STANFORD, Calif. – Jessica Riden, a member of the track and field staffs at Washington and Penn State over the past nine years, joins Stanford track and field/cross country as the program’s Director of Operations.
Riden, a former Penn State distance runner, will serve as meet director for the competitions the Cardinal hosts, and will coordinate travel and manage the day-to-day aspects of running the track and field operation.
She will be vital to putting on the Stanford Invitational meets in cross country and track, and the prestigious Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, which stands alone as the nation’s top distance-running track carnival.
Riden’s interest in Stanford goes back to her college coach Beth Alford-Sullivan (now at Tennessee), who Riden worked for at Penn State. Alford-Sullivan coached at Stanford for five seasons in the late 1990’s and brought many ideas to Penn State that Riden incorporated.
“Stanford has been a program I’ve been following and have admired throughout my entire career,” Riden said.
“Stanford is really the gold standard in college athletics, and I’m so honored to have the opportunity to be a part of such an outstanding athletic department and university. Stanford was really the first department to introduce the Director of Operations role in track and field, so it’s a true honor to follow a lot of really outstanding people who have held and developed the position into what it is today – both at Stanford and throughout the country.”
Riden follows Joe Wagstaffe, who held the position since Chris Miltenberg was named Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field in 2012, before accepting a position at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. “Riden and Miltenberg got to know each other through the years when Miltenberg’s teams at Stanford and previously at Georgetown, competed at many meets Riden directed.
“I’ve always known him to be a very driven coach who gets the most out of his athletes,” she said. “It’s easy to see his passion and vision for the program, and the energy from Coach Miltenberg and his staff is contagious.”
Of Stanford’s home meets, the Stanford Cross Country Invitational involves 3,500 runners in a single day, the Stanford Track and Field Invitational involves 3,300 athletes competing over 29 hours of competition covering two days. And the Payton Jordan meet is a high-octane event contested by those seeking personal records, national and international qualifying marks and even national records.
“A meet like Payton Jordan is absolutely vital to the track and field community because of its national and international reach,” Riden said. “There are very few occasions that you’re able to see as many athletes achieve international standards as you do at Payton Jordan. I am certainly thrilled to be a part of it, especially in an Olympic year.”
With nine years as a track and field Director of Operations, Riden brings a veteran eye to Stanford, and some great ideas in meet presentation.
“Track and field meets are a three-ring circus in a lot of ways, so you need to be as prepared as possible, but ready for anything,” Riden said. “As a meet director, it’s really about the relationships with the coaches, officials, and meet management staff. If you’re able to be confident in what you’re doing, coaches will trust your judgment on things, and officials will know you’re doing all you can to give them the chance to do their jobs as well as possible. In the end, we’re all doing this to give the athletes the absolute best opportunity to compete.”
Heath upsets Farah, wins Great Edinburgh again
Garrett Heath’s first win at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country race in Scotland two years ago came as something of a shock. He surprised his opponents again one year later when he successfully defended his title, yet few would have put money on him beating double world champion Mo Farah and winning for a third time on Saturday.
But that is exactly what the U.S. distance runner did at Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park, handing Farah his first cross-country defeat since 2010 in what was the double Olympic champion’s first race of 2016.
In the last race of the day, and after a heavy shower of rain half an hour earlier, the course for the men’s 8K event was choppy and muddy. Understandably, the race got off to a cautious start.
They each had their moments at the front on the last lap, but Heath ’08 was the only one who was able to pull clear. He opened up a few meters on Farah leading into the final uphill section. By the time they had negotiated the muddy hill, Heath’s lead had doubled. With the finish line in sight, both Heath and Farah unleashed their finishing kicks, but the Briton was unable to make a dent on Heath’s lead.
Heath crossed the line in 25:29, two seconds ahead of Farah. Faubl was third in 25:38, while Hawkins and Millington rounded out the top five.
“I didn’t expect to win again,” Heath said. “Mo is such a great runner, I wanted to be up there running with him. I kept waiting for Mo to kick past me in the home stretch, because I could hear people shouting.”
