Abbey Cooper

Abbey Cooper
Cooper at the 2016 Olympics
Personal information
Birth nameAbbey D'Agostino
Born (1992-05-25) May 25, 1992 (age 32)
Topsfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height5 ft 2.5 in (159 cm)
Weight104 lb (47 kg)
Sport
Country United States
Event(s)5,000m, 10,000 m, Cross country running
College teamDartmouth Big Green
ClubNew Balance Boston
Turned pro2014
Coached byChris Layne
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking(52nd-2014) (25th-2015) (14th-2016) 5,000 meters
Personal best(s)800 m: 2:08.11

1500 m: 4:08.78
Mile: 4:28.31
3000 m: 8:51.88
5000 m: 14:52.37

10000 m: 33:10.38

Abbey Cooper (née D'Agostino; born May 25, 1992) is an American middle- and long-distance runner.[2][3] Cooper is the most decorated Ivy League athlete in track and field and cross country running. She is the first Dartmouth female distance runner to win an NCAA title.[4][5] She won a total of seven NCAA titles (1 – cross country; 4 – indoor track; 2 – outdoor track) in her career. In 2014, she became a professional runner for New Balance.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she received considerable international media attention following an incident during a 5000m heat in which both she and New Zealander Nikki Hamblin fell. The two women helped each other finish the race and were allowed to compete in the final; however, Cooper had suffered a torn anterior crucial ligament and meniscus and wasn't able to participate further. Both athletes were praised for their sportsmanship and "Olympic spirit",[6] and were subsequently awarded the Rio 2016 Fair Play Award by the International Fair Play Committee.[7][8]

Personal life

[edit]

Cooper attended Masconomet Regional High School in Boxford, Massachusetts. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 2014. Her mother Donna competed for the UMass-Dartmouth Corsairs. She has two younger sisters, Lily and Julia.[9]

She is a devout Christian.[10][11] She married Jacob Cooper in July 2018, who played football in college at Taylor University and now works as the clinical sport psychologist at Appalachian State University.[12] The couple had their first child, a daughter, in January of 2023.

Dartmouth

[edit]

In 2013 Cooper became the first Ivy League athlete, male or female, to win an NCAA Cross Country National Championship.[13] After winning her 2013 NCAA Cross Country title and 5th NCAA title in her career, she praised coach Mark Coogan for the preparation for championship running and close finishes;[14] She won the NCAA cross country title by outdistancing[15] Emma Bates by a few seconds. She is the first Ivy League athlete to win 7 individual NCAA Championships.[16] She is also the only woman ever to have won both the 3000 meters and 5000 meters NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships twice in a career which she did in 2013 as a junior and again in 2014 as a senior.[13] Cooper broke Ryan Pandolfini's (née Fagan) long-standing 10K record by over a minute in 2014, and is the current Dartmouth record holder in the 3K, 5K, and 10K.[13] She won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's best female collegiate cross country runner in 2014.[17][18]

Cooper earned her final Ivy league titles May 2014.[19] She graduated with a degree in psychology in 2014.[15][20]

Year Ivy League cross country NCAA Cross Country Ivy League Indoor NCAA Indoor Ivy League Outdoor NCAA Outdoor
2010–11 – – 3000 7th – 5000 1st 5000 3rd
2011–12 1st XC 3rd XC Mile 1st; 5000 2nd DMR 3rd; 3000 8th 4x800 2nd; 3000 1st; 1500 1st 5000 1st
2012–13 – 2nd XC 4x880 yards 3rd; 5000 1st; Mile 1st 5000 1st; 3000 1st 4x800 3rd; 3000 1st; 1500 1st 5000 1st
2013–14 1st XC 1st XC 5000 1st; 4x800 1st; Mile 1st DMR 8th; 3000 1st; 5000 1st 3000 1st; 5000 1st; 10000 1st 5000 3rd

Professional

[edit]

2012

[edit]

