Liza Pasciuto

Position:
Distance
Height:
5-4
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Murrieta, Calif.
High School:
Murrieta Valley

PERSONAL BESTS

Indoors

Mile: 4:47.45 (2006)

3,000-Meters: 9:16.36 (2006)

Outdoors

800-Meter: 2:15/05 (2006)

1,500-Meter: 4:25.91 (2006)

5,000-Meter: 16:18.36 (2006)

BIG 12 SCORING

2005 (I) 3,000-Meter Run, 8^th (9:42.11)

2006 (I) Mile Run, 2^nd (4:47.45)

2006 (I) 3,000-Meter Run, 5^th (9:35.32)

2006 (O) 1,500-Meter Run, 4^th (4:25.91)

2006 (O) 5,000-Meter Run, 5^th (16:47.41)

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SCORING

2006 (I) 3,000-Meter Run, 7^th (9:21.10)

HONORS

2006 NCAA Indoor 3,000-Meter All-American

2007 OUTLOOK: Liza is a big talent and a big meet competitor. I've (Wetmore) pushed her too hard though and she's had some disappointing interruptions. When we figure it out, she'll be one of the best runners in the country.

2006: Pasciuto added the mile to her events during the indoor season. She placed second at the Big 12 Championships with a pr of 4:47.45 in her debut. Pasciuto recorded a pair of national provisional qualifying marks in the 3k. She took first at the UW Invite with a time of 9:18.53. Pasciuto improved on that time and recorded another first-place finish at the Don Barrett Invite with a mark of 9:16.36. She earned her first All-America track honor by placing seventh in the nation (9:21.10). Pasciuto also took fifth at the Big 12 Championship. During the outdoor season, she competed in the 800, 1,500 and 5k. Pasciuto took first in her only race in the 800 at the Colorado Invitational. She recorded a time of 2:15.05. Pasciuto registered three regional qualifying marks in the 1,500. Her best time came at the Big 12 Championship. She took fourth overall with a pr of 4:25.91. Pasciuto earned one regional qualifying mark in the 5k, coming at the Stanford Invite (16:18.36). At the league championships, she took fifth (16:47.41). During the regionals, she placed third (16:56.61) and earned a spot at nationals. Pasciuto took 15^th overall in the prelims at NCAA’s (16:24.52).

2005: Pasciuto ran the 3,000-meter race twice for the Buffs during the indoor season. She took first at the Air Force Classic with at time of 10:40.02 and finished eighth at the Big 12 Indoors with personal record setting time of 9:42.11.

CROSS COUNTRY: The top freshman in 2004 was CU’s No. 5 runner through the regular season as well as the Big 12 Championships where she was the top true freshman finisher at 10^th, and NCAA Mountain Region qualifier (11^th overall). She was the surprise of the 2004 NCAA Championships, scoring as CU’s second runner and 13^th overall for her first All-American title. In 2005, Pasciuto competed in all three postseason races, finishing in the top ten in each race. She retained her All-American title with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championship, finished second at the NCAA Mountain Regional Championship and sixth at the Big 12 Championship. Pasciuto continued to add to her honors as she became a three-time All-Big 12, All-Region and All-American in 2006. She was CU’s No. 2 the whole season. She placed fifth at Big 12’s, eighth at regionals and was 16^th at nationals.

HIGH SCHOOL: A former 1986 National Pool Soccer Player, Pasciuto would run as part of her soccer training, then dropped soccer and started running competitively her freshman year of high school. A four-year letterwinner in cross country and track (800-3,200-m) for Murrieta Valley head coach Steve Chavez, Pasciuto was the All-Southwestern League MVP her freshman through senior seasons in cross country and in the 1,600 her freshman through junior season and 3,200-m as a freshman and sophomore. She was an all-state performer in the fall all four years at Murrieta Valley and all state on the track (1,600) as a junior. The Nighthawks were the 2002 CIF Southern Section and state champions before settling for runner-up distinction in ’03. She finished her high school career as the school record holder in the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meter distances on the track, and the 3-mile and 5k for the cross country team. As a freshman, she finished sixth at the FootLocker Regionals in Walnut, Calif. and matched that finish for All-American distinction at FootLocker Nationals. She didn’t finish the regional race as a sophomore due to injury, finished 22^nd as a junior and returned to the national spotlight last fall when she returned to the FootLocker nationals in San Diego. She was also a first-team all-league forward in soccer as a freshman. Pasciuto was also recruited by UCLA, Washington, Arizona State and Columbia and took unofficial visits to Stanford and Cal.

ACADEMICS: An honor roll student at Murrieta Valley, Pasciuto is a marketing major at Colorado.

PERSONAL: Elizabeth Anne Pasciuto was born August 8, 1986 in San Pedro, Calif. She is the daughter of Anthony (who played football at San Diego State) and Christina Pasciuto of Murrieta. Her sister Danielle is a senior at San Diego State and her younger brother, Andrew, is a high school sophomore at Murrieta Valley. Her hobbies include playing soccer and spending time with the family’s three whippets.