Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Athletics

The most individually decorated student-athlete in Embry-Riddle Athletics history, Ellie Staker was one of the most dominant cross country and track runners in Embry-Riddle and NAIA history from 2011-15. The Seattle, Washington native was named an NAIA All-American a school-record 18 times and still holds 10 school records.
 
In cross country, Staker left the program as the best female runner in school history. She owns six of the fastest 5K times, including the top two, and three of the top-four. Her school-record 17:18.32 came at the Sand Shark Invitational on Oct. 20, 2012 in her junior season. She became the program's first and only NAIA All-American as a senior in 2013. She is the program's only two-time Conference Runner of the Year, earning the honor in both 2012 and 2013, as well as a three-time first team All-Sun Conference honoree.
 
On the track, Staker was even better. She earned the NAIA Indoor National Championship in her preeminent event, the 800m in 2015, and claimed an unheard of 17 NAIA All-America honors over nine different disciplines. At the time of induction, she still owned nine school records on the track, including four indoor marks: the 1,000m, Mile, 4x400m relay, and 4x800m relay; as well as five outdoor records: the 1,000m, 1,500m, Mile, 4x400m relay, and 4x800m relay.
 
Staker broke the NAIA record in the 1,000m at the USATF National Championship on March 1, 2015, running a 2:43.56. It was a record that stood in the NAIA until 2020.
 
Staker captured 11 conference titles on the track and was a 16-time All-Conference performer, ultimately being named Sun Conference Track Athlete of the Year three times (2012, 2014, 2015), a conference record.
 
Her combined excellence in her sports and in her studies was highlighted in 2015 when she was named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in Track & Field, the highest academic and athletic honor in the country. Staker's four Academic All-America honors are tied for the most in Embry-Riddle Athletics history as she earned first team accolades in 2014 and 2015, second team honors in 2013, and third team honors in 2012.
 
In cross country and track, Staker was a three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, and a five-time Academic All-Conference selection. Staker is a two-time ERAU graduate, graduating with a 3.7 GPA in Computational Mathematics in 2015 and earning her Master's degree in Software Engineering and boasting a 3.89 GPA in 2018.
 
"There is no one in our program who has been a better combination of student, athlete, and person than Ellie Staker. She would be the first person I would select as the prototype for a model of Student, Person, Player. She was truly one-of-a-kind when it comes to the combination of student and athlete."
- Mike Rosolino
Head Coach, Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2003-present)
 
"Not a day went by where I did not see Ellie embrace the core value of Servant Leadership. She is an overachiever at the highest level in all areas of her life. When Ellie came to practice, her purpose was to help her teammates. Ellie accomplished our hard workouts by encouraging her teammates and leading them to performances that exceeded what we asked. She was the reason that both our cross country and track teams excelled.
- Peter Hopfe
Assistant Coach, Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2005-present)
 
"Ellie encompassed the five core values of integrity, sportsmanship, respect, responsibility, and servant leadership and she demonstrated them on and off the track throughout her time at Embry-Riddle. Her attitude, her demeanor, and her positivity spread throughout the team and showed other athletes what it meant to be a good sport. She demonstrated excellence every day."
- Nicole Bonk
Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2010-13)
Embry-Riddle Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021
 
"Ellie is one of the best leaders Embry-Riddle has ever had. Her work ethic and drive were contagious, she was the epitome of 'lead by example.' Ellie is the benchmark other Hall of Fame candidates should be judged by."
- Zack Kraus
Embry-Riddle Men's Cross Country/Track & Field (2010-15)