Sara Slattery
Encyclopedia
Sara Elizabeth Slattery (née Gorton; born October 2, 1981) is an American middle- and long-distance runner who mainly competes in track races
. Slattery has represented the United States at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
at both junior and senior level.
She was a two-time NCAA champion while competing for the Colorado Buffaloes
, first taking the indoor title over 5000 meters in 2003 then the 10,000 meters outdoor title in 2005. In 2007 she won the 10,000 m at the Pan American Games
, setting a Games record time. The following year she was the USA champion over 8 km and just missed an Olympic spot in the 5000 m after a fourth place finish at the Olympic Trials
in 2008.
She is married to Steve Slattery, a steeplechase
runner and currently works at the University of Colorado
, where she earned her Masters degree in education
.
, she took up running as a high school athlete at Mountain Pointe High School
and had her first successes at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships
, where she was the runner-up at the state-level event in 1997 and 1998 before going on to win the title in 1999. She was chosen for the United States junior team at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and in her first international outing she placed 73rd overall. Later that year she ran in the 3000 meters at the 1999 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
and beat Madai Pérez
to win the title.
. In her first year of collegiate competition, she came second at the Rocky Mountain Shootout cross country
race, third at Big 12 Championships
, then placed eighth at the 2000 NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship
to become the first freshman
to win All-America
n honours at Colorado. Her performance as helped Colorado take the women's team title.
She competed at the USA Cross Country Championships
and was ninth in the short race. In her first indoor track season for Colorado, she ran a university record for the indoor mile run
at the Nebraska Quadrangular meet. At the Big 12 indoor track and field championships she won the mile title and was runner-up over the 3000 meters. A sixth place finish in the mile at the NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship
brought her further All-America honours. A bout of mononucleosis
ruled her out of competition for the rest of the year.
In 2002 she came tenth in the NCAA Cross Country meet then was eighth in the 4 km race at the USA event. At the Big 12 Indoor event she broke the championship record with her winning run of 4:40.35 minutes in the mile and managed second in the 3000 m. At the NCAA indoors she came seventh in the mile run. Turning to the outdoor track season, she broke the meet record at the Big 12 Championships, taking the 5000 meters title in a time of 16:11.83 minutes. Following a personal record run of 15:51.55 minutes at the Cardinal Invitational, she competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships
and came fourth in the 5000 m.
Slattery did not compete in the 2003 cross country season, choosing to focus on the track instead. She doubled in the 3000 m and 5000 m events at the Big 12 indoor championship and won both titles. At the 2003 NCAA Indoors she came third in the 3000 m then ran a championship record time of 15:39.25 minutes in the 5000 m, winning her first NCAA title in the process. The outdoor Big 12 meet saw her win the 5000 m title and finish runner-up over 1500 meters. She competed over the longer distance at the NCAA Outdoors and reached the podium with a third place finish. She finished her economics degree that year, being named in the Academic All-Big 12 Conference list, and carried on into post-graduate study at Colorado on its Masters of Education
course. She helped Colorado to the NCAA Cross Country team title, but did not compete for the rest of that year. She married fellow Colorado athlete Steve Slattery, a steeplechase
specialist, in January 2004.
Slattery's second NCAA title came outdoors in 2005, where she took first place in the 10,000 meters with a time of 33:02.21 minutes (which ranked 8th nationally that year). She graduated later that year and ended her collegiate career having won 10 All-America honours, two individual NCAA titles. She set school records for the 1500 m, mile run, and 3000 m indoors and the 5000 m outdoors.
. That year she improved three personal bests, running 8:58.09 minutes for the 3000 m, 15:08.32 minutes for the 5000 m and 31:57.94 minutes for the 10,000 m. The was fourth in the long race at the National Cross Country event and was then selected for the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, where she came 26th. A few months later she came second in the 10,000 m at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and won Colorado's Bolder Boulder
10K road race. Although she only placed eighth in the 10,000 m at the 2007 USA Outdoors, she was chosen for the event at the 2007 Pan American Games
in Rio de Janeiro
. She won her first international gold medal
at the competition and her time of 32:54.11 minutes was a Pan American Games record.
Her 2008 season was a mix of track and road competitions. She won the national road title over 8 km, was third at the Great Yorkshire Run
10K, and placed fourth at the Carlsbad 5000
. At the United States Olympic Trials
she ran in both the 5000 m and 10,000 m events. However, she did not make the Olympic team, coming fourth and seventh respectively. She had a 3000 m season's best run of 9:00.25 minutes at the London Grand Prix
and was eleventh in that event at the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
.
