DAVIS, Calif. -- Former UC Davis distance runner Sarah Sumpter will join four other former student-athletes as part of the 2020 Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame induction class, Director of Athletics Kevin Blue announced.
Sumpter will be posthumously inducted on Friday, September 4, along with water polo player Carmen Eggert, golfer Matt Hansen, gymnast Michelle Kulovitz Alencar, and golfer Demi Runas.
Originally from Cloverdale, California, and Healdsburg High, Sumpter – better known under the nickname "Stump" – is best known for recovering from a 2010 brain tumor diagnosis to post an exemplary career in both cross country and track & field at UC Davis. She is the namesake of the Sarah Sumpter Perseverance Award, inaugurated in 2017 and first awarded in 2018, for student-athletes who return from life-altering hardship to contribute to Aggie athletics. More recently, Sumpter's memory was honored with the launch of the Stump Invitational cross country meet in 2019.
Sumpter captured the Big West Conference title and Athlete of the Year award in cross country as a redshirt freshman in 2009, then earned a spot in the NCAA West Prelims during track season the following spring. However, on the eve of the 2010 cross country season, tragedy struck: during a routine doctor's visit, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Sumpter successfully underwent emergency surgery, and was sidelined for the remainder of the 2010-11 school year save for one appearance in a home track meet.
Incredibly, Sumpter not only returned to action while continuing her chemotherapy, but competed at the highest levels. In her final three seasons, she posted two runner-up finishes at the Big West cross country championships, won three Big West individual titles in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races, and added a Big West Track Athlete of the Year award. Sumpter advanced to the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where she posted a USTFCCCA All-America second-team finish. A year later, she competed at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
Entering 2020, Sumpter still holds school records in the outdoor 10K and indoor 5K, while her personal record in the outdoor 5K ranks second in Aggie history.
Sumpter continued to run after college, with a fourth-place finish at the 2014 Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon among the highlights. She moved on to full marathons, hoping to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Trials. However, in the summer of 2015, while she trained for the New York City Marathon, Sumpter's health began to deteriorate. She died on September 21 at the age of 25.
Sumpter will become the first posthumous inductee to the CAAHOF since legednary athletics director and coach Vern Hickey entered in 1996.
The CAAHOF selection committee also chose recipients of the Aggie Legacy Award, which honors former student-athletes for their post-UC Davis achievements in athletics; and the Special Recognition Award, bestowed upon those for their volunteer service to the Aggie intercollegiate athletics. The recipients of those two awards will be announced next week.
For more information about the CAAHOF, including past honorees and/or information on how to nominate, please visit the link above.
The induction ceremony is open to the public. Tickets and RSVP information will be available at ucdavisaggies.com, while questions about the event may be directed to caahof@ucdavis.edu.
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