STANDISH (NEWS CENTER Maine) — Olympic hopeful and nationally renowned long jumper and sprinter Kate Hall will trade in her running shoes to watch from the sidelines as she takes a coaching position at Saint Joseph's College in Standish.
After claiming a pair of individual national championships and earning five All-America accolades, Hall is taking the assistant coach position for the college's Cross Country and Track & Field team.
The Casco native, who had an impressive career start while at Lake Region High School, says she is forgoing her senior season at the University of Georgia to train in Maine for the 2019 World Championships and a shot at qualifying for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“Coaching athletes is something I’m very passionate about. I’m excited to begin my career at St. Joe’s working with great athletes to help accomplish their goals,” said Hall.
Hall made a name for herself when she broke the national high school long jump record her senior year at Lake Region with a leap of 22-5. The jump not only broke a 39-year record but also surpassed the U.S. junior mark and placed her in a tie for ninth in the 2015 world rankings.
In two years at Georgia, Hall established new program records in the indoor long jump (22-1), indoor 60-meter dash (7.17), and outdoor long jump (22-1) events.
St. Joseph's Cross County and Track & Field Head Coach Tom Dann says he is to have someone with Hall's level of experience join their coaching staff.
Hall has also become a voice for athletes suffering with Type 1 Diabetes as she blogs about her journey with the disease.