Blair Knows Importance of Helping Team, Others

Jamie Blair’s determination could be seen as she flew past one runner after another at the Big West Conference cross-country championships last week.

“I kept thinking that I wasn’t going to get a chance to redo this,” said Blair, a fifth-year senior for UC Irvine. “I knew I had to pass as many people as I could and finish as high as I could.”

This was not personal glory in motion. The goal Blair had in mind was broader. Her third-place finish helped the Anteaters win their first conference championship since 1995.

Her performance was hardly surprising. Blair is a top runner for the Anteaters and has a history of excelling in big meets. Her time may come again Saturday, when Irvine competes in the NCAA Western Regional in Portland.

The top two teams automatically qualify for the NCAA championships on Nov. 22 in Bloomington, Ind. Other teams may be given at-large berths into the 31-team field.

It will be a race in which character matters. There is no doubt Blair is well-trained in that area--and not just as a runner.

She was reared by parents whose concern for others was paramount. David Blair is a social worker in Colorado and instilled those beliefs in his daughter.

“I was brought up believing you have to help people,” Blair said. “Relationships with other people are important. When you get involved and help someone, it is very rewarding.”

Ask Blair which project is important to her and running for Irvine finishes a distant second.

She is working to follow in her father’s footsteps as a social worker. She began graduate school this year and also works at the Olive Crest Home for Abused Children in Santa Ana.

Blair works with children two to five who have been removed from their homes. This is not for everyone, but hits at the heart of Blair’s life.

“I look back on my childhood and I have a lot of happy memories,” Blair said. “These kids won’t have that. Maybe I can help make their daily harshness more pleasant. We provide stability and accountability. We make them feel safe.”

Blair’s qualities were immediately apparent to Irvine Coach Vince O’Boyle.

“There are those kids that you just like right away,” O’Boyle said. “It’s impossible not to like them. That is what I got from my initial meeting with Jamie.”

Blair is reluctant to talk much about her work at Olive Crest. Her chief concern is confidentiality.

She has no problem, though, in making a connection between her work and running.

“I’m going to complain about running a few miles?” Blair said. “It does touch every part of my life. In competition, I’ve learned how to lose gracefully.”

Or is that run gracefully?

Her performance in the Big West race was her best, but not by much. Two years ago she finished sixth in the conference meet. As a sophomore, she finished 10th.

“She seems to find a way to run really, really well,” O’Boyle said. “You can always count on her to perform. There are not that many I can say that about.”

It’s no secret, Blair said, just a mystery.

“It’s not like there’s a switch I turn on,” Blair said. “If there was, I would do it all the time.”

COMEBACK HALTED

It was a big disappointment for Cal State Fullerton junior soccer player Art Ramirez.

Just when he had recovered from a bout with athletic-related asthma, Ramirez suffered a broken clavicle a week ago against Air Force when he collided with the opposing goalkeeper. The injury forced him to miss Sunday’s 2-1 loss against UCLA, and is expected to sideline him for any NCAA playoff games should Fullerton get an at-large bid.

“It’s really unfortunate because I was looking forward to the UCLA game,” Ramirez said. “I’ve always played well against them.”

Ramirez, who has six goals and 16 points, said he isn’t giving up on returning to the team if the Titans get an at-large bid.

“I’m going to ask to have the injury reevaluated in three weeks if the team is still in the tournament,” he said. “I just have to keep fit and hope for the best.”

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Staff writer Lon Eubanks contributed to this story.