MICHAEL STRICKLER/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA senior distance runner Beth Hoge won the individual competition at the ASU Invitational last weekend with a time of 18:20.5. Hoge's win was the Wildcat women's team's first of the season.

Beth Hoge of the UA cross-country team not only ran to the title at last weekend's ASU Invitational, she sprinted her way to the top of the Athlete of the Week polling, charting the first cross country winner of the year for the women's team. The 23-year-old nutritional sciences senior took individual honors along with the team trophy with a time of 18:20.5 in the 5,000-meter course. Hoge sat down with the Wildcat to talk about her passion for running, her impressive math skills and who she thinks is the cutest guy on the football team.

Wildcat: You're from Bismark, North Dakota. What is the best thing to do there?

Hoge: It's pretty cold, the complete opposite of here. When I'd go running, I'd have to wear like six shirts and three pairs of pants. I don't know if I want to go back after I'm finished here.

Wildcat: Some people would consider running a form of exercise instead of a recreation. What do you see it as?

Hoge: I couldn't see myself not doing it in college. It is a stress relief for me. School is one thing and then you go to practice and you let all that stress off.

Wildcat: I sometimes see Chris Rogers and Hassan Adams playing pick-up games in the Rec. Do you ever find yourself just going for a jog outside of practice?

Hoge: Well, it's the same kind of thing as before. If you're stressed out with a test and just go for a run, it's relaxing.

Wildcat: OK, here's a math question I want to see if you can do. If you ran 5,000 meters, how many miles would that be?

Hoge: (with no hesitation) 3.1.

Wildcat: Good job, good job. What is the worst part of the race for you?

Hoge: The middle, because when you see the end you know it's coming and you want to finish.

Wildcat: What do you consider the most demanding sport on campus?

Hoge: I always thought swimming. I have some friends that are swimmers and I used to live with a swimmer and just the workouts they have to do is tough, but I think each sport has its own degree of difficulty.

Wildcat: Who do you think is the cutest football player?

Hoge: I'll have to say Chris Harris.

Wildcat: Is he one of your buddies?

Hoge: Yeah, he's one of my friends.

Wildcat: He'll like that. How circulated are you in the so-called athletic fraternity?

Hoge: Well, during season my priorities are running.

Wildcat: But offseason you'll go out to the athletic parties and stuff?

Hoge: Oh yeah.

Wildcat: What is your favorite movie?

Hoge: "Napoleon Dynamite." A couple of my teammates and I have seen it a couple of times.

Wildcat: Can you outrun your two brothers?

Hoge: Probably one of them. He plays football and stuff so he's athletic.

Wildcat: Are you more successful in your running than your dad was in his wrestling when he went to Dickinson State University?

Hoge: I don't know. He made it to the Olympics, but he didn't go because of financial issues. So not yet, but hopefully, I'll be there.

Wildcat: Ok, you are the first Athlete of the Week to try this. Instead of word association you get to initiate "This or That."

Wildcat: Beer bongs or vodka shots?

Hoge: Vodka shots.

Wildcat: Dirtbags or Trident?

Hoge: I've never been to Dirtbags so I have to say Trident.

Wildcat: McDonald's or Subway?

Hoge: Subway.

Wildcat: Slow dancing or freak dancing?

Hoge: Slow dancing.

Wildcat: A night with Colin Farrell or a week with Will Farrell?

Hoge: A night with Colin Farrell.