Shannon Rowbury

Infobox runner
runnername =Shannon Rowbury

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imagesize =
caption =Shannon Rowbury in the Women's 1500m finals of the USATF Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, USA on July 6, 2008
fullname =
nicknames =
nationality = USA
distance(s) =
club =
collegeteam = Duke Blue Devils of Duke University
birthdate = birth date and age|1984|9|19|df=y
birthplace =San Francisco, California
residence =San Francisco, California
deathdate =
deathplace =
height = height|ft=5|in=5
weight =lb to kg|115
medaltemplates =

Shannon Rowbury (born September 19, 1984) is an American middle distance runner under contract with Nike currently residing in San Francisco, California. Rowbury competed for the United States in the Women's 1500 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Childhood

Rowbury grew up in the Parkside section of the Sunset District neighborhood in San Francisco.fact|date=August 2008 She attended [http://saintstephensf.org/ Saint Stephen School] from kindergarten through eighth grade.fact|date=August 2008

During her first weeks of kindergarten, she tripped over a basketball causing a spiral fracture in her tibia.fact|date=August 2008 After the removal of her cast, Rowbury's grandmother enrolled her in an Irish Dance class as a means of rehabilitation.cite web |url= http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=1151/bio/index.html|title= Shannon Rowbury|accessdate= 2008-08-24|year= 2008|work= NBC Olympics|publisher= NBC Universal|language= English] Rowbury continued with Irish Dance through her sophomore year of high school and competed successfully at local, regional, national and world competitions.fact|date=August 2008

Along with Irish Dancing, Rowbury played soccer from the fourth through eighth grades. She rotated positions but preferred to play midfielder where she could play offense as well as defense as needed. This position allowed her to utilize a large portion of the field while building her stamina with successive 50 to 100 meter sprints as she worked the ball up and down the field.

Completive history

High school career

In 2002, Rowbury graduated second in her class from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory High School in San Francisco.fact|date=August 2008 Among her athletic achievements in high school were multiple league and section championships in events ranging from the 1600m relay to cross country.fact|date=August 2008 Rowbury's coach, Andy Chan, was instrumental in developing her into the athlete that she has become. Based on Rowbury's talent over a tremendous range, Chan knew that Rowbury could have a future in running and he made sure to think of her long term development.fact|date=August 2008 He was conservative with her training, taught her the value of balance and recovery and, above all, made sure running was fun.fact|date=August 2008 All of this instilled in Rowbury a healthy and positive outlook towards her sport.fact|date=August 2008

High School Personal Bests:fact|date=August 2008
* 400m: 57.1 (relay split)
* 800m: 2:08.52
*1600m: 4:51.0
*3000m: 9:38.41Cross Country
*(5000m): 17:52

College career

In the autumn of 2002, Rowbury began attending Duke University.fact|date=August 2008 While there she studied English and Theater, and competed on the cross country and track and field teams for the school. During the indoor track season in 2006, she was runner-up in the mile run at the NCAA championships.cite web |url= http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=138029|title= Shannon Rowbury Biography|accessdate= 2008-08-31|year= 2008|work= Duke University Athletic Department|publisher= GoDuke.com|language= English] In 2007, Rowbury graduated from Duke magna cum laude in English and Theater Studies with a certificate in Film/Video/Digital Studies.fact|date=August 2008 She completed her master's degree at Duke in May 2008, with an emphasis on Film and Women's Studies.cite web |url= http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?DUID=USATF_2008_06_24_11_58_18|title= Shannon Rowbury teleconference excerpts|accessdate= 2008-08-31|year= 2008|work= USATF - News|publisher= USATF|language= English]

Like Rowbury's high school coach, her college coach at Duke, Kevin Jermyn, continued to patiently develop her strength and endurance while emphasizing the importance of enjoying the journey and the team environment along the way. Under coach Jermyn's tutelage, the Duke women's cross country team went from obscurity to a second place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

In April 2007, shortly after winning her first title in the mile run at the NCAA Indoor National Championships, Rowbury was diagnosed with a Femoral Neck Stress Fracture (Hip Joint) which abruptly put an end to her collegiate career at Duke University. Although this injury was a major blow to Shannon's running career, it forced her to evaluate not only her biomechanics and physical strengths and weaknesses, but it also challenged her emotional strength and passion for her sport.