Cooper's 5th place at 2012 Olympic Trials 5000 meters and nearly clinching a spot on the Olympic team is one of the closest finishes in Olympic Trials distance races (less than 0.19 seconds between 3–4–5).[21] In 2012, at 20 years of age her platform as a star in the NCAA created a national following.[22]

2014

[edit]

After graduating from Dartmouth in 2014, Cooper earned a sponsorship with New Balance based in Boston, Massachusetts. Abbey was coached by her college coach Mark Coogan under whom she was a 7-time NCAA champion from 2014 to 2018.[23]

Cooper is ranked 19th[4] in the world in the 5000 meters[24] and 65th[4] in the 10,000 meters in 2014.[25]

Cooper debuted as a New Balance athlete in October 2014 in the 24th Mayor's Cup presented by the Boston Athletic Association[26] placing fourth behind winner Rachel Hannah of Canada and the Boston Athletic Association's Juliet Bottorff and Jen Rhines.

2015

[edit]

Cooper ran the 5000m in 15:42.79 at Payton Jordan Invitational in Stanford, CA (USA) on May 2, 2015.[27] She won the 5000 meters at the Hoka One One Adrian Martinez Classic in 15:23.66[28][29] on June 4.

Cooper earned a US Roster spot to the IAAF 2015 World Championships in Athletics by qualifying in the 5000 meters in 15:06.59 at the 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[citation needed] On July 18, she finished 3rd in 15:03.85[30] in Heusden, Belgium. On August 27, she finished 23rd in 16:16.47 at 2015 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 5000 metres.[31]

2016

[edit]

On January 2, Cooper ran a personal best in a mixed gender 3000 meters at Boston University in 8:51.88.[32] On March 12, she placed second in women 3000 meters in 8:57.31 at 2016 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships to represent the United States at 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 3000 metres.[33] She finished in a time of 8:58.40 in 3000 meters at 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships to place fifth.[34]

On June 17, Cooper placed third in 5000 meters at 2016 Adidas BOOST Boston Games in 15:22.29.[35] On July 10, she placed fifth in 15:14.04 at 2016 United States Olympic Trials (track and field) and was selected to represent USA along with Team USA teammates Shelby Houlihan and Kim Conley at Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics - Women's 5000 metres when Molly Huddle and Emily Infeld passed to focus on their 10 km race in Rio de Janeiro.[36]

On August 16, with about 2000 meters to go in a qualifying heat for the women's 5000 meter race at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Cooper tripped over Nikki Hamblin who had fallen in front of her.[37] Instead of immediately continuing the race, she first helped Hamblin up, encouraging her not to quit.[38] Cooper herself, however, had torn her ACL and meniscus.[39] Despite her obvious pain, she nevertheless finished the race, after which she and Hamblin embraced. Cooper, Hamblin and Jennifer Wenth were advanced to the final because of the incident, but Cooper wasn't able to compete because of her injuries.[40]

On August 20, for their actions at the Rio Olympics, Cooper and Hamblin received Fair Play awards from The International Fair Play Committee (CIFP), with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).[41]

2017

[edit]

Former NCAA champs Molly Seidel & Abbey Cooper return to action at Franklin Park (Boston) 2017 Mayor's Cup Cross Country Championships and chart paths to healthy futures[42] finish 1st and 2nd respectively for 5 km after running the first half slow picked up the pace for the final 8 minutes to times of Seidel 16:18 to Cooper 16:48.[43]

On November 4, Cooper competed in her road debut at US 5 km road championship hosted by New York Road Runners Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5 km where she finished 7th in a time of 16:00.[44]

2018

[edit]

Cooper left Mark Coogan and Boston after getting married in July 2018. She began being coached by Chris Layne in Asheville, North Carolina. Cooper won 5 km at 2018 Johnson City Turkey Trot in 16:58.[45][46]

2019

[edit]

June 1, 2019 marked Cooper's first return to the track following the Rio Olympics. Cooper competed at the 2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 5000 meters race where she finished 14th.[47]

