Hall of Fame Spotlight: Jennings Landis Runs Into History
7/10/2014 10:02:00 AM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Outdoor Track and Field, Women's Indoor Track and Field
Millersville, Pa. - Priscilla Jennings Landis' Millersville University running career can be described in a series of photos. In the first photo, Landis and future NCAA champion Neely Spence of Shippensburg are sprinting side-by-side down the stretch of the 2009 1,500-meter PSAC Championship race. It was Jennings' final PSAC outdoor meet and her final meet in front her home fans. The next photo came from the timers' monitor where officials gathered to determine the winner of a race in which both athletes destroyed the previous meet record. The final photo shows a victorious Jennings with an arm around the shoulder of Spence. The grit, determination and drive exhibited by Jennings exhibited in that one epic race and throughout her banner career was only overshadowed by her grace and humility.The most decorated and accomplished runner to step on the Millersville University track, Landis earned election into the hall of fame in her first year of eligibility. The 2009 graduate is the only athlete in Millersville history to be an All-American in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. She earned All-America honors a total of five times and won an incredible 10 PSAC Championship events during the course of her four-year career. She was All-PSAC in 16 events, set 10 school records in track and field, including the PSAC indoor record in the 800 meters and the PSAC Outdoor Championship record in the 800 meters. Landis was considered a mid-distance specialist, but she still finished in the top four at the PSAC Cross Country Championships three times including a runner-up finish in 2009--a true testament to her drive. She finished in the top three of the cross country NCAA Atlantic Regional twice and took runner-up status in 2009 before capturing eighth place at the NCAA Championship.
Millersville coach Andy Young had the priviledge of mentoring Landis from fall to spring each season. He still calls the 2009 1,500-meter PSAC Championship race the best he's ever seen, and says that Spence used the rare defeat as motivation to win her eight national championships. Even while going head-to-head with Spence, Landis carved out a spot as one of the PSAC's all-timers as no one has come within even eight seconds of her 1,500 meet record.
"Priscilla had a number of qualities that allowed her to be successful," said Young. "She had a great attitude and work ethic. She was very coachable, competitive, and she athletically had very good endurance and a great kick. She set the bar very high for athletes that followed her and she helped me as a new coach at that time gain some legitimacy during that period."
Landis arrived at Millersville in 2005-06 and scored at the PSAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in four events, setting the stage for a remarkable career. In 2007, Jennings took first place in the indoor 800 and then swept the 800 and 1,500-meter runs at the outdoor championships. She qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time that season and took ninth in the 1,500. Her breakout season was in 2008, though. After suffering an injuring and missing nearly the entire cross country season, Jennings rebounded with memorable indoor and outdoor seasons. At the indoor championships, Landis took first in the mile and runner-up in the 800 while helping the distance medley relay team to a first-place finish. She went on to place fifth in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The outdoor season was even more remarkable. She dominated the event, taking first place in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000-meter run. She was named PSAC Track Athlete of the Meet and the Most Outstanding Athlete of the Meet. Her time of 2:10.22 in the 800 set a PSAC Championship record. And while she didn't run the event at the PSAC Championships, Landis took fifth in 5,000-meter run the NCAA Championships for All-America status.
The momentum gathered from stellar track seasons carried into her 2008 cross country season were she was PSAC Runner of the Week three times, placed fifth at the NCAA Championships and third at the Atlantic Regional to become the program's first national qualifier since 1999. Her final track season was again, one for the record books. At the PSAC Indoor Championships, Landis finished runner-up in both the 800 and the mile, but she would have her triumph in the outdoor season. Running in front of her home crowd at Biemesderfer Stadium, Landis ran away with the 800 meter title and then clipped Spence in a photo finish in the 1,500. Landis closed her Millersville track career with a sixth-place finish in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Championships.
With a medical redshirt received in the fall of 2007, Landis had one season of cross country remaining. She delivered a runner-up finish at both the PSAC and Atlantic Regional championships and captured her fifth career All-America honor by placing eighth at the NCAA Championships.
Landis, who earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, was also a four-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete, two-time member of the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team in track and was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team honoree in the spring of 2009.
On Oct. 10, 2010, Landis married her longtime boyfriend Brent Landis. The two attended Solanco High School and ran track together. Three years later, the couple added a girl, Bailey, to the family.
Landis will be honored at the induction dinner and ceremony on Friday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. in the Lehr Center on the campus of Millersville University. There is an open invitation for the induction dinner and ceremony. The cocktail reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner and induction ceremony begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults, $15 for children and $7 for a football ticket to Saturday's game. Reservations are required. Visit www.millersville.edu/alumni to register for the dinner or call the office at 800-681-1855 to register.
vs. Millersville Metrics
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Thursday, May 11
PSAC Track & Field Championships Preview with Coach Andy Young
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Highlights: 40th Millersville Metrics
Tuesday, April 04
