Coastal Carolina Adds Zola (Budd) Pieterse to Staff
CONWAY, S.C. -- Coastal Carolina University men's and women's track and field programs have added Zola (Budd) Pieterse as a volunteer assistant coach, announced by both programs.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Zola join our coaching staff," Women's Track and Field Head Coach Alan Connie said. "She has had one of the most remarkable careers in the annals of women’s cross country/track and field. She will undoubtedly have a very positive influence on our student-athletes.”
"It's a tremendous honor to have someone as accomplished as Zola added to our program," Men's Track and Field Head Coach Jeff Jacobs commented. "Due to their youth, most of the current student-athletes weren't quite aware of her international accomplishments but once they heard were extremely impressed. I look forward to working with her and having her as a part of our program."
A native of South Africa, Pieterse is a two-time Olympian, having competed for Great Britain in the 1984 Los Angeles Games and represented South Africa at 1992 Barcelona Games as she had dual citizenship due to her grandfather. During her international track career, she twice broke the world record in a period of less than three years in the women's 5000 meters, and twice was the women's winner at the World Cross Country Championships. Best known for training and competing barefoot during her track and field career, Pieterse still holds two junior world records in the mile and the 3000 meters and during her career broke records in the 2,000 and 3,000 meters in outdoors and the indoor 3,000 meters.
Most recently, she won the Asheville Half-Marathon, in running shoes, in a time 1 hour, 25 minutes, 16 seconds, almost eight minutes ahead of the runner-up. She is currently training and plans to compete in Master’s Road Race events in the United States.
Pieterse, her husband Mike and three children - Mikey, Azelle and Lisa - reside in Myrtle Beach.