Hall of Fame
Brent Ayer was the first coach of Hood College's varsity teams in cross country and track and field.
Ayer was tasked with turning a women's club cross country program into a varsity program in 2003, as Hood transitioned to a co-educational institution. That year, his first-year men's program became the first male athletic squad to don the Blue & Grey in competition for Hood. In 2010, track and field was announced as a varsity, bringing Ayer's coaching duties to six squads - men's and women's programs in cross country; indoor track and field; and outdoor track and field. His athletes earned dozens of all-conference honors, two qualified for the NCAA Championships and a total of four earned either conference athlete or rookie of the year. In the classroom, his student-athletes garnered nearly 200 all-academic honors and his teams honored with United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Team Academic Awards more than 20 times.
Ayer's commitment to the sport extends beyond Hood College. He is a former president of the Road Runners Club of America. In May 2008, Ayer was elected President of the RRCA, an association of 1,600 running clubs and events from around the nation. He was re-elected to a second two-year term in April 2010. He was twice honored with the President's Award at the RRCA National Awards Banquet. The President's Award is a prestigious honor that acknowledges service to the RRCA and the sport of running by a dedicated individual.
As a runner, Ayer won numerous awards and honors during his collegiate running career and held the records for every distance from one mile to the marathon competitions at Frederick Community College. Ayer is a graduate of Lewis University; he holds a master's degree from Frostburg State University and concluded a 30-year career as a staff member for the United States House of Representatives on Jan. 3, 2011.
