A Laid-Back Jog with Dylan Blankenbaker

Junior distance runner Dylan Blankenbaker is from the West Coast. One may find that to be trivial, but it is quite unique considering he is the only member of from the men's or women's cross country teams who is from California. In fact, hailing from the Golden State has had a significant impact on the way he approaches life. While he has family ties to the state of Oklahoma, the communications major still lives his life with a laid-back San Diego approach to which he is accustomed. A three-time Big 12 scorer in track, Blankenbaker is ready to carry that success into his first complete season on the cross country courses. He took a detour from his everyday life to share his story on becoming a runner, life on the Pacific Coast, and what he watches when he is "feeling American."

On how he began running competitively:

"I started in eighth grade really just because some friends asked me to do it. I also liked the coach because he was one of my teachers in middle school. I was playing baseball at the time and (cross country) was just something to do in the offseason. It was just a two- or three-day commitment each week so it was really easy. I ended up excelling at it through the end of the season. The coach convinced me to do track in the spring while playing baseball. I kind of just took off and excelled at running track at a really high rate. I thought where I was as a track athlete and where I was as a baseball player were just totally different. I had more ability to excel and improve in track than I did in baseball. I decided that I would not play baseball in high school and just do cross country and track."

On why he chose OU:

"When I finally realized that I could be good, I knew athletics would be my way to get to a good school. OU was ranked in the top 25 in cross country when I was looking and they had good athletes throughout the distances that I was interested in. It was a place that was really appealing to me when I was talking to the coaches. It already had a place in my heart because my family has always really liked OU. My uncle's a huge OU fan and my dad's a huge OU fan. My dad grew up in the Oklahoma Panhandle on the New Mexico border so it was always a place I loved. Being able to come here and run for OU is a big deal. This is a school that goes to national championships and competes. We're holding this team to the same standard. Our number one goal is get to nationals; that's something that this program has needed for the last three years. It's a place where we should be. We have to think we have a legitimate shot."

Blankenbaker competed at the Virginia Panorama Farms Invitational in Charlottesville on Sept. 26 to open his junior season with the Sooners.

On being the lone cross country member from California:

"It's interesting being from a totally different part of the country. When I first came here, most of the guys were from the Midwest, East Coast, or the South. We're not totally different in what we do or like to do, but nobody goes and hangs out at the beach and nobody can hang outside in December like I can. My first year it was really weird because I had never felt a muggy, hot rain nor have I just been drenched in sweat by walking outside for a minute. The atmosphere surrounding the college campus is totally different. In San Diego, we like the Padres and we like the Chargers. Even though we have San Diego State, and they're good, nobody really goes to the games. It's more of a professional team town. Truthfully, people aren't really into professional sports either. They're more into running, biking, and surfing. They're more active lifestyle kind of people. Coming here, where everything just shuts down on Saturday (for football), it was a huge culture shock. You can't walk outside without seeing someone wearing crimson and cream OU stuff. At home, nobody is walking around wearing SDSU, Padres, or Chargers stuff. They're just wearing normal clothes."

(Left) Dylan Blankenbaker bikes through San Diego alongside his father, Damon. (Right) Blankenbaker poses with his sister, Cassidy, who also attends Oklahoma.

On his laid-back lifestyle:

"When I'm here, I just like hanging out and relaxing because we're always on the go, putting a lot of stress on our bodies. One of my favorite things to do is hang out with my roommates and watch movies. I can be really intense at times, but a lot of the time I go with the flow and go about my day at my own speed. It really doesn't translate (into running competitively), but I really compartmentalize my life. When I'm at home, I may thinking about running a little bit, but I'm hanging out relaxing, doing some school work, and watching some TV."

On what he watches on Netflix and listens to on his iPod:

"I was feeling really American recently, so I watched American Sniper and the Mark Wahlberg movie, Lone Survivor. I also really like How I Met Your Mother, Parks and Recreation, and Breaking Bad. For music, I've always listened to a lot of country music and I like reggae. I really like Iration, Revolution, and Hours Eastly. Reggae's just relaxing. It is not something that pumps you up or brings you down -- it just keeps you even."

For more information on the OU Cross Country team go to SoonerSports.com.