Cross country is a mystery to most people. How long is a race? How many different events are there? How do these athletes motivate themselves to run . . . and run . . . and run? Are they crazy?

Sac State?s team has finished in third place or better three out of five times this season, and there are two major reasons for the Hornets? success.

Their names are Erik Mencarini and Melissa Madeson. Homegrown product Mencarini has lived in Sacramento his entire life, and he takes pride in wearing the Hornets? green and gold.

“I?m one of the only ones on the team that was born and raised here,” Mencarini said. “I like to have the Sacramento jersey on and I like representing Sac State the best I can every week.”

Mencarini attended Florin High school where he was named the school?s athlete of the year in 1997. The Sac State junior still holds the school record for the mile, the two-mile and the half-mile.

Last year he finished twelfth at the Big Sky Conference cross country finals and he considers that to be his best achievement so far.

In addition to cross country, Mencarini also runs the 5,000 meters for Sac State?s track and field team.

Madeson is a junior from Kelseyville, Calif. where she ran the mile and the two-mile for the track team in addition to cross country. As a high school junior, Madeson placed fifteenth at the state finals for cross country.

Last year at Sac State, she took home sixth place in the 10,000-meter track and field event at the Big Sky Conference finals. Madeson also competes in the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters for Sac State during track season.

But how does someone become a good long distance runner? For Madeson, it was a process of elimination.

“In high school, I couldn?t really play any other sports so I just started running,” Madeson said. “Kelseyville is a pretty small town and I was the best in my high school, so it just sort of took off from there.”

Mencarini?s ability in cross country was a surprise in the beginning, even to himself. “At first, I started playing football and basketball. Then I ran the mile in P.E. and I ran pretty fast. It started as something to do after school,” Mencarini said.

But all the talent Madeson and Mencarini and their teammates possess, isn?t enough to deliver the recognition that should accompany the team?s success.

Cross country is not the high-publicity sport that football or baseball or basketball is. The runners understand that they have to be in it for the competition, not the glory.

“I?m really biased because I love the sport. Everybody wants their sport to be popular,” Madeson said. “The better we do as a team, and the better we do as individuals, I think people will become more interested in the sport and support it more.”

Mencarini said he enjoys the competitive nature of cross country as well as the physical benefits associated with running.

“I like running because I think it is the hardest sport on campus,” Mencarini said. “I like the feeling you have after you?re done. Not everyone can run ten miles a day. I think it can be really exciting . . . I like cross country more than I like running track.”

Madeson also appreciates the positive effects running has and that those effects are what keep her motivated.

“People say, ?you?ve got to be crazy to go out and run that much?,” Madeson said. “It?s addictive, actually. It just gets easier the more you train.”

The impact of coach Joe Neff?s two best athletes on the rest of the team is clear. Madeson has recorded three second place finishes, been named Big Sky Conference runner of the week twice, and has led a talented group of women who have finished lower than seventh place only once this year.

Madeson said that she likes to keep things simple when preparing for meets. “In different races you?re going to have different strategies depending on who?s in the race and how hard the course is,” Madeson said. “Basically, you want to get out fast and just hold on.”

Mencarini also won the award as the conference?s top runner for his first-place finish at the Sept. 9 meet in San Francisco.

The men?s team boasts strong runners in Craig Farley, Jake Mills, and Dustin Diaz, who have consistently pushed Mencarini to finish well. Farley finished ahead of Mencarini at the Stanford Invitational last month.

But one example of Mencarini?s importance to the team would be what happened at the Aztec Invitational in San Diego. Mencarini did not compete in the meet, and despite a valiant effort from Farley and company, the Hornets finished in 12th place. Another example was the Stanford meet, where Mencarini fell to 83rd and the team took home 17th place.

Madeson and Mencarini?s value is not lost on head coach Joe Neff. “We are in one of the toughest long distance conferences in the nation, and we have two of the best athletes in that conference,” Neff said.