Amber Larsen begins her fourth season with the Wake Forest cross country and track and field teams. She works predominantly with the sprinters, hurdlers and middle distance runners. Under Larsen's guidance, 12 athletes have broken school records at Wake Forest. In addition, 13 student-athletes have qualified for Regionals under her tutelage. Larsen coached Michelle Loyd to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Regional Championships, which qualifed Loyd for the NCAA Championships. Larsen also coached Jon Reid, the Canadian Junior National Champion in the 400-meter and a fourth-place finisher at the 2008 Canadian Olympic Trials, and Eric Dudley, an unattached runner, to a 10th-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 400-meter hurdles. Before coming to Wake Forest, Larsen spent two years as a volunteer with the University of Illinois women's track and field team. With the Illini, Larsen gained experience coaching sprints, hurdles, jumps, multi-events and middle distance. In 2005, Illinois captured the Big Ten Conference Championship. Larsen also spent two years at the University of Idaho as an assistant track and field and cross country coach. Larsen helped lead the Vandals to the Big West cross country crown in 2002 and to the 2003 track and field conference championship. A 2001 graduate of Linfield College, Larsen ran varsity track for four seasons. Larsen was honored as the NCAA Woman of the Year in Oregon and was the NCAA Division III National Champion in the 400-meter hurdles. She was an All-American in 2000 after finishing third in the 400-meter hurdles and again in 2001 after finishing third in the 400-meter indoor competition. Larsen's other 2001 honors include the Western Regional Female Athlete of the Year, the Northwest Conference Female Athlete of the Year and the Linfield College Female Athlete of the Year. Larsen graduated in 2001 with a B.A. in health education and a minor in Spanish. In 2003, she earned her M.S. in physical education at the University of Idaho where she majored in sports science with an emphasis in exercise physiology. |
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