Completed Event: Track & Field at VertKlasse Meeting on April 4, 2025 , , Completed
T-F
Final
James Madison
at VertKlasse Meeting
Completed
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Track & Field
Frias, Ta'
Ta' Frias
- Title:
- Director of Track and Field and Cross Country
- Email:
- friastb@jmu.edu
- Physical Address:
- Bridgeforth B110 (261 Bluestone Dr.) / MSC 2306
Ta' Frias (pronounced Tah FREE us) is entering her seventh year as the Director of the Women's Track & Field and Cross Country programs, after joining the Dukes' program as head track and field coach in December 2009 where she served as the head coach until 2014.
The Dukes have found unquestionable success under Frias' tutelage. Since arriving in Harrisonburg, 26 school records have been broken in indoor and outdoor events with double-digit CAA individual champions and NCAA qualifiers.
In 2021, Frias coached Skyla Davidson in her first outdoor season in the triple jump and Davidson finished the season winning the CAA Triple Jump Championship with a mark of 12.26 meters on her final jump. At the CAA Championships, five Dukes earned All-CAA honors after earning medals - Skyla Davidson (triple jump, gold), Jordan Otto (high jump, gold), Shelby Staib (javelin, bronze), Dominique Johnson (discus, bronze) and Bethany Biggi (heptathlon, bronze). Staib was the sole Duke to qualify for the NCAA East Prelims.
Prior to the outdoor season being cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns in 2019-20, Frias saw one of her sprinters pull off a great final season. Senior Meredith Willis capped off her career by winning the 200m race at the ECAC Championship with a school-record time of 23.85 seconds. Willis earned inaugural VaSID All-State honors at the conclusion of the season.
During the season, sophomore Anoush Stamm set the school record in the 500m race in 1:13.49 while also setting a meet record in the 800m race at the Marshall Women’s Only Meet (2:12.95). For relays, Willis, junior Tally Lott and freshmen Dardlie Lefevre and Tess Lee teamed up to run the second-fastest 4x400m time in program history, finishing in 3:46.55 at the ECAC Championship.
Frias boasted four (Nicolette Serratore, Dominique Johnson, Olivia Viparina, Jantsen Wilson) at the NCAA East Preliminary Championship following a successful track and field season in 2018-19. At the CAA Track & Field Championship, Nicolette Serratore (heptathlon), Dominique Johnson (discus), Olivia Viparina (3000m steeplechase) and Jantsen Wilson (triple jump) all earned CAA Individual honors for winning their respective events while Erica Jackson (1500m) and Meredith Willis (100, 200m) both earned All-CAA honors following the season. Meredith Willis was also named the CAA Istituational Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
During the 2017-18 seasons, Frias saw JMU win both the CAA and ECAC Cross Country Championships, while Nora Raher earned the CAA Individual Championship in Cross Country. During the track season, Alexys Taylor won the 100m dash while Nicolette Serratore earned a spot in the NCAA East Preliminary meet in the javelin.
In 2016-17, the Dukes placed third at the CAA Championships behind Kennedy King's Co-Most Outstanding Track Performer showing. JMU won three events and collected 14 All-CAA performances. Five school records were broken, including the outdoor 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays. Alexys Taylor (100M) and Tessa Mundell (3000M Steeple) both qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary.
In her time as program director, the Dukes have put together a string of impressive team performances at major meets. During the 2015-16 season, JMU placed second as a team at both the CAA and ECAC Cross Country Championships. That same year, JMU finished third at the ECAC Indoor Championships and second at both the CAA and ECAC Outdoor Championships. In 2014-15, both cross country and track and field teams placed third at the CAA Championships.
From 2012-2014, Frias coached throws, hurdles, high jump and multi-events. Since then, her responsibilities have become sprints, jumps, hurdles, relays and multi-events. In 2012, in just her third season at JMU, Frias was selected the Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year by a vote of the league's head track and field coaches.
Frias earned the CAA honor after guiding the Dukes to their first conference title in May 2012. JMU captured individual titles in six different events (high jump, long jump, 100 meters, 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters) en route to winning the CAA crown.
In 2014 alone, the team earned CAA Championships in the 100-meter hurdles, 100-meter dash and the 4x100 relay for the first time in program history.
Frias came to JMU after nine years of coaching experience as an assistant men's and women's track and field coach at Stephen F. Austin (Texas) from 2001-08 and at Richmond from 1998-00.
At Stephen F. Austin Frias coached 13 Southland Conference champions and 77 all-conference performers. Her athletes set 25 school records and won four NCAA all-region honors. She coached four NCAA national qualifiers, one USA Olympic Trials qualifier and one Team USA athlete who competed in the 2006 Under-23 North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Games.
While Frias was coaching at Stephen F. Austin, the SFA women's team won Southland Conference Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2005 and the men's team won the SLC indoor team title in 2005.
Frias is a 1998 graduate of North Carolina, where, competing as Ta' Bingham, she was a three-time All Atlantic Coast Conference selection in the heptathlon. She was a member of eight ACC champion teams.
