
