2014 Season Preview
Table of Contents Georgia State This Is Georgia State........................................................ 28-29 Location.................................................................... Atlanta, Ga. Founded.................................................................... 1913 Enrollment.............................................................. 32,000 Nickname............................................................Panthers Colors.......................................................Blue and White Affiliation..................................................NCAA Division I Conference......................................Sun Belt Conference Phone.......................................................(404) 413-4000 Website............................. www.GeorgiaStateSports.com President Mark P. Becker...................................................... 26 Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb....................................... 27 Athletics Staff........................................................................ 42 Senior Woman Administrator....................... Jamie Boggs Faculty Representative..............................George Pierce Campus............................................................................. 30-31 University Housing........................................................... 32-33 Atlanta............................................................................... 34-35 Strength & Conditioning/Sports Medicine..................... 36-37 Student-Athlete Development.............................................. 38 Community Servicee............................................................. 39 Sun Belt Conference............................................................. 40 Athletic Facilities/Master Plan.............................................. 41 Home Course..................................Nash Farm Battlefield Location......................................................Hampton, Ga.
History & Records HIS Program History.................................................................... 49 First Year of Women’s Cross Country................................. 1976 Conference Titles.......................................................... 11 Individual Conference Champions................................ 19 All-Conference Runners............................................. 121 All-Regional Runners.................................................... 20 NCAA Championship Representatives........................... 9 All-Americans.................................................................. 1 All-Time Head Coaches............................................................. All-Time Women’s Roster..................................................... 52 Women’s All-Conference...................................................... 53 Conference Awards and Honors.......................................... 54 Conference Championships................................................. 55 NCAA Regional and National Meets.................................... 56 Year-by-Year Results........................................................ 57-58 Team Photo............................................................................ 58
2014 RUNNERS Name Class Hannah Stefanoff Sr. Niamh Kearney Sr. Stella Christoforou Sr. Mackenzie Nail So. Carina Nieto Jr. Sarah Bearden Fr. Nuria Ramirez Fr. Jordan Townsley Fr. Melanie Hamilt Fr.
Hometown Page Grandview Hghts, Ohio........14-15 Greystones, Ireland..............16-17 Limassol, Cyprus, Greece....18-19 Fayetteville, Ga....................20-21 Dalton, Ga.................................22 LaGrange, Ga...........................23 Palma, Spain ............................23 Miamisburg, Ohio......................24 Peachtree City, Ga....................24
2014 Preview 2014 Preview............................................................................ 3 Letterwinners Returning............................................................ 4 Newcomers............................................................................... 5
Cross Country Staff - TEAM Head Coach Chris England................................................. 8-9 Years at GSU............................................................... 5th Alma Mater..............................................Ohio State (‘97) Support Staff.......................................................................... 25 Academic Advisor..................................Jessica Summey Athletic Trainer..........................................Kasinda Hodge Athletic Trainer...............................................Erin Murphy Strength and Conditioning.......................... Devin Vernick Sports Information...................................... Charlie Taylor Team Roster and Photo........................................................ 13
2013 Year In Review Year in Review.................................................................. 44-45 Women’s Sun Belt Finish........................................ 4th/10 Women’s NCAA Regional Finish.......................... 20th/27 Individual Results............................................................. 46-47 History Facts.............................................................................. Sun Belt Runners of the Year......................................... 1 Sun Belt Coach of the Year............................................. 1 Sun Belt Runners of the Week........................................ 5 All-Sun Belt..................................................................... 4 All-Region....................................................................... 1 Individual Victories.......................................................... 5 Team Victories................................................................ 4
Senior Leaders
2014 Preview
n The women’s cross country team will seek to earn another Sun Belt title with a veteran team with three seniors. The trio includes (left to right): Stella Christoforou, Hannah Stefanoff and Niamh Kearney. Coach Chris England’s team will run five regular season meets, leading up to the Sun Belt Championship on Nov. 2 in Mobile, Ala.
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
Veteran Team Will Seek Another Sun Belt Title Georgia State appears to have enough talent to once again challenge for the Sun Belt Conference championship. Training methods designed to be in position to win it come November have been in the team’s mindset during the offseason, so with good health, a second title in three years isn’t a far-fetched goal. “With our history of a recent championship still fresh in the minds of some of our runners, the bar remains at that level,” fifth-year head coach Chris England said. “With the veteran senior runners to lead the charge, they are hungry and looking for another championship before their graduation. Realistically, with a strong class of likeminded newcomers, the Sun Belt title is within our reach.” Three of the Panthers’ top five runners will be seniors who are all capable of earning all-conference honors, or even winning the individual title November in Mobile, Ala.
championship race,” England pointed out. “Each year, she has gotten stronger and faster, while having a strong desire to help the team win a title. She is a consummate team-first worker and leader.” Stefannoff was third at last year’s Sun Belt Championship as a junior and was fifth as a sophomore. “I strongly believe she can win the individual title, but that’s not why she runs. She’s all about the team first and getting herself and everyone else prepared,” English said . On race day and championship starting time, Hannah is always ready to put her best foot forward.”
A trio of seniors will make Georgia State a contender for another championship.
“Working to maintain our health and strength has always been a coaching philosophy I embrace, so we are looking at November’s title meet as the focus more so than the early-season meets,” England added. Preparation and practices have a purpose and are part of the overall plan with England’s philosophy. “Success is built on routine,” he firmly believes. “As mundane as practices can be, nothing sets a team up for success better than championship practice standards. What we do daily mimics what we will do during the season’s competition. We provide the team with challenging venues and different styles to train.”
The RUNNERS
“Niamh Kearney is a multi-time all-conference track runner and a second-team all-cross country performer with a seventh-place finish, so she comes to work ready to achieve,” England said “Coming from Ireland, heat and hills are not her favorite parts of running, but she still finds a way to succeed in cross country. While being a specialist in the mile and setting records, flat courses are more favorable to her attributes. The championship course at South Alabama could be to her liking in November.” “We were fortunate to add Stella Christoforou to the team this offseason,” England noted. “She brings a successful and deep running resume from three years in the SEC at Georgia, following a successful record-setting prep career as a Greek national record holder. Her one year in the master’s program at Georgia State will boost the team’s morale, expectations and level of competition. Like Kearney, Christoforou is a strong track runner and that flat track at South Alabama could be perfect for her style. She should really push the other two returning seniors and challenge them all season in practices and meets.”
The team will have three seniors and a sophomore returning, mixed with three recruits and a pair of walk-on runners.
GSU returns one sophomore letterwinner who counted in all the meets as a freshman.
“Hannah Stefanoff is the conference’s top returner, based on last year’s
“After her freshman season’s learning adjustments, Mackenzie Nail should prove to be a year stronger, faster and wiser and thus, more success
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
4
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 Season Preview
2014 PANTHERS
ul,” coach England said. “She’s become a motivational leader and her strengths should keep her in a key scoring role picking up the fourth- or fifth-place points.” A trio of newcomers come from Spain, Ohio and Georgia to add depth and competition for scoring to the 2014 team. “These three freshmen are raw in talent and perhaps naïve about college competition, but we think they’re ready to add depth to this year’s squad,” England noted. “They should push one another to improve and the entire team will benefit from their previous successes. We saw their potential when we recruited them, so now we’ll see how quickly that impact can be felt.” Nuria Ramirez comes from Palma, Spain, where she was a first-team runner at the National Cross Country Junior Championship. Ramirez had also been a high finisher in the steeplechase in Spain’s national track competition as well. Sarah Bearden had a stellar running prep career at LaGrange High School, about 60 miles south of Atlanta. Bearden was sixth at the state cross country championship and had a pair of fourth-place finishes in the state track championship in the 3,200m and 1,600m races. Jordan Townsley excelled as an all-conference and state-qualifier in cross country in Ohio. From the Dayton area, she set the school record in the 1,600m run and competed in the 3,200m event too.
SCHEDULE Georgia State will travel to five states to compete this season, including on Nov. 2 at the Sun Belt Championship race in Mobile, Ala. The season starts the first weekend of school on Friday, Aug. 29 in the mountains of North Carolina with the Western Carolina Invitational. GSU won’t have a home meet this season because the historic site of Panther home meets is being used for Civil War 150th anniversary events. “It’s disappointing to miss out on the annual GSU Invitational, but we’ll just be more excited for next year’s race, as well as hosting the 2015 Sun Belt Championship there,” England added. “We always focus on preparing to be running our best in November for the conference and regional meets, so that is the foremost priority with the season’s schedule,” England said. “This year, the preparation into November’s Sun Belt meet is about the flat and fast terrain at the USS Battleship Alabama Memorial Park in Mobile,” he added. “It is quite different from last year’s hilly terrain at Troy, so we will gear our preparation around that fact. In addition, the NCAA Region course in Tallahassee, Fla. is a flat-terrain course.”
The GSU Invitational
T
he 150th anniversary of a Civil War battle will not allow this meet to be held in 2014, but it will return in 2015 to Nash Farm Battlefield. On Sept. 20, 2013, Georgia State played host to the 38th installment of the Georgia State Invitational, which was first established by Panther head coach Bruce LaBudde back in 1973. Since 2010, the GSU Invite has been held at Nash Farm Battlefield in Hampton, Ga., just 30 miles south of GSU’s campus in Atlanta. The historic site was the location of a Civil War battle. Learn more about the site by visiting www.henrycountybattlefield.com. The presentation of awards always follows immediately after the race. The meet’s top teams and individuals will be recognized. In the three years that the meet has been held at Nash Farm Battlefield, the women’s race has been won by a Georgia State runner. In 2012, Katharine Showalter took the individual title on the Panthers’ home course, marking one of the five races on the year that the senior won en route to earning the Sun Belt championship and a berth into the NCAA Championship. In addition to the GSU Invite, Georgia State also hosted the 2011 CAA Championships at Nash Farm Battlefield. The Panthers used the home field advantage to take third place on the women’s side and fourth place on the men’s side.
Cross country season ends on Saturday, Nov. 22 with the NCAA Championship in Terre Haute, Ind.
2014 Meet Schedule Date Race Fri., Aug. 29 at Western Carolina Invitational Fri., Sept. 5 at Chattanooga Invitational Sat., Sept. 20 at Winthrop Invitational Sat., Oct. 4 at JSU Foothills Invitational Fri., Oct. 17 at Crimson Classic Sun., Nov. 2 at Sun Belt Championship Fri., Nov. 14 at NCAA South Regional Sat., Nov. 22 at NCAA National Championship
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
Location Cullowhee, N.C. Chattanooga, Tenn. Rock Hill, S.C. Oxford, Ala. Tuscaloosa, Ala. Mobile, Ala. Talahassee, Fla. Terre Haute, Ind.
5
Course Western Carolina Campus Moccasin Bend Park Winthrop Campus Oxford Lake Harry Prichett Running Park USS Battleship Alabama Mem. Park Apalachee Regional Park Wabash Valley Sports Center
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2013 Underclassmen
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
Underclassmen n The women’s cross country team returns two underclassmen and welcomes four freshmen. This group includes sophomore Mackenzie Nail, the four freshmen Melanie Hamilt, Jordan Townsley, Sarah Bearden and Nuria Ramirez, junior Carina Nieto.
2014 Preview 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
6
www.Georgiastatesports.com
Coach England n A former All-American at Ohio State, Chris England returns for his fifth year in charge of the GSU cross country team after winning the Sun Belt Championship in 2013. As of 2011, he also serves as the head track and field coach for GSU. The eighth cross country coach in the 50 years of the program, England is actually the second Coach England; Kenneth England started GSU cross country in 1964.
Coaching Staff
Head Coach
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
Bio in Brief
Chris England
Name: Christopher England Head Cross Country/Track and Field Coach Fifth Year at Georgia State Birthdate: Feb. 8, 1974 Hometown: Springfield, Ohio Family: Chris and wife, Miriam, have a son, Ewan, and a daugher, Nola Education: • B.S. Physical Education (Ohio State, 1997) • M.S. Geography (Murray State, 2009) Coaching Experience: • Head Cross Country Coach — Georgia State (2011-present) • Head Track & Field Coach — Georgia State (2012-present) • Head Cross Country Coach — Murray State (2007-10) • Assistant Cross Country and Track & Field Coach — Ohio State (1998-2000, 2006-07) • Volunteer Assistant Track & Field Coach — Boise State (1997-98) Honors • Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year (2012). Had the individual conference champion who later advanced to NCAA Championship meet. Athletic Experience: • 2006 USATF National Champion • Two-time NCAA All-American • Seven-time All-Big Ten Conference selection • Ohio State school-record holder in the outdoor 5,000 meters (13:43.42)
Head Coach Coach Head Fifth Season Fourth Season Ohio Ohio State, State,’97 1997
Entering his fifth season at Georgia State in 2014, Chris England serves as head coach for both the Panther cross country and track and field indoor and outdoor teams. He has brought consistency in competition, in the classroom and in the community to his teams. 2013-14 Review During the 2013-14 school year, English saw a secondplace finish from the outdoor track and field team at the Sun Belt Championships, a fourth-place finish at the SBC Meet from cross country and a fifth-place finish at the SBC event from the indoor track and field team. The 2014 outdoor track and field team had three studentathletes qualify for the NCAA East Preliminaries, three earn Sun Belt Runner-of-the-Week honors and four school set outdoor school records. The outdoor team had a conference champion and eight earn All-Sun Belt recognition by finishing in the top three. At the Sun Belt Championships, GSU’s 111 points included a dramatic 76 points on the final day of the three-day event. The 2014 indoor track and field team had eight studentathletes earn All-Sun Belt Conference honors with a pair of second-place finishes in the championship meet. The indoor team had a runner-of-the-week winner and set three school indoor records. The team rose from seventhplace to fifth-place at the Sun Belt Championship meet with 70 points. The 2013 cross country team was again ranked in the top 15 in the South Region and featured a pair of All-Sun Belt Conference runners. The team was one of the four ranked teams in the tough Sun Belt and finished fourth in the championship meet at Troy with top finishers in third and seventh place. Previous Years at Georgia State In 2012, England was the Sun Belt Coach of the Year after guiding the women’s cross country team to Sun Belt 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
8
www.Georgiastatesports.com
Head Coach championship in the team’s inaugural appearance in the conference. Top runner Katharine Showalter was the Sun Belt individual champion and became the fourth GSU runner to ever compete in the NCAA Championship meet. England came to Georgia State as head cross country coach in March 2010 after serving three seasons in the same role at Murray State. He was elevated to interim track and field coach during July 2011 and was promoted to the position permanently in 2012. In the first four seasons under his guidance, the Panther cross country teams have captured 13 conference runner of the week awards,eight All-CAA honors, one all-district distinction, the 2011 women’s CAA Rookie of the Year and the 2012 Sun Belt Runner of the Year.
