Jaten Represents Gonzaga Track at Olympic Trials
2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
SPOKANE, Wash. â€" Gonzaga women's cross country and track assistant coach Rachel Jaten is running at the United States Olympic Trials in Los Angeles Saturday.
Jaten will run her second U.S. Olympic Trials after qualifying for the 2012 event as well. She snuck into the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials with a qualifying time of 2:45:47. The Spokane native comes into Saturday's race full of confidence.
"I feel great going into Saturday," Jaten said. "I've been training hard and now have some experience running in the trials. I have a great coach and a wonderful support group."
Jaten's helped guide the Zags' women's cross country team to the West Coast Conference title led by Shelby Mills first place individual finish in the fall. She also assisted in the team placing 25th in their first-ever appearance in the national championships.
"This is so awesome," Mills said. "We are all so proud to call her our coach and to get to learn from her. It's inspiring to see what hard work can get you. It's funny because she is so incredibly humble that I didn't really know just how great she is until this came along. She just puts in the work and lets the results show for her, which makes it even more impressive. I'm so lucky to have her guidance and we're screaming from Spokane for her to light it up on Saturday! Go Rachel!"
After finishing a stellar running career at Montana State in 1997, Jaten took 10 years off. She then began coaching at Gonzaga and got the passion back. The 2012 trials was her fourth marathon over a seven-month stretch and she was just happy to be there and finish.
This time around under renowned marathon coach Brad Hudson, the trials feel different for Jaten.
Jaten won the 2013 Portland Marathon with a personal best time of 2:42.15. She qualified for this Olympic Trials by running a 2:42.39 at the 2015 Los Angeles Marathon despite developing hamstring tendinitis by mile four of the race.
The top three runners in Saturday's race will represent the U.S. this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The next few runners behind the top three will be alternates for the team. This year's field of 373 women's and men's runners makes up the largest marathon field in Olympic Trials history. There will be 200 participants in the women's race.
"We are all excited for Rachel," GU women's cross and track Head Coach Patty Ley said. "Her racing at Olympic Trials really reinforces what we talk about a lot. First, you can have a lifetime career in the sport. Second, that development might come later for some than others. She will get that time to really share these experiences rubbing shoulders with great athletes and what she has done to prepare herself and what she has learned after she returns. Our young women love working with her and are planning a viewing party on Saturday to cheer her on!"
The men's race begins at 10:16 a.m., followed by the women's race six minutes later. Coverage of the event begins at 10 a.m. on NBC.