She holds a bachelor's degree in biology and is USA Track and Field Level II certified in the sprints and jumps.
A native of Richmond, Va., Frias was inducted into the Collegiate High School Athletic Hall of Fame in Richmond in October 2008.
She is married to Jaime Frias and has two children, Azari and Jaime Dhani.
The Dukes have found unquestionable success under Frias' tutelage. Since arriving in Harrisonburg, 26 school records have been broken in indoor and outdoor events with double-digit CAA individual champions and NCAA qualifiers.
In 2021, Frias coached Skyla Davidson in her first outdoor season in the triple jump and Davidson finished the season winning the CAA Triple Jump Championship with a mark of 12.26 meters on her final jump. At the CAA Championships, five Dukes earned All-CAA honors after earning medals - Skyla Davidson (triple jump, gold), Jordan Otto (high jump, gold), Shelby Staib (javelin, bronze), Dominique Johnson (discus, bronze) and Bethany Biggi (heptathlon, bronze). Staib was the sole Duke to qualify for the NCAA East Prelims.
Prior to the outdoor season being cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns in 2019-20, Frias saw one of her sprinters pull off a great final season. Senior Meredith Willis capped off her career by winning the 200m race at the ECAC Championship with a school-record time of 23.85 seconds. Willis earned inaugural VaSID All-State honors at the conclusion of the season.
During the season, sophomore Anoush Stamm set the school record in the 500m race in 1:13.49 while also setting a meet record in the 800m race at the Marshall Women’s Only Meet (2:12.95). For relays, Willis, junior Tally Lott and freshmen Dardlie Lefevre and Tess Lee teamed up to run the second-fastest 4x400m time in program history, finishing in 3:46.55 at the ECAC Championship.
Frias boasted four (Nicolette Serratore, Dominique Johnson, Olivia Viparina, Jantsen Wilson) at the NCAA East Preliminary Championship following a successful track and field season in 2018-19. At the CAA Track & Field Championship, Nicolette Serratore (heptathlon), Dominique Johnson (discus), Olivia Viparina (3000m steeplechase) and Jantsen Wilson (triple jump) all earned CAA Individual honors for winning their respective events while Erica Jackson (1500m) and Meredith Willis (100, 200m) both earned All-CAA honors following the season. Meredith Willis was also named the CAA Istituational Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
During the 2017-18 seasons, Frias saw JMU win both the CAA and ECAC Cross Country Championships, while Nora Raher earned the CAA Individual Championship in Cross Country. During the track season, Alexys Taylor won the 100m dash while Nicolette Serratore earned a spot in the NCAA East Preliminary meet in the javelin.
In 2016-17, the Dukes placed third at the CAA Championships behind Kennedy King's Co-Most Outstanding Track Performer showing. JMU won three events and collected 14 All-CAA performances. Five school records were broken, including the outdoor 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays. Alexys Taylor (100M) and Tessa Mundell (3000M Steeple) both qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary.
In her time as program director, the Dukes have put together a string of impressive team performances at major meets. During the 2015-16 season, JMU placed second as a team at both the CAA and ECAC Cross Country Championships. That same year, JMU finished third at the ECAC Indoor Championships and second at both the CAA and ECAC Outdoor Championships. In 2014-15, both cross country and track and field teams placed third at the CAA Championships.
From 2012-2014, Frias coached throws, hurdles, high jump and multi-events. Since then, her responsibilities have become sprints, jumps, hurdles, relays and multi-events. In 2012, in just her third season at JMU, Frias was selected the Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year by a vote of the league's head track and field coaches.
Frias earned the CAA honor after guiding the Dukes to their first conference title in May 2012. JMU captured individual titles in six different events (high jump, long jump, 100 meters, 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters) en route to winning the CAA crown.
In 2014 alone, the team earned CAA Championships in the 100-meter hurdles, 100-meter dash and the 4x100 relay for the first time in program history.
Frias came to JMU after nine years of coaching experience as an assistant men's and women's track and field coach at Stephen F. Austin (Texas) from 2001-08 and at Richmond from 1998-00.
At Stephen F. Austin Frias coached 13 Southland Conference champions and 77 all-conference performers. Her athletes set 25 school records and won four NCAA all-region honors. She coached four NCAA national qualifiers, one USA Olympic Trials qualifier and one Team USA athlete who competed in the 2006 Under-23 North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Games.
While Frias was coaching at Stephen F. Austin, the SFA women's team won Southland Conference Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2005 and the men's team won the SLC indoor team title in 2005.
Frias is a 1998 graduate of North Carolina, where, competing as Ta' Bingham, she was a three-time All Atlantic Coast Conference selection in the heptathlon. She was a member of eight ACC champion teams.
She holds a bachelor's degree in biology and is USA Track and Field Level II certified in the sprints and jumps.
A native of Richmond, Va., Frias was inducted into the Collegiate High School Athletic Hall of Fame in Richmond in October 2008.
She is married to Jaime Frias and has two children, Azari and Jaime Dhani.
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