View source for Michael Stember

{{Short description|American track and field athlete (born 1978)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Michael Stember
| image = Michael Stember 2017 (cropped).jpg
| image_size = <!--Only for images narrower than 220 pixels.-->
| caption = Stember in 2017
| nationality = [[Americans|American]]
| residence = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|01|30|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Fair Oaks, California]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height = {{convert|5|ft|11|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|155|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| sport = [[Track and field|Track]]
| event = [[800 metres]], [[1500 metres]]
| collegeteam = [[Stanford Cardinal|Stanford]]
| coach = 
| pb = '''[[800 meters]]''': 1:46.20<ref name="All-Athletics">{{cite web|url=http://www.all-athletics.com/node/98593|author=All-Athletics|title=Profile of Michael Stember}}</ref> <br /> '''[[1500 meters]]''': 3:35.11<ref name="All-Athletics" />
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]] ([[track and field]])}}
{{MedalCountry | the {{Flagu|United States}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Athletics at the 1999 Pan American Games|1999 Winnipeg]] | 1500 m}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Athletics at the 2003 Pan American Games|2003 Santo Domingo]] | 1500 m}}
| show-medals = 
| updated = May 5, 2012
}}

'''Michael Stember''' (born January 30, 1978) is a [[track and field]] [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]] from the United States who is known for his achievements in the [[middle-distance running|middle distance]] events. His first international competition was winning the gold medal in the [[1500 metres]] at the 1997 Pan American Junior Championships. He won a silver medal at the [[1999 Pan American Games]] in the men's 1500 metres. He ran in the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney, Australia]], where he qualified for the semi-finals but finished a non-qualifying 9th.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/michael-stember-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418023513/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/michael-stember-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 18, 2020|title=Michael Stember|access-date=September 26, 2017}}</ref> He returned to the [[2003 Pan American Games]] and repeated his silver medal in the men's 1500 metres. In 2004 he became the U.S. Indoor 800&nbsp;m champion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/USAIndoorTF/men/m800m.asp |title=USATF - Statistics - USA Indoor Track & Field Champions |access-date=2010-09-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902141853/http://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/USAIndoorTF/men/m800m.asp |archive-date=September 2, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> In 2007–2008 he was a volunteer coach at [[UCLA]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-xc/mtt/stember_michael00.html |title=Player Bio: Michael Stember - UCLA Official Athletic Site |access-date=2010-09-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405154957/http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-xc/mtt/stember_michael00.html |archive-date=April 5, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> He later became a restaurant owner.

==Running career==
===High school===
{{BLP sources section|date=March 2023}}
Stember ran for [[Jesuit High School (Sacramento)|Jesuit High School]]. As a sophomore in 1994 at the [[CIF California State Meet]] he finished second in the 1600 metres to the future American marathon great [[Meb Keflezighi]]. He won the race outright as a junior (1995) and senior (1996). His 4:04.00 winning time in the 1995 CIF State Meet was the state 1600 meters record until 2001 when it was surpassed by [[Ryan Hall (runner)|Ryan Hall]] at 4:02:62.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/stateres.htm |title=California State Meet Results – 1915 to present |publisher=Hank Lawson |access-date=January 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092406/http://www.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/stateres.htm |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The impressive finish—starting after two laps—is depicted in a YouTube video named "Godspeed" which has been viewed more than 28 million times since its release in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNSWTwB-_bk |title=Godspeed Video Page on Youtube|website=[[YouTube]] |date=June 2010 }}</ref> However, as fast as Stember was running, he had a habit of running strategically, always finishing with a devastating [[Kick (running)|kick]] that demoralized his opponents.  As a junior, it worked well because no athlete on that level could match his kick at any pace.

===Collegiate===
He carried this strategy to [[Stanford University]], even though [[Vin Lananna]] tried to coax him into occasionally using other strategies.  He scored 13 points for the team in 2000, with a second place in the 1500 and 4th place in the [[800 metres]] as Stanford won the [[NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gostanford.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stember_michael00.html |title=Player Bio: Michael Stember - Stanford University's Official Athletic Site |access-date=2010-09-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124195847/http://www.gostanford.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stember_michael00.html |archive-date=January 24, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Stember holds the Stanford records in both the 1500 metres and 800 metres and was named All American ten times.  He ran the 800 metre leg on Stanford's "world record" claiming team for the unsanctioned Indoor "Distance Medley Relay".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-track/mtt/stember_michael00.html |title=Player Bio: Michael Stember - Stanford University's Official Athletic Site |access-date=2010-09-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318031337/http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-track/mtt/stember_michael00.html |archive-date=March 18, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

===International===
In 1999, he was fourth in the [[Athletics at the 1999 Summer Universiade|World University Games]], behind then-Kenyan [[Bernard Lagat]]. A year later, he was the third qualifier at the [[United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|U.S. Olympic Trials]], but had not achieved the [[United States Olympic Trials (track and field)#Standards|A Standard]]. He spent the summer chasing the mark, achieving it at [[Herculis]] in one of the last opportunities before the Olympics. Stember ended up running the men's 1500 meters at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]], but did not make it to the final round.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/TrackAndFieldArchive/2005/Stember_Michael.asp Michael Stember] at [[USA Track & Field]]
* {{World Athletics||Michael Stember}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|michael-stember}}

{{Gatorade National Track and Field Athlete of the Year}}
{{Footer US NC Indoor 800m Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2000 Summer Olympics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stember, Michael}}
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American male middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Sacramento, California]]
[[Category:Stanford Cardinal men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Fair Oaks, California]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]