|
Nat Page is in his 15th year as an assistant coach for the Georgia Tech track and field program. Page is responsible for coaching field events, including high jump, long jump and triple jump, as well as the men's and women's sprint hurdle events.
Since joining the Tech staff in 1996, Page has mentored Tech student-athletes to 37 ACC titles, 39 All-America performances and four national titles. Page was named the NCAA South Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008, and the Mondo Women's Jumps/Multi Events Coach of the Year in 2004.
The most recent Jackets to benefit from Page's training have been Terrence Trammell, Shantia Moss, Fatmata Fofanah and James Lemons II. Trammell, the 2009 USA Indoor 60-meter hurdle national champion, earned silver medals in the 110-meter hurdles at both the 2007 and 2009 World Championships under Page's tutelage. Moss, the 2007 60-meter hurdles NCAA Champion, earned four All-American honors in her time on the Flats. Fofanah, a two-time All-American in the hurdles, represented Guinea at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Lemons became a two-time ACC Field MVP and three-time All-American under Page's teachings.
One of his latest prodigies, Chaunte Howard, captured three consecutive national titles in the women's high jump at the 2004 indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships, and '05 indoor NCAA Championships. She became the first women's athlete to qualify for the Summer Olympics, finishing second at the '04 U.S. Olympic Trials, earning a spot on the U.S. team. Howard won the high jump at the '08 U.S. Olympic trials, and went on to place sixth at the 2008 Beijing games. She won the Gold medal at the 2009 U.S. Outdoor National Championships this past summer in Eugene, Ore.
In Athens, Greece, Howard finished in a tie for 28th place on a rare off day. She ended her career at Tech as a six-time ACC champion, six-time All-American, three-time NCAA champion and three-time ACC Most Valuable Performer. Howard signed a professional contract with NIKE, forgoing her senior season, but continues to train under Page and attend classes at Tech. She went on to earn a Silver medal at the 10th IAAF World Championships, in Helsinki, Finald, with a lifetime-best mark of 6'6.75" in the high jump. Howard currently ranks sixth in the world and is the top American in the high jump.
Andria King, a former assistant coach at Tech, was another highlight under coach Page's tutelage. Page coached King to four NCAA national runner-up finishes in the 60- and 100-meter hurdles in 1998 and '99. She formerly held the American collegiate record in the 60 hurdles with a time of 8.00 in 1999. King was a five-time All-American and three-time ACC MVP.
Other Yellow Jacket All-Americans under Page are Eric Bowers (indoor long jump, 1997), Lynn Houston (indoor high jump, 1999), Malcolm Leason (outdoor triple jump, 2000), Shantrell Moss (4x100, 2005), Montrell Person (110m HH, 2004/60m HH, 2005), Clayton Porter (indoor long jump, 2000), Dana Rogers (4x100, 2004, '05/60m HH, '05), Amandi Rhett (4x100, 100, 200, 2005), Brandy Depland (triple jump 2005, `06), Shantia Moss (60m HH, '07, '08, 100m HH, `06, '08), Andriane Lapsley (60m, 100m, 4x100, `06), Jerome Miller (high jump, `06, `09), Fatmata Fofanah (100m HH, '07, 60m HH, '08) , James Lemons II (indoor triple jump, '08, indoor long jump, '08, outdoor triple jump, '08) and Alphonso Jordan (indoor triple jump, '09).
Page narrowly missed being named the 2009 East Region Assistant Coach of the Year as Yellow Jackets Alphonso Jordan (triple jump) and Jerome Miller (high jump) won titles in their respective events.
On the conference level, he has guided six men to conference titles: Bowers (indoor long jump, 1997), Jordan (outdoor triple jump, 2009), Leason (outdoor triple jump, 2000), Miller (outdoor high jump, 2009), David Riley (indoor triple jump, 1997) and Person (60m HH, 110m HH, 2004-05).
On the women's side, Page has coached 25 conference championship performances, in addition to King's three hurdle and sprints titles. Lynn Houston won both indoor and outdoor high jump titles in 1997. Mishanta Reyes won the indoor long jump crown in 2001, while Shanta Smith won the indoor triple jump and Jennifer Ledbetter claimed the outdoor high jump title in '02. Howard won a total of six high jump titles in three seasons. The women's 4x100m relay team finished first at the 2005 ACC Outdoor Championships, while Dana Rogers won the indoor 60m hurdles in '05. Lapsley claimed the indoor 60-meter dash and the 90-meter dash at the '05 ACC Championship meets. In 2006, Lapsley garnered first-place finishes in the 60m, 100m, 200m and Shantia Moss won the 100m HH. The 4x100m relay also finished first at the 2006 ACC Outdoor Championships.
In addition to his work at Tech, Page founded Nat's Athletic Training and Career Experiences in September 1993. He has coached nine World Championship team members and five Olympians: Natasha Gibson, Howard, Terrence Trammell (2007 U.S. Outdoor National Champion, '07 Outdoor World Championships Silver Medalist, '08 U.S. Olympic team member, '09 U.S. Indoor National Champion), Fofanah and Tisha Waller, who is now the American indoor record holder in the high jump. Page has also worked with Wenda Vereen, who was a member of the U.S. 4x100 team, which won a Silver medal and set an American record at the 1993 World Championships. Howard captured a Silver medal at the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finald, with a lifetime-best leap of 6'6.75" in the high jump. Trammell, a three-time Olympian, won the 2007 USA Outdoor National Championships in the 110-meter hurdles and placed second at the '07 World Championships since working with Page.
Waller joined Howard on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team in the high jump after capturing her second U.S. title at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif.
A native of Evanston, Ill., Page was a NCAA Champion high jumper at the University of Missouri in 1979. He was ranked in the top 10 in the world from 1979-81 and earned a spot on the United States' 1980 Olympic team after finishing second at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Additionally, Page also competed at a world-class level in the both the high and intermediate hurdles from 1984-92. From 1990-92, he was ranked in the top 10 in the world in the 400 intermediate hurdles. A member of the United States' 1992 World Cup team, Page was a finalist at the U.S. Track and Field Championships every year from 1985-91.
He was inducted into the University of Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999, where he was a five-time All-American and a four-time Big 8 high jump champion. He was named outdoor MVP of the Big 8 Championship in 1978.
From 1988-91, Page served as assistant coach at California State Polytechnic University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education.
Page resides in Atlanta with his stepchildren, Tyler and Ryan.
