Pacific Adds Karlie Garcia For 2014

Karlie Garcia, a freshman from Roseville, will transfer to Pacific in time for the 2014 outdoor track season, head coach Josh Jones announced Thursday. Garcia will join the Tigers from Ole Miss, where she spent her first collegiate semester as a member of the Rebels Cross Country team.

Garcia was named SEC Freshman of the Week following a third place overall finish at the 5K Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic. She finished with a time of 17:32.72 in the August event.

Before her time in Oxford, Miss., Garcia was a two-time Foot Locker All-American at Oakmont High School in Roseville, Calif. She placed fifth at the 2011 Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships, besting a 15th place finish in the 2009 event. Garcia was runner-up in the 2011 California Cross Country championship and finished fourth in the 2009 event. In addition, she set Oakmont school records in the 3,200 meter distance (10:40.99) as well as the 5K (17:09) during her time with the Vikings.

Coach Jones said of Garcia's addition to the Tigers, "Adding Karlie to the program gives us a huge boost as a team. She was one of the top runners in the state of California and we couldn't be more excited to have her be a part of the Pacific program. I believe she will help push our program to the next level of competition and our program will help her reach her goals as a runner."