2021

[edit]

In a stand out solo effort in the first heat of the 5000m meters at the 2020 United States Olympic Trials (track and field), Cooper met the Olympic standard with a time of 15:07.80.[48] Cooper finished in 4th place in the final three days later on June 21.[49]

Cooper achieved a new personal best of 14:52.37 in the 5000m at the Prefontaine Classic on August 20, 2021.[50]

Competition record

[edit]
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 22nd 5000 m 16:16.47[51]
2016 World Indoor Championships Portland, Oregon 5th 3000 m 8:58.40
2016 2016 Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 18th 5000 meters 17:10.02

USA National Championships

[edit]
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2012 US Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 5th 5000 m 15:19.98[52]
2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Eugene, Oregon 3rd 5000m 15:06.59[53]
2016 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Portland, Oregon 2nd 3000 m 8:57.31[54]
2016 US Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 5th 5000 m 15:14.04
2017 US 5 km Road Championships hosted by
Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K 		New York, New York 7th 5000 m 16:00[55]
2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Des Moines, Iowa 14th 5000m 15:56.20[56]
2021 US Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 4th 5000 m 15:31.05[49]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  2. ^ "Abbey Cooper Twitter". Twitter. December 19, 2019.
  3. ^ "Abbey Cooper IAAF profile". IAAF. December 19, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Abbey D'AGOSTINO (August 16, 2016). "Profile of Abbey D'AGOSTINO". All-Athletics.com. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  5. ^ Lorge, Sarah (August 26, 2013). "Abbey D'Agostino's Unlikely Domination at Dartmouth | Runner's World". Runnersworld.com. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  6. ^ "A fall in the 5,000 delivers an uplifting moment". USA Today. August 16, 2016.
  7. ^ Fair Play Awards recognise true Olympic champions in sportsmanship – Olympic News. Olympic.org. Retrieved on August 27, 2016.
  8. ^ "Rio Olympics 2016: Hamblin wins fair play award – Sport – NZ Herald News". Nzherald.co.nz. August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  9. ^ "99: Abbey D'Agostino - Purpose-Based Identity". C Tolle Run.
  10. ^ "Olympic runner who helped fallen competitor finds inspiration in God :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)". Catholic News Agency. November 18, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  11. ^ Olymipic Recovery - The ACL Evolution, Sports Illustrated, July 24, 2017
  12. ^ Zaccardi, Nick (August 11, 2020). "Four years later, life changes for runners who shared Olympic moment". NBC Sports. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c Abbey D'Agostino. "Abbey D'Agostino Bio – DartmouthSports.com—Official Web Site of Dartmouth Varsity Athletics". Dartmouthsports.com. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  14. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino Interview". Garycohenrunning.com. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  15. ^ a b "Endurance sports – Dartmouth's Abbey D'Agostino is adding to her impressive accomplishments". Espn.go.com. March 5, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  16. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino". Emerging Elites. May 25, 1992. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  17. ^ "The Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda". ivyleague.com. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  18. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino of Dartmouth Named 2014 Honda Award Winner for Cross Country". CWSA. December 4, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  19. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino at Dartmouth". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  20. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino ready for pro challenges – Endurance Blog- ESPN". Espn.go.com. July 11, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  21. ^ "The Women's 5,000 Final – The Olympic Trials At Its Absolute Best". Letsrun.com. June 28, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  22. ^ "U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field – Videos – Abbey D'Agostino 5th Womens 5,000m Final Post-Race 15:19.98 – USA Olympic Trials Track and Field Championships 2012". Usaoutdoor.runnerspace.com. June 29, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  23. ^ "7-Time NCAA Champ D'Agostino Joins Team New Balance". Competitor magazine. June 18, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  24. ^ "5000 Metres – women – senior – outdoor – 2014". iaaf.org. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  25. ^ "IAAF women 10000 m 2014 world ranking". IAAF. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  26. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino Reflects On Professional Debut, Eyes Future". LetsRun.com. