Jonathon Riley

Sport: Cross Country, Track & Field Year: Senior Height: 5-8 Weight: 150 Hometown: Brookline, Massachusetts High School: Brookline Major: Studio Arts

For many track & field competitors, competing in the Olympics is a lifelong dream, a chance to represent your country, compete before the world's stage and possibly win a gold medal.

For Jonathon Riley, that dream seems real. Riley has been closely watching the events in Sydney, and understanding that he may someday proudly wear the colors of the United States.

"Up until this year, the Olympics have been exciting and the pinnacle of one's career, but watching two of my Stanford teammates (Gabe Jennings, Michael Stember) has given me a new feeling that seems real, as opposed to just watching an event on television," said Riley, who is of the top distance runners in the United States, and currently running for Stanford.

"Watching Gabe and Michael has been an emotional experience for me. I have been excited about their races, and that has made me really want to be there. It's something that is tangible now, and I feel like I'm striving for it now."

Riley is no stranger to success on the track. A co-captain on this year's nationally-ranked Cardinal cross country team, Riley is a nine-time All-American and a part of a world record holding distance medley relay team. Although his accomplishments may have been overshadowed by the success of Jennings, Stember, and Brad and Brent Hauser, those in the track community know that Riley is on course for a possible date at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

This past summer, Riley, who had just completed a successful spring track season, competed in the 5,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento. The likeable senior athlete from Brookline, Mass, understood that making the American team would be tough, but the experience would be priceless.

"Running at the Trials was a healthy experience," said Riley. "I don't think I was mentally ready to make the team this year, but I discovered what it takes to win and make the team."

Riley's run in the 5,000 meter prelims didn't go as planned because of a freak accident one mile into the race. With the pack still tight and much bumping amongst the runners, Riley's right heel was clipped by another runner, thus pulling off the heel of his shoe.

"For about 200 meters, there was a moment of panic. 'What was I going to do?'. I thought about stopping and putting my shoe back on, or just pulling the shoe off and continue running. But I didn't know what to do."

The shoe incident immediately took him out of the race mentally, according to Riley. Instead of thinking about the race and the strategy, "I was thinking about outside circumstances."

Riley then decided to kick his shoe off and keep running. "Once I started running relaxed, I tried to get myself back in the race."

Running with only one shoe and with nearly two miles to go, the pace started to pickup, and Riley ran into another roadblock. "I couldn't get any traction on the track. I was running with an uneven stride. It was hard to pick up the pace, and I was falling behind the other runners. It was pretty devastating."

But Riley is a fighter, and he wanted to complete the race. Once the race was over, the Stanford coaching staff petitioned him to get into the 5,000 meter finals. Riley's petition was accepted and he moved into the finals of the race. He finished eighth in the finals, an experience that will help in future races.

Riley discovered in the seventh grade that he had the talent and the interest to run. His experience playing soccer (midfielder), his ability to run, and encouragement from his father propelled him to where he is today, one of the nation's top distance runners.

His countless hours of training have produced success at Stanford. As he prepares himself for his fourth and final season of collegiate cross country, Riley has been an All-America runner the previous three seasons, and has helped the Cardinal to a NCAA title in 1997, second place in 1998, and fourth place in 1999.

Stanford's men's team is currently ranked #2 in the nation, and Riley is optimistic the team could win top honors in 2000.

"I have never seen a team in better shape," said Riley. "Everyone has been diligent with their training over the summer. The NCAA's was an educational experience for us last year, to show us what it really takes to win. Our team looks great. Everyone is excited, optimistic and have set ambitious goals."

Riley and his teammates have made the commitment to train hard throughout the season, running between 80-to-100 miles a week.

"Earlier in my career at Stanford, I wanted to run more for Top-10 finishes, start in the middle of the pack and move up. This year, the expectations are higher, stay near the front of the pack and win the race."

Like other Stanford athletes, school is an important ingredient in his success. Riley enjoys drawing, thus his interest has led him to a major in Studio Arts with a concentration in product design.

"A Studio Arts major is a combination of art and mechanical engineering. I always have enjoyed drawing, a passion for it. I will try to make a career of it."

In the meantime, running is another passion, an experience that will lead him for several more years.

"I will continue running after my days at Stanford. I look up to a lot of people for inspiration, people like the Hausers and Gabe Jennings. I like the demeanor of both Brad and Brent, and their responsibility for running, their competitive drive. They have gotten the job done on the track. Gabe is a good friend and a rival since high school. I admire his energy and drive."

Riley made the right choice in pursing his running and educational goals at Stanford.

"I'm pretty happy about the opportunities that are here at Stanford," said Riley. "Just being a part of the team, I feel fortunate and that keeps me in a good mood."