2014 PANTHERS
Wyoming and Boise State Experience England previously worked at Wyoming as a graduate assistant in the athletics department, and then at Boise State, where he served as a volunteer assistant coach for the men’s and women’s track and field teams. Student-Athlete Experience While competing for the Buckeyes, England was a twotime All-American in 1997 in the indoor 5,000 and outdoor 10,000 meters and earned multiple All-Big Ten accolades. He still holds the Ohio State record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:43.42 and is second all-time in the 10,000 meters with a 29:01.29 and an indoor 5,000m of 13:58.94.
England revived the dormant GSU Cross Country Invitational in 2010 which is now held at Nash Farm Battlefield in Hampton, Ga. This was the same course where the Panthers hosted the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association Cross Country Championships.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Ohio State in 1997 and completed a master’s in geography at Murray State in 2009.
During his first season in charge of the track and field program, the women’s team took third place at the CAA meet, winning four individual titles and earning 11 All-CAA honors. The awards included Most Outstanding Track performer Tamara Moore, who finished first in both the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles.
After college, England ran professionally and trained fulltime for the Olympic Trials. As a professional runner, he was nationally ranked and competed in distances from the mile to the marathon in elite races all across the United States and around the world. In 2006, he won a USA Track & Field (USATF) national title.
Murray State Experience
He has earned USATF Level II and Level I coaching certifications.
England guided the Murray State women’s cross country program to second place at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships in 2008 and 2009 — the program’s highest finish in nearly two decades. England’s distance runners helped Murray State to third-place showings at both the indoor and outdoor conference track and field championships in 2009. In 2009, England coached the OVC Athlete of the Year for both indoor and outdoor track in Katelyn Jones (indoor) and Taylor Crawford (outdoor). Crawford was additionally honored as the top female athlete at the indoor and outdoor championship meets, and both runners qualified for the 2009 NCAA regional. Jones was previously named OVC Freshman of the Year for indoor track in 2008.
Professional Running Experience
Military Experience England served three years on active duty in the U.S. Army. During his military service, he competed on the All-Army cross country and track and field teams and was a member of the Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), representing the U.S. Armed Forces in competitions around the world. Personal A native of Springfield, Ohio, England and his wife Miriam have a son, Ewan, age 4, and a daugher, Nola, age 1.
Ohio State Experience Before his stint at Murray State, England served as an assistant to the head cross country coach at his alma mater, Ohio State. In addition to working with numerous Big Ten champions and Olympic hopefuls, he served as meet manager for the Jesse Owens Classic and director for the Ohio State Cross Country Camp.
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
9
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 PANTHERS
Sarah Bearden
Stella Christoforou
Melanie Hamilt
Niamh Kearney
Mackenzie Nail
Carina Nieto
Nuria Ramirez
Hannah Stefanoff
Jordan Townsley
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
Front Runners
Meet The Runners 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
12
n Seniors Hannah Stefanoff, Niamh Kearney and trasnfer Stella Christoforou will be the driving force in the goal for a conference championship. Stefanoff finished third last year in the Sun Belt Championships, while Kearney raced home in seventh place. Christoforou comes from three years at Georgia to finish her final year of eligibility while working on her master’s. www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 Roster Name Sarah Bearden Stella Christoforou Melanie Hamilt Niamh Kearney Mackenzie Nail Carina Nieto Nuria Ramirez Hannah Stefanoff Jordan Townsley
Class Fr. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. Fr.
Height 5-6 5-8 5-7 5-8 5-5 5-1 5-7 5-7 5-4
2014 PANTHERS
Hometown LaGrange, Ga. Limassol, Cyprus, Greece Peachtree City, Ga. Greystones, Ireland Fayetteville, Ga. Dalton, Ga. Palma, Spain Grandview Heights, Ohio Miamisburg, Ohio
Previous Schools LaGrange Georgia/Pascal English School McIntosh Loreto Abbey Dalkey Whitewater West Georgia/Dalton IES CTEIB Grandview Heights Miamisburg
Front Row (l-r): Niamh Kearney, Hannah Stefanoff, Stella Christoforou, Nuria Ramirez, head coach Chris England. Back Row: Melanie Hamilt, Carina Nieto, Jordan Townsley, Sarah Beardon, Mackenzie Nail
Roster Breakdown
Team Facts • Three of the runners are seniors to give the team experienced leadership. • Niamh Kearney hails from the nation of Ireland, Stella Christoforou comes from Cypress, Greece and Nuria Ramirez joins GSU from Palma, Spain • Two of the runners hail from Coach England’s home state of Ohio. Pro-nun-see-a-shun Guide Christoforou................................................Kris-toff-or-oh Niamh Kearney......................................... NEEV KAR-nee Nuria Ramirez................................ NURRea Ruh-meer-ez Stefanoff........................................................ STEFF-an-off
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
By Class
Seniors (3) Stella Christoforou Niamh Kearney Hannah Stefanoff Junior (1) Carina Nieto Sophomore (1) Mackenzie Nail Freshman (4) Sarah Bearden Melanie Hamilt Nuria Ramirez Jordan Townsley
13
By STATE/COUNTRY
Georgia (4) Mackenzie Nail (Whitewater) Carina Nieto (Dalton) Sarah Beardon (LaGrange) Melanie Hamilt (McIntosh) Ohio (2) Hannah Stefanoff (Grandview Heights) Jordan Townsley (Miamisburg) Greece (1) Stella Christoforou (Limassol, Cypress) Ireland (1) Niamh Kearney (Greystones) Spain (1) Nuria Ramirez (Palma)
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 Profiles - Senior
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
Hannah Stefanoff Senior 5-7 Grandview Heights, Ohio Grandview Heights
Awards
2013 and 2012 All-Sun Belt first-team in cross country...2011 CAA co-Rookie of the Year...2011 All-CAA in Cross Country...Won five CAA Cross Country Runner-ofthe-Week awards during 2011, a single-season school record...Won two Sun Belt Runner-of-the-Week awards during the 2013 season (Sept. 16 and 23)
288 runers (24th among Division I) at Louisville Classic... Improved to 45th of 194 runners at NCAA South Regional. OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2013
Competed in the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m during the season...Finished eighth in the 10,000m at the Sun Belt Championship to score a point for the team...Also placed 12th in the 5K at the conference meet...Finished third in the 3,000m at the Samford Invite...Recorded four top-10 finishes in these events during the season...Named to the AD’s honor roll during the spring semester. INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2013
Competed in the mile, 3,000m and 5,000m for the Panthers...Placed eighth in the 3,000m at the Sun Belt Championship to score for GSU...Ran a season-best 3,000m time of 10:07.21 at the Samford Invite...Top time in the 5,000m came at the UAB Blazer Invite, where she ran 17:57.50 to
OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2014
Finished fourth at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships in both the 5,000m (17:41.98) and the 10,000m (36.47.18) as both times were personal-best clockings outdoors... The 36:47 was the third-best time in school history...Had a personal-best outdoor 17:10.06 in the 5,000m at the Florida Relays...Had personal best in the 1,500m with a 4:38.11 to win at USF and a personal best of 5:05.16 in the mile to finish fourth at Furman. INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2014
Finished fourth at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships in the 3,000m run with a personal-best time of 9:46.39 that was the second-fastest clocking in school history...Had a personal-best time in the 5,000m run at the Samford Invite with a time of 17:10.00 that marked the fourth-fastest time in school history...Was fifth at the Sun Belt Championships in the 5,000m in 17:11.77. CROSS COUNTRY 2013
Repeated as an All-Sun Belt first-team honoree by placing third at the Sun Belt meet at Troy in time of 18:00.5...Won two races this season: the 4K JSU/Struts Invitational and the Coach “O” Classic...Lowered her personal best times in the 4K (14:40.19 in GSU Invitational), 5K (17:46.38 in the Crimson Classic) and 6K (21:16.61 in the NCAA South Region)...Had five top-10 finishes...Solid 13th-place finish among 210 runners at Crimson Classic...Finished 12th among 210 runners at Furman Classic...Was 33rd among 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
14
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 Profiles - Senior finish second...Also a member of the distance medley relay team. CROSS COUNTRY 2012
Named to the All-Sun Belt first team after finishing fifth overall at the conference meet...Second finisher for the Sun Belt champion team...Time of 18:12.7 at the championship race was a 5K personal best...Recorded five top-10 finishes during the season, including third-place finishes at the GSU Invite, West Georgia Invite and Jaguar Invite...Closed the season with a 6K personal-best time of 21:18.3 at the NCAA South Region meet...Competed in all eight meets for the Panthers.
Prep Attended Grandview Heights High School in Grandview Heights, Ohio…Coached by Brian Schoch and Jon Wilhelm…Qualified for the state cross country meet all four years in high school…All-state first team in both track and cross country as sophomore, junior and senior years…Took third place in the 2010 state cross country championship meet after placing fifth in the 2009 meet…Finished fifth in the 2011 state track and field championship 3,200 meter race after finishing second in the same event the previous year…Helped Grandview Heights to consecutive district track and field championships in 2010 and 2011…Graduated in Spring 2011 with honors.
Outdoor Track and Field 2012
Came in seventh in the 1,500m in a time of 4:46.28 at the Southern Invitational...Finished fifth in the Georgia Intercollegiate 5,000m race with a time of 17:44.96...Ran 4:50.98 in the 1,500m at the UGA Relays...Won the 5,000m race at the Yellow Jacket Invite by running a PR of 17:40.50... At the Mississppi Open, ran a 4:45.22 in the 1,500m race... Fifth-place finisher in the invitational heat of the 5,000m at the War Eagle Invite, running 17:40.59...Finished fourth in the 5,000m at the CAA Championships to contribute five points to a third-place team finish by the women.
Personal
Hannah Patricia Stefanoff was born May 25, 1993 in Dayton, Ohio...Parents are James and Monica Stefanoff…Has an older brother, Adam, and two younger sisters: Emma and Olivia…Majoring in biological science...Team rep for Georgia State Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
Personal Records 4K 14:40.19 GSU Invitational 2013 5K 17:46.38 Crimson Classic 2013 6K 21:16.41 NCAA Regional 2013 Outdoor 1500m 4:38.11 USF 2014 Mile 5:05.16 Furman 2014 5000m 17:10.06 Florida Relays 2014 10000m 36:47.18 Sun Belt 2014 Indoor 3000m 9:46.39 Sun Belt 2014 5000m 17:10.00 Samford Invite 2014
Indoor Track and Field 2012
Finished eighth in the mile at the UAB Blazer Invite with a time of 5:22.70...Posted a time of 5:13.04 in the mile at the Birmingham Invitational...Placed eighth in the 3,000m at the Vulcan Invite with a time of 10:07.33...Finished sixth in the mile with a time of 5:24.46 at the Sewanee Invite. CROSS COUNTRY 2011
Named CAA co-Rookie of the Year and earned All-CAA honors...Panthers top finisher in every meet as a freshman...In her first collegiate meet, finished in sixth place at the UGA Invite with a time of 18:13.95...Following the UGA meet, was named the CAA Runnner of the Week for the week ending Sept. 7...Led the Panthers to a team victory at the Auburn Intive, again finishing sixth after running the 4K course in a time of 14:57.9...Won the GSU Invite with a 6K time of 22:23...Recorded a personal best 6K time of 22:13 at the Paul Short Run, finishing 104th overall to lead the team...Earned another individual title at the Jaguar Invitational, setting a 6K course record of 23:07.4...Won her third individual title of the season by running 18:49.91 at the Coach “O” Invite...Placed ninth at the CAA Championship with a time of 22:50...First GSU finisher at the NCAA South Region meet, came in 48th place overall with a personal best time of 22:00.8.
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
2014 PANTHERS
All-Conference Runner
15
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
2014 Profiles - Senior Niamh Kearney Senior 5-8 Greystones, Ireland Loreto Abbey Dalkey
tory...Best effort in the 800m came at the Samford Invite where she finished fourth with a time of 2:12.32...Recorded seven top-10 finishes in the two events...Named to the Dean’s List during the spring semester. INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2013
Excelled in the middle distance events for the Panthers, running in the 800m and mile...At the Sun Belt Championship, placed seventh in the mile and eighth in the 800m to score three points for GSU...Top qualifier in the 800m at the Sun Belt meet with a personal-best time of 2:15.34... Ran the anchor leg of the distance medley relay team that placed seventh at the conference championship...Ran a personal-best 5:03.35 in the mile at the Samford Invite... Won the 1,000m at the Orange and Purple Winter Classic in 2:58.16.
All-Conference Runner CAREER AWARDS AND HONORS
Earned All-Sun Belt five times: two times in Cross Country (2013 and 2012), two times in Outdoor Track (2014 and 2013) and one time in Indoor Track (2014)...Has earned AllSun Belt in last four league competitions...Named to GSU All-Academic team at 2014 athletics banquet for highest GPA on team. OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2014
Had the second-fastest 1,500m time in school history when she ran 4:26.64 at the Florida Relays, missing the school record by one second...Won the Yellow Jacket Invitational in the rain as her parents watched her run collegiately for the first time, posting a 4:32.26 in beating an Ohio State runner by a second...Won the 3,000m steeplechase at Troy in 10:32.02, the fourth fastest time in the school record book...Earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors by finishing third in 10:38.04. INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2014
Set the school record in the mile run when she clocked a 4:54.47 at the Southern Miss Cupid Classic on Valentine’s Day...Earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors by finishing second in the mile in 4:56.77...Had the team’s second-best time of the season in the 3,000m run with a 9:51.11 time to finish seventh at the Sun Belt Championship...The time was two seconds better than her time at the Samford Invitational (9:53.42). CROSS COUNTRY 2013
Earned All-Sun Belt second-team honors by finishing seventh at the championship meet at Troy with a time of 18:24.6...Lowered her personal-best times in the 4k (16:58.96) at the GSU Invitational and in the 5k (17:47.96) at the Crimson Classic at Alabama...Finished second on the team in seven races...Had four top-10 finishes on the year with a second-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-place finish over the season. OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2013
Finished third in the 1,500m and fifth in the 800m at the Sun Belt Championship to score 10 points for the team... Won the 1,500m at the War Eagle Invite with a PR time of 4:29.16, which is the fourth-fastest time in program his-
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
16
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 Profiles - Senior
2014 PANTHERS
meets in cross country, indoor and outdoor track…Finished first at the 2008 Irish U18 cross country meet and the AllNamed to the All-Sun Belt third team after placing 12th at Ireland U19 1,500 meter in 2009…Won the U18 National the conference meet...Third finisher for the Sun Belt cham- 1,500 meter steeplechase and took third in the U19 Napion team...Competed in all eight meets for the Panthers... tional 3,000 meters… Also played soccer in high school… Recorded three top-10 finishes during the season, including Her club soccer team won national championships in 2006, two fourth-place finishes at the GSU Invite and West Geor- 2007 and 2009…Played on the Irish Women’s U17 and gia Invite...Recorded a personal-best 5K time of 18:29.94 at U19 teams in the European Championship league. the West Georgia Invite...Concluded the season with a 6K personal best of 21:59.8 at the NCAA Regional. Personal CROSS COUNTRY 2012
Outdoor Track and Field 2012
Placed second in the 1,500m at the Southern Invitational with a time of 4:39.81...Took home another second-place finish in the 800m with a time of 2:14.46 at the Georgia Intercollegiate...Fourth-place finisher in the 1,500m in 4:38.58 in the UGA Relays...Placed ninth at the Yellow Jacket Invite 800m with a time of 2:17.19...Runner-up in the 1,500m (4:36.58) and placed seventh in the 800m (2:16.25) at the Mississippi Open...Sixth-place finisher in the War Eagle Invite 800m by running 2:14.48...Placed fifth in the 1,500m at the CAA Championships to contribute four points to a third-place team finish.
