There have been many great women athletes and coaches who led Penn State teams to successful seasons, earning conference and national honors in the fifty years since Title IX enactment. This section displays only a small sampling of images of athletes and coaches who were among the best during their collegiate careers at Penn State. The collection link below leads to the collection guide and inventory of more than 11,000 men’s and women’s athletes, coaches, and administrators dating back to the 1880s. Materials in each file may include photos, biographical material, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles for a specific athlete.
Aleesha Barber
Aleesha Barber was a member of the women’s track and field team from 2006 to 2010 in sprints, hurdles, and sprint relay teams. She was a nine time All-American, six time Big Ten champion, and seven-time school record holder. Barber competed for Trinidad and Tobago in the 100m hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Beth Alford-Sullivan
Beth Alford-Sullivan was head coach of the men’s and women’s track and field and cross-country teams from 1999 to 2014. She has been one of the top track and field coaches in the US during her thirty-one year career at numerous schools. Alford-Sullivan won 29 Coach of the Year Awards as a Penn State coach and led Penn State to seven Big Ten Conference titles. She coached four individual NCAA champions, one relay team, and eight Olympians. Alford-Sullivan was an assistant coach for the US track and field team at the 2003 World Championships and served as assistant coach on the U.S. women’s track and field team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Bridget Franek
Bridget Franek was a member of the women’s cross country and track and field teams from 2006 to 2010. She was the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a ten-time NCAA All-American, two time Big Ten Conference Champion, and seven-time school record holder. Franek qualified for the NCAA women’s cross-country championships all four years. She was successful in the 3000m steeplechase at the NCAA Championships as she finished third in 2008 and was the champion in 2010. Franek was the Big Ten cross-country champion and helped Penn State win the team title in 2009.
She continued racing at the national level, finishing third in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2009 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships and placed second in 2010 and 2011. Franek competed on the in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2012 London Olympics.
Connie Moore
Connie Moore was a member of the women’s track and field team from 2001 to 2004. She is one of the most decorated sprinters in Penn State history with seven All-American honors. She was the first Penn Stater to earn indoor All-America honors in sprinting events in 2001. Moore won the 100m at the Big Ten Championships in 2002 and 2003 and held six records when she graduated in 2004
At the international level, she helped the US women’s 4 x 100m team to win the gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games and won the 200m at the 2010 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Moore was named to the 4 x 100m U.S. women’s relay team but did not compete at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Jen Leatherman
Jen Leatherman was on the Penn State track and field team in 2005 and 2006 after competing for the Naval Academy in 2003 and 2004. She was a three-time All-American at the 2005 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships and a two-time All-American in the 2006 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, competing in the in the shot put, hammer, and 20 lb. weight throw.
Kathy Mills
Kathy Mills competed on the cross country and track and field teams from 1976 to 1980. She was a seven-time All-American. Mills was a four time All-American in cross country, finishing first in 1977, third in 1976 and 1978, and fourth in 1979. She won the 3000m and 5000m at the 1978 NCAA Outdoor Championships and finished fourth in the 5000m at the 1978 Indoor Championships. Mills was number 16 on the list of Penn State 100 Greatest Athletes in 2020.
Kim Kelly
Kim Kelly competed on the cross country and track and field teams from 1991 to 1995 with her twin sister Kris. She was a three-season All-American as a sophomore in the 1992-1993 academic year, placing high enough at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Kelly was a two-time All-American at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. She helped the cross-country team place sixth at the 1992 NCAA Championships and seventh at the 1993 NCAA Championships.
Kris Bankes
Kris Bankes competed on the cross country and track and field teams from 1975 to 1978. She was an All-American in cross country in 1977, a two-time All-American at the 1976 and 1978 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Shana Cox
Shana Cox was a member of the women’s track and field team from 2005 to 2008. She finished second in the 400m at the 2007 NCAA Championships and won both the 400m and 4 x 400m relay at the 2008 NCAA Championships. Cox was honored as a seven-time All-American and nine-time Big Ten champion. She held eight Penn State records at the end of her collegiate career. Cox was number 97 on the list of Penn State Top 100 All-Time Athletes in 2020. Cox competed for Great Britain in the 4 x 400m women’s relay at the 2012 London Olympics, helping the team to a fourth-place finish.
Teri Jordan
Teri Jordan was the head coach of the women’s track and field and cross–country teams from 1984 to 2000. She was named Eastern Track Coach of the Year three times (1985, 1986, 1990) and Eastern Cross-Country Coach of the Year twice (1984, 1985). Teri was involved in U.S. women’s track and field as an assistant coach at the 1991 World Championships, head coach at the 1995 World Championships and the women’s cross-country team at the 1999 World Championships. She was named the coach for the Ability Athletes in 2000, and she was as an assistant coach on the U.S. Paralympics track and field team for Jeff Hantz at the 2004 Athens and for Emily Frederick at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Here is the link to the athlete’s and coaches’ files collection: Pennsylvania State University, Intercollegiate Athletics public relations files