Farah, who will soon head off for a training stint in Ethiopia, was gracious in defeat. “It’s early in the season,” he said. “I never want to lose a race, but it’s better to lose now than later in the year. Garrett Heath is a great athlete.”
Seven former Cardinal qualify for marathon trials
Chris Derrick ‘12, a contender for a U.S. Olympic berth in the 10,000 meters, qualified for the Olympic trials in the marathon and is leaning toward competing in the race, Feb. 13 in Los Angeles.
Derrick, a three-time U.S. cross country champion, never has run a marathon, but qualified by finishing third in the Jacksonville Bank Half Marathon in 1:03:41 on Jan. 4. In his debut at that distance, Derrick achieved the U.S. ‘B’ standard of 1:05:00.
Other Stanford men who have qualified for the marathon trials are: Brett Gotcher ‘06, Brendan Gregg ‘11, Ryan Hall ‘05, and Jacob Riley ‘11.
Stanford women to qualify are: Stephanie Marcy Dinius ‘11, Sara Bei Hall ‘05, and Teresa McWalters ’07.
Stefanidi earns Top-10 world ranking
Greek women’s pole vaulter Ekaterini Stefanidi ’12 earned a No. 6 world ranking for 2015 by Track & Field News, which will release its full annual U.S. and world rankings in its February issue.
It was the second consecutive world top-10 ranking for Stefanidi , who was No. 4 in 2015. Stefanidi was 15th overall at the World Championships, but already had built a strong season that included a Greek national indoor record and a silver medal at the European Indoor Championships.
Stefanidi won NCAA indoor and outdoor championships in 2012 and was a three-time Pac-12 outdoor champion. She continues to hold Stanford records indoors and outdoors.
Card opens indoor season
The Stanford men’s and women’s track and field teams open their seasons Saturday at the UW Indoor Preview at the Dempsey Indoor facility on the University of Washington campus. The meet lasts from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. The meet will be streamed live by Flotrack.
A complete preview will be posted on GoStanford.com later this week.
Riden, a former Penn State distance runner, will serve as meet director for the competitions the Cardinal hosts, and will coordinate travel and manage the day-to-day aspects of running the track and field operation.
She will be vital to putting on the Stanford Invitational meets in cross country and track, and the prestigious Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, which stands alone as the nation’s top distance-running track carnival.
Riden’s interest in Stanford goes back to her college coach Beth Alford-Sullivan (now at Tennessee), who Riden worked for at Penn State. Alford-Sullivan coached at Stanford for five seasons in the late 1990’s and brought many ideas to Penn State that Riden incorporated.
“Stanford has been a program I’ve been following and have admired throughout my entire career,” Riden said.
“Stanford is really the gold standard in college athletics, and I’m so honored to have the opportunity to be a part of such an outstanding athletic department and university. Stanford was really the first department to introduce the Director of Operations role in track and field, so it’s a true honor to follow a lot of really outstanding people who have held and developed the position into what it is today – both at Stanford and throughout the country.”
Riden follows Joe Wagstaffe, who held the position since Chris Miltenberg was named Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field in 2012, before accepting a position at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. “Riden and Miltenberg got to know each other through the years when Miltenberg’s teams at Stanford and previously at Georgetown, competed at many meets Riden directed.
“I’ve always known him to be a very driven coach who gets the most out of his athletes,” she said. “It’s easy to see his passion and vision for the program, and the energy from Coach Miltenberg and his staff is contagious.”
Of Stanford’s home meets, the Stanford Cross Country Invitational involves 3,500 runners in a single day, the Stanford Track and Field Invitational involves 3,300 athletes competing over 29 hours of competition covering two days. And the Payton Jordan meet is a high-octane event contested by those seeking personal records, national and international qualifying marks and even national records.
“A meet like Payton Jordan is absolutely vital to the track and field community because of its national and international reach,” Riden said. “There are very few occasions that you’re able to see as many athletes achieve international standards as you do at Payton Jordan. I am certainly thrilled to be a part of it, especially in an Olympic year.”