Shannon's injury led her to her current coach, John Cook, and training partners, Erin Donohue and Shalane Flanagan. During Shannon's rehabilitation, she dedicated herself to Coach Cook's thorough and comprehensive training program which improved her strength and flexibility while maintaining her aerobic fitness through various methods of non weight and low weight bearing exercises. In June 2007, just 6 weeks after her diagnosis, Shannon was able to resume running on the Alter-G Treadmill, an anti-gravity device that enabled her to reduce her effective body weight while running, thus reducing her risk of injury and expanding her ability to train and condition in her sport. By early August 2007, Shannon was running at her full body weight and beginning in earnest to build her aerobic base in preparation for the upcoming Olympic year. Shannon credits Coach Cook for her transformation from being "just a runner" to becoming a "true athlete".

College Personal Bests:
*800m: 2:04.96
*1500m: 4:12.31
*Mile: 4:34.94
*3000m: 9:02.73
*5000m: 15:38.42Cross Country
*(6000m): 19:55.2

Professional career

Rowbury signed with Nike in June 2007, and joined "Team Cook" at that time. As mentioned above, her first six months training under Coach Cook, involved rehabilitation from her stress fracture. In November 2007, Shannon competed at the Seagate Elite 5K Road Race in San Jose, California to assess her current fitness level coming back from her injury. She managed an impressive 2nd place finish, with a time of 15:54, missing first place by 1 second.

In January 2008, Shannon enjoyed her first extended stint at altitude in Central Mexico where she endured 6 weeks of extensive training with her coach and teammates. She returned to the United States in February to compete in the USATF Indoor National Championships, her first track race since her injury 11 months earlier. Shannon went on to win the 3000 meter race in a personal best time of 8:55.19, beating a national class field in dominant fashion. After this effort, Shannon returned to altitude to finish up her training.

In April 2008, Shannon opened up her outdoor track campaign at the Duke Invitational, winning the 800 meter race by 12 seconds with a 2 second personal best time of 2:02.76. Her next race was in early May at the Payton Jordon Invitational at Stanford University where she hoped to achieve the Olympic A standard at 1500 meters (4:07.00). Although Shannon came up short of her goal while racing at Stanford, she did manage a 5 second personal best at this distance with another dominant win in a time of 4:07.59.

Still seeking the Olympic A Standard, Shannon raced at the Adidas Track Classic in Carson, California on May 18, 2008. At this event, she turned in a stunning performance at 1500 meters, again winning in dominant fashion in a time of 4:01.61, improving another 6 seconds over her previous personal best. This performance catapulted Rowbury onto the international scene as it placed her 5th all-time at 1500 meters for United States females. In addition, her effort would have placed her 9th in the World Rankings based on the 2007 IAAF world performance list. Most importantly, this performance not only gave Shannon tremendous confidence in her training and fitness, it also gave her the Olympic A Standard that she needed heading into the USATF Olympic Trials.

On July 6, 2008 at the USATF Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, Rowbury placed first in the 1500m final with a time of 4:05.48 followed by Erin Donohue and Cristen Wurth-Thomas. The three qualified to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics based on their performance at the trials.cite web |url= http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?duid=USATF_2008_07_06_19_08_45|title= Stuczynski breaks AR; hurdlers impress as Olympic Trials conclude: Dominant Rowbury|accessdate= 2008-08-31|year= 2008|work= USATF - News|publisher= USATF|language= English]

Professional Accomplishments - 2008
*800m Duke Invitational Champion - 2:02.76
*1500m Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational Champion - 4:07.59
*1500m Adidas Track Classic Champion - 4:01.61
*3000m USATF Indoor National Champion - 8:55.19

