Elite Mens Bios

SAINT LOUIS TRACK CLUB
ELITE MENS MILE

ATHLETE BIOS

Stephen Pifer- USA (Nike Oregon Track Club)
PRs- 3:38 1500, 3:56 Mile, 7:50 3k, 13:33 5k
Headlining this year's field is Edwardsville, IL native and former Colorado Buffalo Stephen Pifer. Pifer, who will be racing in front of his hometown crowd for the first time as a professional, was a phenom during his days at Edwardsville High School. During the 2002-2003 school year he became the first Illinois runner since 1972 to win the AA State Cross Country Meet as well as the 1600 and 3200 at the State Track Meet. At Colorado, Pifer was a four-time All-American in cross country helping the Buffs to team titles in 2004 and 2006. He currently lives and trains in Eugene, Oregon and represents the Nike Oregon Track Club.

Watch Pifer go wire-to-wire to win the 2006 Big 12 1500 title

Pifer after his 2nd place finish at the NCAA Track Champs

John Jefferson- USA (Brooks Team Indiana Elite)
PRs- 3:39 1500, 3:57 Mile
Jefferson has been on the US track and field scene for a long time having been one of the nation's top high school milers during his days at Atlantic Del Ray Beach, Fla. He and his twin brother Sean then went on to star at Indiana University, where they each broke four minutes for the mile. He then spent several years in Eugene, Oregon running for the Nike Oregon Track Club before returning to Indiana to be trained by his college coach Robert Chapman with Team Indiana Elite.

Watch John and his Indiana Elite teammates do a workout this spring in beautiful Sedona, Ariz.

Tommy Schmitz- USA (Saucony)
PRs- 3:39 1500, 3:58 Mile
Schmitz, a Marquette University grad, will be making his fourth appearance at the Festival of Miles. He was second in 2008 and 2010 and third in 2009. Schmitz kicked off his 2011 campaign in style with a 3:39 PR at 1500 meters to finish fifth at the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays. Schmitz currently trains in Santa Barbara California and represents Saucony.

Watch Tommy's 1500 at the Mt. Sac Relays

Jordan Horn- USA (Adidas McMillan Elite)
PRs- 3:58 mile, 13:31 5k
Horn, a member of the McMillan Elite training group in beautiful Flagstaff, Arizona, will be appearing at the Festival of Miles for the first time. A 2007 Cal State Fullerton grad and school record holder at 3k, 5k and 10k, Horn broke onto the professional scene in 2009 when he ran 13:31 for 5k. He has since gone under four minutes in the mile, finished 4th at the US Road 5k Championships and represented the United States in Japan at the Chiba Ekiden Relay. He is coached and managed by Greg McMillan

Read all about Jordan's McMillan Elite team here

Jordan McNamara - USA (Nike Oregon Track Club)
PR- 3:59 Mile
McNamara ran collegiately for the famed University of Oregon program under coach Vin Lananna. As a Duck he was an NCAA Division I All-American and ran personal bests of 3:41 for 1500 meters, 3:59 for the mile and 13:45 for 5,000 meters. McNamara is coming off a win in the "B" section of the 1500 meters at the Occidental High Performance meet on May 21.

Watch Jordan run a 3:42 1500 in California

Dan Strackeljahn - USA (Big River Running Company)
PR- 3:59 Mile
Strackeljahn will be making his third straight appearance at the Festival of Miles and shooting to go under four minutes for the second time in his career. A five-time Ohio Valley Conference champion at Eastern Illinois University "Strack" is currently training in the Saint Louis area and represents Big River Running Company. He will undoubtedly be a fan favorite for this year's Saint Louis Track Club Elite Men's Mile.

Watch Dan run under four minutes for the mile

Brandon Rooney- USA (unattached)
PR- 3:40 1500
Rooney, a 2010 graduate of Iowa State University, is enjoying his first full year a post-collegiate athlete. Still training under his college coach, Corey Ihmels, Rooney is off to a good start having just run a personal best of 3:40 in the 1500 at the Mt. Sac Relays. Rooney has yet to go under four minutes for the full mile though and he will look to do just that on June 1st.

Watch Brandon run a near sub 4 mile indoors

Rob Mullett - Great Britain (unattached)
PR- 3:59 mile
Mullett, a native of Brighton, England, came to the U.S. to attend Butler University where he went on to become an All-American in the indoor mile in 2010. His 3:59 mile that year marked the first time a Butler athlete had gone under the elusive barrier. Still living and training in Indianapolis, Mullett recently set a big personal best in the steeplechase running 8:41 at the Mt. Sac Relays.

Read this Flotrack interview with Rob from 2010

Darren Gauson- Great Britain (unattached)
PR- 3:42 1500
Gauson will be making his second straight appearance at the Festival of Miles. The Scotland native will be looking to avenge his third place finish from 2010 and go under four for the first time in the process. Gauson is currently an assistant coach at Butler University where he coaches his brother Kris, a sub-four minute miler.

Watch Darren in the 2010 Saint Louis Track Club Elite Men's Mile

Chris Rombough- USA (Team USA Minnesota)
PR- 3:44 1500
A six-time All American from the University of Minnesota Rombough is one of America's up-and-coming young talents. With personal bests ranging from 3:44 for 1500 to 28:46 for 10,000 meters Rombough has shown he can race well at any distance. He chose to stay in the Twin Cities after graduation and currently trains under Dennis Barker for Team USA Minnesota.

Read Chris' Team USA Minnesota bio here

Adam Behnke- USA (Columbia University)
PR- 3:45 1500
Behnke is a hometown boy, having run in high school for Lutheran South where he was a standout in cross country and track. Now a junior at Columbia University in New York City Behnke is thriving in college and recently set a personal best of 3:45 at 1500 meters.

Read Adam's Columbia University Bio here

Andrew Sherman- Great Britain (unattached)
PR- 3:43 1500
A member of Butler University's NCAA fourth place cross country squad from 2004, Sherman has run 3:43 for 1500 meters. He joins Rob Mullett and Darren Gauson as Butler University grads in this year's field.

Brian Holdmeyer- USA (Saint Louis University)
PR- 3:52 1500
Stephen Pifer and Dan Strackeljahn won't be the only hometown favorites in this year's field. Saint Louis University senior and Washington, Mo. native Brian Holdmeyer has been added to the mix as well. Holdmeyer, who was runner-up at this year's Atlantic 10 Track Championships in the 5k, will get his first taste of professional level competition at the Festival of Miles.

Read Brian's SLU bio here

Jack Hackett- USA (unattached)
PR- 3:50 1500
Hackett, a junior at Marquette University, is currently redshirting the outdoor track season and is using the Festival of Miles as a chance to set a big personal best going into the 2011-2012 school year. Hackett is coming off a solid indoor season where he placed fifth in the mile at the Big East Championships.

Watch Jack win his heat of the mile at the Alex Wilson Invite at Notre Dame

.................................................................................................