Niamh Kearney was born Dec.4, 1992 in Dublin, Ireland and lives along the Irish Sea in Greystones...Parents are Pat and Deirdre Kearney…Has an older brother Ronan… Majoring in nutrition.
Indoor Track and Field 2012
Ran a 3:03.44 to finish third in the 1,000m at the Clemson Winter Classic...Placed sixth in the 800m (2:15.68) and 11th in the mile (5:05.10) at the Vulcan Invite...Won the mile (5:13.28) and placed second in the 800m (2:20.37) at the Sewanee Invite. Cross Country 2011
Placed 37th overall at the GSU Invite, running the 6K course in a time of 24:50...Placed seventh overall in a team victory at the Jaguar Invite, with a time of 24:24.1...Placed 31st at the CAA Championship with a time of 23:43...Finished third on the team and 93rd overall at the NCAA South Regional meet in a personal best time of 22:51.4. Prep
Attended Loreto Abbey Dalkey High School in Dublin, Ireland…Coached by Ryan Montgomery and Theresa Kinane…School won national cross country titles in 2009 and 2010…Represented Ireland in junior international
Personal Records 4K 15:17.10 JSU/Struts 5K 17:47.96 Crimson Classic 6K 21:57.88 Furman Classic Outdoor 800m 2:12.32 Samford Invite 1500m 4:26.64 Florida Relays Steeple 10:32.02 Troy Indoor 800m 2:15.34 Sun Belt Mile 4:54.47 Cupid Classic 3000m 9:51.11 Sun Belt
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2014 2014
17
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 Profiles - Senior
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
Stella Christoforou Senior 5-8 Limassol, Cyrus, Greece Pascal English School
CAREER and HONORS
All American Indoor Track & FIeld (Distance Medley 2013)... All SEC 2010,2011,2012,2013 OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2014
Finished 15th in the steeplechase (11:13.68) at the SEC Championships...Had a season-best 1,500m time of 4:31.52 for 12th at the Drake Relays...Finished second at the War Eagle Invite in the 1,500.
of 2:12.83 at the Spec Towns Invite...Was the second finisher in the steeplechase (11:07.13) at the Georgia Relays.. Indoor Track and Field 2013
Clocked the eighth-fastest time in school history (4:50.42) to take fourth in the mile at the Kentucky Invitational... Finished seventh in the 800m with a time of 2:11.53 at the Mark Colligan Memorial...Was 23rd (4:53.14) in the mile at the Husky Classic...Finished with the eighth-fastest 800 in school history (2:09.93) during the prelims at the SEC Championships...Also combined with teammates to finish with the third-best distance medley relay time (11:35.42) in UGA history to take sixth at SECs. CROSS COUNTRY 2012
Took third overall with a time of 17:18.68 at the Georgia Invitational...Was 136th at the Greater Louisville Classic with a finish of 18:14.79...Battled for a 224th-place finish at the Wisconsin Invitational versus most of the nation’s best with a time of 21:33...Had a career-best finish of 54th (21:55.77) at the SEC Championships...Finished 76th at the NCAA South Regional.
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2014
Took sixth in the 3,000m run with a season-best time of 9:49.70 at the Auburn Invite...Won the mile at the Razorback Invite after crossing the finish line in 4:48.87... Also ran a leg on the second-place distance medley relay team in Arkansas with time of 11:39.68...Finished second in the 800m with a personal-best time of 2:10.30 at the Akron Invite...Set a personal best in the mile after taking fourth (4:48.26) at the Husky Classic...Finished seventh in the mile at the SEC Championships after completing her laps in a career best 4:44.46...Part of distance medley relay with an 11:25.25 for fifth place at SEC in record time...Part of distance medley relay that set a school record by taking fifth at the Alex Wilson Invite with an 11:03.27...Ran on the distance medley relay team at the NCAA Championships that finished 10th with a time of 11:12.49 (No. 2 in school history).. CROSS COUNTRY 2013
Took fifth to score at the 5k Georgia Cross Country Invitational with her time of 19:02.96...Scored at the 6k Wisconsin Invitational with a 22nd-place finish (21:58)...Finished 51st and was the third Lady Bulldog scorer at the SEC Championships with a time of 21:58.17...Scored for Georgia with a 51st-place finish (21:20.01) at the NCAA South Regional. Outdoor Track and Field 2013
Had a season-best time of 4:36.40 to win the 1,500m run at the War Eagle Invite...Finished third in the 800m with a time
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
18
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 Profiles - Senior OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2012
Joined with three teammates to record a time of 11:34.14 to take fifth in the distance medley relay at the Drake Relays... Earned runner-up honors in the steeplechase after clocking a time of 10:40.79 in first official try at the event...Finished fifth in the 800m (2:09.37) at the War Eagle Invite...Won the 800m at the Spec Towns Invite after completing two laps in a personal-best 2:09.28...Took fourth in the 1,500m at the Florida Relays...Was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after winning the 1,500m at the Georgia Intercollegiate Invitational with a time of 4:27.46.
111 competitors at the Furman Invitational...Finished 67th (23:02.56) at the SEC Championships during her first conference meet. Prep
Greeece national record holder in the 800m and 1,500m... Part of Cyprus national team at the youth and junior levels that captured two World Youth Championships, three European Championships and five national championships... Personal-best times of 2:07.41 (800), 4:26 (1,500) and 56.2 (400)...Named Best Athlete of the Year from 2008 to 2010 at Pascal...Won six high school national championships.
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2012
Joined teammates to take eighth in the DMR (11:57.09) at the SEC Indoor Championships...Also finished ninth in the 800m at the SEC meet after clocking a personal-best time of 2:10.40 in the prelims...Improved career-best time in the 800 (2:11.46) to take 24th at the Husky Classic...Finished fourth in the 800m at the Big 12 vs. SEC Challenge with the eighth-best time in school history (2:11.72)...Part of DMR team that finished second at the Big 12 vs. SEC meet after clocking an 11:35.38, which was No. 2 on the school alltime top-10 list...Made collegiate track debut and won the 800m at the Clemson Challenge with a time of 2:14.90.
2014 PANTHERS
Personal
Stella Christoforou was born March 2, 1992 in Limassol, Cyprus, Greece...Parents are Christos and Rodoula Christoforou…Has a younger sister, Evita…Earned bachelor’s degree at Georgia and is in master’s program in Sports Administration at Georgia State.
Cross Country 2011
Did not compete...Received medical redshirt. Outdoor and INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2011
Did not compete...Received medical redshirt. CROSS COUNTRY 2010
Made collegiate debut and took 16th at the 5K Georgia Cross Country Invitational with a time of 18:53.01...Took ninth (18:38.07) at the UGA-GT Dual Meet...Took 95th (18:30.44) at the Greater Louisville Classic...Led the Lady Bulldogs for the first time after taking fourth (18:34) out of
Personal Records 5K 17:18.68 Georgia Invitational 2012 6K 21:20.01 NCAA Regional 2013 Outdoor 800 2:09.37 War Eagle Invite 2011 1500 4:27.46 Georgia Intercollegiate 2011 Steeple 10:40.79 2011 Indoor 800 2:09.93 SEC Championships 2012 Mile 4:44.46 SEC Championships 2013 3000m 9:49.70 Auburn Invite 2013 Distance Medley (11:03.27) school record 2013
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
19
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
2014 Profiles - Sophomore Mackenzie Nail Sophomore 5-5 Fayetteville, Ga. Whitewater
Louisville Classic...In first Sun Belt Conference championship meet, finished 42nd of the 66 runners in 20:13.6. Prep
Standout cross country and track runner at Whitewater High School, which is south of Atlanta near Hartsfield-Jackson airport. As a senior, placed second at the state track championship in the 1,600m race and third in the 800m event. Also was the Fayette County cham-
OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 2014
First outdoor track and field season included running the middle distance races of 800m and 1,500m, while competing twice in the 3,000m steeplechase...Only 800m race was 2:28.51 at Auburn. Nail’s best of four runs in the 1,500m event was 4:50.37 at the Yellow Jacket Invitational...In the steeplechase, a 12:09.62 at Furman was her best. Indoor Track and Field 2014
Ran the 800m, the mile and with the distance medley relay during first collegiate indoor season...Best of three 800m races was a 2:21.79 at the Samford Invitational in Birmingham...Four mile races were paced by a 5:15.04 at the Emory Invitational, a 5:18.08 at the Southern Miss Invite and later finished 21st at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championship. CROSS COUNTRY 2013
Produced a pair of top-10 finishes in freshman season...Was seventh of 56 runners (23 Division I) and fourth on team at JSU/Struts Invite...Was eighth of 45 runners (31 Division I) and fourth on team at Coach “O” Classic. Freshman year collegiate best times were 15:35.97 in 4K (JSU/Struts), 19:00.20 in 5K (Crimson Classic) and 22:47.79 in 6k (Furman Classic)...Placed 47th of 210 runners at Furman and 122nd of 288 runners at
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
20
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 Profiles - Sophomore
2014 PANTHERS
pion in both events and won sectional meet in 800m and 1,600m. In cross country, selected as an All-Georgia pick and was named All-Metro Atlanta as one of top 20 runners in region...Atlanta Track Club selected her as its Woman of the Year award winner. Set school records in the 800m, 1,600m, 3,200m and 5k events under coaches Eric Trube and father Michael Nail...Earned all-state recognition in both cross country and track...Best 5k time was 18:21 with a 2:17 in the 800m and a 5:07 in the 1,600m event. Four-year cross country stint at Whitewater included helping team qualify for the state meet for four consecutive years, finishing fourth in 2009 and winning regional championship in 2010. Also competed with Peachtree City Flash Youth Team while developing running skills... Like many Atlanta runners, enjoys the July 4th Peachtree Road Race 10k. Team captain for both sports, earning eight letters at Whitewater, while maintaining a 3.9 GPA in the classroom to graduate with honors... Was in the National Honor Society, Beta Club, Spanish Honor Society, president of the Ambassadors, a section editor for the school yearbook and an active Fellowship of Christian Athletes participant. Personal
Personal Records
Caitlin Mackenzie Nail was born June 23, 1995 in Riverdale, Ga.
4K 15:35.97 JSU/Struts Invite 2013 5K 19:00.20 Crimson Classic 2013 6K 22:47.79 NCAA Regional 2013 Outdoor 800m 2:28.51 Auburn Invite 2014 1,500m 4:50.37 Yellow Jacket Invite 2014 Steeple 12:09.62 Furman Invitational 2014
Daughter of Michael and Candy Nail of Fayetteville, Ga.... Mackenzie has a younger brother, Parker, also a high school runner. Is an Early Childhood Education major with plans to focus on either kindergarten or elementary special education.
Indoor 800m 2:21.51 Mile 5:15.04
2014 team representative for Georgia State’s StudentAthlete Advisory Council.
Samford Invite Emory Invite
2014 2014
.
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
21
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
2014 Profiles - Junior Carina Nieto Junior 5-1 Dalton, Ga. West Georgia
CROSS COUNTRY/Track & FIELD 2013-14 Ran in six meets in first season at Georgia State, missing first three with injury...Best time in the 4K was 17:35.74 (GSU Invitational), with a best in the 5K of 20:51.1 (Sun Belt Championship) and a best in the 6K of 24:46.8 (NCAA South Region)...Was 15th of the 45 runners at the Coach “O” Classic at Troy...Was 134th of the 288 runners at the Louisville Classic, placing in top half of field...Competed in the mile run in five events and 3,200m run twice during track and field season, logging a best of 5:53.31 in the mile. CROSS COUNTRY 2011 Spent her first two seasons at West Georgia, a Division II member of the Gulf South Conference...As freshman, was West Georgia’s top runner from the opening race to the NCAA Regional in Tampa... Even ran against Georgia State in the GSU Invitational, finishing 30th in 25:05...Ran a 24:10 at the Regional where she led team to a ninth-place finish...An injury prevented her from running during sophomore season. PREP
At Dalton High in northwest Georgia, qualified for the state championship all four years in cross country....Finished in the top 20 in the state meet as a senior in 2010 and ninth in the regional championship race...Was All-Whifield County all four years, all-area for two seasons and Best of Preps two times. Chosen as the 2009 cross country runner of the year and named to the All-League Chattanooga team three times... Was a region champ in track in the 3,200 meters in 2011 and was school’s most valuable track runner three years... Had a best time of 11:48 in the 3,200m...Finished sixth at the state meet in the 3,200m and seventh in the 1,600 meters...Ran 5:26 in the 1,600m...Also played soccer as freshman in high school... Received Leadership Award for track and field as senior. 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
pERSONAL
Born in Acambaro, a city northwest of Mexico City in the southern portion of Mexico...Daughter of Rogelio and Maria Luisa Nieto and is youngest of five children...Born Aug.19, 1993..Speaks Spanish, German and English...Graduated with honors...Enjoys reading, writing, painting, dancing, fashion and art...Has aspiration of becoming an actress/ humanitarian...Community citizen, worked with Big Brothers and Big Sisters and San Joseph’s Catholic Church.