2008 Olympics

Rowbury had the fourth-fastest time in the first-round heats of the Women's 1500 metres run in Beijing, qualifying for the finals. She was the only American athlete to advance to the finals in which she placed seventh with a time of 4:03.58.Cite web|url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/1/220771.shtml|title=ROWBURY Shannon|accessdate=2008-08-21|publisher=The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad|year=2008|work=Athletes & Teams] This seventh-place finish was the best finish ever by an American woman in the 1500 meters at the modern Olympics.Cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/24/SP6G12HC3M.DTL&hw=shannon+rowbury&sn=001&sc=1000|title=No medal, but best U.S. 1,500 finish|accessdate=2008-09-09|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|year=2008|work=Sports]

Current Personal Bests

*800 meter outdoor: 2:01.03
*1500 meter outdoor: 4:00.33
*3000 meter indoor: 8:55.19
*5000 meter outdoor: 15:38.42

Achievements

Her many accomplishments in Athletics include:
*Two time California State high school champion (800 meters & 1600 meters)
*National high school champion (800 meters)
*Multiple Atlantic Coast Conference collegiate Champion (1500 meters to Cross Country)
*Six time NCAA All-American (1500 meters to Cross Country)
*Two time NCAA Runner up (mile and 3000 meters)
*NCAA National Champion (mile)
*NACAC International Champion (1500m meters)
*USATF Indoor National Champion (3000 meters)
*USATF Outdoor National Champion (1500 meters)
*2008 United States Olympic Team Member, Track and Field (1500 meters)

References

External links

* [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/RowburyShannon.asp USATF Profile]
* [http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=USA/athcode=204835/index.html IAAF Profile]
* [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/1/220771.shtml Beijing Olympic Games 2008 Athlete Biography]
* [http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=138029 Athlete Bio from Duke University]
* [http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=13418&PageNum=1 Southern Cooking: Coach John Cook directs 'the little things' for three rising stars - Running Times]
* [http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=13402 Cook's Ingredients: Fire still burns for "retired" GMU coach - Running Times]
* [http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/coverage.php?c=285&id=15892 Flotrack Interview]
* [http://www.flotrack.org/search?cx=016405253375880695266%3A3vcagslg-wm&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&q=shannon+rowbury&sa=Search Interviews and Stanford 1500m]
* [http://www.shcp.edu/s/148/sacredheart.aspx?sid=148&gid=1&pgid=292&cid=5318&ecid=5318&crid=0&calpgid=408&calcid=5224 SHCP High School Article]
* [http://dailynews.runnersworld.com/2008/05/a-brief-chat--2.html A Brief Chat With Shannon Rowbury - May 2008 - Runner's World]
* [http://www.eliterunning.com/features/19/ Interview with Shannon Rowbury - Summer 2006 - Elite Running]
* [http://www.eliterunning.com/features/64/ Interview with Shannon Rowbury - Spring 2007 - Elite Running]
* [http://www.fast-women.com/athletes/interviews/shannonrowbury.html Fast Women Interview]
* [http://www.nyrr.org/races/pro/interview/2008/Rowbury022008.asp Interview with Shannon Rowbury - Winter 2008 - New York Road Runners]
* [http://albertcaruana.blogspot.com/2008/03/shannon-rowbury-wins-us-indoor-national.html Announcement from Shannon's High School Coach]
* [http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/speakers.php?sid=97 Flocast videos of resent races]
* [http://search.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/pages/search.jsp?Coll=si_xml&QuerySubmit=true&Page=1&sites=si&query=shannon+rowbury SI.com]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/qws/ff/arc?sort=date&term=Shannon+Rowbury&Submit=S San Francisco Chronicle Articles]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/beta/search/query?query=Shannon+Rowbury&srchst=cse New York Times Articles]
* [http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=122760&sid=7&fid=1 Eugene Oregon Register-Guard]

Videos

* [http://www.flotrack.org/search?cx=016405253375880695266%3A3vcagslg-wm&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&q=shannon+rowbury&sa=Search Flotrack Coverage of Shannon Rowbury]