Babcock signs letter of intent with Washington

One of the county’s greatest distance runners made official her decision to take her extraordinary talents to the Great Northwest.

Woodbridge senior Christine Babcock, the Register’s 2006-2007 girls athlete of the year, signed her letter of intent to attend the University of Washington, where she will compete in track and cross country, on Wednesday.

"I felt that Washington was the best situation for me, and my family supported my decision," Babcock said in a recent interview.

With her graceful strides and innate ability to separate herself from her competitors, Babcock has left an indelible mark on the county running scene, wracking up numerous titles, rewriting the record books, and challenging some of the top prep running times ever posted.

She is a two-time state champion in cross country, including a historic performance at this year’s state meet. Her time of 17:04 was not only the best time of the meet, it was the fastest time ever in Division II and the fifth fastest time ever at the state meet.

Her track and field accomplishments are just as noteworthy. Babcock enters her final season at Woodbridge as the two-time defending state champion in the 1600 meters. Her time of 4:38.85 at last year’s state championships in Sacramento was the second fastest time ever posted by a county runner, trailing only University’s Polly Plummer 4:33.65 set in 1982. It was also the fifth fastest time ever posted by a prep runner in interscholastic competition.

Success wasn’t something that came naturally to Babcock. As a freshman in 2004, she ran a 19:56 and placed 79th at the state meet, something she looked upon as a wake-up call.

"That year was interesting because I had never run before," Woodbridge said. "Since then, every year has kind of built upon itself in terms of working hard and training."

Warriors coach George Varvas, who has coached Babcock from the first day she started running at Woodbridge, underscored the importance of Babcock’s intellectual development as the key factor in her maturation from an average runner to an elite one.

"The thing that made the biggest difference with Christine is her mental toughness," Varvas said. "When she first came on to the scene, she didn’t have the confidence she does now, but it was apparent that she was quite a competitor."

Babcock acknowledged that the 2005 Orange County Championships was a big moment in her running career. Despite finishing second to former Corona del Mar star Anne St. Geme, her ability to stay with St. Geme for the majority of the race gave Babcock a glimpse of what was to come.

"I thought she was out of my league at the time," recalled Babcock.

Nearly eight months later, Babcock showed that she too was a force to be reckoned with, storming past St. Geme to win the first of her four state championships.

Yet despite numerous accolades and increased media attention, Babcock has remained grounded and says that success has not changed the person she strives to be.

"It’s something that I don’t pay much attention to," she said of the media and fan attention. "I just try to handle everything with humility."

According to Varvas, it is that same humility and willingness to accept instruction that has made the mentoring process that much easier for him.

"The neat thing is that Christine trusts me and knows that I will be there for her," he said. "She knows that I believe in her totally and is willing to trust the things that we talk about."

Babcock will be joining a Washington program that finished eighth nationally this past season.

"I’m hoping that I can make a difference there and make the team better," she said. "I know that it may be hard, but it will be a good experience for me."

Contact the writer: jeichelberger@ocregister.com