Geena Gall (born January 18, 1987), is an Olympic American mid-distance runner who ran for the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. Gall's achievements include back to back NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 800m in 2008 and 2009, representing the USA at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and

2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg ...

in Berlin, Germany in the 800m. She also competed at the North American Central American Caribbean Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador in 2007 (3rd place) and Toluca, Mexico in 2008 (1st place). Gall was a member of the "Fab Four" who set two collegiate records (4 x 800, and 4 x 1500) at the 2007

Penn Relays The Penn Relays (also Penn Relays Carnival) is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. In 2012, there were ...

, a ten-time

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

All-American, owning two

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

800 meter records and two DMR records, 10 Big Ten championships, numerous U of M school records, and at

Grand Blanc High School Grand Blanc High School (GBHS) is a public high school in Grand Blanc, Michigan, in the United States. It is managed by Grand Blanc Community Schools. Demographics The demographic breakdown of the 2699 students enrolled for the 2012–2013 sc ...

she was a three-time national champion.

Prep

Gall was born in Flint, Michigan. As a freshman at

she played on the varsity basketball team and started at point guard. During an

AAU basketball The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

game, Gall tore her ACL and could not run outdoor track. As a sophomore, Gall again started at point guard for GBHS and led the team to a conference championship. During the indoor track season, Gall qualified for the 400m at the indoor state meet, but false started and was disqualified. During the outdoor season, she ran the 400m and came in 6th place. As a junior, Gall played her on the basketball team which won the Conference and District championship. During the indoor track season, she won the indoor state meet in the 800m, and went on to win her first high school national championship in the 800m at Nike Indoor Nationals. Outdoor, Gall won the Michigan state meet 800m, and was second at Adidas Outdoor Nationals. Senior year, Gall stopped playing basketball to focus on her running career. During the indoor season, Gall won the state meet in a record time of 2:08.77, and won the 800m for the second time at the Nike Indoor Nationals, beating Sarah Bowman. Outdoor, Gall set the conference record in a time of 2:07.90, won the state meet, Midwest Meet of Champions, and the Nike Outdoor National meet, in a personal best time of 2:05.05.

High School State Meet

University of Michigan

Gall won the 2009 Outdoor NCAA D1 Championship to repeat as the 800 meter champion in 2:00.80. Gall also won the 2008 Outdoor NCAA Division One 800 meter title. Gall was a member of the cross country and track and field teams from 2005 - 2009 where the 10-time NCAA All-American earned national acclaim. Gall earned

USTFCCCA The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based professional association representing men's and women's cross country and track & field coaches in the United States. The organization has abo ...

national honors as Ten-time

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic ...

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

Personal Records

Professional

2009 World Championship
Gall finished in 2:01.30 to finish 6th in semifinal heat. 2012 London Olympics Gall broke her personal record in the 800m at the 2012

Prefontaine Classic The Prefontaine Classic, an Oregon Track Club event, is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States, held in Eugene, Oregon. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at Hayward Field on the campus of the University ...

, finishing behind

Alysia Montaño Alysia Montaño ( née Johnson) (born 23 April 1986) is an American middle distance runner. She is a six-time USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 800 metres champion (2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015). She gained significant publici ...

with a run of 1:59.28 minutes and then broke it again at the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials, finishing second to

once again, in a time of 1:59.24 minutes, having made a late charge on the home stretch. She represented Team USA in the 800-meter event alongside Alysia Montano (1:59.08) and Alice Schmidt (1:59.46). At the Olympics she reached the semi-finals, finishing in 3rd place in her semifinal. 2013 Des Moines USATF Championship
Gall finished 8th at USA Outdoors in 2:04.07 in 95 degree temperature. Gall showed glimpse of top form at Occidental College in May running 2:01.11. Gall is now being coached by Mike McGuire (University of Michigan). 2015 Boston USATF Championship
Geena finished 8th in 1000 meters.

Competition record

Gall served as a volunteer coach since 2016 at

UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) ...

.UCLA GEENA GALL TITLE Volunteer Assistant Coach profile

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

. September 2016.

References

External links

Race Videos

2012 US Olympic Trials

2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships (800m)

2008 Olympic Trials

2008 NCAA (Flotrack Interview)

2008 Meyo Invitational (800m)

2008 Meyo Invitational (DMR)

2007 Penn Relays (4x800 Collegiate Record)

2007 Penn Relays (4x1500 Collegiate Record)

2007 Stanford Invitational (800m)

2007 Stanford Invitational (1500m)

2008 Penn Relays (4x1500)

2008 Penn Relays (DMR)

Interviews and articles

Geena Gall - Track And Field Video
*Khan, Bill

The Flint Journal ''The Flint Journal'' is a quad-weekly newspaper based in Flint, Michigan, owned by Booth Newspapers, a subsidiary of Advance Publications. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, it serves Genesee, Lapeer and Shiawassee Countie ...

*Prosperi, Alex
Ofili shatters 'M' record again

The Michigan Daily ''The Michigan Daily'' is the weekly student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other stu ...

, 2008-03-17 *Herring, Chris
Gall outpaces elder at intrasquad

, 2005-12-08 *Maghielse, Ross
Grand Blanc's Geena Gall makes late charge to qualify for 2012 London Olympics

MLive.com MLive Media Group, originally known as Booth Newspapers, or Booth Michigan, is a media group that produces newspapers in the state of Michigan. Founded by George Gough Booth with his two brothers, Booth Newspapers was sold to Advance Publications ...

, 2012-06-25 {{DEFAULTSORT:Gall, Geena 1987 births Living people American female middle-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes of the United States Sportspeople from Flint, Michigan Track and field athletes from Michigan Michigan Wolverines women's track and field athletes