Reynolds to take talents to Stanford
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Front row pictured left to right: Ryan Reynolds, Ryce Reynolds, and Angela Reynolds. Back row pictured left to right: MACHS Head Coach Brad Elliott, Coach Tiffany Bolles, Coach Melissa Shields, and Coach Daniel Showalter.
Ryce Reynolds made his college choice official last Thursday, December 21, signing on to Stanford University at a ceremony surrounded by family, friends, fellow students, and Mount Ayr community high school track and field coaches. Reynolds will head to the San Francisco Bay Area in September, with a partial academic scholarship and partial athletic scholarship to continue his pursuit of record-breaking runs.
Reynolds first heard from Stanford University during his junior year, just before the spring track season. They reached out to introduce Reynolds to their athletic and academic programs and express their interest in working with him.
At the time, Reynolds was only looking at in state schools like Iowa State University, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa, where both his parents received their undergraduate education. He broadened his search beyond Iowa after the state track season, and talked to roughly eight coaches.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out to a coach,” says Reynolds, “There’s no down side to doing that.”
Prior to discussing his options with others, Reynolds narrowed down his top four choices to the University of IA, University of Kansas, University of Arkansas, and Stanford, all of which had offered comparable athletic and academic scholarships.
Mount Ayr high school track coach Brad Elliott believes the school is a good fit for Reynolds. “With Stanford having an enrollment around 8,000 students, he’s going to get a lot more attention there than he would at larger universities,” said Elliott. Stanford offers close student and faculty interaction and boasts an approximate 5-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Ryce credits Mount Ayr Community High School for helping him prepare for his future at Stanford University.
“I enjoy being so connected to my coaches, teachers, and community,” explains Ryce, “the small school feel has helped me grow up very humble.”
Reynolds made his first visit to tour the 8,180 acres campus and facilities in September of 2023. “He had three months to process everything prior to receiving the phone call,” said his mother, Angela Reynolds, “They had a good conversation, and he accepted their offer before hanging up.”
“The opportunity he has to experience both academic and athletic pursuits is unusual,” said his father, Ryan Reynolds, “I’m very excited for him.”
According to the U.S. News and World Report, Stanford University has an acceptance rate of just 4%. Admissions officials at Stanford University consider a student’s GPA a very important academic factor. Stanford University is ranked number 3 among National Universities in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges.
While Reynolds is confident in the opportunity ahead of him at one of the nation’s most prestigious universities, he has yet to select a major from the seven schools at Stanford, including business, education, law and medicine. Three of Stanford’s seven schools award undergraduate degrees: Humanities and Sciences; Engineering; and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Reynolds will be studying alongside students from all 50 states with 36% of students coming from CA, and another 14% from nations outside the United States.
According to Ryce, the strong rapport he was able to build with Jarius Cooper, the assistant coach for sprints and hurdles, had a lot to do with his final decision.
“I’m excited to go out there and see what he has for me,” states Reynolds, “I’m looking forward to working with the whole coaching team.”
J.J. Clark, Stanford’s Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field and Cross Country since 2019, oversees Stanford’s track and field and cross country programs. Jarius Cooper has coached Stanford’s sprinters, hurdlers, and relays since the fall of 2019. A USA Track and Field Level 1 certified instructor, Cooper ran hurdles at University of Florida.
Prior to arriving at Stanford, he coached under J.J. Clark at Connecticut in 2019 after six seasons as an assistant at Arkansas State. Cooper’s influence has been substantial, and the proof is in the resurgence of Cardinal sprinting.
“Historically a distant dominant track team, Stanford has had recent success in shorter sprint races,” says Reynolds, “one guy just went pro.”
In 2023, sophomore Udodi Onwuzurike won the NCAA outdoor championship in the 200 meters and was sixth in the 100. Onwuzurike became the first from Stanford to win an NCAA men’s sprint title since 1963. Onwuzurike’s time of 19.76 in the 200 semifinals was the third-fastest collegiate time in history and a Pac-12 Conference record. Onwuzurike’s 9.92 at the NCAA West Prelims was the 11th-fastest 100 in collegiate history.
Athletes coached by Cooper broke numerous school records in 2023. Among them was by the men’s 4×100 relay team, which broke a mark that had stood for 58 years. Maya Valmon twice broke the women’s 400 record and helped the 4×100 team and distance medley relay to others. In all, Cooper’s athletes broke or tied Stanford indoor or outdoor records 18 times in 2023.
Both Stanford men’s and women’s teams earned top-four team finishes at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in 2023, a first in the history of the 130-year program.
Records held by Ryce Reynolds
Mount Ayr High School Records
•200M 20.41
•400M 48.21
•800M 1:55.11
•400MHurdles 52.57
•4×100 Relay Member
•800 Medley Relay Anchor leg (*46.8 400m split)
•1600 Medley Relay Anchor leg
•4×800 Relay Anchor leg
Drake Relays
•400m: Champion 2023 (3rd Place 2022)
•400m Hurdles: 2-Time Runner-up 2022, 2023
Kansas Relays
•400m: 3rd Place 2023
Pride of Iowa Conference Meet individual accomplishments
•400m Champion 2021, 2022, 2023
•400m Hurdle Champion 2022, 2023 holds conference meet record
•200m Champion 2023
•100m Champion 2023
Class 1A IATC Indoor State Track Meet
•400m: 2-Time Champion Meet Record holder 2022,2023
Class 1A IAHSAA Outdoor State Track Meet
•11-Time Medalist 12-Time Qualifier
•400m: 2021(3rd), 2022(1st) 2023(1st) *Set the Class 1A State Meet Record.
•400m Hurdles: 2022(1st), 2023(1st) *Set the Class 1A State Meet Record.
•800m: 2021(5th)
•4×400: 2021 (5th) 2022 (DQ)
•4×800: 2021 (3rd)
•800 Medley: 2022 (4th) 2023 (2nd)
•1600 Medley 2023 (1st)
