Women's Track & Field
Straub, Jen
Jen Straub
- Title:
- Director
- Email:
- jestraub@davidson.edu
- Phone:
- 2808
Jen Straub, the longest tenured coach at Davidson College, is in her 24th season with the Wildcats and 10th as the Director of Track & Field/Cross Country. Straub led the charge as the program shifted from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10 in 2014 and has seen growing success each year since. She was elevated to Director of Track & Field/Cross Country on July 1, 2014 by former Athletic Director Jim Murphy after spending 14 seasons as Head Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country with Davidson.
A New Era
Following a breakout year for her program in 2016-17, Straub led the ‘Cats to their most dominant year in the Atlantic 10. The cross country team kicked off the stellar season with a third place finish at the league championship, their highest finish in the four-year A-10 era and best overall since 2007. Straub guided four ‘Cats to All-Conference honors including Sarah Sears, the individual runner-up.
Davidson carried the momentum into the A-10 Indoor Championship with Sears bringing home Most Outstanding Track Performer recognition on the heels of her mile and 5,000-meter titles. At the Outdoor Champs, Sears followed it up with a pair of wins in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs, just ahead of teammate Caroline Yarbrough. The duo combined to score 36 of the ‘Cats 64.5 team points – the most points for Davidson since joining the Atlantic 10 in 2014.
Both Sears and Yarbrough competed at the NCAA East Preliminary round in the 5k after posting the two fastest times in program history.
Straub’s 2017-18 squad also excelled in the classroom. Sears was named to all three A-10 All-Academic teams, while Yarbrough landed on the indoor and outdoor teams and Laurel Sheffield for cross country. Additionally, Sears garnered an A-10 Postgraduate Scholarship, Yarbrough landed on the Google Cloud Academic All-District team and Sierra Ponthier earned a distinguished Watson Fellowship.
From 2016-18, Straub’s athletes combined to break 23 program records and win six individual conference championships.
The 2015-16 Davidson women’s track season ended with a bang at the A-10 outdoor championship as the 4x800-meter relay team of Ashlyn Gruber, Brigid Behrens, Sarah Paddon and Hannah Rieden raced to the top of the podium with a school record-setting performance of 8:50.10.
In her first season in the A-10, Straub produced her second All-American when Erin Osment placed 14th overall in the 10,000 at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championship. Osment ended the campaign with a new program record that she reset five times throughout the year.
Straub began her tenure in the A-10 with authority as Osment claimed a pair of conference titles at the 2015 Outdoor Championship – winning the 5,000 and 10,000.
In four seasons in the Atlantic 10, Straub has produced 19 individual All-Conference performers on the track, nine of those being league champions.
SoCon Success
Straub coached the Wildcats to two Southern Conference Cross Country Championships in 2003 and 2005 and was named SoCon Coach of the Year three times (2002, 2003 and 2005). Straub coached 12 SoCon Cross Country All-Conference team members in 14 seasons in the league.
On the track, Straub mentored nine individual SoCon Champions, two Freshman of the Year, a Most Outstanding Performer and the program’s first NCAA qualifier.
Straub helped guide Kristen Meister to the NCAA Championship in the high jump in 2007, the first national qualifier in program history. Earlier that season, Meister set the Southern Conference record in the high jump.
The following season, Straub helped provide the program with another first as Brenna Burns won the prestigious NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship. The 2007 Indoor Track Most Outstanding Performer, Burns won three individual conference titles overall.
The 2008 cross country team was designated an Academic All-America team, while Caroline Sanker earned individual Academic All-America honors. Sanker’s career was highlighted by a pair of NCAA All-Region Cross Country honors, another first for Davidson. Under Straub’s guidance, the ‘Cats placed their highest ever at the 2006 NCAA Regional Championship, claiming ninth overall behind three top-50 placed runners.
Behind steady improvement in her first three seasons at the helm, Straub broke through with a conference championship in 2003 and was back atop the league again 2005. Straub’s second championship squad, behind three All-Conference performances, edged out defending champion Chattanooga by one point.
Before Davidson
Straub graduated from Wake Forest in 1988 with a degree in English. At her alma mater, she coached four cross country All-Americans, eight track & field All-Americans, as well as several All-Conference performers and individual champions in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Both a tactical and motivational leader, Straub helped take the Demon Deacon women to two NCAA District III Championships and six NCAA appearances in cross country, including a 15th-place team finish at the 1998 championships.
As an athlete at Wake Forest, Straub earned All-America honors in cross country and led her team to a 10th-place finish at the 1987 NCAA Cross Country Championships. She won two individual ACC titles at Wake Forest, first in the 10,000 meters in 1988 and then in the 3,000 meters in 1989. Straub currently holds the outdoor 3,000-meter record and graduated with the 10,000 and indoor 3,000 school records. She was also named one of the top-50 cross country athletes in ACC history. Straub was inducted into the Wake Forest Hall of Fame in 2004
Personal
Straub continues to train and compete in road races throughout the Carolinas. She is married to Davidson golf coach Tim Straub. The couple has one son, William, and a daughter, Sydnee. Straub is a United States Track & Field Coaches Association certified coach at Level I and Level II.