22
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 Profiles - Freshman
2014 PANTHERS
Sarah Bearden
Nuria Ramirez
Freshman 5-6 LaGrange, Ga. LaGrange
Freshman 5-7 Palma, Spain IES CTEIB
PREP
PREP
Set four school records in the 5k, 3,200m, 1,600m and 800m for coach Brad Wilson...Was Region 5, AAAA champion in cross country (2013), 3,200m (2013 and 2014) and 1,600m (2014).
Traveled 4,500 miles from her home in Spain to run for Georgia State cross country and track and field... Third international runner on team (Kearney from Ireland and Christoforou from Greece) this year.
Had a best time of 18:40 in cross country as senior... Clocked 11:35 for top 3,200m time and 5:20 for best 1,600m run...Was sixth in state cross country meet in 2012 and 11th in 2013...Finished third at state meet in 3,200m run...Drew recruiting interest from area schools like Troy, Georgia Southern, Mercer and West Georgia, along with Georgia State.
First-team honoree at Spain’s national cross country junior championship...Competed in track in multiple events, led by the 3,000m steeplechase (11:08)... Fourth at the junior national championship in 2014 in the steeplechase...Second at the nationals in the 1,500m steepchase in 2010 and 2011...Fourth at nationals in the 2,000m steeplechase in 2013...Ran the 5,000m, 1,500m and 800m events as well, clocking 4:41 in the 1,500m race...Team was the Club Athletisme Playas de Castellon.
Distinguished honor graduate and National Honor Society member. Personal
Born Sarah Grace Bearden on July 1, 1996 in Birmingham, Ala, but grew up in LaGrange, about 60 miles south of Atlanta. Parents are Ken and Cindi Bearden, with older sister, Jessica...Father has been a professional rodeo competitor, a professional bass fisherman and owns a landscape design business...Mother is associate professor of business and accountancy at LaGrange College...Intends to major in business and thinks a career as a Nike sales rep would be an ideal job. Enjoys photography, swimming and dancing.
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
Graduated from Institut d’Educacio Secundaria, Centre de Tecnificacio Esportiva de les Illes Balears (IES CTEIB). Personal
Born Nuria Ramirez Molina on Oct. 29, 1996 in Palma, Illes Balears, Spain...Palma is seaport city in western Mediterrean and Bay of Palma with population of 500,000 residents. Parents are Josep and Estrella...Father sells and collects antique books and mother is a yoga instructor... Has an older sister, Clara. Enjoys soccer, traveling and walks in the mountains ...Avid book reader.
23
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
2014 Profiles - Freshman Jordan Townsley
Melanie Hamilt
Freshman 5-2 Miamisburg, Ohio Miamisburg
Freshman 5-7 Peachtree City, Ga. McIntosh
Prep
Prep
Four-time regional qualifier (2010-13) and state qualifier in 2013 in cross country at Miamisburg High School in metropolitan Dayton, Ohio.
Competed in cross country and track and field in metro Atlanta at McIntosh High School.
Ran best time of 18:43 in cross country as a senior and 5:08 in 1,600m in track for coach Jennifer Schoenberger...Was Greater Western Ohio Conference (GWOC all-conference as senior and three-time GWOC South first team all-league...Team most valuable runner final three years.
A top-20 finisher in the state cross country meet... Clocked best 5k time of 18:48...Specialized in the 3,200m run and the 1,600m run during track season...Was fourth in the state in the 3,200m in 11:33.69, as well as region runner-up finisher... Clocked a best in the 1,600m run of 5:33.26...Team of coach Charles Buckle was fourth in state Class AAAAA cross country meet in 2012 and 2010.
Set school record in indoor 1,600m (5:17)...Set school records in outdoor track with 4x400m relay team (4:02), 4x800 (9:39) and 4x1,600 (22:59)...The 400 and 800 relay teams qualified for regional meet. Earned scholar-athlete award from U.S. Army Reserve, was National Honor Society member and graduated with honors (3.5 GPA or better)...Was Academic AllOhio pick at the Ohio cross country meet. In track, competed in 3,200m, 1,600m, 800m and with the 4x800 and 4x400 relay teams.
Like many local runners, has enjoyed several July 4th Peachree road races, clocking a 44:09 in the sea of runners in 2014...Has a best 10k time of 39:27. Honor roll student all four years, graduating with honors...In Beta Club and Spanish Honor Society... Played viola throughout middle and high school.
Recruited by hometown Dayton, Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky before signing NLI with GSU. Personal
Jordan Lynn Townsley was born May 7, 1996 in Kettering, Ohio, the largest suburb of Dayton. Daughter of Mark and Dana Townsley. Dad is a high school athletic director and mother is a first-grade teacher. Well aware of collegiate student-athlete life as father was wrestler at Miami (Ohio) and cousin (Kirsten Sweeney) was track and field runner at Tennessee.
Personal
Born June 14, 1995, Melanie Brooke Hamilt is native Atlantan, the daughter of Amy Hamilt...Grew up in Peachtree City, Ga., south of the Atlanta airport. Besides running, enjoys zumba and biking as favorite hobbies. Plans to major in biology at Georgia State.
Plans to study for a possible career as a physical therapist or radiologist at Georgia State. 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
24
www.Georgiastatesports.com
Support Staff
2014 PANTHERS
Media Information Sports COMMUNICATIONS Staff
Kasinda Hodge
Erin Murphy
Athletic Trainer
Athletic Trainer
Associate AD-Strategic Communications/P.R.................. Jerry Trickie Assistant AD (Cross Country Contact).......................... Charlie Taylor Assistant AD.................................................................Allison George Associate SID..................................................................Mike Holmes Graduate Assistant....................................................... Matt Arsenault Graduate Assistant............................................................ Will Owens Contact Information....................................................... Charlie Taylor Office Phone........................................................ (404) 413-4031 Cell Phone........................................................... (404) 556-2295 Fax...................................................................... (404) 413-4035 E-mail................................................................ctaylor@gsu.edu Mailing Address.....................................................P.O. Box 3975 ............................................................. Atlanta, GA. 30302-3975 Overnight Address........................ 125 Decatur Street, Suite 130 .......................................................................Atlanta, Ga. 30303
Online Visit www.GeorgiaStateSports.com for full coverage of Georgia State athletics. This site provides up-to-date rosters, schedules, student-athlete bios, season statistics and game recaps. Original photos and video content (PantherVision) also provide the Panther faithful with unprecedented access to GSU sports. Fans can also interact with the Panthers via social media by ‘Liking’ the Georgia State on Facebook and following on Twitter and Instragram. The Sun Belt Conference maintains its website and social media content all season long. Student-athletes are nominated for Runner of the Week and all championship meet information is available through their address of www.SunBeltSports.org.
Devin Vernick
Will Judson
Strength,Conditioning and Speed Coach
Academic Coordinator
Media Guide Credits The 2014 Georgia State Cross Country media guide is an official publication of the Georgia State Sports Communications Department. The guide was written, designed and edited by Charlie Taylor. The cover was designed by Amanda Shoff. Photographs provided courtesy of Randy Wilson, Jeff Hurndon, Donna Kennedy and the Sun Belt. Special thanks to the current Communications Office staff for their assistance and to all previous SIDs for their records, as well as the cross country staff.
Bryan Elliott
Sherik Hodge
Dir. of Facilities & Events Cross Country Course
Video Coordinator
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
25
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
MARK P. BECKER Since beginning his tenure as Georgia State University’s seventh president in January 2009, President Mark P. Becker has led the institution through a dynamic period of major growth and advancement. Under his leadership, the university adopted a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan aimed at making Georgia State one of the nation’s premier urban research universities. With a 10 percent increase in graduation rates in the last five years, Georgia State is achieving its vision of becoming a national model for undergraduate education by demonstrating that students of all backgrounds can succeed at high rates. The university has been recognized by the Education Trust for eliminating disparities in graduation rates based on race or ethnicity. Diverse Issues in Higher Education places Georgia State No. 1 in the nation among non-profit institutions in graduating African-American students and in the top 50 universities for graduating AsianAmericans. Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine lists Georgia State as a top 100 university for graduating Hispanics, making the university one of only two non-Florida universities in the Southeast to attain this achievement. During Becker’s tenure Georgia State has set a series of university records for retention and graduation rates, as well as for the retention of the Georgia Lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship. This progress has been achieved as enrollment has grown from about 28,000 to more than 32,000 students, and the number of applications to the university has steadily risen and now exceeds 13,000. Private scholarship funding has increased significantly, and the university has more than doubled the number of students receiving support in the last two years. Research funding is at an all-time high, increasing nearly 15 percent in the last year alone. Federally sponsored research now accounts for 62 percent of the university’s research portfolio, an important barometer of the university’s research success. This growth has been aided by the Second Century Initiative, a faculty hiring program that has led to the development of new 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
interdisciplinary research centers. Seeking to position Georgia State students and researchers to thrive in an increasingly complex and global landscape, Becker has worked with faculty leaders to enhance Georgia State’s international profile. The university is working in five countries in which it is focusing its university-wide efforts: Brazil, China, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey. Through its campus development, Georgia State is a major contributor to the revitalization of downtown Atlanta. Building on the work of former President Carl V. Patton, the university has expanded campus housing and dining, research and academic facilities. Georgia State enhanced its research capacity with the opening of the Parker H. “Pete” Petit Science Center in 2009 and is designing and building a second research building on the same site. The university enlarged its instructional capacity with a classroom expansion project completed in 2011. Student housing has almost doubled with the addition of Patton Hall, a Greek townhome complex, and the Piedmont North housing and dining complex. The opening of the $10 million football practice facility enabled Georgia State to introduce its football program in fall 2010. The purchase of 3.5 acres of land on the eastern edge of the campus has made it possible for the university to have its first intramural recreation fields on its downtown campus. The Sun Trust tower complex at 25 Park Place houses major units of the College of Arts and Sciences and the expanded university advising center. The university has a new front door for visitors with the opening last year of Centennial Hall at 100 Auburn Ave. The building houses Georgia State’s Welcome Center, university administration and the recently established Honors College. A new Law School building is nearing completion, and the university has acquired 55 Park Place, a high-rise building that will be the new home of the Robinson
26
College of Business and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Assuring that Georgia State is appropriately partnered in Atlanta and beyond, Becker serves on multiple civic, community and professional boards. Becker and his wife, Laura Voisinet, are significant contributors to the university. They are focusing their philanthropy primarily on scholarships for students but also support the university’s Library, the Rialto Center for the Arts and Georgia State’s Women’s Philanthropy Initiative. Prior to his appointment as president of Georgia State, Becker was executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina. Before assuming that role, Becker spent three years at the University of Minnesota as a biostatistics professor, dean of the School of Public Health and assistant vice president of Public Health, Preparedness and Emergency Response. From 1989 to 2000, Becker was a professor and associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. He also has held academic appointments at the University of Washington, the University of Florida and Cornell University. Becker earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Towson State University in 1980, and his doctor’s degree in statistics from the Pennsylvania State University in 1985. He is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Towson State and Penn State have recognized him with distinguished alumnus awards. Becker grew up in Havre de Grace, Md., near Baltimore. He and his wife have two adult children, Matthew and Julia. www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 PANTHERS
CHARLIE COBB WitH 16 YEARS COLLEGIATE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE, including the last nine years as the Director of Athletics at Appalachian State, Charlie Cobb will guide the rising Georgia State program at a crucial time. Georgia State University President Mark Becker ushered in a new era of Panther Athletics when he named veteran athletic administrator and “proven program builder” Charlie Cobb as Director of Athletics on Aug. 15, 2014. At Cobb’s introductory press conference, Becker noted the need for Georgia State to find a proven winner, someone who has built a winning program “the right way.” Becker said Cobb even took it a step further. “In fact, we got a bonus in this package. Not only is he a proven builder and proven winner with a track record of doing it in the right way, but he also has tremendous Atlanta roots,” Becker said. “He knows this community well, has worked in this city, knows what we are doing and the potential we have in this program.” The potential that Georgia State has shown was a significant draw for Cobb, and Becker saw a resume that was a perfect match to take the rising Panther Athletic Department to new levels. Since 2009, Georgia State has gone from not having a football program, to starting an FCS squad in 2010, to moving fulltime into the FBS and Sun Belt Conference in 2013 prior to Cobb’s arrival. Now, the next step awaits the Panthers, who won five conference titles in their first two years in the Sun Belt. With Cobb at the helm, they have set sights on growing their brand throughout Atlanta while becoming a perennial contender for the Bubas Cup, the league’s allsports trophy. Cobb came to Atlanta after spending nine years as Director of Athletics at Appalachian State. He prepared for the endeavor by serving seven years as a senior associate athletics director at NC State, his alma mater, and previously worked for six years in Atlanta. During those formative years, Cobb honed his business acumen with the At2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
lanta Sports Council, the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl and the Georgia Dome. It was at those stops that he was instrumental in bringing the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) football championship, and the SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) basketball championships to Atlanta. With his knowledge of Atlanta and experience in reshaping the image of a program, Cobb came to the Panthers at the perfect time with several significant athletic building projects on the horizon. High among the Panthers’ priorities are: a weight room and coaches offices at the football practice facility; a new basketball and volleyball practice facility; a dedicated academic performance center; and the University’s concept for taking over Turner Field to create a mixed-use area that also would house several Panther sports teams. Cobb has led successful programs by focusing on four pillars of his leadership philosophy: 1) relationships matter; 2) embrace the idea of achieving success; 3) be innovative; 4) create traditions. Those ideals helped him build and maintain a high-performing program at App State. The Mountaineers won three consecutive Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national championships, the first three-peat in the history, early in Cobb’s tenure. They also brought home eight consecutive Commissioner’s Cup championships (top men’s sports program in the Southern Conference) and four Germann Cup championships (top women’s program). Together, they earned the men’s and women’s awards in the same academic year four times, an unprecedented achievement in the conference.
