Andrew Rock
Encyclopedia
Andrew Rock is an American sprinter
who specializes in the 400 meter dash
.
, and grew up in Stratford, Wisconsin
, where he graduated from high school in 2000. His high school career concluded at the 2000 Wisconsin State Championships, where he became the first athlete in meet history to win four individual titles at the same championships by winning the 110m hurdles, 300m hurdles, 200m dash, and long jump. Despite this success, he was not a heavily recruited athlete.
Rock attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he was a nine-time National Champion and a 17-time All-American. After finishing runner-up seven times between the 2001 and 2002 seasons, Rock hit his stride in 2003 and 2004, winning eight consecutive titles in the 400m dash and 4x400m relay. Rock holds nine UW–LaCrosse records (four individual; five relays) and six WIAC records (three individual; three relays) and was twice named first-team Academic All-American by CoSIDA. In addition to these achievements, Rock also claimed the fastest 400m time in Division III history, running a 44.66 at a USATF meet in Carson, California
, thereby announcing his arrival onto the elite track scene. Rock turned professional soon after graduating from UW–La Crosse with a finance degree by signing a multi-year contract with Adidas
.
Rock is currently an assistant track coach at Carleton College
.
team in the qualifying heats, securing the team a place in the final. The relay took first two days later in the final, securing Rock a gold medal. In the 2005 World Championships in the Helsinki
, he competed in 400m
and won a silver medal, setting a new personal best of 44.35. Later in the meet, he led off the 4x400m relay
team to yet another World Championship gold medal. Rock followed his 2005 season with a 2006 campaign highlighted by his 400m win at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis.
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
who specializes in the 400 meter dash
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
.
Early career
Rock was born in Marshfield, WisconsinMarshfield, Wisconsin
Marshfield is a city in Marathon and Wood counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the largest city in Wood County. The small portion of the city that extends into Marathon County is part of the Wausau Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,800 at the 2000 census. Marshfield is...
, and grew up in Stratford, Wisconsin
Stratford, Wisconsin
Stratford is a village in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,523 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, where he graduated from high school in 2000. His high school career concluded at the 2000 Wisconsin State Championships, where he became the first athlete in meet history to win four individual titles at the same championships by winning the 110m hurdles, 300m hurdles, 200m dash, and long jump. Despite this success, he was not a heavily recruited athlete.
Rock attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he was a nine-time National Champion and a 17-time All-American. After finishing runner-up seven times between the 2001 and 2002 seasons, Rock hit his stride in 2003 and 2004, winning eight consecutive titles in the 400m dash and 4x400m relay. Rock holds nine UW–LaCrosse records (four individual; five relays) and six WIAC records (three individual; three relays) and was twice named first-team Academic All-American by CoSIDA. In addition to these achievements, Rock also claimed the fastest 400m time in Division III history, running a 44.66 at a USATF meet in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, thereby announcing his arrival onto the elite track scene. Rock turned professional soon after graduating from UW–La Crosse with a finance degree by signing a multi-year contract with Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
.
Rock is currently an assistant track coach at Carleton College
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
.
Professional career
Despite going through the rigors of the long NCAA college track season, Rock finished 6th in the 400m at the 2004 Olympic Trials, earning him a spot in the relay pool for the upcoming Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. In the 2004 Olympic Games, Rock ran for the American 4x400m relayAthletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 4 x 400 metres relay
The men's 4×400 metres relay was one of 23 track events of the athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens. It was contested at the Athens Olympic Stadium, from August 27 to August 28, by a total of sixteen national teams comprising 64 athletes....
team in the qualifying heats, securing the team a place in the final. The relay took first two days later in the final, securing Rock a gold medal. In the 2005 World Championships in the Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, he competed in 400m
2005 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics was held on August 9, 10 and 12 at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.-Medalists:-Results:All times shown are in seconds.-Heat 1:# Timothy Benjamin 44.85 Q...
and won a silver medal, setting a new personal best of 44.35. Later in the meet, he led off the 4x400m relay
2005 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 4 x 400 metres relay
The 4 x 400 metre relay at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on August 13 and August 14.-Medals:-Qualifying:...
team to yet another World Championship gold medal. Rock followed his 2005 season with a 2006 campaign highlighted by his 400m win at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (seconds) | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 meters | 20.84 | Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. Located in the central part of the state, it is the largest city in the county, with a population of 24,551 at the 2000 census... , United States |
May 5, 2003 |
| 400 meters | 44.35 | Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland |
August 12, 2005 |
| 400 meters (indoor) | 46.01 | Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks... , United States |
February 11, 2005 |
| 4x400m relay | 2:56.91 - 44.7s (Rock, Brew, Williamson, Wariner) | Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland |
August 14, 2005 |
Career highlights
- 2001-2004: 9-time NCAA Division III Champion, 17-time NCAA Division III All-American
- 2004: Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist, ranked #7 in the United States
- 2005: World Outdoor 400m2005 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 400 metresThe men's 400 metres at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics was held on August 9, 10 and 12 at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.-Medalists:-Results:All times shown are in seconds.-Heat 1:# Timothy Benjamin 44.85 Q...
silver medalist, World Outdoor 4x400m2005 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 4 x 400 metres relayThe 4 x 400 metre relay at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on August 13 and August 14.-Medals:-Qualifying:...
gold medalist, ranked #2 in the United States and #3 in the World - 2006: USATF Outdoor Champion, 400m, ranked #3 in the United States and #4 in the World
- 2007: ranked #7 in the United States