A New Era
Following a breakout year for her program in 2016-17, Straub led the ‘Cats to their most dominant year in the Atlantic 10. The cross country team kicked off the stellar season with a third place finish at the league championship, their highest finish in the four-year A-10 era and best overall since 2007. Straub guided four ‘Cats to All-Conference honors including Sarah Sears, the individual runner-up.
Davidson carried the momentum into the A-10 Indoor Championship with Sears bringing home Most Outstanding Track Performer recognition on the heels of her mile and 5,000-meter titles. At the Outdoor Champs, Sears followed it up with a pair of wins in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs, just ahead of teammate Caroline Yarbrough. The duo combined to score 36 of the ‘Cats 64.5 team points – the most points for Davidson since joining the Atlantic 10 in 2014.
Both Sears and Yarbrough competed at the NCAA East Preliminary round in the 5k after posting the two fastest times in program history.
Straub’s 2017-18 squad also excelled in the classroom. Sears was named to all three A-10 All-Academic teams, while Yarbrough landed on the indoor and outdoor teams and Laurel Sheffield for cross country. Additionally, Sears garnered an A-10 Postgraduate Scholarship, Yarbrough landed on the Google Cloud Academic All-District team and Sierra Ponthier earned a distinguished Watson Fellowship.
From 2016-18, Straub’s athletes combined to break 23 program records and win six individual conference championships.
The 2015-16 Davidson women’s track season ended with a bang at the A-10 outdoor championship as the 4x800-meter relay team of Ashlyn Gruber, Brigid Behrens, Sarah Paddon and Hannah Rieden raced to the top of the podium with a school record-setting performance of 8:50.10.
In her first season in the A-10, Straub produced her second All-American when Erin Osment placed 14th overall in the 10,000 at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championship. Osment ended the campaign with a new program record that she reset five times throughout the year.
Straub began her tenure in the A-10 with authority as Osment claimed a pair of conference titles at the 2015 Outdoor Championship – winning the 5,000 and 10,000.
In four seasons in the Atlantic 10, Straub has produced 19 individual All-Conference performers on the track, nine of those being league champions.
SoCon Success
Straub coached the Wildcats to two Southern Conference Cross Country Championships in 2003 and 2005 and was named SoCon Coach of the Year three times (2002, 2003 and 2005). Straub coached 12 SoCon Cross Country All-Conference team members in 14 seasons in the league.
On the track, Straub mentored nine individual SoCon Champions, two Freshman of the Year, a Most Outstanding Performer and the program’s first NCAA qualifier.
Straub helped guide Kristen Meister to the NCAA Championship in the high jump in 2007, the first national qualifier in program history. Earlier that season, Meister set the Southern Conference record in the high jump.
The following season, Straub helped provide the program with another first as Brenna Burns won the prestigious NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship. The 2007 Indoor Track Most Outstanding Performer, Burns won three individual conference titles overall.
The 2008 cross country team was designated an Academic All-America team, while Caroline Sanker earned individual Academic All-America honors. Sanker’s career was highlighted by a pair of NCAA All-Region Cross Country honors, another first for Davidson. Under Straub’s guidance, the ‘Cats placed their highest ever at the 2006 NCAA Regional Championship, claiming ninth overall behind three top-50 placed runners.
Behind steady improvement in her first three seasons at the helm, Straub broke through with a conference championship in 2003 and was back atop the league again 2005. Straub’s second championship squad, behind three All-Conference performances, edged out defending champion Chattanooga by one point.
Before Davidson
Straub graduated from Wake Forest in 1988 with a degree in English. At her alma mater, she coached four cross country All-Americans, eight track & field All-Americans, as well as several All-Conference performers and individual champions in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Both a tactical and motivational leader, Straub helped take the Demon Deacon women to two NCAA District III Championships and six NCAA appearances in cross country, including a 15th-place team finish at the 1998 championships.
As an athlete at Wake Forest, Straub earned All-America honors in cross country and led her team to a 10th-place finish at the 1987 NCAA Cross Country Championships. She won two individual ACC titles at Wake Forest, first in the 10,000 meters in 1988 and then in the 3,000 meters in 1989. Straub currently holds the outdoor 3,000-meter record and graduated with the 10,000 and indoor 3,000 school records. She was also named one of the top-50 cross country athletes in ACC history. Straub was inducted into the Wake Forest Hall of Fame in 2004
Personal
Straub continues to train and compete in road races throughout the Carolinas. She is married to Davidson golf coach Tim Straub. The couple has one son, William, and a daughter, Sydnee. Straub is a United States Track & Field Coaches Association certified coach at Level I and Level II.
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Thursday, February 20
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Friday, March 22
Davidson moves to the Atlantic 10
Sunday, August 18
