Rhodes College Women's Track

Peters enters his second season as head coach of the Rhodes College track and field program. In 2016, Peters kept the dominance of the women's team going as the Lynx won their ninth straight conference title. Peters also provided direction for three athletes who competed at nationals. Jeremy Phillips and Renn Eason competed at the indoor event while Eason and Haley Pryor made the cut for outdoors. Phillips went on to become on All-American, finishing third in the nation with a time of 21.94. Eason would go to earn the Southeast Regional Field Athlete of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor season. Peters joined the Lynx as head coach after five years of assistant track & field/XC coaching experience from across the country. Peters helped coach and develop athletes that have earned all-conference and NCAA national qualifications as well as team conference championships. He has lead comprehensive strength and conditioning programs that have assisted athletes in breaking numerous school records. Peters studied Business Administration at Nebraska Wesleyan University, where he also minored in Accounting and Communication. While at NWU, Peters was a national level college sprinter earing four All-American honors, 2007 Central Region Male Athlete of the Year, and was a conference champion six times. He was also a member of a top four national team finish and a dual-meet national champion. Peters is a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and is USTFCCCA Technical Certificated.     

Marcus Harris has been on staff at Rhodes since 2015. Harris coached Renn Eason, a four-time high jump national qualifier and 2017 NCAA Division III Indoor High Jump Champion. During his time with the Lynx, the women have earned six conference titles while the men have added three more to the program. Harris was a track and field athlete at Texas Southern University where he was a three-time Southwest Athletics Champion. He qualified for the NCAA Division I Championship five times and was a two-time All-American. In 2004 Harris finished second at the national championship with a 2.23m jump. He also qualified to compete in the 2004/2008 Olympic trial at the same height. In high school, Harris was a basketball and track star at Overton High School in Tennessee. As of 2017, he is still the record holder in high jump with a record of 2.15m. Harris has also competed at the professional level. In 2005 he finished fifth with a 2.22m high jump mark at the USA Indoor Championships and fifth at the 2006 USA Outdoor Championships with a jump of 2.21m. His outdoor finish allowed him to compete with Team USA in Birmingham, England against Great Britain, Russia and China where he also placed fifth. In 2006 he was ranked eighth by Track and Field News and in 2007 ninth.  Harris was a 2007 USA indoor and outdoor national qualifier. Harris' personal best in the high jump is 2.24m, set in 2006.

Dworaks second cross country season in 2014 proved to be a memorable one. The Women finished in a close second while the Men placed third at SAAs. Brittany Alexander successfully defended her conference title while Alex Noel came out on top in the Mens race. The Women placed 4 th out of 28 teams (13 points out of 2 nd ) at the South Region, with the top four runners earning all-region honors. Brittany Alexander placed 3 rd and qualified individually for NCAAs. The Men placed 6 th out of 28 teams and the top two runners earned all-region. Alex Noel placed 4 th and qualified individually for NCAAs. Alexander raced well at Nationals in Wilmington, OH, placing 45 th and improving by over 80 spots from her 2013 campaign. Noel placed 151 st and also improved by over 80 spots from his 2013 race.             During the 2015 track campaign, the distance crew saw vast improvement all around with most setting personal bests in multiple events. Alex Noel (jr.) reset his own school record in the 10,000 at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival. He also helped guide Kendall Reed and Abby Watkins to a 1-2 finish in the 800 while Ashley Litoff finished runner-up in both the 5,000 and 10,000 at the conference championship.  As a team at the the SAA Conference Meet (hosted by Rhodes), Dworak helped the Lynx Women claim their 8 th straight title while the Men finished a close runner-up to rival Centre.             The 2015 XC season was one that wont soon be forgotten at Rhodes. The Men claimed their first conference championship since 1999, holding off a tough Berry squad. The Women also made their presence known, as they also were able to claim victory, their first since 2010, at the SAA meet, hosted by Centre.  