Track and Field
- Title:
- Volunteer Coach
- Email:
- ashcroft@uoregon.edu
- Phone:
- (541) 346-5438
Jenni Ashcroft was promoted to assistant coach in the summer of 2010 following four years of exceptional commitment as a volunteer assistant for the Ducks.
Now in her sixth season overall with Oregon, Ashcroft works with the women's middle distance runners and pole vaulters, in addition to her duties with the cross country team.
Working in concert with Vin Lananna, Ashcroft helped Jordan Hasay win the Pac-10 cross country title and finish third at the NCAA Championships in 2010. Hasay's NCAA finish was the best by a Duck in 19 years. Hasay also won the NCAA West Regional. Both Hasay and Alexandra Kosinski, who was 19th at the NCAA meet, earned All-America honors for cross country in 2010.
The following spring on the track, Anne Kesselring won the NCAA title at 800 meters, while Hasay was an All-American in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters. At the 2011 Pac-10 Championships, Oregon went 1-3-4-6 in the 1,500 meters, with Hasay taking the crown, followed by Kesselring (third), Becca Friday (fourth) and Megan Patrignelli (sixth). Friday would also go on to post All-America honors at the NCAA Championships.
The 2011 NCAA meet also saw Ashcroft mentor a national champion in pole vaulter Melissa Gergel. The senior won the 2011 Outdor crown by clearing 14-7.25/4.45m, and then matched that bar again at the USA Championships where she took fourth. Her height was the second-best in school history.
The 2011 indoor season was again tremendously successful for the Ducks, who won their second straight national title with Hasay capturing both the mile and 3,000 meters. She led Oregon's 1-3-4 finish in the mile as well as its runner-up finish in the distance medley relay. Gergel had another strong indoor performance in the pole vault with a fourth-place finish.
Ashcroft was instrumental in the development of Gergel, a seven-time All-American, as well as NCAA Championships qualifiers Colin Witter-Tilton and Jordan Roskelley. Pole vaulters have contributed to each of Oregon's back-to-back-to-back women's Pac-10 champions, including Gergel's Pac-10 title in 2009. Gergel followed that up with a runner-up finish at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships, as she set the UO indoor record at 14-7.25.Ashcroft has also previously assisted with the men's and women's high jumpers, hurdlers and the combined events.
The former All-America pole vaulter spent four seasons (2003-06) on the Wichita State coaching staff, first as a graduate assistant and then as an assistant coach. Over that span, athletes in the pole vault, long jump and triple jump scored six Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) titles, earned 26 all-conference selections and 17 regional invitations, set 11 school records and seven MVC records, made four NCAA appearances, and received one All-America plaque.
The Shocker squads also claimed two men's outdoor team titles and four women's team victories. Her pupils included All-America and conference champion pole vaulter Jackie Brown, an indoor and outdoor school record holder, and two other conference victors, Brooke Demo (pole vault) and Jelena Petrovic (long jump). Petrovic also scored an outdoor long jump school record (20-8) and NCAA invitations indoors and outdoors.
As an athlete, the former University of Nevada pole vaulter earned All-America honors at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She was also a pole vault conference champion in the Big West (2000) and WAC Conferences, a 2000 Olympic Trials qualifier, and the state of Nevada NCAA Woman of the Year.
Ashcroft graduated from Nevada in 2002 with a degree in secondary education, and added a master's in sports administration at Wichita State in 2005. The Sheridan High School (Ore.) product was a state pole vault champion and 2A state meet record holder.
Jenni Ashcroft Has Guided UO Athletes to:
4 NCAA Titles
800 Meters 2011 (W)
Mile 2011i (W)
3,000 Meters 2011i (W)
Pole Vault 2011 (W)
4 Pac-10 Titles
1,500 Meters 2011 (W)
5,000 Meters 2011 (W)
Pole Vault 2009 (W)
Cross Country 2010 (W)
22 All-America Awards
800 Meters 2011 (2xW)
1,500 Meters 2011 (2xW)
Mile 2011i (3xW)
3,000 Meters 2011i (W)
5,000 Meters 2011 (W)
10,000 Meters 2011 (W)
3,000 Meter Steeplechase 2011 (2xW)
Distance Medley Relay 2011 (W)
Pole Vault 2008i (W), 2008 (W), 2009i (W), 2010i (W), 2010 (W), 2011i (W), 2011 (W)
Cross Country 2010 (2xW)
