In 13 seasons at Georgia State, under Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach John Rowland, Jessica Raby and the women’s program produced two Cross Country Conference Championship teams, 13 All-Conference athletes, four Rookies-of-the year, and three NCAA Qualifiers.
In 2007, the women’s cross country team finished 6th at the NCAA South Region Championship, their highest finish in the program’s history. The panthers finished third at the CAA Championship and three runners earned All-CAA honors- Rachel Hannah, Rebecca Hallam, and Caitlin Price. Rachel Hannah was CAA Runner of the Year, All-Region and placed 95th at the NCAA National Championship. Raby was named 2007 CAA Coach of the Year and Rebecca Hallam was awarded Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
In the program’s history there have been three NCAA National Qualifiers in Cross Country (Sarah Howard in 1999, Jenn Feenstra in 2001, and Rachel Hannah in 2007) and Jenn Feenstra qualified for the 2002 NCAA Indoor Track National Championship where she finished 10th in the 5,000m. Five athletes have been named All-Region including Sarah Howard (1998, 1999), Jenn Feenstra (2001, 2003), Andrea Smith (2002), Nigisti Negussie (2003), and Rachel Hannah (2007). Twenty-eight Panthers have received All-Conference honors in Cross Country and four have been named Conference Cross Country Runner-of-the-Year: Sara Acraman-1995, Sarah Howard-1996, 1997, & 1998, Jenn Feenstra-2004, and Rachel Hannah-2007. Four panthers were also named Freshman-of-the-Year: Jenn Feenstra-2001, Andrea Smith-2003, Caitlin Price-2006, and Rebecca Hallam- 2007.
The Cross Country team has been awarded the All-Academic Team Award from the Women’s Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association from 2001-2007. In 2007 the team combined for a 3.35 cumulative GPA. Rachel Hannah was named the 2007 CAA Scholar Athlete of the Year, earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, and was Georgia State’s Student-Athlete of the Year for ‘07-‘08.
The Panthers have also combined for 26 All-Conference Track Selections in the distance events. Sarah Howard was a 6-time Conference Champion (3,000m-1997, 1998, 1999, & 2000 and 5,000m-1999 & 2000) and was chosen Most Outstanding Performer of the Track Conference Championship in 1999.
Jenn Feenstra was a 5-time Conference Champion (3,000m-2001, 3kST-2004, 5,000m-2001, 10,000m-2004 & 2005) and qualified for the NCAA East Regional meet in the 3k Steeplechase. This spring, Caitlin Price was conference champion in the 5,000m and qualified for the NCAA Track Regional Meet with a time of 16:50.28. Price was also named to the 2008 All-Academic Track & Field Team. Price and Hannah both earned CAA All-Conference honors in the 5000m, continuing the successful "run" of distance runners at Georgia State.
A former Panther herself, Jessica (Graham) Raby finished in the top four overall in the Cross Country Conference Championship for three consecutive years at Georgia State to become a three-time All-Conference honoree. Her highest finish came in the 1990 Conference Championship Meet where she finished second. She also had success in Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race as a Top 75 finisher in the women’s division. Raby worked for the International Broadcasting Company during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta in the marathon and racewalk competitions. She worked as a race commentator for WSB Radio for the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta.
Raby earned her Bachelor of Music from Georgia State University and a Master of Music from Indiana University in Bloomington. In addition to her coaching, she taught clarinet for Georgia State University’s Neighborhood Music Schools from 1994-2005 and has completed coursework in the Counseling program at Georgia State. Jessica and her husband, Dwight, reside in Atlanta.
