Track and Field Coach Darren Holman predicted Stanislaus State sophomore Annie Wild would win the mile race before it even started at the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis.
“We were confident that we’d done everything right,” said Holman, in his 10th season coaching distance runners at Stan State. “That was calming my nerves.”
Assistant Coach Courtney Heiner was just as confident in Wild, but her cool faded when Wild fell into second place after taking an early lead.
“That was nerve-racking, mostly because we knew she could do it,” Heiner said. “When she was passed, we said, OK, these are really good athletes, some of the best in the nation. Second is still really good. I started to hit coach on the side as she started to go after the leader, thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s doing it.’ You could see that mental switch with her in that moment.”
Wild, a product of Ripon High School, had one last kick needed to capture the championship.
“I heard the bell, and that just hit something in my mind, that I have the potential,” Wild said of the final-of-eight laps on the 200-meter oval. “I was thinking, ‘I’m sitting in second right now. I could actually win this race.’ I decided it was all or nothing, and I was able to close better than I thought I would.”
She finished in 4:40.62 to claim Stan State’s first indoor track and field national championship and earned the distinction of being an All-American.
She ran the race she and her coaches planned, going out fast on the first lap to take the lead, then settling into a comfortable pace. An opponent passed her between the fourth and fifth laps, but Wild stayed close enough to retake the lead.
“That last lap was all heart,” Heiner said. “Coach Holman always says we’ll get you fit and ready, and the last lap is on you; it’s all heart. She executed it perfectly.”
It was that same heart that brought Wild — a youth soccer player who found a love for running in junior high gym class — on a recruiting trip to Stan State.
“During a team workout, I saw the girls giving each other high-fives, hugging, cheering for one another and being super supportive,” Wild said. “I remember one girl had to pull off from a workout, and even though she did that, the other girls were encouraging her. That made it a really attractive program — to be with a group of girls who care about one another.”
That interaction between teammates is as central to Holman’s coaching philosophy as the 70 miles of running he does weekly and convinced Heiner to give up coaching at Cordova High School to join him.
Heiner — then Courtney Anderson — was a distance runner at Stan State, earned five All-American honors and won the 1,500-meter national outdoor title as a senior in 2014.
Wild recently broke Heiner’s 11-year-old school record of 4:20.65 in the 1,500, clocking 4:19.67 at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa.
“It was awesome to be a part of it and see it,” Heiner said. “I’m so proud of her. It’s an honor to see it go to someone so deserving and so kind and humble.”
Wild has gained more than a national title under her coaches’ leadership. She’s embraced their efforts to, as Holman said, “try to build great human beings and great members of our community and great members of our University.”
“What I’ve taken away is how to interact with people and be a good person, not only in running, but other aspects of life, like in class or even at the grocery store,” Wild said. “The way these coaches have set up this program, there’s such an emphasis on being kind to teammates and bringing that same kindness to other people in the community.”
Wild’s embrace of those ideals helps her “win the day,” as Holman puts it, meaning she shows up on time, puts in the work, stays positive, is a good teammate and is kind to others.
Holman can’t remember a day Wild hasn’t “won,” which is why he was confident she’d win at nationals.
“What’s so impressive about Annie is seeing someone so young, on such a big stage, handle that pressure,” Heiner said. “I don’t know if I was that composed as a senior.”
Wild attributes it to a power beyond her athletic abilities.
“I owe a lot of my mindset to my faith and my Christian values, knowing that the God I serve is there for me and will love me no matter the outcome,” Wild said. “Being in that mindset and carrying that sense of faith has helped my mental state and kept me calm.”
She’s stepping boldly into her purpose.
As a sophomore, Wild is a champion runner who has sent a message to the track world that she’s a force to be reckoned with. She has qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 22-24 in Pueblo, Colo., to run the 1,500-meter race.
“I envision myself not only pursuing bigger athletic goals, but also bettering myself as a human, mentoring young athletes, being able to have them follow in the team’s footsteps, encouraging them and showing them that it’s not about just one person,” Wild said.
