Law student prepares for Olympic trials
Former cross country standout J.T. Service faces elite competition
By Cecile Nguyen
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Sports
Originally published: 10/24/07 at 11:24 PM PSTLast update: 10/24/07 at 11:42 PM PST
The 2006 San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon was Service's first attempt at the longer distance. He finished with a time of 2:24:42 and was the top American in that event.
"I ran pretty fast for not training for the marathon," Service said. "At that time I saw the Olympic trials qualifier as being not so far off for my first marathon without any marathon training. I thought that if I started training, the qualifier was within reach."
A San Jose native, Service attended Archbishop Mitty High School, where he played basketball and baseball in addition to running both track and cross country.
Service is the first to admit that he wasn't a standout in any of the sports he played -- including running.
"I loved going to school there, but my running career was kind of dismal," Service said. "It was decent, but it's nothing to get excited about. I wasn't thinking Olympic trials as an 18-year-old running 9:50 in the two-mile."
Service continued his education and running career at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
"Santa Barbara is where things really took off for me," Service said. "I had a great coach in Pete Dolan, and great teammates that ushered me along through the four years."
Former Gaucho teammate and current assistant coach for Santa Clara's cross country and track teams Felipe Montoro said that Service never had a bad race when it counted, and seemed to thrive on the pressure of running in a large race.
In 2001, Service helped lead the UCSB men's cross country team to the school's first-ever NCAA Division I nationals appearance.
"There were 16 guys on the team, and when J.T. came to UCSB he was number 16," Tom Service said. "When he left, he was the top runner in the school."
After graduating, J.T. Service worked as an assistant coach for a year at Santa Clara, and trained with the Asics Aggies, a group of post-collegiate athletes in the Bay Area.
Now in his third year as a law student, Service is primarily training with a group of athletes also competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials. Included in the group is Tom McGlynn, who will be competing in his third U.S. Olympic Trials at the 26.2-mile distance.
"I ran pretty fast for not training for the marathon," Service said. "At that time I saw the Olympic trials qualifier as being not so far off for my first marathon without any marathon training. I thought that if I started training, the qualifier was within reach."
A San Jose native, Service attended Archbishop Mitty High School, where he played basketball and baseball in addition to running both track and cross country.
Service is the first to admit that he wasn't a standout in any of the sports he played -- including running.
"I loved going to school there, but my running career was kind of dismal," Service said. "It was decent, but it's nothing to get excited about. I wasn't thinking Olympic trials as an 18-year-old running 9:50 in the two-mile."
Service continued his education and running career at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
"Santa Barbara is where things really took off for me," Service said. "I had a great coach in Pete Dolan, and great teammates that ushered me along through the four years."
Former Gaucho teammate and current assistant coach for Santa Clara's cross country and track teams Felipe Montoro said that Service never had a bad race when it counted, and seemed to thrive on the pressure of running in a large race.
In 2001, Service helped lead the UCSB men's cross country team to the school's first-ever NCAA Division I nationals appearance.
"There were 16 guys on the team, and when J.T. came to UCSB he was number 16," Tom Service said. "When he left, he was the top runner in the school."
After graduating, J.T. Service worked as an assistant coach for a year at Santa Clara, and trained with the Asics Aggies, a group of post-collegiate athletes in the Bay Area.
Now in his third year as a law student, Service is primarily training with a group of athletes also competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials. Included in the group is Tom McGlynn, who will be competing in his third U.S. Olympic Trials at the 26.2-mile distance.
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