At the South/Southeast Region meet, 4 Lynx runners earned all-region honors, as the Womens team placed 2 nd and earned a trip to the NCAA meet, their first appearance since 2011. The Men had their highest finish in years, placing 4 th in the South/Southeast, with frosh Spencer Fields, qualifying individually for the NCAA meet.             Rhodes continued its strong march in the Spring of 16. The Women were able to win another SAA title, their 9 th straight year as conference champions, while the Men finished up in a close 3 rd . The Women swept the podium in the 800, going 1-2-3, with Abby Watkins earning the individual title. Brittany Alexander won the 1500 title, along with being runner-up in the 5,000. Also earning runner-up were Ellery Hayden in the steeplechase, and Reagan Alley in the 10,000. On the Mens side, Matt Dsida earned a title in the 1500, while freshman Spencer Fields earned his own title in the 10,000. The Men placed 4 runners in the top 5 of the 10K with all 5 Rhodes runners earning points (top 8). There were a number of Rhodes school records in the distance events that went down in 2016 as well; Matt Dsida in the mile, Spencer Fields in the 10,000, the Mens DMR consisting of Connor Fagan, Matt Dsida, Jeremy Phillips & Alex Noel, and the Womens 3200 relay, consisting of Brittany Alexander, Abby Watkins, Kendall Reed & Rosie Lobelson.             Brandon still continues to race competitively, and at a semi-professional level. He has been affiliated with Saucony since 2014, and a member of the Saucony Hurricanes Racing Team in 14 & 15.  On October 13, 2013 he ran 2:20:46 in the Chicago Marathon placing 30 th overall and 14 th among Americans. Other notable performances for Dworak were the Eugene half marathon in 2012 where he placed 2 nd and ran 1:06:50. He followed that up at the USA half marathon championships which were held in Duluth, MN where he placed 61 st and ran a PR of 1:06:37. In January of 2014, Brandon ran 1:07:15 and placed 50 th at the USA Half Marathon Championships held in Houston, TX. Later on in April, he ran 2:28:32 and placed 76 th at the Boston Marathon. After injury forced him out of the second half of 2014, Dworak got back on the racing circuit in the Spring/Summer of 2015, winning 6 of the 8 races he appeared in, in distances ranging from 2 miles to 10K.  Most recently, Brandon won the 2015 Memphis St. Jude Half Marathon by a margin of nearly five minutes, with a time of 1:08:21. 

Shankman has coached 64 national qualifiers and 17 NCAA All-Americans.  Last spring (2012), seven women qualified for the Outdoor National Championship Meet.  Freshmen Sadie Yanckello and Taryn Burgess each qualified in the 400 hurdles, with Yanckello earning All-American honors by placing seventh in the meet (1:02.12).  The womens 4x100 relay also earned All-American Status with a seventh place finish (47.25)  The 4x400 relay posted a school record of 3:49.94 in qualifying, while junior Lindsay Svehla qualified in the 100 meter dash (12.14).  At the 2011 championships, four women qualified for Nationals, with Senior Sandy Henin earning All-American Honors with her fifth place finish in the 800 in a time of 2:11.19. In the 2010 season, junior Molly Buck finished third at Nationals in the 400 hurdles (1:01.75), and anchored the 4x400 relay to a tenth place finish in 3:51.65.  In addition, the Lynx 4x100 relay posted the tenth fast Division III time (47.90) nationally during the regular season.  During the 2009 season, Sandy Henin qualified in the 800 (2:13.27), along with Jonathan Mervine in the 400 hurdles (53.34).  In 2008, Sophomore Kristin Forbes lead the Lynx to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title by establishing new school records in the 200 (24.61) and the 400 (55.91). In addition, Forbes earned All-American status by finishing seventh in the 400 at the National Championship Meet.  The womens 4x400 relay also qualified in both 2007 (3:53.83) and 2008 (3:53.96).  Other notable athletes coached by Shankman include middle distance standouts Amy Paine and Marie Brandewiede. With five All-American titles between them, both runners advanced to the national championship 1500 meter finals in 2002 and 2003. Paine finished second in the 1500 at the 2003 Outdoor Championships. Her time of 4:26.55 still ranks among the fastest 1500 times in NCAA Division III history. Brandewiede ran 4:29.65 during the 2004 season. In Cross Country, Shankman has coached 20 individual national qualifiers since 1995, while his teams have qualified seven times for the national meet (men in 2006 and 2007; women in 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2016). Since 1992, the mens team has recorded 16 top five finishes at the Regional Championships, including a region championship in 2007, and runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006.  