27
Cobb helped create $50 million in facilities improvements in his nine years at App State, primarily behind the success of the Mountaineers’ fundraising efforts that reached all-time highs. Among the fundraising highlights was surpassing the $3 million mark for the first time in 2012-13. The jewel of the construction projects was the seven-story Appalachian Athletics Center, which includes new football offices and locker rooms, training facilities, study areas, club-level seating and 18 luxury suites. The fundraising campaign also produced new homes for Mountaineer baseball, softball and soccer, as well as a new indoor practice facility and renovations to the university’s Varsity Gym. The 46-year-old Cobb was a four-year letterwinner as a football player at NC State. A native of West Columbia, S.C., Cobb graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1990 and earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio in 1992. As a senior center, he was named to the All-ACC second team. He was an All-ACC academic selection and earned the Jim Tatum Award given to the ACC football senior with the highest grade-point average and the Bob Warren Memorial Award, given to a football player for integrity and sportsmanship. Cobb and his wife, Lindsay, have a son and daughter, 16-year-old Harrison and 13-year-old Branan. Lindsay Cobb was an All-ACC goalkeeper for the NC State women’s soccer team from 1988-90.
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY Georgia State University is an enterprising urban public research institution centered in the historic, cultural and financial hub of downtown Atlanta. The university provides more than 32,000 students with unsurpassed connections to the city’s business, government, non-profit and cultural organizations. Georgia State is dedicated to offering programs that cater to students’ educational needs, and the university provides a rich co-curricular experience with award-winning on-campus housing, hundreds of student organizations and one of the most diverse student bodies in the country. Students, faculty and alumni enjoy a unique campus personality and culture based on ambition, hard work and dedication.
One of only four public research universities in the state, Georgia State offers 100 fields of study with 250 graduate programs in its eight colleges and schools. Students can chose from dozens of nationally-ranked and recognized academic programs at the university, which provides the widest variety of field of study in Georgia. Georgia State is a national leader in graduating students from diverse backgrounds and has achieved national recognition for its commitment to its students’ successful progress toward graduation. Founded in 1913, Georgia State is the second-largest institution in the University System of Georgia with more than 32,000 students.
Schools and Colleges: Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions College of Arts and Sciences College of Education College of Law Honors College J. Mack Robinson College of Business School of Public Health
GEORGIA STATE
GEORGIA STATE CAMPUS Located in the heart of one of America’s great cities, the Georgia State University campus has a profound influence on the changing landscape of downtown Atlanta. While the building blocks of the university will always be high-achieving students, world-class faculty and groundbreaking research, Georgia State boasts an ever-expanding and improving campus to accommodate that foundation. In the last decade, the Rialto Theater restoration, Student Center, Student Recreation Center, University Lofts, University Commons, Helen M. Aderhold classroom building, Parker H. Petit Science Teaching and Research Center and many other buildings have transformed the downtown cityscape at Atlanta’s core. The university has a new front door for visitors with the opening last year of Centennial Hall at 100 Auburn Ave, and a new Law School building is nearing completion.
Georgia State is where city life meets campus life for a unique and exciting student experience. • Five residence halls housing over 4,000 students • More than 300 student organizations • Six campus dining locations • State-of-the-art Student Recreation Center
CAMPUS HOUSING Some of the finest housing facilities in the nation are on the Georgia State campus. On-campus housing continues to grow, and more than 4,000 GSU students now live on campus with a variety of options — traditional dorms, apartment-style or loft living. Georgia State’s nationally-recognized and award-winning on-campus housing provides students with opportunities to connect with the university community with educational, cultural, recreational and social programs. The University Commons, opened in 2007, is a 4.2-acre complex of four buildings surrounding a landscaped courtyard. All units come with fully-equipped kitchens, furnished bedrooms and spacious living areas. The fall of 2009 saw the opening of Patton Hall, which is suite-style for 325 residents and includes an on-site dining facility. In 2010, GSU opened its first Greek housing, which consists of nine fraternities and sororities housed in three-story townhomes. Opened in 2011, the Piedmont North Complex houses approximately 1,100 residents and offers a traditional residence hall lifestyle with all the amenities one would expect from a premier housing program, including a dining facility. The University Lofts, opened in 2002, contain fullyfurnished, loft-style apartments that blend urban style with modern features. All residence halls feature a full range of amenities including study and community lounge areas, laundry facilities, 24/7 security patrols, on-site or nearby parking and more.
UNIVERSITY COMMONS
NO. 1 IN THE NATION Georgia State University’s residence halls have been ranked No. 1 in the nation by Dormsplash.com.
UNIVERSITY LOFTS
PIEDMONT NORTH
PATTON HALL
GREEK HOUSING
ATLANTA Atlanta is integral to Georgia State’s educational experience. Students and faculty are part of a living laboratory where they study and create solutions for the challenges of the 21st century. The metropolitan Atlanta area is home to more than five million people and the world’s busiest airport. Atlanta is third in the nation and fourth in the world for Fortune 500 company headquarters, and attending school downtown provides students with unparalleled access to internships and jobs. There are approximately 125,000 Georgia State alumni the Atlanta area, giving students ample networking opportunities. Georgia State students also can take advantage of the university’s easy access to Atlanta’s rich creative environment, diversity of cultures and lifestyles, and wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME COMES TO ATLANTA The College Football Hall of Fame opened its doors on Aug. 23, 2014 in the heart of downtown Atlanta. The new location near the Georgia Dome and Centennial Park will showcase the Hall within an exciting, entertaining attraction just minutes from the Georgia State campus. The $66.5 million facility will top out at 94,256 square feet and will feature approximately 30,000 square feet of exhibit space, as well as a 45-yard indoor football field.
A DOWNTOWN ADVANTAGE
• Georgia Aquarium
Georgia State is in the middle of downtown Atlanta, making it a hub of activities, attractions, businesses and non-profits, all within walking distrance or a short ride from campus.
• Centennial Olympic Park • Georgia Dome • Philips Arena • Martin Luther King Jr. Center • National Center for Civil & Human Rights • CNN Center • State Capitol • Turner Field • World of Coca Cola • Fox Theatre • Carter Presidential Library • Zoo Atlanta • College Football Hall of Fame
GEORGIA STATE
SPEED, STRENGTH & CONDITIONING Georgia State’s Speed, Strength and Conditioning’s sevenmember staff works to help each Panther each and every studentathlete reach their full potential. The staff works year-round to provide necessary programs and training methods for each specific team. A new strength and conditioning facility for football is planned, to be added to the existing GSU Practice Complex.
2014-15 PANTHERS
SPORTS MEDICINE and NUTRITION GSU carries a 14-member Sports Medicine and Nutrition staff of certified athletic trainers to provide outstanding care to Georgia State student-athletes in the prevention or treatment of injuries. Georgia State student-athletes benefit from outstanding sports medicine facilities at all venues and care is provided year-round and, most often, seven-days-aweek in season.
GEORGIA STATE
STUDENT-ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT Georgia State Athletics is committed to providing educational, personal and community development that will enhance the quality of the student-athlete experience. Georgia State’s commitment to academic support and student-athlete development is paying dividends as the Panthers Georgia State’s commitement to academic support are enjoying unprecedented success in the classroom. Georgia State’s Student-Athlete Development department became just the second in the nation to be certified at the highest level by the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics. The Georgia State program has an 11-member academic support staff to take care of every student-athlete, with extra tutors or assitance available when needed.
SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM: • Panther athletic teams have combined for a cumulative department grade-point average of at least 3.0 for 12 consecutive semesters • The 3.06 cumulative grade-point average by all student-athletes in the spring of 2014 was the best semester GPA on record, and the second straight semester with at least a 3.05 • In the most recent release, Georgia State led all Sun Belt schools in Graduation Success Rate at 86 percent, above the national average of 81 percent • A total of 13 student-athletes across nine sports have earned academic All-America honors since 1989, including one who was the 2013 NCAA Elite 89 Award winner in men’s tennis
COMMUNITY OUTREACH Giving back to the community is an essential component of the Georgia State athletics program. Panther student-athletes, coaches and staff volunteer their time and talents to a wide range of programs and organizations, accumulating well over 5,000 volunteer hours per year. Each student-athlete is encouraged to participate with 15 hours of service time.
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
THE SUN BELT AND GSU
O
n July 1, 2012, the Georgia State Athletic Department officially became a member of the Sun Belt Conference and on July 1, 2013, all sports became eligible for championships in 14 leaguesponsored sports. Basketball joined the mix in November 2013 and competed in the Sun Belt tournament in March in New Orleans. In July 2104, GSU was granted full FBS status and complete bowl eligibity. The men’s team was a charter member in 1976; the women make their debut in 2013-14.
GSU’s move onto a national stage in all sports officially began on April 9, 2012. At a press conference inside the Georgia Dome, Sun Belt Conference officials joined Georgia State President Mark Becker at the public announcement of the Panthers’ impending conference move. A feasibility study begun in the fall of 2011 concluded the Panthers were well positioned to make the jump to the FBS level and that the Sun Belt would be an ideal fit. The rest has been history. The move now allows GSU to build on regional rivalries with several schools within driving distance, while also showcasing its talented teams to the country. It is a return home of sorts for Georgia State, which was a founding member of the Sun Belt Conference in 1976. At that time, the league consisted of six universities playing across four men’s sports – basketball, soccer, tennis and golf. Women’s sports did not compete in the Sun Belt or NCAA at that time. Today, the Sun Belt Conference sponsors 18 sports, including 14 that the Panthers will vie for conference titles. On the men’s side, GSU will compete in baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer and tennis, while women’s sports include basketball, golf, cross country, soccer, softball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and court volleyball. GSU has also announced plans to add women’s swimming and diving, another Sun Belt-sponsored sport.
T
Sun Belt TOURNAMENT IN NEW ORLEANS
he 2014-15 Sun Belt Tournament will be held at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans with both the women’s and men’s teams competing the same week of March 11-15.
The Panthers already own five Sun Belt Conference titles. Ten individual sports were accepted into the league for 2012-13, giving the women’s cross country and men’s tennis teams a leg up on collecting hardware. Each squad won the Sun Belt title and helped Georgia State finish ahead of two SBC schools in the 2012-13 Vic Bubas Cup standings (an all sports trophy) despite competing in only half of the league’s sports. In 2013-14, men’s golf and women’s tennis won the Sun Belt and earned NCAA bids, while men’s basketball went 17-1 in the Sun Belt and won the regular season championship.
Photo courtesy Frank Aymami 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
40
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 PANTHERS
ATHLETICS MASTER FACILITIES PLAN
A
n institution on the rise, Georgia State University has a tradition of progress that is reflected in its rising stature, growing campus and broadening influence. The Georgia State Athletics Master Facilities Plan is a blueprint for success and growth for GSU Athletics that will allow every Panther program to compete at the highest level. A new weight room for football and an academic learning center are already being planned in the near future.More potential growth exists if a Turner Field master plan for 2017 and beyond is approved through the city and county. A centerpiece of the Athletics Master Plan is the transformation of the GSU Sports Arena (left), the home of Panther basketball and volleyball as well as the athletics offices.
The Sand Volleyball Complex (far right), opened in 2013. The Master Plan also includes new venue for baseball (right)
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
41
www.Georgiastatesports.com
ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION
JAMIE BOGGS Executive Senior Associate AD - COO / SWA
GEORGE PIERCE Faculty Athletics Representative
ROB CLARK Senior Associate AD Development
BRAD HORTON Associate AD - StudentAthlete Development
BOB MURPHY Associate AD - Sports Medicine & Nutrition
JERRY TRICKIE Associate AD - Strategic Communications & P.R.
MISTY BROWN Assistant AD - Development & Special Events
ALLISON GEORGE Assistant AD Communications
MATT NEWHOUSE Assistant AD - Marketing
ERIK PAZ Assistant AD - Compliance
BEN POLLARD Assistant AD - Speed, Strength and Conditioning
AWILDA RAGLAND Assistant AD Human Resources
CHARLIE TAYLOR Assistant AD Communications
STEVE WOJCIKOWSKI Assistant AD - Facilities & Operations www.Georgiastatesports.com
2014 PANTHERS
All-Conference Pair n The 2013 season included a pair of Georgia State juniors finish in the top 10 at the Sun Belt Championships to earn all-conference honors. Hannah Stefanoff (above) finished third to earn first-team honors, giving her two consecutive years in the top five and on the All-Sun Belt first team. Niamh Kearney finished seventh in the championship race at Troy to place on the All-Sun Belt second team. The Panthers were ranked in the top 15 in the USTFCCCA NCAA South Region, with a highest of 14 and a final rank of No. 15.
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
2013 Year in Review No. 15 Region Rank 43
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
2013 Year In Review
2013: Region Ranking and Fourth-Place Sun Belt Finish Georgia State finished fourth at the Sun Belt Conference championship and compiled a final No. 15 USTFCCCA South Region ranking.
2013 Accolades Sun Belt Championship finish
The Panthers had a pair of junior runners, Hannah Stefanoff and Niamh Kearney, earn All-Sun Belt honors by finishing in the top 10 at the championship meet.
4th of 10 teams - Top 4 all ranked in Regional polls
All-Sun Belt (2)
With a pair of senior stalwarts and the pair of junior allconference runners, GSU moved as high as No. 14 in the USTFCCCA South Region rankings on Oct. 21. The Sun Belt was a challenging league with GSU being one of four schools to earn a regional ranking (Arkansas State, UT Arlington and Texas State).
First Team — Hannah Stefanoff (3rd) Second Team — Niamh Kearney (7th)
Sun Belt Runner of the Week (2) Hannah Stefanoff (Sept. 16 and Sept. 23)
INDIVIDUAL FIRST-PLACE FNISHES (2) Hannah Stefanoff (JSU Struts and Coach “O” Invitational)
Junior Hannah Stefanoff proved to be the leader of the pack, twice winning the Sun Belt Runner-of-the -Week award (Sept. 16 and 23). The junior from Ohio also finished first in a pair of races, winning the JSU Struts on Sept. 7 and the Coach “O” Invitational on Oct. 12 at Troy. Stefanoff was third in the Sun Belt championship meet, improving from her fifth-place finish as a sophomore. She lowered her personal-best time in the 5k to 17:46.30 in finishing 13th of the 210 runners at the Alabama Crimson Classic meet, following up on her 17:59.34 time in finishing 33rd of 288 runners at the Louisville Cardinal Classic. Stefanoff had four top-five finishes over the nine-meet season.
TEAM FIRST-PLACE FINISHES (2) JSU Struts Invitational and Coach “O” Invitational
ACADEMIC AWARD Highest GPA Award at Sun Belt championship banquet
38th GSU Invitational Finished third of seven teams behind regionally-ranked Auburn and Chattanooga
The team was first in the three-team JSU Struts Invitational to go with a pair of third-place finishes (seven-team GSU Invitational and seven-team Troy Invitational).
