Stanford alum and pro runner for Oiselle and LittleWing Athlietics, Rebecca Mehra, joins J.T. on this week's podcast and shares her experiences running and competing at an early age at the Woodbridge invitational to turning pro and running on tracks biggest stages.

• Dealing w/ the ups & downs of such a brutal sport 
• Finding & creating a support system 
• Picking a college 
• Advice for your younger self 
• Traveling & race successfully?

Position: Middle Distance
Class: Graduate Student
Major: International relations
College: Stanford
High School: Palos Verdes
Hometown: Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

* Three-Time All-American *

Personal bests (thru 2017):

• 1,500: 4:11.97
• 800: 2:05.81i
• Mile: 4:40.46
• 5,000: 16:23.91
• 3,000: 9:25.48i
• 1,000: 2:43.69i

As a graduate student (2016-17):
Outdoors

• All-America first team (1,500).
• Sixth in 1,500 at NCAA Championships.
• Moved to No. 4 on Stanford's all-time list in 1,500 (4:11.97).
• USTFCCCA All-Academic selection.
• U.S. Championships competitor.
• Set two lifetime bests in the 1,500 within six days of each other.

Indoors

• Anchored Stanford to distance medley relay victory at Penn State National Open.
• Ran 800 personal best of 2:05.81 to finish third at Penn State.
• Set 1,000 best by two seconds while finishing second at the UW Indoor Preview.

Cross country

• Did not compete.

As a senior (2015-16):
Outdoors

• Placed second in the 1,500 at the Pac-12 Championships, running 4:18.38.
• Led coming off final turn before being overtaken by teammate Elise Cranny.
• Set PB of 4:17.04 in finishing second in the second section of the Stumptown Twilight meet on June 23.
• Finished one spot from advancing to the NCAA Championships, by placing third in her section of the NCAA West Prelims.
• Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.
• USTFCCCA All-Academic team.

Indoors

• Anchored Stanford to third in the DMR at the NCAA Championships.
• Ran a personal-best 1,600 split of 4:35.88.
• Anchored Stanford to the nation's No. 1 time in the DMR, to win the Penn State National.
• Her split of 4:36.0 finished off Stanford's 10:54.58, the eighth-fastest time in collegiate history.
• Held off Georgetown's Katrina Coogan to earn the victory in her first anchor leg of any relay at Stanford.
• It was her first anchor leg of any relay at Stanford.
• Won the 1,000 (2:45.28) to open the season at the UW Indoor Preview.

Cross country

• Ran one race, placing 56th at the Pac-12 Championships as the team's No. 9 runner.

As a junior (2014-15):
Outdoors

• Ran to a personal best in the 1,500 (4:17.67) at the Payton Jordan Invitational.
• Ran the first leg of the 4x1500 relay that earned Stanford its' first victory at the Penn Relays since 2006.
• Put Stanford in front with a 4:23.0 split.
• Placed eighth at Pac-12's in 4:22.43.
• Third at the Big Meet in 4:18.45.
• Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.

Indoors

• Ran one race, placing 12th in her heat of the mile (4:55.19) at the Husky Classic.

Cross country

• Placed 26th at the Pac-12 Championships, as the team's No. 5.
• Was 70th at the NCAA West Regionals, as Stanford's No. 7.
• Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.

As a sophomore (2013-14):
Outdoors

• Had a breakthrough season, dropping nearly 14 seconds off her 1,500 personal best and earning second-team All-America honors.
• Missed qualifying for the NCAA final by 0.16, placing sixth in her 1,500 semifinal and missing a qualifying spot by two places, finishing 14th overall in 4:21.63.
• Passed five runners on the final lap to nearly qualify.
• Finished third at the Pac-12 Championships, running 4:21.62.
• Set her personal 1,500 best of 4:17.82 while placing 11th in the 'B' race at the Payton Jordan Invitational.
• Was eighth in the NCAA West Prelims (4:19.20).
• Set a four-second PB in the mile by running 4:40.46 to place 10th in the Olympic Development race at the Penn Relays.
• 17th in the Pac-12 5,000 (17:05.60).
• Ran 5,000 PB of 16:23.91 while winning the third section at the Stanford Invitational.
• Third in the Big Meet 1,500.
• Named Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.

Indoors

• Set a personal best in the mile by running 4:44.04 to place seventh at the MPSF Championships on March 1.
• Earlier set a PB with a winning 4:48.84 in the 'B' race of the Husky Classic on Feb. 15.
• Made collegiate indoor debut with a third-place in the 1,000 (2:46.67) and a leg on the runner-up 4x400 at the season-opening UW Indoor Preview on Jan. 18.Cross country

Cross country

• Member of Stanford's 11th-place NCAA team, placing 160th at nationals.
• Placed 33rd at the Pac-12 Championships, as Stanford's No. 3 runner.

As a freshman (2012-13):
Outdoors

• Ran in only one meet, making her debut by doubling at the Outdoor Opener (March 2).
• Ran 4:31.48 (third) in the 1,500 and 2:16.87 (second) in the 800.

Indoors

• Did not compete.

Cross Country:

• Placed 50th at the Pac-12 meet.

High School:

• One of the few in California history to compete in eight state meets -- four in track and four in cross country.
• California state Division III champion in cross country.
• Was second in the state in the 1,600 in 2012 (4:47.33).
• A three time participant in the Nike Cross Nationals with a best finish of 13th in 2009.
• Holds the California state record in the 2,000-meter steeplechase (7:02).
• Set seven school records at Palos Verdes, including the 800 (2:09), 1,600 (4:47.33) and 3,200 (10:25.01), along with the DMR, SMR, 4x400 and 4x1,600.
• Helped Palos Verdes to the Division III state cross-country title in 2011, a second-place finish in 2010 and third place in 2009.
• Coached in high school by Jeff Atkinson, an Olympian and Stanford's mile record holder.
• Also played soccer at Palos Verdes and was the school's Offensive Player of the Year.

Personal:

• Graduated with a bachelor's in international relations.
• Earned her master's in communication with a focus on political communication.
• Received a grant to write her senior paper: "Connecting the Drops: The Negotiation of the Indus Water Treaty,” about a water-distribution treaty signed in 1960 between enemies India and Pakistan that is said to be one of the most successful of its kind, which earned a department award.
• Won a Class of 2016 Award of Excellence.
• Finalist for the James W. Lyons award for service to the University.
• Daughter of Ajay and Jane Mehra.
• Has a younger sister, Monica.

Follow Rebecca on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/rebecca_mehra/
Follow Rebecca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebecca_mehra

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About On Track & Field Podcast

By On Track & Field, Inc

The weekly On Track Podcast, hosted by Coach J.T. Ayers, covers all things Track & Field and Cross Country. Listen to some of the most respected coaches in the world, hear from the biggest athletes in the sport and keep up to date with the leading trends in training. New episodes drop every Tuesday morning!

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