Slattery did not compete in 2009 and took on an assistant position for the Colorado Buffaloes
at her alma mater in January 2010. She continued to race occasionally, including a 10K win at the Bermuda Race Weekend, where her husband was also runner-up in the men's section.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. Slattery has represented the United States at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
at both junior and senior level.
She was a two-time NCAA champion while competing for the Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado Buffaloes
The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
, first taking the indoor title over 5000 meters in 2003 then the 10,000 meters outdoor title in 2005. In 2007 she won the 10,000 m at the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, setting a Games record time. The following year she was the USA champion over 8 km and just missed an Olympic spot in the 5000 m after a fourth place finish at the Olympic Trials
United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
in 2008.
She is married to Steve Slattery, a steeplechase
Steeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
runner and currently works at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
, where she earned her Masters degree in education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
.
High school
Born in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, she took up running as a high school athlete at Mountain Pointe High School
Mountain Pointe High School
Mountain Pointe High School is a secondary school located in the community of Ahwatukee, which is in the southern part of Phoenix, Arizona. Mountain Pointe is a part of the Tempe Union High School District....
and had her first successes at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships
Foot Locker Cross Country Championships
The Foot Locker Cross Country Championships are a series of annual cross country running races held in various regions of the United States to determine the premier cross country runner in various age groups, but mainly serves to find the best prep cross country athlete in the country...
, where she was the runner-up at the state-level event in 1997 and 1998 before going on to win the title in 1999. She was chosen for the United States junior team at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 27-28 March 1999 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
and in her first international outing she placed 73rd overall. Later that year she ran in the 3000 meters at the 1999 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
1999 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
The 10th Pan American Junior Athletics Championships were held in Tampa, Florida, on July 9-11, 1999.-Participation :Detailed result lists can be found on the CFPI and on the "World Junior Athletics History"website...
and beat Madai Pérez
Madaí Pérez
Madaí Pérez Carrillo is a Mexican long-distance runner. She represented Mexico in the marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.- Career :...
to win the title.
Colorado Buffaloes
She graduated in 2000 and began studying economics at the University of ColoradoUniversity of Colorado
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
. In her first year of collegiate competition, she came second at the Rocky Mountain Shootout cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
race, third at Big 12 Championships
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
, then placed eighth at the 2000 NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship
NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship
Each autumn, beginning in 1981, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has hosted women's cross country championships for each of its three divisions...
to become the first freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
to win All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honours at Colorado. Her performance as helped Colorado take the women's team title.
She competed at the USA Cross Country Championships
USA Cross Country Championships
The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, as well as acting as the selection race for the IAAF...
and was ninth in the short race. In her first indoor track season for Colorado, she ran a university record for the indoor mile run
Mile run
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...
at the Nebraska Quadrangular meet. At the Big 12 indoor track and field championships she won the mile title and was runner-up over the 3000 meters. A sixth place finish in the mile at the NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA team champions for Women's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Indoor Track and Field Champions*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship...
brought her further All-America honours. A bout of mononucleosis
Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis , is a disease most commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus . The EBV virus affects the lymphocytes- white blood cells that battle infections by attacking antibodies. Mononucleosis can also be caused by Cytomegalovirus , a herpes virus most commonly found in body fluids...
ruled her out of competition for the rest of the year.
In 2002 she came tenth in the NCAA Cross Country meet then was eighth in the 4 km race at the USA event. At the Big 12 Indoor event she broke the championship record with her winning run of 4:40.35 minutes in the mile and managed second in the 3000 m. At the NCAA indoors she came seventh in the mile run. Turning to the outdoor track season, she broke the meet record at the Big 12 Championships, taking the 5000 meters title in a time of 16:11.83 minutes. Following a personal record run of 15:51.55 minutes at the Cardinal Invitational, she competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships
NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA team champions for Women's Outdoor Track and Field-By school:-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Outdoor Track and Field Champions*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship...
and came fourth in the 5000 m.
Slattery did not compete in the 2003 cross country season, choosing to focus on the track instead. She doubled in the 3000 m and 5000 m events at the Big 12 indoor championship and won both titles. At the 2003 NCAA Indoors she came third in the 3000 m then ran a championship record time of 15:39.25 minutes in the 5000 m, winning her first NCAA title in the process. The outdoor Big 12 meet saw her win the 5000 m title and finish runner-up over 1500 meters. She competed over the longer distance at the NCAA Outdoors and reached the podium with a third place finish. She finished her economics degree that year, being named in the Academic All-Big 12 Conference list, and carried on into post-graduate study at Colorado on its Masters of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
course. She helped Colorado to the NCAA Cross Country team title, but did not compete for the rest of that year. She married fellow Colorado athlete Steve Slattery, a steeplechase
Steeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
specialist, in January 2004.
