C172 PLT HAS A RWY EXCURSION AT RCZ.

Narrative

I HAD AN INCIDENT OF RUNNING OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND INTO A GRASSY AREA FOLLOWING A XWIND LNDG. THE RWY AT RCZ IS RWY 13/31; A 5000 FT X 1000 FT RWY. THE WIND WAS 030 DEGS AT 6 KTS WITH MILD GUSTS. I SET UP FOR A NORMAL XWIND LNDG ON RWY 13. MY AIRSPD ON FINAL WAS 65 KIAS. I TOUCHED DOWN 500-700 FT DOWN THE RWY AND NEAR THE CTRLINE. AS I ROLLED OUT; I LOWERED THE NOSE AND EXPERIENCED A VERY AGGRESSIVE NOSEWHEEL SHIMMY. IN REACTION TO THE SHIMMY; I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE TO TAKE THE WT OFF OF THE NOSEWHEEL. AS I DID THIS I LOST MY XWIND CORRECTION AND NOTICED AN UPWIND WING GAINING LIFT AS THE L MAIN TIRE WAS SLIGHTLY OFF THE GND. AS THIS HAPPENED THE PLANE QUICKLY TURNED L AND TOWARD THE EDGE OF THE RWY. LOOKING FORWARD I COULD SEE A FLAT GRASSY LAWN AREA BTWN THE RWY AND THE TXWY; SINCE MY SPD WAS BTWN ROUGHLY 35-45 KTS I DID NOT WANT TO ATTEMPT AN ABRUPT MANEUVER TO TRY AND CORRECT THE PLANE BACK TOWARD THE CTRLINE. MY DECISION WAS TO ROLL INTO THE GRASS WHERE I HELD THE NOSE HIGH AND TREATED IT LIKE A SOFT FIELD LNDG.