The womens team captured NCAA Region titles in 2009 and 2010, while finishing second in 2011. Over the last 20 years, the mens team has posted 16 top five finishes in the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships, while the women have earned 17 top five finishes.   In addition, Shankman has received considerable recognition among his colleagues. He has been voted SCAC Coach-of-the-Year by his peers 17 times in cross country and 12 times in track. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has also honored Shankman with the Regional Coach of the Year awards in 2002, 2009, and 2010 for womens cross country; in 2003 and 2010 for Womens Outdoor Track, and in 2007 for Mens Cross Country. Coach Shankman is a graduate of Rhodes College (formerly Southwestern at Memphis), where he competed as a hurdler from 1977-80. He received his Masters of Education degree from the University of Memphis in 1993. Shankman is a member of the executive committee of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, currently serving as First Vice-President. He has served as the NCAA S/SE Regional Meet Director in 1995 and 2010, and has achieved USAT&F Level II certification status. Men's Track and Field Women's Track and Field Men's Cross Country Women's Cross Country Coach Robert Shankman, in his 25th year at Rhodes, is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) and the NCAA Southeast Region.  Under his leadership, the Rhodes Cross Country and Track & Field teams have won a combined 35 Conference Championships since 1990. This includes 11 men's cross country titles, eight women's cross country titles, six men's track titles, and 10 womens track championships.  The womens track team has captured nine consecutive conference championships (2008 2016), while the womens cross country team won back to back NCAA Southeast Region Titles in 2009 and 2010.  Over the previous five years, the mens track team has finished no worse than third at their conference championship, while earning a team title in 2010 and 2013.  In track & field, since 1997, Shankman has coached 64 national qualifiers and 17 NCAA All-Americans.  Last spring (2012), seven women qualified for the Outdoor National Championship Meet.  Freshmen Sadie Yanckello and Taryn Burgess each qualified in the 400 hurdles, with Yanckello earning All-American honors by placing seventh in the meet (1:02.12).  The womens 4x100 relay also earned All-American Status with a seventh place finish (47.25)  The 4x400 relay posted a school record of 3:49.94 in qualifying, while junior Lindsay Svehla qualified in the 100 meter dash (12.14).  At the 2011 championships, four women qualified for Nationals, with Senior Sandy Henin earning All-American Honors with her fifth place finish in the 800 in a time of 2:11.19. In the 2010 season, junior Molly Buck finished third at Nationals in the 400 hurdles (1:01.75), and anchored the 4x400 relay to a tenth place finish in 3:51.65.  In addition, the Lynx 4x100 relay posted the tenth fast Division III time (47.90) nationally during the regular season.  During the 2009 season, Sandy Henin qualified in the 800 (2:13.27), along with Jonathan Mervine in the 400 hurdles (53.34).  In 2008, Sophomore Kristin Forbes lead the Lynx to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title by establishing new school records in the 200 (24.61) and the 400 (55.91). In addition, Forbes earned All-American status by finishing seventh in the 400 at the National Championship Meet.  The womens 4x400 relay also qualified in both 2007 (3:53.83) and 2008 (3:53.96).  Other notable athletes coached by Shankman include middle distance standouts Amy Paine and Marie Brandewiede. With five All-American titles between them, both runners advanced to the national championship 1500 meter finals in 2002 and 2003. Paine finished second in the 1500 at the 2003 Outdoor Championships. Her time of 4:26.55 still ranks among the fastest 1500 times in NCAA Division III history. Brandewiede ran 4:29.65 during the 2004 season. In Cross Country, Shankman has coached 20 individual national qualifiers since 1995, while his teams have qualified seven times for the national meet (men in 2006 and 2007; women in 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2016). Since 1992, the mens team has recorded 16 top five finishes at the Regional Championships, including a region championship in 2007, and runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006.  The womens team captured NCAA Region titles in 2009 and 2010, while finishing second in 2011. Over the last 20 years, the mens team has posted 16 top five finishes in the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships, while the women have earned 17 top five finishes.   