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
44
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2013 Year In Review In the lone home meet of the season on Sept. 20, Coach Chris England’s Panthers played host to the 38th annual GSU Invitational at Nash Farm Park Battlefield. On the 85-degree day, Auburn finished first, with UT Chattanooga and Georgia State second and third, respectively. Stefanoff was fourth of the 73 runners to pace the Panthers. The Sun Belt Championship race took place on Nov. 2 at Troy with Arkansas State claiming the title. Following Stefanoff’s third-place effort and earning All-Sun Belt honors was fellow junior Niamh Kearney, who finished seventh overall of the 71 runners. Senior Anna Sinclair just
2014 PANTHERS
missed all-conference honors by finishing 16th, a four-spot improvement from her previous season. Senior Jennifer Rubel’s final conference ended with a 24th-place finish. In the NCAA South Region championship race, GSU was 20th of the 27 teams. Stefanoff improved from 50th to 45th among the 194 runners in the 6k race. Rubel was 105th, Kearney 119th and Sinclair 125th. In the classroom, the Panthers won the Sun Belt highest team academic award at the championship banquet and earned GSU’s highest fall sport GPA with a 3.65 average.
Junior Niamh Kearney (second from right) finished seventh to earn All-Sun Belt Conference second team honors.
Team Schedule and Results Date Race Location Distance Team Score - Finish Order Friday, Aug. 30 at Troy Invitational Troy, Ala. 2K 85— 5, 8, 21, 23, 28 Saturday, Sept. 7 at JSU/Struts Invitational Oxford, Ala. 4K 27 — 1, 4, 6, 7, 9 (12, 19) Saturday, Sept. 14 at Furman Classic Greenville, S.C. 6K 166 — 12, 21, 41, 45, 47, (55, 61) Friday, Sept. 20 38th GSU Invitational Hampton, Ga. 4K 59 — 4, 9, 13, 14, 19 (36, 43) Saturday, Oct. 5 at Louisville Classic Louisville, Ky. 5K 433 — 24, 63, 94, 122, 120 (134) Saturday, Oct. 12 at Coach “O” Classic Troy, Ala. 5K 25 — 1, 2, 3, 8, 11 (15, 22)
Place 3rd/7 1st/3; 1st/8 6th/9; 11th/23 3rd/7; 3rd/8th
Friday, Oct. 18 at Crimson Classic Tuscaloosa, Ala. 5K 275 - 13, 16, 66, 89, 91 (151) Saturday, Nov. 2 Sun Belt Championship Troy, Ala. 5K 92 — 3, 7, 16, 24, 42 (49, 62) Saturday, Nov. 15 NCAA South Regional Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6K 544 - 45, 105, 119, 125, 150 (173, 180)
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
45
17th/20 1st/4; 1st/6 11th/26 4th/10 20th/27
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
2013 Individual Results
NIAMH KEARNEY Troy Invite.................... 11:08.27 2K 8th JSU/Struts Invite.......... 15:17.10 4K 6th Furman Classic........... 21:57.88 6K 21st 38th GSU Invitational.. 15:16.29 4K 9th Louisville Classic......... did not finish Coach “O” Classic....... 19:01.06 5K 2nd Crimson Classic........... 17:47.96 5K 16th Sun Belt Championship.18:24.6 5K 7th* NCAA South Regional.22:25.29 6K 119th .
*Second Team All-Conference SARAH McCARTHY
Troy Invite.................... 12:12.43 2K 29th JSU/Struts Invite.......... 16:11.14 4K 12th Furman Classic........... 23:44.87 6K 87th MACKENZIE NAIL Troy Invite.................... 11:33.92 2K 23rd JSU/Struts Invite.......... 15:35.97 4K 7th Furman Classic........... 22:47.79 6K 47th 38th GSU Invitational.. 15:53.72 4K 19th Louisville Classic......... 19:58.32 5K 122nd Coach “O” Classic....... 20:04.57 5K 8th Crimson Classic........... 19:00.20 5K 89th Sun Belt Championship.20:13.6 5K 42nd NCAA South Regional... 23:24.5 6K 150th
CARINA NIETO Troy Invite.................................. N/A JSU/Struts Invite........................ N/A Furman Classic......................... N/A 38th GSU Invitational.. 17:35.74 4K 43rd Louisville Classic......... 21:10.26 5K 134th Coach “O” Classic....... 20:56.92 5K 15th Crimson Classic........... 21:07.94 5K 151st Sun Belt Championship.20:51.1 5K 49th NCAA South Regional... 24:46.8 6K 173rd KATIE PAPESH Troy Invite.................................. N/A JSU/Struts Invite.......... 17:20.09 4K 12th Furman Classic........... 25:27.13 6K 61st 38th GSU Invitational.. 16:58.96 4K 42nd Louisville Classic......... 20:34.59 5K 130th Coach “O” Classic....... 22:12.49 5K 22nd Crimson Classic............. 22:14.6 5K 62nd Sun Belt Championship............. NA NCAA South Regional... 25:44.6 6K 180th Anna Sinclair Troy Invite.................... 11:32.74 2K 21st JSU/Struts Invite.......... 15:04.67 4K 4th Furman Classic........... 22:33.40 6K 41st 38th GSU Invitational.. 15:32.54 4K 14th Louisville Classic......... 18:40.71 5K 63rd Coach “O” Classic....... 19:14.61 5K 3rd Crimson Classic........... 19:01.34 5K 91st Sun Belt Championship.18:53.8 5K 16th NCAA South Regional... 22:35.3 6K 125th
Niamh Kearney
JENNIFER RUBEL Troy Invite.................................. N/A JSU/Struts Invite.......... 15:46.74 4K 9th Furman Classic........... 22:41.63 6K 45th 38th GSU Invitational.. 15:27.91 4K 13th Louisville Classic......... 19:13.25 5K 94th Coach “O” Classic....... 20:41.62 5K 11th Crimson Classic........... 18:44.69 5K 66th Sun Belt Championship.19:09.2 5K 24th NCAA South Regional.22:05.95 6K 105th HANNAH STEFANOFF Troy Invite.................... 10:56.74 2K 5th JSU/Struts Invite.......... 14:48.25 4K 1st Furman Classic........... 21:46.59 6K 12th 38th GSU Invitational.. 14:40.19 4K 4th Louisville Classic......... 17:59.34 5K 24th Coach “O” Classic....... 18:39.97 5K 1st Crimson Classic........... 17:46.38 5K 13th Sun Belt Championship.18:00.4 5K 3rd* NCAA South Regional.21:16.61 6K 45th *First Team All-Conference
Hannah Stefanoff 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
Mackenzie Nail
46
www.Georgiastatesports.com
2013 Meet-by-Meet Results Troy Invitational Troy, Ala. • Sat., Aug. 31
5 8 21 23 28 21 22
Women (3K) 3rd place out of 7 teams Hannah Stefanoff................... 10:56.94 Niamh Kearney...................... 11:08.27 Anna Sinclair.......................... 11:32.74 Mackenzie Nail....................... 11:33.92 Sarah McCarthy..................... 12:12.43 Kelsey Spinks.............................. 21:16 Katie Papesh............................... 24:11
Louisville Classic Louisville, Ky. • Sat., Oct. 5
Crimson Classic Tuscaloosa, Ala. • Fri., Oct. 18
Women (5K) 17th place out of 20 teams 24 Hannah Stefanoff................... 17:59.34 63 Anna Sinclair..........................18:40.71 94 Jennifer Rubel........................19:13.25 122 Mackenzie Nail....................... 19:58.32 130 Katie Papesh..........................20:34.59 134 Carina Nieto...........................21:10.26 dnf Niamh Kearney............................... n/a
Women (5K) 1st place out of 12 teams 14 Hannah Stefanoff................... 17:46.38 17 Niamh Kearney...................... 17:47.96 66 Jennifer Rubel........................ 18:44.69 89 Mackenzie Nail....................... 19:00.20 91 Anna Sinclair.......................... 19:01.34 151 Carina Nieto........................... 21:07.94
JSU/Struts Invitational Oxford, Ala. • Sat., Sept. 7
Coach “O” Classic Troy, Ala.• Sat., Oct. 13
Women (4K) 1st place out of 3 Division I teams 1 Hannah Stefanoff................... 14:48.25 4 Anna Sinclair..........................15:04.67 6 Niamh Kearney......................15:17.10 7 Mackenzie Nail....................... 15:35.97 9 Jennifer Rubel........................15:46.74 12 Sarah McCarthy..................... 16:11.94 19 Katie Papesh..........................17:20.09
Women (5K) 1st place out of 4 teams 1 Hannah Stefanoff................... 18:39.97 2 Niamh Kearney......................19:01.06 3 Anna Sinclair..........................19:14.61 8 Mackenzie Nail....................... 20:04.57 11 Jennifer Rubel........................20:41.62 15 Carina Nieto...........................20:56.92 22 Katie Papesh..........................22:12.59
Furman Classic Greenville, S.C.• Sat., Sept. 14
12 21 41 45 47 55 61
Women (6K Gold Race) 6th place out of 9 teams Hannah Stefanoff................... 21:46.59 Niamh Kearney......................21:57.88 Anna SInclair..........................22:33.40 Jennifer Rubel........................22:41.63 Mackenzie Nail....................... 22:47.79 Sarah McCarthy..................... 23:44.87 Katie Papesh..........................25:27.13
2014 PANTHERS
Team Meet Victories The JSU/Struts Invitational and the Coach “O” Classic
Individual Meet Victories Stefanoff at the JSU/Struts Invitational and the Coach “O” Classic
Sun Belt Championships Troy, Ala.• Sat., Nov. 2
3 7 16 24 43 50 66
Women (5K) 4th place out of 10 teams Hannah Stefanoff..................... 18:00.4 Niamh Kearney........................ 18:24.6 Anna Sinclair............................ 18:53.8 Jennifer Rubel.......................... 19:09.2 Mackenzie Nail......................... 20:13.6 Carina Nieto............................. 20:51.7 Katie Papesh............................ 22:14.6
NCAA South Regional Tuscaloosa, Ala. • Sat., Nov. 15 Women (6K) 45 Hannah Stefanoff................... 21:16.76 105 Jennifer Rubel........................ 22:06.95 119 Niamh Kearney...................... 22:25.29 125 Anna Sinclair.......................... 22:35.03 150 Mackenzie Nail....................... 23:24.57 173 Carina Nieto........................... 24:46.80 180 Katie Papesh.......................... 25:44.67
38th Georgia State Invitational Hampton, Ga. • Fri., Sept. 20
4 9 13 14 19 36 43
Women (4K) 3rd place out of 7 teams Hannah Stefanoff................... 14:40.19 Niamh Kearney......................15:16.29 Jennifer Rubel........................15:27.91 Anna Sinclair..........................15:31.54 Mackenzie Nail....................... 15:53.72 Katie Papesh..........................16:58.96 Carina Nieto...........................17:35.74
The 2013 team (front, left to right): Anna Sinclair, Niamh Kearney, Sarah McCarthy, Mackenzie Nail, Carino Nieto. Second row: volunteer coach Denise Myers, Jennifer Rubel, Katie Papesh, Hannah Stefanoff, coach Chris England. 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
47
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
2013 Photo Album
48
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU’s Best n Georgia State Cross Country runner Jennifer Feenstra left a lasting impression at Georgia State. The Canadian advanced to the NCAA Championships as a senior and finished 44th, still the highest by a female in school history. Her second-place finish in the region meet is also a schoolbest placing. A mathematics major, Feenstra was an Academic All-America starndout. She was the A-Sun Conference champion, after having been second twice and fourth once. Feenstra was a six-time conference runner-of-the-week winner.
History and Records
Cross Country History
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
6 11 12 8 64 10 5 30
Team Conference Championships Individual Conference Champions Conference Runners-of-the-Year Conference Coaches of the Year All-Conference Runners NCAA All-Region Runners NCAA Championship Competitors Conference Runners of theWeek
History In Brief In 1976, Georgia State began fielding a women’s NCAA cross country team under the guidance of then-head men’s coach Bruce LaBudde. The Panthers have captured six team conference titles, including the most recent in the 2012 inaugural year in the Sun Belt Conference. GSU’s orginial top runner was the first-place finisher in the first season in a conference (1985) as Terri Morrison won the New South Women’s Athletic Conference with a 5k time of 18:37. In 2012, Katharine Showalter came across the line first to win the Sun Belt 5k in 17:41. The Panthers have had 11 first-place finishers in the conference championship meet and 12 conference runners-of-the-year. Sarah Howard set the bar a little higher for GSU when she won threestraight conference titles (1996-98) and became the first to earn allregion honors and to advance to the NCAA Championships (1999). Canadian recruit Jennifer Feenstra then earned three all-region honors from 2001-04. Her second-place finish at the 2001 region meet is the highest in school history. Feenstra followed the region placing with a 44th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, also a school best. GSU had had the conference runner of the year three times in the past seven years with Rachel Hannah, Janel Blancett and Katharine Showalter all earning the recognition. The Georgia State Invitational meet had been a tradition unti 2007 in Panthersville, but that course was closed. The meet was revived in 2010 by current head coach Chris England at Nash Farm Battlefield.
2009 All-CAA Janel Blancet and Caitlin Price
Conference History 1976 — Start of GSU women’s NCAA cross country program 1985 — Women join New South Women’s Athletic Conference 1991 — Women’s teams join the Trans America Athletic Conference 2001 — TAAC changes name to the Atlantic Sun Conference 2005 — GSU joins the Colonial Athletic Association 2012 — Panthers run into the Sun Belt Conference
History Section Page Index All-Time Head Coaches............................................................51 All-Time Women’s Roster.........................................................52 Women’s All-Conference..........................................................53 Conference Awards and Acolades............................................54 Conference Championship Meets............................................55 NCAA Regional and National Meets........................................56 Year-by-Year Results................................................................57-58 Note — These records reflect all available information. Any omissions or inaccuracies are purely accidental. If you have any additions or corrections to the information found here, please contact the Georgia State Sports Communications Department.
