University of Portland Women's Cross Country

Solof began coaching the Pilot women distance runners in the fall of 1995 following a standout career as one of UPs all-time best cross country runners. Solof has continued to lead the program to unprecedented levels and has his eyes on climbing the West Region standings and competing for a NCAA bid in 2013.   The foundation has been built for a rise into the national elite with consistent results and quality recruiting in recent years. The Pilots have won 11 West Coast Conference league titles. Solof has been named the WCC Coach of the Year six times during his tenure on The Bluff. He won the awards in 1996, 1998, 2002-2003, and 2006-2007.   Solof has brought national-level talent to the fold as Dana Morgan posted the second-best individual finish in program history at the 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Morgan, a sophomore, finished 46th nationally after winning the WCC individual title earlier in the season. She went on to qualify for nationals in the 5,000 in the spring of 2008 during the track season.   Ashlee Vincent finished 50th at the 2005 NCAA Cross Country Championships and then qualified that spring in track for nationals in the 10,000 with a school record time of 33.55.45.   During the 2000 cross country season, sophomore Nicole Ricci won the WCC individual title and advanced to the NCAA championships later that fall. Ricci placed 13th at the West Regional and 56th at the NCAA Championships. In 2001, Ricci was also an NCAA provisional qualifier in the 5,000.   Under Solofs guidance, Nicole Karr single-handedly rewrote the track record books posting school records in the 800, 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000. Karr was ranked among the top 5 fastest in the NCAA in both the 3,000 and 5,000 during her senior year, 1996. She ended her collegiate career with an 8th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in the 3,000 garnering her third All-America honor. Karr went on to compete in the 1996 Olympic Trials in the 1500 after running a 4:16.14 to qualify.   A highly-regarded runner in his own right, Solof won the West Coast Conference title as a junior in 1992. He followed that up with All-West Region honors the same fall. Solof was a key member of the 1993 Dream Team that was ranked fourth nationally and went undefeated during the regular season including winning the West Region Championship. That team went on to finish 12th at the NCAA Championships.   Solof continued his running with a stellar post collegiate career. Self-coached, he qualified for the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Trials Marathon. Solof was selected as USA Track and Field of Oregons Male distance runner of the year for 2000.   Solof is a 1995 graduate of the University of Portland and a 1990 graduate of Ashland High School. Ian Solof began coaching the Pilot women distance runners in the fall of 1995 following a standout career as one of UPs all-time best cross country runners. Solof has continued to lead the program to unprecedented levels and has his eyes on climbing the West Region standings and competing for a NCAA bid in 2013.

Colwell guided the program to one of the best seasons in program history. In his first year competing in the 400, Colwell coached Portland record holder Korey Thieleke to the NCAA and USA National Championships. Thieleke was the first Pilot sprinter in over 30 years to qualify for the NCAA National Championship. Two other student-athletes made it to the West Regional. Kaylie Van Loo qualified in the javelin, while Katherine Maus finished her record breaking year in the triple jump. In her senior season, Maus topped the UP record books in the indoor 60 meter dash, long jump, and triple jump; and in the outdoor triple jump and 100 meter dash. Colwell came to Portland after serving one year as the Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach at St. Martin's University. In his first season at Saint Martin's he helped guide Laura Tesch to the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships becoming the first female to qualify for the indoor championships and the third female ever to qualify for the NCAA Championships in track & field. Tesch went on to finish 15th equaling the best-ever finish by a female at the NCAA track & field championshipis. The Saints had four conference champions in Colwell's first season as Sam Washington won the weight throw (indoor) and shot put (outdoor). Mike Davis claimed the conference outdoor crown in the triple jump and Joey Keeton in the pole vault.   Prior to his arrival at SMU, Colwell coached at the Division I, Division II and NAIA levels at the likes of University of Great Falls, the University of Portland, Duke University, Cal Poly Pomona and Eastern Oregon University.   At Great Falls, Colwell served as both the head cross country and track & field coach. He coached Travis Price (600m) and the Mens 4x800m Relay Team both to All-American honors during the 2011-12 season. During that season, the Argos established 29 indoor school records to go along with 25 outdoor school records lead by Travis Price (400m 48.95) and Ryan ONeil (100m -10.92 / 200m 21.85). The 2011 Argo men's cross country team placed second at the Frontier Conference Championships and ranked 26 th in the nation. During the 2010-11 season, Colwell coached sprints, hurdles, 800 m and 3,000m steeplechase at the University of Portland. While at Portland, Colwell helped mentor Jared Basset who earned All-American honors in the steeplechase.   From 2008 to 2010, Colwell was an assistant coach for cross country and track & field at Duke University working with the sprints, hurdles, relays and jumps. He coached the womens 4x400m relay team, 2 nd on the all time Duke Indoor performance list (3:48.33), and mentored Brittany Whitehead (57.12 400m) and ACC Triple Jump 2 nd place finisher Jade Ellis (5111.75).   Colwell also served as an assistant coach at California State Polytechnic University Pomona in 2007-08. While at Cal Poly Pomona, Colwell assisted in hosting the 2008 NCAA DII Track & Field National Championships, along with coaching the multi-events, jumps and javelin.   He began his collegiate coaching career at Eastern Oregon University (2004-06) where he was responsible for the sprinters, jumpers, and multi-event athletes and coached seven school record holders, including Matt Lane (400m 48.46 outdoor and 48.91 indoor) and Whitney Haltiner (Triple Jump 375.25) along with five NAIA national qualifiers.   Colwell earned his Master's Degree from Duke University in International Development and a Bachelor's Degree from Eastern Oregon University. He is a USA Track & Field Level 1 certified coach.