Slattery's second NCAA title came outdoors in 2005, where she took first place in the 10,000 meters with a time of 33:02.21 minutes (which ranked 8th nationally that year). She graduated later that year and ended her collegiate career having won 10 All-America honours, two individual NCAA titles. She set school records for the 1500 m, mile run, and 3000 m indoors and the 5000 m outdoors.
Professional career
The 2006 season was Slattery's first as a professional athlete. She came third in the 3000 m at the USA Indoor Track and Field ChampionshipsUSA Indoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Indoor Track and Field Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
. That year she improved three personal bests, running 8:58.09 minutes for the 3000 m, 15:08.32 minutes for the 5000 m and 31:57.94 minutes for the 10,000 m. The was fourth in the long race at the National Cross Country event and was then selected for the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 1-2 April 2006 in Fukuoka, Japan.The event was once again dominated by Ethiopian and Kenyan runners and also Eritrean runners...
, where she came 26th. A few months later she came second in the 10,000 m at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and won Colorado's Bolder Boulder
Bolder Boulder
The Bolder Boulder is an annual 10-kilometer road race in Boulder, Colorado. The origin of the name is unknown. The most recent race featured over 54,000 runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it the largest race in the US in which all participants are timed and the fifth largest road race...
10K road race. Although she only placed eighth in the 10,000 m at the 2007 USA Outdoors, she was chosen for the event at the 2007 Pan American Games
Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games
The athletics competition at the 2007 Pan American Games was held at the Flamengo Park and Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro between 22 July and 29 July 2007...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. She won her first international gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the competition and her time of 32:54.11 minutes was a Pan American Games record.
Her 2008 season was a mix of track and road competitions. She won the national road title over 8 km, was third at the Great Yorkshire Run
Great Yorkshire Run
The Great Yorkshire Run is an annual road-race event run in Sheffield City Centre. It is a part of the Great Run series of events, and as such is linked with the Great North Run...
10K, and placed fourth at the Carlsbad 5000
Carlsbad 5000
The Carlsbad 5000 is an annual road running event over which is typically held in April in Carlsbad, California, United States.The event was first held in 1986 and is organized by the Competitor Group...
. At the United States Olympic Trials
United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
she ran in both the 5000 m and 10,000 m events. However, she did not make the Olympic team, coming fourth and seventh respectively. She had a 3000 m season's best run of 9:00.25 minutes at the London Grand Prix
London Grand Prix
The Aviva London Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League...
and was eleventh in that event at the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 6th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on September 13 and September 14, 2008.A number of road races also took place on the second day of competition. There were seven different starting points around the Stuttgart area and the distances varied...
.
Slattery did not compete in 2009 and took on an assistant position for the Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado Buffaloes
The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
at her alma mater in January 2010. She continued to race occasionally, including a 10K win at the Bermuda Race Weekend, where her husband was also runner-up in the men's section.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 m | 4:19.14 | Austin, Texas Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... |
May 2003 |
| Mile run Mile run The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races... (indoor) |
4:40.35 | ? | 2002 |
| 3000 m | 8:58.09 | Carson, California Carson, California Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city.... |
May 2006 |
| 5000 m | 15:08.32 | Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
July 2006 |
| 10,000 m | 31:57.94 | Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... |
July 2006 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
International competition record
| 1999 | World Cross Country Championships 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 27-28 March 1999 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :... |
Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland |
73rd | Junior race | |
| 2006 | World Cross Country Championships 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 1-2 April 2006 in Fukuoka, Japan.The event was once again dominated by Ethiopian and Kenyan runners and also Eritrean runners... |
Fukuoka Fukuoka, Fukuoka is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by... , Japan |
26th | Long race | |
| 2007 | Pan American Games Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games The athletics competition at the 2007 Pan American Games was held at the Flamengo Park and Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro between 22 July and 29 July 2007... |
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... , Brazil |
1st | 10,000 m Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games – Women's 10,000 metres The women's 10,000 metres event at the 2007 Pan American Games was held on July 23.-Results:-References:*... |
32:54.11 GR |
| 2008 | World Athletics Final 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final The 6th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on September 13 and September 14, 2008.A number of road races also took place on the second day of competition. There were seven different starting points around the Stuttgart area and the distances varied... |
Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany |
11th | 3000 m |