Derek Stanley, a native of Pataskala, Ohio, begins his eighth season as Marietta College’s Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach in 2010-11.
Stanley has been building the Track & Field/Cross Country teams into a nationally prominent program since taking the reigns in January 2004. Over the course of his tenure the Marietta track & field program has earned 98 All-OAC athletes and produced 26 OAC champions, 23 NCAA national qualifiers and five All-Americans. In addition to the track & field accolades Marietta harriers have earned nine All-OAC and two All-Region awards in cross country to go with the eight straight years of USTFCCCA Academic All-American status for the women’s team. In 2010, the men's team also earned the prestigious honor.
During the 2010 cross country season, Stanley helped junior Reba Leonard and Caleb Muller both earn All-Region honors. In addition, Muller became the first Marietta runner in 32 years to qualify and run at the NCAA Championship.
Stanley guided the Pioneers to their best ever finish at the 2010 OAC Indoor Championship, which was hosted in Marietta. Keyed by 15 All-OAC performances and one OAC champion, the women placed second and the men took fifth. Marietta’s women then matched their runner-up finish and the men placed eighth at the 2010 OAC Outdoor Championship. The Pioneers won six event titles and had 10 All-OAC performances during the outdoor championship.
Ten student-athletes—two indoors and eight outdoors—also qualified for the national championship meet. Of those qualifiers, three participated in the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championship, including sophomore All-American Mike Pankowski who took fifth in the Javelin Throw.
In 2009, Stanley earned Great Lakes Regional Women’s Coach of the Year honors for both Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field. Both the men and women maintained their placement in the OAC, finishing sixth and fifth, respectively, at the 2009 OAC Outdoor Championship. Freshman Jayshon Irvin became the first Pioneer to receive an individual award at the OAC Championship since the program was reinstated. He earned Most Outstanding Sprinter of the Meet for his first place finishes in the 100m and 200m Dashes. Sixteen other athletes, including relay teams, earned All-OAC outdoor honors. Stanley’s program also tallied 12 All-OAC performances at the 2009 Indoor Championship, where Marietta’s women placed fourth and the men placed sixth.
In addition to the track & field program’s strong performance within the OAC, Marietta had nine different NCAA qualifying performances for the men’s and women’s team in 2009. Three athletes earned the opportunity to represent Marietta at the national level. Two Pioneers competed at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship, which was hosted at home in Don Drumm Stadium. Freshman Jayshon Irvin and sophomore Zach Gay both received All-American honors at the outdoor event. Irvin placed sixth in the 100m Dash, while Gay placed eighth in the High Jump. Senior Brian Pallini also earned All-American honors with his eighth place finish in the Weight Throw at the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Championship.
In the fall of 2009, the men and women’s cross country teams both ran to a sixth place finish at the OAC Championship. Senior Josh Mickle took 16th overall and became the first male runner in almost four decades to earn All-OAC accolades.
In 2008, the men and women’s placed seventh and fifth place finish, respectively, at the OAC Cross Country Championship, hosted by Marietta at the Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area. Individually, junior Randi Robertson placed third in the women’s race, the second best finish for a Pioneer woman in school history. Freshman Jennifer Emmert also received All-OAC honors for her 17th place finish in the race. The teams went on to their best finishes in program’s history at the Great Lakes Regional Championship where the women finished 12th of 34 teams and the men finished 23rd of 34 teams.
Stanley came to Marietta from Bluffton College, where he served as the head men and women’s track and cross country coach since 2001. During his time at Bluffton, a member of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, the Beavers had four individual HCAC champions in 2002 and the Freshman of the Year in the HCAC in 2003. In addition, his women’s cross country team earned Academic All-American status in 2001 and 2002, and his men’s cross country team earned the honor in 2002.
Stanley received his bachelor’s of Business Administration from Tiffin University in 1999 and his master’s in Education from Bowling Green State University in 2002. Although focusing mainly on distance events, he qualified to the indoor NAIA national championship meet in Lincoln, Neb., where he represented Tiffin one the 4x400 meter relay team. Stanley remained at Tiffin as a graduate assistant coach for two years following his graduation. During his time at Tiffin, Stanley coached numerous student-athletes to the NAIA national championships.
Stanley holds USATF coaching education certificates in the following areas: Level 1, Level 2 (Jumps, Throws, Sprints, Hurdles & Relays and Endurance). He is also a certified instructor for USATF Level 1 coaching education schools.
Stanley and his wife Kristin live in Marietta.
