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In six years as a member of the Cardinal coaching staff, Dena Evans has helped guide the Stanford women's cross country program into one of the best in the nation. Evans was promoted to Head Women's Cross Country Coach in July of 2003.
Her first year as head coach in 2003 proved to be very successful. Evans coached the Stanford women to the 2003 NCAA cross country title with an eight point victory over runner-up Brigham Young. Led by the tandem of Sara Bei and Alicia Craig, who finished third and sixth respectively, the Cardinal won its second NCAA title in the last eight years. Along with Bei and Craig, freshmen Katy Trotter and Arianna Lambie, who finished 21st and 24th, earned All-America honors. Trotter was the highest placing freshmen in the entire field. Also in 2003, Evans led the Cardinal to its eighth consecutive Pac-10 Championship title and seventh NCAA West Regional title in the last eight years.
Under Evans' tutelage, Cardinal student-athletes earned numerous individual cross country honors in 2003. Bei was named the Pac-10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year after winning the individual Pac-10 title for the second consecutive year. Craig was named the NCAA West Regional Athlete of the Year after repeating as individual champion at the regional meet. Lambie, who placed third at the Pac-10 Championships, was named the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year. Katy and Amanda Trotter competed for Team USA at the IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships in Brussels, Belgium. Evans served as team leader for the 2003 U.S. Junior National Cross Country team. Evans was named the 2003 NCAA and Pac-10 Women's Coach of the Year.
During the 2004 outdoor track and field season, Evans helped guide the Stanford women to second at the Pac-10 Championship, third at the NCAA West Regional Championships and sixth at the NCAA Championship. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Alicia Craig won the 10,000 meters for the second straight year and Sara Bei placed second in the 5000 meters. Cardinal student-athletes coached by Evans were impressive at the Pac-10 Championships as well. Conference first place honors went to Alicia Craig in the 10,000 meters and Sara Bei in the 5000 meters. Stanford runners finished runner-up in the 1500 meters, 3000 meter steeplechase and the 5000 meters. In the 5000 meters, Stanford placed 1-2-3-5 for 28 team points. Craig and Bei were finalists at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 10,000 and 5000 meters, respectively. Craig placed fifth, the highest finish among collegiate athletes.
Numerous Stanford student-athletes set school records under the watchful eye of Evans in 2004. Alicia Craig set the all-time NCAA collegiate record in the 10,000 meters with a time of 32:19.97. Katy Trotter set a school record in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 10:07.55, the third fastest in Pac-10 history. Arianna Lambie set a freshmen school record in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:13.14, the seventh fastest time in the history of the Pac-10 Conference. Evans was one of nine coaches to be named the 2004 Mondo National Assistant Coach of the Year.
At the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships, Evans coached two student-athletes and one relay team to second place finishes. Bei was runner-up in the 3000 meters, Craig was second in the 5000 meters, and the distance medley relay team finished second.
During Evans' four previous years as an assistant coach, Stanford won four consecutive Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional Championships and finished in the top five at the NCAA Championships every year.
Evans has helped lead the Cardinal middle distance and distance runners to 14 All-America honors in cross country and 37 in track and field. Among the athletes she helped coach are five-time NCAA champion Lauren Fleshman, 2003 and 2004 NCAA 10,000 meter champion Alicia Craig, 1500 meter school record holder Malindi Elmore, and 11-time All-American Sally Glynn. Since 1999, Stanford student-athletes have won four individual titles at the Pac-10 Cross Country Championships, and three individual crowns at the NCAA West Regional Championships. During that same period, Cardinal women have won eight individual titles in the middle distance and distance events at the Pac-10 Track and Field Championships. Evans was named NCAA Western Region Co-Coach of the Year in 1999, 2001 and 2002. Evans serves as the Western Region representative of the Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association.
Evans is a 1996 graduate of Stanford, where she earned three All-America honors as a middle distance runner. In addition to her three All-America awards, Evans and her teammates broke school records in the 4 x 1500 meter relay, and indoor and outdoor distance medley relays. Also, she was an All Pac-10 selection in track and field from 1992-96 and a 1996 Olympic Trials qualifier in the 1500 meters. Evans was elected team captain of the Cardinal in her final two seasons and was the team's MVP her junior and senior years.
Evans was also a standout player on Stanford's nationally-ranked soccer team where she still ranks among the top-10 in career points, goals, assists and single season assists. She won the Stanford Block "S" Award for Best Female Sophomore Athlete and the Pam Strathairn Award for competitive attitude as a senior.
As a student-athlete for the Cardinal, the former Dena Dey enjoyed tremendous success both in and out of the classroom. An honor student each of her four years on The Farm, Evans received a prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship in 1996. The following year, Evans received her Masters degree in secondary education and a teaching credential through the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP).
Evans made the transition to the track & field staff after serving as the administrative associate for student-athlete services at Stanford. She also taught at Kennedy Middle School in Redwood City and worked with USA Track & Field since her graduation from Stanford.Evans is married to former Cardinal football standout Marlon Evans. They have a two year old daughter, Adrienne.