In addition, Shankman has received considerable recognition among his colleagues. He has been voted SCAC Coach-of-the-Year by his peers 17 times in cross country and 12 times in track. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has also honored Shankman with the Regional Coach of the Year awards in 2002, 2009, and 2010 for womens cross country; in 2003 and 2010 for Womens Outdoor Track, and in 2007 for Mens Cross Country. Coach Shankman is a graduate of Rhodes College (formerly Southwestern at Memphis), where he competed as a hurdler from 1977-80. He received his Masters of Education degree from the University of Memphis in 1993. Shankman is a member of the executive committee of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, currently serving as First Vice-President. He has served as the NCAA S/SE Regional Meet Director in 1995 and 2010, and has achieved USAT&F Level II certification status. Men's Track and Field Year Conference Finish Highlights 1992 3rd 1993 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1994 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Kenny McGhee) 1995 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1996 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Mike Wottle) 1997 2nd 1998 2nd - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Mike Wottle) 1999 2nd - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Mike Wottle) 2000 3rd 2001 3rd 2002 4th 2003 6th 2004 6th 2005 6th 2006 6th 2007 4th 2008 3rd 2009 3rd 2010 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 2011 2nd - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Andrew Maryott) 2012 3rd 2013 1st - SAA Coach of the Year 2014 1st - SAA Track Athlete of the Year (Jeremy Phillips) - SAA Coach of the Year 2015 2nd Women's Track and Field Year Conference Finish Highlights 1992 5th 1993 4th 1994 3rd 1995 2nd 1996 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1997 2nd 1998 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1999 2nd 2000 3rd 2001 2nd - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Jessie Hunt) 2002 1st - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Jessie Hunt) - SCAC Coach of the Year 2003 2nd 2004 3rd 2005 3rd 2006 3rd 2007 2nd 2008 1st - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Kristin Forbes) - SCAC Coach of the Year 2009 1st - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Kristin Forbes) - SCAC Coach of the Year 2010 1st - SCAC Athlete of the Year (Samantha Specht) - SCAC Coach of the Year 2011 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 2012 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 2013 1st - SAA Newcomer of the Year (Brittany Alexander) - SAA Coach of the Year 2014 1st - SAA Coach of the Year 2015 1st - SAA Track Athlete of the Year (Sadie Yanckello) - SAA Newcomer of the Year (Brianna Hardeman) - SAA Coach of the Year Men's Cross Country Year Conference Finish Highlights 1991 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1992 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1993 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1994 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1995 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1996 1st - SCAC Co-Coach of the Year 1997 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1998 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1999 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 2000 3rd 2001 2nd 2002 2nd 2003 3rd 2004 4th 2005 3rd 2006 4th 2007 3rd 2008 4th 2009 5th 2010 3rd 2011 3rd 2012 2nd - SAA Newcomer of the Year (Alex Noel) 2013 3rd - SAA Newcomer of the Year (James Stuckey) 2014 3rd - SAA Runner of the Year (Alex Noel) 2015 1st - SAA Newcomer of the Year (Spencer Fields) - SAA Coach of the Year Women's Cross Country Year Conference Finish Highlights 1991 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1992 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1993 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1994 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1995 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1996 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1997 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1998 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 1999 1st - SCAC Coach of the Year 2000 3rd 2001 2nd 2002 2nd 2003 3rd 2004 4th 2005 3rd 2006 4th 2007 3rd 2008 4th 2009 5th 2010 3rd 2011 3rd 2012 3rd - SAA Newcomer of the Year (Brittany Alexander) 2013 3rd - SAA Runner of the Year (Brittany Alexander) 2014 2nd - SAA Runner of the Year (Brittany Alexander) - SAA Newcomer of the Year (Ashley Litoff) 2015 1st - SAA Newcomer of the Year (Megan Jackson) - SAA Coach of the Year