GSU Had Four All-Sun Belt Winners in 2012 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
50
www.Georgiastatesports.com
All-Time Head Coaches
2014 PANTHERS
Kenneth England
John Rowland
Coached in 1964 and 1965 • Became the first Georgia State cross country coach when he helped start the NCAA program in 1964 • Team won seven out of 12 dual meets in the two years that England was head coach • Coached GSU standout and future coach Bruce LaBudde, who was invited to the Olympic Trials in 1968
Coached from 1993-2008 (16 years) • Involved with the program a total of 22 years as a coach, assistant coach and student-athlete • Four-time conference Coach of the Year (1995, 1996, 1997, 2001) • Led the program to seven conference championships between 1995 and 2001 • Guided three runners to the NCAA championships including three appearances by Andrew Letherby (1995-97) and an AllAmerican finish by Mark Steeds (12th, 2008) • Ran for the GSU cross country and track teams from 1987-90, afterward worked as a graduate assistant
Tim Singleton Coached from 1966-72 (7 years) • Inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 • Founded the Peachtree Road Race in 1970 • Member of the Peachtree Road Race Hall of Fame • Director of the Atlanta Marathon in 1966 • Hired in July 1966 after serving as assistant basketball coach and head track coach at West Georgia College • Earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Georgia Tech where he played football and ran track • Earned a Ph.D. from Georgia State • Served as GSU Dean of Men Bruce LaBudde Coached from 1973-1991 (19 years) • Oversaw three conference championships by the women’s team (1985, 1986, 1989) • Three-time conference Coach of the Year (1985, 1986, 1989) • Coached five conference Runners of the Year • Started the GSU Invite in 1973 • Ran at Georgia State from 1964-67 • Invited to the 1968 Olympic Trials • Graduate of North Springs High School in Atlanta • Participated in the first Atlanta Marathon in 1963 and won the event three times (1964, 1966, 1967) • The LaBudde Sportsmanship Award is named in his honor and given annually at the GSU Awards Banquet
Jessica Graham Raby Coached the women’s team from 1995-2008 (14 years) • Four-time conference Coach of the Year (1998, 2000, 2007, 2008) • Guided the women’s team to two conference titles (1998 and 2000) while producing 13 All-Conference runners • Hired in 1995 by head coach John Rowland to coach the women • Jessica Graham was a three-time all-conference competitor (198890) for the Panthers • Earned a Bachelor of Music from Georgia State and a Master of Music from Indiana Sylvia Kamp Coached in 2009 • Oversaw All-CAA efforts from Loris Hutterli and Janel Blancett • Blancett went on to finish 9th in the NCAA Regional and 47th in the NCAA Championship. • Head coach at Wright State for three years (2006-08) • Lettered in track and cross country at Centre College Chris England
Frank Daniels Coached in 1992 • Trans America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year • Both the men’s and women’s teams finished second at the 1992 TAAC championships • The men had three of the top four finishers at the meet, including TAAC champion Chad Newton • Two-time All-Conference runner for GSU in 1985-86 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
Coach since 2010-present (5 Years) • Took over program in 2010 • 2012 Sun Belt Coach of the Year • For full information on Chris England, please see page 26
51
www.Georgiastatesports.com
All-Time Women’s Roster
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
A Sara Acraman Marcia Aldridge Carolyn Alexander Elsje Alexander Zanny Anderson
1995 1978 1977 2002-04 2008-11
1976 2000-03 2007-10 2004-07 2002 1998-2000
G
B Theresa Bertram Alison Bishop Kim Bohannon Nancy Bohannon Katie Blaising Janel Blancett
Carole France Hayley Freeman Amy French Alex Friel Amanda Fuller Ifuela Fuller
1987 2009-12 1982, 84 1977 2004 2006-09
Latasha Garland Jessica Graham Jane Graves Sheryl Goodman
1995-96 1988-89 2000-03 1977
H Beth Hall Rebecca Hallam Madison Halls Kristi Hanna Rachel Hannah Laurie Harris Alicia Hewes Jody Higgins Jenna Hoffman Brittany Holland Kacee Houle Sarah Howard Kim Hoyle Stephanie Huber Brittanie Hughes Maya Humphrey
1996-99 2007-09 2010 1978 2004-07 1998-2001 1990 1988-89 1996-99 2003-06 2010-11 1996-99 1996 2002-04 1998-2001 2002
L Ansley Lawson Lisa Lorrain Jasmine Love
2011 1976-77 2010 M
Tiffany McCall Sarah McCarthy Jan McCreary Cindy Medved Marica Merck Caroline Miller Michele Moore Terri Morrison
2000-01 2011-present 1976 1986-89 1993-94 2008-09 1981 1986
Caitlin Price
Cathy Reinkemeyer Nancy Reitz Carolyn Reckamp Mandy Roberts Traci Robinson Andrea Rodriguez Amy Rowland Jennifer Rubel Gina Russell S
Janel Blancett Nigiste Negussie Anne Broe Terri Brost Lauren Burke
1982 1984 2002-04
N Mackenzie Nail 2013-present Nigiste Negussie 2000-03 Debbie Nelkin 1984 Christy Nelson 1995 Carina Nieto 2013 Chris Norcross 1976 Mandy Nowosielski 1999-2000 Gina Nunnally 1990 O
C Abby Carney Paige Carruth Brandie Carter Kacie Carter Caren Chaffin Hayley Conger Tink Cooper Teresa Crisp
2008-10 1988-89 1996-97 1996 1992-94 2006 1976-77 1984, 86-87
Sarah Howard
Angie Davis Laura Despard Sarah Dooley Ann Doverspike Becky Dowling
1986 1977 1999 1977 1988
J Catie Jensen Jodie Johnson Jenny Jones
E Margie Ellis Jennifer Ewart
1984 1996-97 F
Jenn Feenstra Danielle Fleming
Julie Ourada
1994-1995 P
D
2000-04 2003-04
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
2007-09 1990 1998-2001 K
Niamh Kearney Sara Keel Katy Kline Tamika Kinchen Ashley King Kelly Kirkland
2011-present 2000 1996 2009 2004-07 1990
1987-88 1984 1990 1998-2000 1997 2008-11 1989 2010-14 1989
Katie Papesh Micki Pearson Rebecca Pedrick Barbara Phelan Laurie Phelan Allison Pollitte Stephanie Poore Debra Poss Lauren Postma Caitlin Price Shelly Price
2010-14 2002 2004-05 2004-05 1996-99 1988-89 2006-08 1984 2007-10 2006-10 1994-97
R Kim Ramos Kelle’ Ransom
52
1998-2000 2009
Keri Scroggins 1994-96 Linda Shelling 1987 Katharine Showalter 2009-12 Anna Sinclair 2010-14 Andrea Smith 2002-05 Kayla Smith 2006-09 Laura Smith 1985, 87 Emilie Somerville 2007-10 Eileen Spaulding 1989 Kelsey Spinks 2008-12 Liz Stanford 2003-06 Hannah Stefanoff 2011-present Connie Stephens 1981 Angie Stewart 1990 Megan Stewart 2005, 2008 Tracie Stone 1981 T Meghan Takacs Susan Tanner Cameron Taylor Beth Thomas Judy Thomasson Lauren Towers Michele Tremblay Bunny Turner Jackie Tribble
2009 1977 2010 1990 2002 2009-10 1981-82 1981 1976
W Kristina Wagner Brandi Watson Nora Weed Loreen White June Wichele Sue Wikel Fay Wisenbaker
1990 1992-93, 95 1986-88 1988 1981 1976 1994-95
www.Georgiastatesports.com
All-Conference Honors Runner of the Year 2012 2008 2007 2004 1998 1997 1996 1995 1991 1990 1986 1985
Katharine Showalter Janel Blancett Rachel Hannah Jenn Feenstra Sarah Howard Sarah Howard Sarah Howard Sara Acraman Meri Poteet Meri Poteet Terri Morrison Terri Morrison
2014 PANTHERS
Freshman of the Year Sun Belt CAA CAA A-SUN TAAC TAAC TAAC TAAC TAAC NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC
2011 2008 2007
Hannah Stefanoff Rebecca Hallam Caitlin Price
2012 2008 2007 2000 1998 1989 1986 1985
Chris England Jessica Raby Jessica Raby Jessica Raby Jessica Raby Bruce LaBudde Bruce LaBudde Bruce LaBudde
CAA CAA CAA
Coach of the Year Sun Belt CAA CAA TAAC TAAC NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC
Name 2013
Place Time Dist. Conf.
Name 1997
Place Time Dist. Conf.
Hannah Stefanoff Niamh Kearney
3rd 7th
18:00.4 5K 18:24.6 5K
Sun Belt Sun Belt
Sarah Howard Katy Kline
1st 9th
18:44 19:39
5K 5K
TAAC TAAC
1st 5th 12th 14th
17:41.1 18:12.7 18:41.5 18:47.7
Sun Belt Sun Belt Sun Belt Sun Belt
Sarah Howard Jenna Hoffman Katy Kline
1st 6th 9th
19:34 20:12 20:23
5K 5K 5K
TAAC TAAC TAAC
1st 8th
18:56 19:50
5K 5K
TAAC TAAC
4th 6th 8th
20:19 20:40 20:45
5K 5K 5K
TAAC TAAC TAAC
1st 4th
17:34 18:43
5K 5K
TAAC TAAC
1st 2nd 8th
18:56 19:17 20:12
5K 5K 5K
NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC
2nd 4th 5th 9th
19:31 19:30 19:41 20:01
5K 5K 5K 5K
NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC
3rd 4th 10th
19:31 19:33 20:36
5K 5K 5K
NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC
2nd 5th 9th 10th
18:59 20:07 20:42 20:44
5K 5K 5K 5K
NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC
1st 2nd 5th 9th
19:11 20:45 21:27 22:14
5K 5K 5K 5K
NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC
1st 2nd 6th 7th
18:37 18:40 20:47 21:18
5K 5K 5K 5K
NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC
1996
2012 Katharine Showalter Hannah Stefanoff Niamh Kearney Jennifer Rubel
5K 5K 5K 5K
2011 Hannah Stefanoff Katharine Showalter
9th 11th
22:50 22:54
6K 6K
CAA CAA
2009 Janel Blancett
6th
21:13
6K
CAA
2nd 4th
21:17 21:25
6K 6K
CAA CAA
1st 9th
21:28 22:20
6K 6K
CAA CAA
4th 6th
22:16 22:24
6K 6K
CAA CAA
1st
18:15
5K
A-SUN
4th 5th
18:01 18:16
5K 5K
A-SUN A-SUN
3rd 7th
18:35 19:09
5K 5K
A-SUN A-SUN
2008 Janel Blancett Caitlin Price 2007 Rachel Hannah Rebecca Hallam 2006 Rachel Hannah Caitlin Price 2004 Jennifer Feenstra 2003 Jennifer Feenstra Nigisti Negussie 2002 Andrea Smith Nigisti Negussie 2001 Jennifer Feenstra Nigisti Negussie
2nd 6th
17:19 18:17
5K 5K
A-SUN A-SUN
2nd 5th 7th
18:20 18:54 18:55
5K 5K 5K
TAAC TAAC TAAC
2nd 8th
18:09 19:15
5K 5K
TAAC TAAC
1st 5th 6th
18:04 18:57 18:59
5K 5K 5K
TAAC TAAC TAAC
2000 Jennifer Feenstra Laurie Harris Brittanie Hughes 1999 Sarah Howard Brittanie Hughes 1998 Sarah Howard Brittanie Hughes Jenna Hoffman
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
1995 Sara Acraman Shelly Price 1992 Shelly Taylor Jane McDonald Brenna Willis 1991 Meri Poteet Heather Weldon 1990 Meri Poteet Jessica Graham Shelley Tyler 1989 Meri Poteet Jessica Graham Gina Russell Cindy Medved 1988 Loreen White Jessica Graham Cindy Medved 1987 Linda Shelling Cindy Medved Laura Smith Nora Weed 1986 Terri Morrison Laura Smith Cindy Medved Nora Weed 1985 Terri Morrison Kim Bohanon Teresa Crisp Nora Weed
53
www.Georgiastatesports.com
Conference Awards and Honors
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
Conference Runners of the Week
Multiple All-Conference Selections
YEAR-BY-Year
Four-Time
Name Hannah Stefanoff Hannah Stefanoff Katharine Showalter Katharine Showalter Katharine Showalter Katharine Showalter Katharine Showalter Hannah Stefanoff Hannah Stefanoff Hannah Stefanoff Hannah Stefanoff Hannah Stefanoff Janel Blancett Janel Blancett Janel Blancett Rebecca Hallam Janel Blancett Caitlin Price Rachel Hannah Rachel Hannah Jenn Feenstra Jenn Feenstra Nigisti Negussie Jenn Feenstra Jenn Feenstra Nigisti Negussie Nigisti Negussie Nigisti Negussie Jenn Feenstra Jenn Feenstra
Year Date Conf. 2013 Sept. 23 Sun Belt 2013 Sept. 16 Sun Belt 2012 Oct. 17 Sun Belt 2012 Oct. 10 Sun Belt 2012 Sept. 26 Sun Belt 2012 Sept. 12 Sun Belt 2012 Sept. 5 Sun Belt 2011 Oct. 19 CAA 2011 Oct. 11 CAA 2011 Sept. 20 CAA 2011 Sept. 13 CAA 2011 Sept. 7 CAA 2009 Oct. 6 CAA 2009 Sept. 22 CAA 2009 Sept. 15 CAA 2009 Sept. 8 CAA 2008 Oct. 21 CAA 2008 Sept. 23 CAA 2007 Oct. 3 CAA 2007 Sept. 18 CAA 2004 Oct. 26 A-SUN 2004 Oct. 5 A-SUN 2003 Oct. 28 A-SUN 2003 Oct. 14 A-SUN 2003 Sept. 16 A-SUN 2003 Sept. 9 A-SUN 2002 Oct. 15 A-SUN 2001 Oct. 23 A-SUN 2001 Oct. 2 A-SUN 2001 Sept. 19 A-SUN
Jennifer Feenstra Sarah Howard Cindy Medved
2000-01, 2003-04 TAAC/A-SUN 1996-99 TAAC 1986-89 NSWAC Three-Time
Hannah Stefanoff Nigisti Negussie Brittanie Hughes Meri Luckens (Poteet) Jessica Graham (Raby) Nora Weed
2011-13 2001-03 1998-00 1989-91 1988-90 1985-87
CAA/Sun Belt A-SUN TAAC NSWAC NSWAC NSWAC
Katharine Showalter Janel Blancett Caitlin Price Rachel Hannah Jenna Hoffman Shelley Tyler Laura Smith Terri Morrison
2011-12 2008-09 2006, 2008 2006-07 1996, 1998 1990, 1992 1986-87 1985-86
