Albion College

Specialty: Mid-Distance, Distance
Height: 5'3
Major: Biology, Psychology

About Jess: (aka. Shaw Dog) this is Jess's fourth season of track & field at Albion College. A captain of the Albion College cross country team, she is a three time NCAA Division III Championship individual qualifier and has achieved all-Great Lakes Region and all-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association status in 2014, 2015, and 2016. She qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 10,000 meters in 2016 and 2017 and achieved distinction on the MIAA's Academic Honor Roll for the 2015-2016 academic year...An all-Great Lakes region performer in indoor track in 2017, her performance of 17:40.66 during the Grand Valley State Open in December left her fourth in the region.

Personal Bests:

• 1500m Run- 4:42.72 *School Record*
• 3000m Steeplechase- 11:14.61 *School Record*
• 800m Run - 2:17.85
• 3000m Run- 10:18.85
• 5000m Run- 17:24.63 *School Record*
• 10,000m Run- 35:45.91 *School Record*

What does Jess like most about ACTF? - What I like the most about ACTF are my coaches and my teammates! The coaches push me to achieve my goals academically and athletically, and my teammates support me along the way. We have an outstanding team dinamic, we work hard, we compete hard, and we have fun. 

What is Jess's favorite travel/competition story? - My favorite competition story is from my my first track season at Albion, Jamboree at Alma in 2014. I was a freshman and had been injured. Coach Coleman came up to me before I was about to race and said "Are you ever going to run something impressive like they told me you would. I thought you'd be breaking records by now." I looked at him in shock because he knew I had been injured and that's why I hadn't raced yet, and because he just challanged me. Bursting with anger I replied "Watch me break this 1500m record right now." I went and raced the 1500, and broke the school record. He knew exactly how to challenge me, how to motivate me. That is a moment I will never forget! 

Notable Performances:

2017 Outdoor Season

• Qualified for the NCAA Championship in the 10,000 meters and achieved all-Great Lakes Region distinction (established her qualifying time - 36:09.91 - at Bucknell University in April)
• Achieved all-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association distinction as the league champion in the 10,000 meters
• Gained all-Great Lakes region status in the 5,000 meters, setting the region's fifth-fastest time (17:19.67) at a meet hosted by Washington (Mo.) University in March

2016 Outdoor Season

• Qualified for the NCAA Championship in the 10,000m run (established qualifying time of 35.45.91 at Washington, Mo., University Invitational
• Achieved all-region distinction in the 5,000 & 10,000 meter events
• 3rd place in the 800 & 1500 meter events at MIAA Championship
• 1st place in the 800 & 1500 meter events at Birmingham Southern Invitational

2016 Indoor Season

• 3rd place in the 5,000 meters at MIAA Championships

2015 Outdoor Season

• 2nd Place 10,000m Run at MIAA Championship (36:51.40) *School Record*
• 1st Place Steeplechase at MIAA Jamboree (11:14.61) * School Record*
• 1st Place 5,000m Run at Southern Invitational (17:48.57)

2014 Outdoor Season

• 3rd Place 1500m Run at MIAA Jamboree (4:43.25 PR) *School Record*
• 4th Place 5000m Run at MIAA Jamboree (18.23.44)
• 1st place 3000m Steeplechase at Keeler Invite (11.18.26) *School Record*

2014 Indoor Season

• 1st Place 3000m Run at Defiance Open (10:44.96)