Former GSU cross country and track & field standout Zaven O’Bryant rejoins the Panthers as a cross country volunteer assistant coach effective August 2012.
Currently, he is working towards his Ph.D. in biomedical science at Morehouse College in Atlanta, while continuing to train as a runner.
O’Bryant previously worked with the Georgia State track and field teams as a volunteer assistant back in 2010. Below is the information during his time as a GSU student-athlete.
Spring 2009: Competed in the 800m during the indoor season and posted the team’s top two times of 1:55.86 at the Niswonger Invitational where he finished first...Placed seventh at the Tiger Paw Invitational with a time of 1:56.72...Competed in the 800m and 1500m during the outdoor season...Posted the team’s top time in the 800m, running a 1:52.52 at the Maryland Twilight where he finished second overall and first in the college division...Placed fourth in the 800m at the CAA Championships with a time of 1:53.44...Posted his season-best 1500m time of 3:55.66 at the Gem of the Hills meet.
Fall 2008: Competed in five of six meets during the cross country season...Ran his best 8K time of 26:11.39 at the Greater Louisville Classic where he placed 110th out of 294 runners...Placed 20th out of a field of 77 with a time of 26:47.69 at the Crimson Classic...Was the 132nd runner to cross the finish line out of a field of 301 at the Penn State Nationals, finishing in 27:07...Was 24th of 75 at the CAA Championships with a time of 25:43 and ran a 34:01.41 at the NCAA South Regionals to finish 72nd out of 147 runners.
2007-08: Finished 3rd overall at the Georgia State Invitational running a time of 27:11.54...At the 8K Greater Louisville Classic, was the second Panther to cross the finish line and placed 76th overall of 319 runners...Was the third Panther to finish (23rd overall) at the CAA Championships with a time of 25:51.2...Competed in the mile run during the indoor season...Finished third overall at the Niswonger Foundation Invitational in 4:21.21...Competed in 800m and 1500m during the outdoor season...Ran a season-best 1:51.01 in the 800m at the Georgia Tech Invite...Finished the 800m at the FSU Snowbird in a time of 1:53.67...Also the first to finish at FSU’s Last Chance in 1:52.32 800m...Crossed the finish line in 1:53.82 at the CAA Championships 800m run, finishing second by less than a second...Placed 2nd at the 1500m run at the FSU Snowbird in a time of 3:54.17...Earned All-CAA honors in the 800m...Also named CAA Athlete of the Week for 800m.
2006-07: Made an immediate impact in his first season with Georgia State...Was the Panthers top finisher at the Georgia State Invitational placing 3rd overall in a time of 26:34.8...Finished second on the team at the Troy State Invitational where he finished the 5K course in 16:18.55 and 7th overall place...In indoor track, he claimed 6th place in the 3000m run at the Virginia Tech Challenge and finished the event in 8:53.31...Recorded four top-10 finishes in the outdoor track season...Set a new outdoor track personal-best in the 1500m run at the Duke Invitational with a time of 3:57.27...Claimed 8th place at the CAA Championship and took 5th place in the 800m with a time of 1:55.16...His top finish came at the FSU Snowbird Invitational where he took 2nd in the 800m...was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for the fall semester and earned the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award.
2005-06: Competed for the Missouri Tigers, where he was a mid-distance specialist...Personal-best was 4:00.59 in the 1500m.
Prep: Attended Chapel Hill High School in Douglasville, Ga....Was a member of the 2004 AAAA State Championship team in outdoor track...Was a state finalist in the 800m and 1600m.
Personal: Zaven was born on January 21, 1986 in Dallas, Texas to Danny and Lynda O'Bryant...Major is biology.
