Sunny skies on a warm fall day just do something for Ryan Reed.

One year after suffering through a disappointing, snow-slowed national championship cross country race in Spokane, the 1997 South Whidbey graduate got the perfect day for the perfect race. Competing in the NCAA Division III cross country nationals on Nov. 17, Reed earned himself All American honors for the second time inside a year by placing 10th in the fastest, toughest race of the year.

Running on a golf course in Rock Island, Ill., in 70-degree weather, Reed was in his element.

“I don’t run very well in the cold,” he said.

The race was Reed’s last in a five-year cross country running career at Pacific Lutheran University. After red-shirting his freshman year in cross country and track due to injuries, the 22-year-old former Falcon was at his best at this year’s national meet. On an 8-kilometer course, Reed dashed to a 24:34 finish time. Though he was only 18 seconds behind the race winner, the top-10 finishers were all running so fast it was almost impossible to close the few meters between them in the home stretch.

Reed said his finish placing did not surprise him. Having placed second at his college’s Northwest Conference meet and second at the regional Division III qualifier, he figured he had a shot at All-American.

“I knew I was in the running,” he said.

But to make the top 10, Reed had to overcome a slow start. In 35th place at the mile mark, Reed didn’t make much progress until three and-a-half miles into the race. At that point, his competitors started to fall off the pace. Using the heat and humidity of the day to his advantage, Reed passed more than 15 runners in the final mile of the race to earn his honors.

A state competitor in both cross country and track while at South Whidbey High School, Reed said higher training miles in college have made him a faster runner. Although he still racks up fewer miles than many college runners, he said the 60 miles a week he logged while in Norway over the summer got his final collegiate cross country season started on the right track.

For the remainder of the year, Reed will focus on track and field. After placing eighth and winning All-American honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase last year, he said he hopes to win the event at the 2002 nationals.