Eva Vail is in her seventh year as the UP Women’s Cross country and Track & Field volunteer assistant coach. Vail has helped the team earn two at-large bids to the NCAA XC Championships, their first ever in 2016 when the team placed 22nd, and their second in 2018 when the team placed 12th. Portland also produced two All-Americans at the meet, Lauren LaRocco who posted the best individual finish in program history placing 13th and Taryn Rawlings who passed 24 competitors to place 26th overall.
Originally from the Czech Republic, Vail was recruited to join Oklahoma State University’s Cross country and Track and Field team in 2004. While at OSU, she earned USTFCCCA’s Academic All-America team honors all four years and was also named Academic All-Big 12. Mainly a middle-distance runner and a steeplechaser, Vail qualifying for NCAA DI T&F Championships in 2006.
After graduating in 2008 from OSU with a bachelor degree in International Business and minors in Finance and Marketing, she pursued her Master’s degree in International Business in the Central European Business Realities program at University of Economics in Prague (Czech Republic).
Vail then moved back to the United states in 2010 with her husband Ryan Vail, a professional runner for Brooks and a Portland native, and settled in North Portland.
Vail still holds the Czech Republic junior national record in 2000 meter steeplechase (6:36) which she set in 2003 and has continued running after college, recently moving up to the marathon in the last few years (2:45.54).
PRs:
3000m steeplechase 10:21
1500m 4:29
Mile 4:48