March 14, 2008
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IOWA CITY, IA — Layne Anderson has been named Head Women’s Track and Field Coach at the University of Iowa. The announcement was made by UI Director of Athletics, Gary Barta. Anderson served as Iowa’s interim head women’s track coach since the death of former Head Coach James Grant last summer. Anderson has served as the Hawkeye head women’s cross country coach the past five seasons and an assistant track coach for four.
“Layne Anderson has been part of our program for the past five years,” said Barta. “He was an outstanding assistant under the late James Grant, and as head coach of our women’s cross country team he has elevated the Iowa program to a status that ranks among the nation’s elite. I feel he is very deserving of the women’s head track coaching position and we look forward to his tenure as Iowa’s head coach.”
In his five years with the cross country team, the Hawkeyes have made strong strides toward recapturing the program’s success of the 1980’s. The squad qualified for the NCAA Championships as a team the past two seasons (2006, 2007) after a 14-year absence from the meet. The team’s 10th-place finish in 2007 was the second-best in school history. The Hawkeyes also recorded their highest finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet (third) under Anderson. The team has improved its finish and lowered its point totals at the Big Ten and regional meets each of the last five years, and set school records in the 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 and 6,000 meters. The team also earned academic all-America honors from the Women’s Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association four times, and recognized 26 individual academic all-Big Ten honorees. The Hawkeyes posted eight academic all-Big Ten honorees in 2007, which was a school record.
“I am extremely honored to be selected as the Head Women’s Track & Field Coach at the University of Iowa,” said Anderson. “I appreciate the efforts of the search committee, the women’s track and field team, Mr. Barta and everyone involved in the search process. I truly believe that the potential at the University of Iowa is endless, and I will work tirelessly for the University, the Athletic Department, and our student-athletes.”
During Anderson’s tenure as interim head coach, the Hawkeyes crowned two Big Ten indoor champions and placed fifth at the 2008 conference meet. Iowa posted 14 NCAA indoor provisional qualifiers, and will have four student-athletes competing at the NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend in Fayetteville, AR.
Anderson also had success with the middle distance and distance corps in his four seasons as assistant track coach. During that time the Hawkeyes crowned three all-Americans, posted 19 national qualifiers and 13 regional qualifiers. Iowa was one of four schools in the nation to have NCAA indoor qualifying marks in the 800 meters, mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters and distance medley relay in 2004.
Anderson holds two degrees from The Citadel. He earned a bachelor’s (1989) and masters of education (1991), both in health and physical education. Layne and his wife, Alexis, had their first child, Sawyer, early Wednesday morning.
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