Oct. 7, 2002

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - World-class distance runner Peter Julian has been named a volunteer assistant coach for the Santa Clara University men's and women's cross country teams and will assist with all aspects of coaching both programs, the school announced today.

Julian, a 1994 graduate of the University of Portland, was a four-time All-America selection for the Pilots and earned a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan-Am Games. He posted the third-fastest marathon time for an American in 2001 and recently finished sixth in the 2002 Pittsburgh Marathon. Julian is currently employed as a professional track and field athlete for Team Adidas and provides research assistance for SMI and the United States Olympic Committee.

"Peter's desire to excel in the coaching profession coupled with his enthusiasm and passion for distance running will undoubtedly help our programs a great deal," said men's head coach John Maloney. "His experience as one of America's top distance runners has provided him great exposure to the top training methods in the world. His experiences will provide our student-athletes with a diverse training perspective that should provide a long-term benefit for our men's and women's programs."

"Not only will our athletes will benefit from Peter's presence, but so will a variety of other aspects of running our WCC championship program," said women's head coach Tom Service. "The more individual attention we can provide to our current and prospective student-athletes will help us remain on a growth track for our programs. Peter is a proven success story and his desire to be involved with our program will help us in virtually every coaching, recruiting and administrative area."