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  27. ^ "USA Track & Field – Outdoor Women". Usatf.org. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  28. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino Takes Down Desi Linden in 5k, Robby Andrews Crushes The Mile Field – Full Recap of 2015 Adrian Martinez Classic". LetsRun.com. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  29. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino Pleased with Progress at 2015 Adrian Martinez Classic". YouTube. June 4, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  30. ^ "Timetronics | Commentator Information System". Timetronics.be. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  31. ^ "5000 METRES WOMEN 15TH IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PR OF CHINA BEIJING (NATIONAL STADIUM), PR OF CHINA 22 AUG 2015 - 30 AUG 2015". IAAF. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  32. ^ "Cool Running – Boston U Mini-Meet Race Results". Cool Running. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  33. ^ "2016 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships – 3/11/2016 to 3/12/2016". usatf.org.
  34. ^ "2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 3000 metres final results" (PDF). IAAF.
  35. ^ "adidas Boost Boston Games – Day 1 Complete Results". Milesplit.
  36. ^ "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field". usatf.org. July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  37. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino & Nikki Hamblin Show the True Meaning of the Olympics as Almaz Ayana Leads Women's 5,000 Qualifiers". LetsRun.com. August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  38. ^ "Runners collide but help each other out and finish race". NBC Sports. August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016. Accessible only in US
  39. ^ "Abbey D'Agostino won't be able to run in 5,000-meter final due to ACL tear". Espn.com. August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  40. ^ "5000 METRES WOMEN THE XXXI OLYMPIC GAMES BRAZIL RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL 05 AUG 2016 – 21 AUG 2016". IAAF. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  41. ^ "Fair Play Awards recognise true Olympic champions in sportsmanship". International Olympic Committee. August 20, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  42. ^ "Former NCAA Champs Molly Seidel & Abbey D'Agostino Return To Action At 2017 Mayor's Cup XC And Chart Paths To Healthy Futures". LetsRun. October 22, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  43. ^ "Molly Seidel after winning her professional debut at 2017 Mayor's Cup". Youtube. October 22, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  44. ^ "2017 USATF 5K Championships 5 kilometers - November 4, 2017, 8:30AM". New York Road Runners. November 4, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  45. ^ "13th Annual Johnson City Turkey Trot 5K 13th Annual Johnson City Turkey Trot 5K Johnson City, TN Nov 22, 2018 8:30 AM". Johnson City Turkey Trot 5K. November 22, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  46. ^ "Abbey Cooper to Run First Track Race Since 2016 Olympic 5,000 Meters at Camel City Invitational". Dyestat. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  47. ^ Zaccardi, Nick (August 11, 2020). "Four years later, life changes for runners who shared Olympic moment". OlympicTalk | NBC Sports. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  48. ^ Dutch, Taylor (June 19, 2021). "How Abbey Cooper Hit the 5,000-Meter Olympic Standard Solo in the Trials Semifinal". Runner's World. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  49. ^ a b "Fans React to Abbey Cooper's Gutsy 5,000 Meter Final: "She is the Definition of a Competitor"". Women's Running. June 22, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  50. ^ Henry, Mellissa (August 21, 2021). "2021 Prefontaine Classic Distance Night results". World Track. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  51. ^ "2015 International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Athletics". iaaf.org. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  52. ^ 2012 Olympic Trials Women 5000. Usatf.org. Retrieved on August 27, 2016.
  53. ^ "Videos – Women's 5000m – USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships 2015". Usatf.Tv. June 28, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  54. ^ 2016 USA Indoor Championships results. Retrieved March 12, 2016
  55. ^ "New York, New York - New York Road Runners - Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K - US 5 km Road Championships". usatf.tv RunnerSpace. November 4, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  56. ^ "USATF Championships - Drake Stadium, Des Moines Results" (PDF). Flash Results. July 29, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abbey D'Agostino.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abbey_Cooper&oldid=1248017343"