Two Time CAA/Sun Belt CAA CAA CAA TAAC NSWAC/TAAC NSWAC NSWAC
Academic Honors Academic All-American Jenn Fennstra
2004-05 1st team
Women’s Cross Country
Academic All-District Rachel Hannah Elizabeth Stanford Elizabeth Stanford
2007-08 2nd team 2006-07 1st team 2005-06 2nd team
Women’s Cross Country Women’s Cross Country Women’s Cross Country
Katharine Showalter
Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year Rachel Hannah
2007-08
CAA
Women’s Cross Country
Jennifer Feenstra
Rachel Hannah
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
54
www.Georgiastatesports.com
All-Time Conference Championships
2014 PANTHERS
Conference Titles 2012 Sun Belt 2000 TAAC 1998 TAAC 1989 NSWAC 1986 NSWAC 1985 NSWAC
Conference Meet Results Year Conference Site Finish Points 2013 Sun Belt Troy, Ala 4th/10 92 2012 Sun Belt Bowling Green, Ky. 1st/12 52 2011* CAA Hamton, Ga. 3rd/10 89 2010 CAA Wilmington, N.C. 8th/10 183 2009 CAA New Market, Va. 8th/10 188 2008 CAA Centreville, Va. 3rd/10 83 2007 CAA Hempstead, N.Y. 3nd/10 91 2006 CAA Newark, Del. 2nd/10 83 2005 CAA Wilmington, N.C. 3rd/10 116 2004 A-SUN Nashville, Tenn. 3rd/11 90 2003 A-SUN Buies Creek, N.C. 3rd/11 77 2002 A-SUN Troy, Ala. 4th/12 137 2001* A-SUN Atlanta, Ga. 2nd/11 65 2000 TAAC Buies Creek, N.C. 1st/10 51 1999 TAAC Orlando, Fla. 3rd/10 63 1998* TAAC Atlanta, Ga. 1st/11 41 1997 TAAC Birmingham, Ala. 2nd/12 71 1996 TAAC Buies Creek, N.C. 3rd/12 65 1995 TAAC Macon, Ga. 5th/12 131 1994 TAAC Orlando, Fla. 8th/11 213 1993* TAAC Atlanta, Ga. 8th/10 208 1992 TAAC Deland, Fla. 2nd/9 58 1991 TAAC Hammond, La. 2nd/9 49 1990 NSWAC 2nd/7 38 1989 NSWAC Macon, Ga. 1st/8 31 1988 NSWAC 2nd/8 48 1987 NSWAC 2nd/7 41 1986 NSWAC 1st/6 28 1985 NSWAC 1st/6 32 Conference Champions Bold *Meets Hosted by Georgia State 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
55
www.Georgiastatesports.com
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
All-Time NCAA Regional/National Meets NCAA South Regional Team Finish Year
Site
2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
Tuscaloosa, Ala. 20th/27 Talahassee, Fla. 11th/29 Tuscaloosa, Ala. 14th/27 Hoover, Ala. 19th/25 Tuscaloosa, Ala. 17th/23 Knoxville, Tenn. 11th/23 Gainesville, Fla. 6th/20 Maryville, Tenn. 11th/23 Gainesville, Fla. 18th/24 Tuscaloosa, Ala. 16th/23 Auburn, Ala. 13th/25 Knoxville, Tenn. 12th/16 Tuscaloosa, Ala. 11th/18 Tuscaloosa, Ala. 13th/18 Auburn, Ala. 11th/33 Birmingham, Ala. 8th/23 Birmingham, Ala. Greenville, S.C. Greenville, S.C. DNP
Team
Top Individual
Place
Hannah Stefanoff Katharine Showalter Hannah Stefanoff Anna Sinclair Janel Blancett Janel Blancett Rachel Hannah Rachel Hannah Rachel Hannah Jennifer Feenstra Jennifer Feenstra Andrea Smith Jennifer Feenstra Jennifer Feenstra Sarah Howard Sarah Howard Sarah Howard
45th 12th 48th 71st 9th 15th 8th 30th 65th 17th 15th 24th 2nd 26th 8th 21st 37th
Sara Acraman
140th
All-Regional Runners Women Year Name 2012 Katharine Showalter 2009 Janel Blancett 2008 Janel Blancett 2008 Caitlin Price 2007 Rachel Hannah 2004 Jennifer Feenstra 2003 Jennifer Feenstra 2001 Jennifer Feenstra 1999 Sarah Howard 1998 Sarah Howard
Place 12th 9th 15th 21st 8th 17th 15th 2nd 8th 21st
Time 20:28.6 20:33.42 21:26.81 21:40.30 20:55.91 21:38 21:30 20:55 17:11 17:55
Individuals at NCAA Championship Women Year Site 2012 Louisville, Ky. 2009 Tere Haute, Ind. 2007 Tere Haute Ind. 2001 Greenville, S.C. 1999 Bloomington, Ind.
Name Katharine Showalter Janel Blancett Rachel Hannah Jennifer Feenstra Sarah Howard
Janel Blancett
Sarah Howard 2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
Place Time 166th 21:13.79 47th 20:53.20 95th 21:31.50 44th 21:34 250th 22:25.40
56
www.Georgiastatesports.com
Year-by-Year Results Note: Teams competed in primarily dual meets until 1982. For multi-team invitationals, the first number indicates the place Georgia State finished in, followed by the total number of teams in the field.
1976 Start of Women’s cross country program Stone Mtn 5-mile Road Race 13th West Georgia Invitational 5th Georgia Collegiate 6th Georgia State Invitational 4th Pirate Invitational 1st Tennessee Championship
1982 UNCC Invitational West Georgia Invite Vanderbilt Invitational Georgia Collegiate Jacksonville State Georgia State Invitational Metro Atlanta Southern Independent
1989 1st/6 1st/10 1st/7 T-Ist/6 1st/2 2nd/5 1st/2 1st/6
W W W W W W
1983 1st 1st 1st 1st 6th
1977 Vanderbilt 1st W Auburn L Florida State L Alabama L Berry College W Georgia Collegiate 6th Blazer Classic 4th Sun Belt Invitational 3rd Stone Mountain Invite 1st W West Georgia Invitational 2nd Georgia State Invitational 2nd Georgia AIAW Championship 1st W Region AIAW Championship 3rd
Opponents in dual meets included Indiana, Purdue, Tennessee, Florida and Clemson. 1984 Berry Invitational Georgia State Invitational Oglethorpe Invitational Georgia Collegiate Charlotte Invitational Troy State Invitational
No information on record 1979 No information on record. 1980
W
9th/10 2nd/9 2nd/9 1st/4 2nd/7 2nd/4 1st/6
1st/4 7th/16 1st/9 3rd/13 2nd/9 1st/3 1st/6
W W
W W W W
1987 Davidson 1st W UAB 1st W Wake Forest West Georgia Invitational 1st W Georgia Collegiate 2nd Georgia State Invitationalh 2nd Stone Mtn. Invitational 1st W AIAW Region Championship 6th 1981 Berry Jacksonville State Georgia Collegiate Georgia State Invitational Atlanta Collegiate Southern Independent
Western Carolina Invite Georgia State Invitational UAB Invitational Georgia Collegiate The Citadel Invitational South Florida Invite NSWAC Championship
1st/3 5th/9 4th/5 5th/9 1st/7 6th/15 2nd/7
W
W
1988 1st W NA 2nd 8th 1st W 1st W
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
Murray State Invitational Georgia State Invitational Samford Invitational Georgia Collegiate Citadel Invitational South Florida Invite NSWAC Championship
3rd/5 4th/7 1st/2 4th/11 1st/16 5th/11 2nd/8
57
Georgia Invitational Georgia State Invitational Florida State Invite Georgia Collegiate Charlotte Invitational Mercer-Albany St. NSWAC Championship Vanderbilt Invitational NCAA District III
5th/10 5th/12 9th/20 3rd/13 2nd/8 1st/3 1st/8 2nd/10 25th/34
W W
1990 Western Carolina Invite Georgia State Invitational Georgia Collegitate Pelican State Invitational Vanderbilt Invitational NSWAC Championship
4th/9 9th/16 4th/12 6th/15 2nd/16 2nd/7
1991
1986 Western Carolina Invite Georgia State Invitational West Georgia Invitational Georgia Collegiate Citadel Invitational Central Florida Invite NSWAC Championship
1978
3rd 6th 1st 3rd 3rd 2nd
1985 Georgia State Invitational Charlotte Invitational Georgia Collegiate Georgia Southern Invite Citadel Invitational South Carolina Invite NSWAC Championship
2014 PANTHERS
W
Western Carolina Invite 3rd/5 Georgia State Invitational 4th/13 Georgia Invitational 4th/4 Georgia Collegiate 4th/12 Tulane Invitational 4th/15 Vanderbilt Invite 8th/24 Georgia Southern Invite 1st/3 TAAC Championship 2nd/9* *1st year the women joined the TAAC
W
1992 Georgia State Invitational UT Chattanooga Invite Georgia Collegiate Pelican Cup Invitational Clemson Invitational TAAC Championship
8th/13 3rd/3 5th/13 5th/12 7th/7 2nd/9
1993 Georgia Tech Dual Meet Western Carolina Invite Georgia Collegiate Austin Peavy Invitational TAAC Championship
2nd/2 9th/10 4th/5 7th/9 8th/10
1994 Georgia Tech Dual Meet Western Carolina Invite Georgia State Invitational Georgia Collegiate Florida State Invitational Auburn Invitational Mercer Dual Meet TAAC Championship
2nd/2 10th/10 9th/12 3rd/5 8th/15 8th/10 1st/2 8th/11
W
W
www.Georgiastatesports.com
Year-by-Year Results
GSU CROSS COUNTRY
1995 Georgia Tech Dual Meet Western Carolina Invite Georgia Collegiate Lehigh Invitational Troy State Invitational TAAC Championships
2001 2nd/2 9th/13 1st/3 15th/16 6th/9 5th/12
W
1996 Western Carolina Invite Georgia State Invitational Florida State Invitational Georgia Collegiate Auburn Invitational Troy State Invitational TAAC Championship
Tennessee Invitational Georgia State Invitational Georgia Collegiate North Carolina Collegiate Atlantic Sun Championship NCAA South Regional
8th/12 7th/12 5th/9 2nd/3 1st/42 3rd/7 3rd/12
Western Carolina Invite Seminole Invitational Georgia State Invitational Georgia Collegiate Auburn Invitational Troy State Invitational Atlantic Sun Championship NCAA South Regional
9th/17 4th/7 15th/20 2nd/2 8th/21 3rd/7 2nd/12
6th/12 2nd/10 2nd/13 2nd/3 2nd/12 rd/9 1st/11 8th/23
W
5th/8 1st/5 2nd/4 3rd/4 4th/12 12th/16
W
1st/7 3rd/12 1st/5 1st/3 13th/32 1st/5 3rd/11 13th/25
W W W W
Belmont Invitational Georgia State Invitational Louisville Classic Georgia Collegiate American XC Festival Auburn Invitational Troy Invitational Atlantic Sun Championship NCAA South Regional
6th/13 3rd/5 2nd/38 6th/18 18th/20 6th/20 1st/6 3rd/11 16th/23
5th/10 3rd/14 1st/16 2nd/2 3rd/16 2nd/6 3rd/10 11th/33
W
3rd/7 3rd/7 2nd/5 1st/5 2nd/2 1st/5 1st/10 13th/18
2014 Georgia State CROSS COUNTRY
UNC Wilmington Invite Louisville Classic Georgia Collegiate Georgia State Invitational CAA Championship NCAA South Regional
W
3rd/7 6th/33 4th/15 3rd/14 3rd/10 18th/24
W W W
6th/10 12th/31 2nd/11 19th/44 2nd/10 11th/23
1st/19 8th/28 3rd/6 12th/41
58
The Dupont Challenge Crimson Classic Greater Louisville Classic Penn State Invitational CAA Championship NCAA South Regional
1st/2 2nd/9 2nd/32 11th/28 3rd/10 11th/23
W
2009 Sewanee Invitational JMU Invitational Commodore Classic Greater Louisville Classic CAA Championships NCAA South Regional NCAA Championships
2nd/11 4th/10 4th/18 16th/35 8th/10 17th/23 Blancett (47th)
2010 Strut’s JSU Opener Georgia State Invitational Clemson Invitational Charlotte Invitational Oglethorpe Fall Classic Blue Ridge Open CAA Championship NCAA South Regional
UGA Invitational Auburn Invitational Georgia State Invitational Paul Short Run Jaguar Invitational Coach “O” Invitational CAA Championship NCAA South Regional
Clemson Invitational Georgia State Invitational Vandy Commodore Classic West Georgia Invite Jaguar Invitational Chile Pepper Invitational Sun Belt Championship NCAA South Regional NCAA Championship
1st/6 1st/7 6th/25 11th/18 2nd/9 11th/18 8th/10 19th/25
W W
3rd/8 1st/13 2nd/9 33rd/45 1st/4 1st/5 3rd/10 14th/27
W W W
2nd/2 1st/4 W 8th/24 1st/10 W 1st/9 W 12th/43 1st/12 W 12th/29 Showalter (166th)
2013
2007 Georgia State Invitational Greater Louisville Classic Panther Invitational Chile Pepper Invitational
2008
2012
2006 Tennessee Invitational Greater Louisville Classic Georgia State Invitational Chile Pepper Invitational CAA Championship NCAA South Regional
4th/11 3rd/10 6th/20
2011
2005
2000 Western Carolina Invite Georgia Invitational Georgia State Invitational Campbell Invitational Georgia Collegiate Troy State Invitational TAAC Championship NCAA South Regional
W
2004
1999 Western Carolina Invite Central Florida Invitational Georgia State Invitational Georgia Collegiate Gator Invitational Troy State Invitational TAAC Championship NCAA South Regional
W W
2003
1998 Western Carolina Invite Tulane Invitational Georgia State Invitational Georgia Collegiate Florida State Invitational Troy State Invitational TAAC Championship NCAA South Regional
1st/7 1st/9 2nd/14 1st/7 2nd/11 11th/18
2002
1997 Western Carolina Invite Georgia State Invitational Birmingham Classic Georgia Collegiate Furman Invitational Troy State Invitational TAAC Championship
Western Carolina Invite Georgia State Invitational Sean Earl Lake Front Invite Troy State Invitational Atlantic Sun Championship NCAA South Regional
Troy Invitational CAA Championships NCAA South Regional
W
Troy Invitational JSU/Struts Invitational Furman Classic Georgia State Invitational Louisville Cardinal Classic Coach “O”Invitational Crimson Classic Sun Belt Championship NCAA South Regional
3rd/7 1st/3 6th/9 3rd/7 17th/20 1st/4 11th/26 4th/10 20th/27
W
W
www.Georgiastatesports.com
PANTHERS
2014 TEAM