June 21, 2004
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech men’s and women’s track and field assistant coach, Nat Page, was named the 2004 Mondo Women’s Jumps/Multi events Coach of the Year, announced by the United States Track Coaches Association on Monday afternoon.
“I’m honored to win this award,” said Page. “We had two triple jumpers over the 43 feet and one more over 42 feet. The girls worked hard all season and believed in what we’re trying to do and went out there and performed at a high level.”
Page tutored Tech’s first back-to-back national champion this indoor and outdoor seasons, leading sophomore Chaunte Howard to a women’s high jump NCAA crown at the indoor and outdoor championships. Howard captured her third and fourth Atlantic Coast Conference titles in the high jump this season and earned a total of seven All-ACC honors, en route to being named ACC Indoor and Outdoor Performer of the Year. Howard won the high jump in record setting fashion at the Outdoor ACC meet, tallying the fourth best mark by an American with a clear of 6’4.75″.
Also qualifying for the Outdoor NCAA Championships under Page’s tutelage was sophomore Brandy Depland and 4x100m relay team of Dana Rogers, Ashlee Kidd, Andriane Lapsley and Amandi Rhett. Depland tallied All-ACC honors in the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 43’1.75″ and finished 18th at the outdoor NCAA meet.
The 4x100m relay team finished sixth in the relay event and garnered All-America honors. It was the first time a 4×100 Tech squad earned such honors.
Rhett finished her career at Tech with a bang, earning All-America honors in the 100- and 200-meter dash events, along with anchoring the 4x100m relay team.
The Tech women’s track and field team tallied its highest finish ever at the Outdoor NCAA Championships, t-15th with 14 points. The Jackets posted runner-up finishes at the indoor and outdoor ACC Championships in 2004.
Since joining the Tech staff in 1997, Page has mentored one national champion, 15 ACC champions and 18 All-America performances. Along with coaching at Tech, Page has coached seven World Championship team members and a pair of Olympians: Natasha Gibson and Tisha Waller, the indoor American high jump record holder.