With nine years as a track and field Director of Operations, Riden brings a veteran eye to Stanford, and some great ideas in meet presentation.
“Track and field meets are a three-ring circus in a lot of ways, so you need to be as prepared as possible, but ready for anything,” Riden said. “As a meet director, it’s really about the relationships with the coaches, officials, and meet management staff. If you’re able to be confident in what you’re doing, coaches will trust your judgment on things, and officials will know you’re doing all you can to give them the chance to do their jobs as well as possible. In the end, we’re all doing this to give the athletes the absolute best opportunity to compete.”
* * *
Heath upsets Farah, wins Great Edinburgh again
Garrett Heath’s first win at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country race in Scotland two years ago came as something of a shock. He surprised his opponents again one year later when he successfully defended his title, yet few would have put money on him beating double world champion Mo Farah and winning for a third time on Saturday.
But that is exactly what the U.S. distance runner did at Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park, handing Farah his first cross-country defeat since 2010 in what was the double Olympic champion’s first race of 2016.
In the last race of the day, and after a heavy shower of rain half an hour earlier, the course for the men’s 8K event was choppy and muddy. Understandably, the race got off to a cautious start.
They each had their moments at the front on the last lap, but Heath ’08 was the only one who was able to pull clear. He opened up a few meters on Farah leading into the final uphill section. By the time they had negotiated the muddy hill, Heath’s lead had doubled. With the finish line in sight, both Heath and Farah unleashed their finishing kicks, but the Briton was unable to make a dent on Heath’s lead.
Heath crossed the line in 25:29, two seconds ahead of Farah. Faubl was third in 25:38, while Hawkins and Millington rounded out the top five.
“I didn’t expect to win again,” Heath said. “Mo is such a great runner, I wanted to be up there running with him. I kept waiting for Mo to kick past me in the home stretch, because I could hear people shouting.”
Farah, who will soon head off for a training stint in Ethiopia, was gracious in defeat. “It’s early in the season,” he said. “I never want to lose a race, but it’s better to lose now than later in the year. Garrett Heath is a great athlete.”
* * *
Seven former Cardinal qualify for marathon trials
Chris Derrick ‘12, a contender for a U.S. Olympic berth in the 10,000 meters, qualified for the Olympic trials in the marathon and is leaning toward competing in the race, Feb. 13 in Los Angeles.
Derrick, a three-time U.S. cross country champion, never has run a marathon, but qualified by finishing third in the Jacksonville Bank Half Marathon in 1:03:41 on Jan. 4. In his debut at that distance, Derrick achieved the U.S. ‘B’ standard of 1:05:00.
Other Stanford men who have qualified for the marathon trials are: Brett Gotcher ‘06, Brendan Gregg ‘11, Ryan Hall ‘05, and Jacob Riley ‘11.
Stanford women to qualify are: Stephanie Marcy Dinius ‘11, Sara Bei Hall ‘05, and Teresa McWalters ’07.
* * *
Stefanidi earns Top-10 world ranking
Greek women’s pole vaulter Ekaterini Stefanidi ’12 earned a No. 6 world ranking for 2015 by Track & Field News, which will release its full annual U.S. and world rankings in its February issue.
It was the second consecutive world top-10 ranking for Stefanidi , who was No. 4 in 2015. Stefanidi was 15th overall at the World Championships, but already had built a strong season that included a Greek national indoor record and a silver medal at the European Indoor Championships.
Stefanidi won NCAA indoor and outdoor championships in 2012 and was a three-time Pac-12 outdoor champion. She continues to hold Stanford records indoors and outdoors.
* * *
Card opens indoor season
The Stanford men’s and women’s track and field teams open their seasons Saturday at the UW Indoor Preview at the Dempsey Indoor facility on the University of Washington campus. The meet lasts from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. The meet will be streamed live by Flotrack.
A complete preview will be posted on GoStanford.com later this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment