By Lorrie Ross
Staff Writer
“Never count yourself out of something. Make someone else tell you no, or beat you fairly for something you really want, but never tell yourself no.” Former Clay County resident, Julie Stackhouse, shared sentiments following a halftime ceremony recognizing her long-standing track record.
Numerous accolades were read about her. “One of the most dominant and diverse athletes in state meet history, she won a still-standing state meet record-15 individual state outdoor track titles in four years in seven different events -100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1,600 meters, and high jump, setting 1A state meet records in every event. She also won the 1995 1A cross country state championship, was the 1A state track meet MVP all four years and helped her team to titles in 1994 and 1996. She set eight regional and 12 school records. She was one of NCHSAA’s 100 to Remember female athletes in 2013. ”
Stackhouse won four state titles in the 100-meter hurdles and set several state meet records. She set two state titles in the 300-meter hurdles and her ‘95 state record stood for six years. She grabbed three state high jump titles, setting a 1A record in 1995. She also won the state title and set a 1A record in the 400 meters, received state titles in the 800 meters in 1996 and 1997 by setting a 1A record in ‘96, and won the 1996 state title for 1,600 meters, also setting that state 1A record.
Her freshman year was the only time she didn’t win four titles, but she won three state titles and was runner-up in the high jump. The 1997 Hayesville High School grad competed in several sports, including four years of varsity track and field, cross country and basketball, along with one year each of volleyball and softball. In addition, Stackhouse graduated No. 1. She was involved in Mountain Magic Track Club, Junior Olympics/AAU Track & Field Nationals, FCA and other school clubs.
Stackhouse attended Clemson University from 1997 to 1999, followed by Furman University where she earned a bachelors of arts in exercise physiology and masters in kinesiology.
At Clemson, she earned All-ACC honors twice before transferring to Furman, where she won Southern Conference titles for 800 meters in 2000 and 2002. She set school records in the heptathlon, 800 meters, the 4x800 meter relay and helped Furman win the 2000 Southern Conference cross country title. She was five-time All-Southern Conference and a three-time Academic All-American.
She now owns Stackhouse Fitness in Jacksonville, Fla. Prior to that, she worked as an assistant Track & Field XC Coach at the University of North Florida, the University of Virginia, the United States Air Force Academy and Furman University.
Her parents, Steve and Jan Stackhouse, and grandmother, Helen Wilson, her brother, Matthew Aragao-Teixeira, and his fiance, TuaLisa Kuykendall, along with her niece and nephew, Sienna and Pierce Aragao-Teixeira all live in Hayesville.
Stackhouse said she never had to do track alone, even though it is a solo sport. Her parents were involved in every event and her older brother cheered her on. She said without their love and support, she would not have achieved what she has. Her sister, Jessie Stackhouse, was also a HHS track/XC standout and member of the state championship team. “My fiercest competitor and still the only one to ever wipe one of my records off the board, 3200m,” she laughed.
She holds fond Clay County memories. “Endless track meets-my very favorite place to be at the time,” she said. “When there was not a meet, I was at the track on Sunday afternoons working solo on my hurdle technique. Sometimes Coach Carney would drive by or sit in the stands to yell at me, because there was no other place he would rather be either.”
Summers were spent boating, skiing or fishing with her dad. “Hot trail running in Jackrabbit then cool, refreshing lake dips,” she said. She recalled fall memories, “Fresh, cool, crisp air, leaves crunching underfoot, festivals, dewy cross country dawn runs where you could see your breath as you warmed up. This is still autumn to me.”
She spoke of winter. “Creaky old rock gym floor where you knew exactly where each dead spot was. The squeak of breaking in new Nikes on the hardwood during repeated sprints. Our team wasn’t tall but we could run the floor,” she said. “Open gym, shooting at the same brick on the wall 1,000 times, working on my jump shot until I could make at least 12 free throws in a row -my jersey number. Going up to run a couple of miles on the track before going home, just to be sure no one could outlast you to the buzzer when it counted the most. Once, in sinking both 1-and-1 free throws with 0 seconds remaining on the clock at Murphy. The gym erupted.”
Stackhouse lives an active life blogging and writing, with interests ranging from marathons to Ironman triathlons and road trips in her camper, even one roundtrip from Jacksonville to Washington state. “Sports broadcasting for the 15k national championships, traveling in all 50 states and overseas for competitions, reading, biking, swimming, hiking, sunrise beach walks, newly exploring trail and ultra-marathon racing, spending time with family and friends and coaching,”she added.
She proudly coached the current high school girls’ national record holder and former cross country and track national champion, Jenna Hutchins. “I had a tremendous friend, mentor and coach in the legendary Buck Carney,” Stackhouse added. “It is because of coaches like him I continue to pursue my lifelong passion of running and coaching others.”
She has competed internationally, while her road racing career culminated in 2020 pursuing the Olympic Marathon Trials. She won countless marathons and half marathons, from Tennessee to the Cayman Islands, setting many records. The Jacksonville Track Club has named her Top Female Runner four times.
She started TV sports broadcasting and was hired to produce instructional running videos for Brooks. As a 29029 Everesting coach, she holds the current record for all 29029 events. Earlier this week, Julie Stackhouse won a masters race. “At age 43, eek!” she exclaimed. “I was never afraid to try for something — from scholarships to highly sought — after NCAA Division I coaching jobs. As a coach and athlete, I have learned that most of our limits are self-imposed. I achieved far more in my running career than I ever dreamed.”
While in high school, she never imagined she would become an elite, semi-professional marathoner being sponsored by her favorite shoe company, Brooks. “Although, for my senior year shield for Mrs. Powell’s class, I sketched colorful Olympic rings on it,” she said. “My final road race as a professional was in hot pursuit of the Olympic marathon trials, so I was always thinking long-term and dreaming big.”
The two team state championships are her favorite sports memories. “The individual ones, while hard-fought, were much sweeter when the entire team won,” she said.
She does not consider her hard work to be a sacrifice. “I still look at everything as a choice,” she explained. “You want to excel at something? You choose a lifestyle in line with your goals. It is not enough just to want it. You have to want it more than anything else in your life and be relentless in your pursuit. Then you have to show up and do it. No matter the weather, the circumstances, the competition or how you feel. Because chasing big, scary goals can be uncomfortable, but when you get comfortable living in that space — you will achieve amazing things and lift others up along the way if you’re lucky.”
She thanked Mike Cottrell for organizing the ceremony, along with everyone who supported her. “I could not and will not stop smiling — for all the memories created around my magical mountain-hugged, 8-lane ‘oval office’ and beyond. And no, the hurdles are not named after me, although that makes me smile, too.”
She quoted a favorite mantra, “If you get to the top and it’s lonely, you’ve done it all wrong.” She ended, “I am issuing a challenge to the next young superstar to go after those records. Let me know how I am able to help. Not too much in life makes me happier.” Visit: www.getstackednow.com for details.