NEWARK, NJ -- High school and NCAA Division I All-American runner
Janine Davis has joined the Rutgers-Newark Track & Field and Cross Country staff as a graduate intern, head coach
Juan Edney has announced.
“I am very pleased to have Janine join my staff this year as a graduate intern,” stated Edney. “As an all-American runner at both the high school and NCAA Division I level, she brings a wealth of talent to our coaching staff. Our women's program now has no choice but to step up and start heading in a positive direction.”
The New Jersey native is enrolled in the prestigious School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers-Newark. She replaces the first graduate intern in the program's fledgling history, Kevin Scola, who earned his master's in liberal studies at Rutgers-Newark in December. Scola will stay on Edney's staff as an assistant coach.
“Janine will focus the majority of her time on recruiting women for our program and should not have any problems because she is well known throughout the country as well as her own back yard of New Jersey where she attended Queen of Peace High,” Edney added.
The national high school record holder in the 600-meter run (1:29.27), Davis was a two-time Track & Field News All-American before going on to run at the University of Texas and the University of Arkansas. In 2004, she posted the fastest times in New York state in the 200, 300, 400, 600 and 800 meters – an unprecedented feat. Davis, who led Queen of Peace High School to a pair of indoor state titles, clocked an outdoor 800 meter time of 2:06.06 at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in 2005.
At Texas, she finished second in the 600-meter run at the Big 12 Indoor Championship to highlight competition in races ranging from the 400 to 1500 meters. As a freshman, she clocked a career-best 2:08.22 in the 800 outdoors. Davis scored points for the Longhorns in both the Big 12 indoor and outdoor championships as a freshman. She ran a leg on the 4 x 800-meter relay unit which took the 2006 Penn Relays title. She earned NCAA Indoor All-America laurels as a member of the Longhorns' 4 x 400-meter relay team in 2006 and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll as a sophomore.
At Arkansas, she was a member of the Razorbacks' 2008 Southeastern Conference championship cross country team, earned All-SEC second team honors in the 800 meters and earned 2009 NCAA Outdoor All-America laurels as a member of the 4 x 400-meter relay unit which finished seventh at the national meet. She clocked a collegiate indoor personal best of 2:08.88 in the 800-meter run at the Razorback Invitational as a junior.
Davis completed her Bachelor of Science degree in public administration from the Fullbright College of Arts and Sciences at Arkansas in 2009 and will pursue a master's of public administration with an embedded urban education leadership certificate at Rutgers-Newark.
