In recognition of her dedication to coaching and the sport of cross country, Waller was inducted into the FCSAA Hall of Fame in 2024. She has coached numerous athletes to All-American honors in both the 5K and half marathon distances. That same year, Emelyn Lacour was named Atlantic Region Runner of the Year, while Waller earned Atlantic Region Coach of the Year—an accolade she also received in 2016, 2021, and 2022.
A standout athlete herself, Waller graduated from River Ridge High School in 1997, having won the Florida state championship in the 3,200-meter race in 1995. She continued her running career on a cross country and track scholarship at Ohio University, competing for 12 seasons across cross country, indoor, and outdoor track. She earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 2001 and later completed a Master of Science in Biostatistics at the University of South Florida.
Before joining PHSC, Waller served as head coach for the boys’ track and boys/girls cross country teams at J.W. Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Florida, where she also taught math from 2002 to 2008. She currently teaches at Pasco eSchool and serves as an adjunct professor at PHSC.
Waller remains an active competitor, having completed the 2024 Boston Marathon and earning first female overall honors at both the 2025 BDR Half Marathon and the 2023 Clearwater Marathon. Among her proudest achievements is pushing an Ainsley’s Angel athlete in the 2018 Boston Marathon—a moment she considers her greatest running accomplishment.
