Oct. 16, 2012
For immediate release
Former UCSB standout deepens SRA’s Elite Team talent pool
Good runners often leave college uncertain what comes next, the path to success in their sport littered with challenging questions.
Where should they train? Who should they run with? How can they support themselves? What’s their true potential?
Danielle Domenichelli earned degrees in Biology and Art History from UC Santa Barbara. What’s she’s really focused on, though, is a career as an elite runner.
The former Oak Ridge High School standout has spent the last two years since her college graduation trying to find the right place to pursue her running passion.
She moved to Flagstaff, Ariz. for 13 months to join a training group. But that wasn’t the right fit, so she moved back to Santa Barbara to train under her Pete Dolan, her old college coach.
Now, she’s joined the Sacramento Running Association’s Elite Team, its financial support helping her compete in events that can push her to peak performances.
Domenichelli, 25, spends about eight months of the year in Santa Barbara, working as a volunteer distance coach for the Gauchos and training under Dolan. She’s back in El Dorado Hills for the other four months.
While she’s doing some part-time web work for a running company, Domenichelli made it clear running is her top priority.
“I want to work less and focus on running,” said Domenichelli, who admits the past few years have been a struggle running-wise.
“I actually was struggling for a little while … I haven’t raced as well as in college … This season’s just about getting back on track. The road races this fall, I want to perform well.”
Domenichelli’s off to a good start, winning the Golden Gate Park Open race in San Francisco on Sept. 23 and finishing 36th in the Tufts 10k for women, an event in Boston that serves as the national road racing championships.
Long term, she has her eyes on bigger prizes.
“I want to do track still,” she said. “Eventually, I want to make a World team. The Olympics would be great, too.”
Domenichelli’s college record suggests she has the potential. She’s a two-time All-American and five-time Big West Conference champion who finished seventh in the 10,000 meters at the 2010 NCAA Championships and placed 11th in the 5,000 at the 2008 NCAA Championships.
She owns personal bests of 33:19.43 (10,000) and 16:01.20 (5,000).
Domenichelli, who enjoys cooking and traveling, also wants to pursue a Master’s degree someday. But not until she sees where running takes her.
“I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to balance everything,” she said.
The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.
SRA events include the California International Marathon, which celebrates its 30th anniversary on Dec. 2. More than 8,800 runners and 900 relay teams have already registered for the race.
Other SRA events include the Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon on Oct. 28, The Super Bowl Sunday 10k Run on Feb. 3 and the Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run on April 7.
SRA beneficiaries include the American River Parkway, youth fitness programs, local running venues and aspiring young runners.