Anna Willard
Encyclopedia
Anna Pierce (born March 31, 1984 in Portland, Maine
) is an American
middle distance
runner
.
. She took up running as a high school student at Telstar High School
in Bethel, Maine
. She competed as an undergraduate for Brown University
and as a graduate student for the University of Michigan
. Because Pierce missed a track season at Brown due to injury, she had not exhausted her athletic eligibility prior to graduation. Therefore, she was able to compete for Michigan in 2007 as a graduate student.
Anna became engaged to fellow American steeplechaser Jonathan Pierce at the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials. She is especially known for dyeing her hair unusual colors. Her hair was blonde with pink streaks at the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials, and she dyed it purple before the 2008 Summer Olympics.
en route to qualifying for the United States Olympic team
.
Pierce's U.S. steeplechase record was eclipsed by teammate Jennifer Barringer
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. Pierce qualified for the Olympic final by finishing sixth in her heat, and placed tenth in the final with a time of 9:25.63.
In 2009, Pierce focused more on her 1500 m
and 800 m
racing. She was victorious at the USA Indoor 1500 m, and the 800 m at the Reebok Grand Prix
and a Golden League meet in Paris
. Pierce chose to run only in the 1500 m at the World Championships in Berlin
, finishing 6th with a time of 4:06.19.
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
middle distance
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
.
Personal
Pierce grew up on a farm in Greenwood, MaineGreenwood, Maine
Greenwood is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 802 at the 2000 census. The town was named for surveyor Alexander Greenwood...
. She took up running as a high school student at Telstar High School
Telstar Regional Middle/High School
Telstar Regional Middle/High School is a middle/high school located in Bethel, Maine, in the United States as part of Maine School Administrative District 44...
in Bethel, Maine
Bethel, Maine
Bethel is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,411 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of West Bethel and South Bethel...
. She competed as an undergraduate for Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
and as a graduate student for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Because Pierce missed a track season at Brown due to injury, she had not exhausted her athletic eligibility prior to graduation. Therefore, she was able to compete for Michigan in 2007 as a graduate student.
Anna became engaged to fellow American steeplechaser Jonathan Pierce at the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials. She is especially known for dyeing her hair unusual colors. Her hair was blonde with pink streaks at the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials, and she dyed it purple before the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Career
Pierce set the U.S. women's record for the 3000 meter steeplechase of 9:27.56 at the 2008 United States Olympic track and field trials on July 3, 2008 in Eugene, OregonEugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
en route to qualifying for the United States Olympic team
United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. American athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1896 Summer Olympics except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. The United States entered the Games as the most successful nation in...
.
Pierce's U.S. steeplechase record was eclipsed by teammate Jennifer Barringer
Jennifer Barringer
Jennifer Simpson is an American middle distance runner and steeplechaser. She represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Simpson holds the American record in the Steeplechase with a time of 9:12.50...
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Pierce qualified for the Olympic final by finishing sixth in her heat, and placed tenth in the final with a time of 9:25.63.
In 2009, Pierce focused more on her 1500 m
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
and 800 m
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
racing. She was victorious at the USA Indoor 1500 m, and the 800 m at the Reebok Grand Prix
Reebok Grand Prix
The Adidas Grand Prix, formerly the Reebok Grand Prix, is an annual athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
and a Golden League meet in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Pierce chose to run only in the 1500 m at the World Championships in Berlin
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, finishing 6th with a time of 4:06.19.