When Annie Wild steps to the starting line, the world around her blurs — the sound of the starting pistol, the rhythm of her breath, the pounding of spikes against the track. Every race is a culmination of determined preparation: countless early mornings, long runs and moments of quiet determination.
“I feel empowered when I run,” Wild said. “You’re able to break those boundaries that you set before and you know that all your hard work is paying off.”
A junior at Stanislaus State majoring in communication studies, Wild competes in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, specializing in the 800-meter, 1500-meter and mile events. But her story isn’t just about speed. It’s about mentorship, faith and belief in the idea that champions can be made anywhere — including right here in the heart of California’s Central Valley.
“I’ve been around running a lot of my life,” she said. “When I was about a year old, my mom put me in our local town’s diaper derby, and I was able to win that. Then in middle school, when we’d run the mile in PE, I’d be like, ‘I want to beat everybody.’”
By the time she reached high school in her hometown of Ripon, Wild was breaking records, earning MVP honors all four years and realizing that running could be more than a hobby — it could be her future.
“I chose Stan State because of our amazing coaching staff,” she said. “They brought me on a visit to the campus, and everyone was supportive and really encouraging about my future in collegiate running.”
It didn’t take long for Wild to feel at home. “The thing I love most about Stan State is how close-knit our community is,” she said. “Not just coaching, but also professors and staff. Everybody’s fully supporting you and doing whatever it takes to help you succeed.”
Behind every great athlete stands a mentor who saw their potential long before anyone else. For Wild, that person is Assistant Cross Country and Track Coach Courtney Heiner, a former national champion and five-time All-American for Stan State.
“The first time I met Courtney was on my visit,” Wild recalled. “She showed me around campus, and not once did she mention that she had been an All-American. Then Coach Holman pulled up her stats, and I just remember sitting there thinking, I want to be like you one day. That’s so empowering.”
Heiner remembers that same visit vividly. “I turned and looked at Annie, and I could see it in her eyes that this is something she wanted to do and wanted to be a part of,” Heiner said.
That shared spark between student-athlete and coach became the foundation of something special — a mentorship built on mutual trust, faith and determination.
“It means a lot to have such a close mentor,” Wild said. “It’s really helpful just to know that you have somebody who’s always there for you, always willing to support you and be someone you can go to with anything — even if it’s not about running.”
For Heiner, mentorship isn’t just about workouts or race strategies. It’s about helping young athletes find confidence in themselves — as competitors, students and leaders.
“One of the most important things as a coach is that you need your athletes to trust you and to trust your ability to get them to their goals,” Heiner said. “I had so many incredible people along my journey who were mentors to me. Now it’s my turn to encourage these athletes and make sure they feel loved and welcomed out there.”
Head Coach Darren Holman, who has led Stan State’s cross country and track programs since 2016, said he recognized something special about Wild the moment he met her.
“When I first met Annie, I saw glimpses of greatness,” Holman said. “She was very humble, very coachable and excited to come to Stan State. Those are the things you can’t teach.”
That combination of humility and hunger drove Wild’s rapid rise. In her very first year at Stan State as a freshman, she earned all-conference honors in cross country, broke the indoor mile school record and won both the 800- and 1500-meter conference championships.
But Holman said it was her sophomore season when everything came together. “Her cross country season gave us confidence,” he said. “We could see she was doing things she’d never done before. If we could align everything physically, mentally and emotionally, we knew she could do something special.”
Something special came in March 2025 at the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships in Indianapolis. Wild entered ranked first in the nation in the mile. The pressure was immense — but her coaches reminded her of her strength and faith.
“Going into that race, Courtney told me that I was strong and that I could do it,” Wild said. “She gave me a hug and said, ‘You gotta let go and let God.’ That really showed me that at the end of the day, when you give into that faith, there are things that can move mountains.”
“When I first met Annie, I saw glimpses of greatness.”
- Darren Holman, Cross Country Head Coach
When the gun went off, Wild led for several laps, then slipped into second place. Then, with one final surge, she reclaimed the lead down the final stretch.
“I came off the turn with about 150 meters left, and I got that lead back,” Wild recalled. “What went through my head as the finish line approached was — ‘I’m going to be a national champion!’”
As she crossed the line, Heiner was waiting. “Courtney said to me, ‘You freaking did it, champ. You did that. I’m so proud of you,’” Wild said with a beaming smile. “Having her right there for me the whole way — it was amazing.”
Heiner called it one of the most rewarding moments of her career. “When Annie crossed the line at the national championship, I felt so excited,” she said. “I was so proud of her and everything she’s worked hard for, and she really put Stan State on the map; that we can run at a high level.”
Holman agreed. “When she crossed the finish line, I felt a combination of joy, relief and disbelief,” he said. “You put so much pressure on yourself as a coach because you don’t want to let your athletes down. And when it all comes together like that, it’s indescribable.”
Wild’s victory wasn’t just a personal triumph — she believes deeply in the strength of women athletes and the power they bring their sport.
“I think it’s important for women to feel empowered in athletics because there will always be people who are going to say that you can’t do it because you’re a girl,” she said. “But we’re women who are capable, are able and will do inspiring things.”
For Heiner, that message resonates deeply. “Champions are made when things get difficult,” she said. “It’s raining outside, it’s cold, but you still have to get out there and put in the work. And I think that’s such a great metaphor for life as well.”
Wild hopes her story will inspire young athletes — especially those from small towns like her own — to believe in themselves.
“It’s important to me to compete and to win because I want to be an advocate not only for women in sports, but also for showing that anybody is capable of doing it,” she said. “I come from a small town, and I didn’t have all these fancy trainers or coaches. I was just out there running, and knowing that anybody has the opportunity to win — that’s what I want to show.”
For Holman, Wild’s success represents the continuation of a legacy that began with Heiner more than a decade ago.
“What Annie has done for the legacy of Stan State cross country and track has added to what we’ve been trying to do long before she came to campus,” he said. “When Courtney was running here, she was creating something special — proving that you can win when you come from Stan State. Now Annie’s shown it can happen again.”
That lineage — from coach to athlete, from champion to champion — is shaping the future of the program.
“These are homegrown kids,” Holman said. “Courtney was from Sacramento. Annie’s from Ripon. We can have champions right here. If more people believe in what we can achieve, we’ll have a lot more of them.”
Heiner said she sees the same spark in her athletes today that she once carried as a student-athlete. “Annie has really proven that she can win from Stan State, which is so amazing,” she said. “She’s shown that when you trust your coaches, your teammates and the process, incredible things can happen.”
For Wild, the race is far from over. Her goals include breaking the 21-minute mark in cross country, qualifying a team for nationals and continuing to set records on the track. But beyond times and trophies, she’s chasing something even greater — legacy.
“For a young runner who’s just starting their journey, the best advice I could give is trust yourself,” she said. “Know that you’re capable of doing anything that you put your mind to.”
At Stanislaus State, mentorship, grit and belief have built a foundation for success that runs deeper than records. For Wild, Heiner and Holman, the message is clear: success is earned — one stride, one race, one heart at a time.
Because here, at Stan State, champions aren’t found. They’re made.