| Joy Upshaw Margerum |
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Joy Margerum enters her eighth season on the Golden Bear coaching staff, her first coordinating alumni and community relations. She spent the last seven years coaching hurdlers. Margerum joined the Cal program on a volunteer basis during the 1997 season while serving as the co-head cross country coach, along with Patti Sue Plumer, at Menlo College.
She came to Cal after an eight-year stay in Hawaii, where she taught at the Punahou School and coached at the Hawaii Preparatory Academy on the Big Island of Hawaii. She co-coached the women's team at the academy to a state title in track and field in 1995 and a runner-up finish in 1996, as well as a pair of cross country state titles in 1993 and 1994.
A native of the Bay Area, Margerum began her coaching career at Los Gatos High School in 1983, where she specialized in hurdles, sprints, jumps and relays, sending many athletes to the state meet in her seven-year tenure (1983-89).
A 1983 graduate of Cal State Hayward, Margerum earned All-America honors competing in the hurdles, long jump, heptathlon and relays. After earning her bachelor's degrees in kinesiolgy and dance, Margerum continued her education by adding her master's degree in human performance at San Jose State in 1988, where her thesis project was writing and illustrating a book called "Positive Attributes of Sports for Kids!".
Margerum continues to compete in masters track and field and has won numerous competitions in her age group. Recently, she was voted the 2002 Track Athlete of the Year for her age group (women's 40-44). She holds the American record for the women's 35-39 age group in the 400m hurdles (64.12) and won the senior Female Athlete of the Year award presented by the Honolulu Quarterback Club.
Margerum also helped develop the Cal Track and Field Family Club, a group of family and friends of Golden Bear student-athletes that provide support to the program. She also serves as director of the Cal summer track camps. Away from her duties at Cal, Margerum is also the coach of the Jackrabbit Track Club and Lady Sprinters, based in Palo Alto.
Margerum comes from a long line of track and field athletes, including sister Grace Upshaw, a three-time Pac-10 qualifier in the long jump at Cal (1995-97), and parents Monte and Carol Upshaw, 1958 Cal grads. Grace was the 2002 USA National Indoor long jump champion and is currently ranked first in the U.S. in that event. Her father has served as president of the Big C Society and currently heads the Cal Track and Field Steering Committee. Her mother serves on the board of trustees for the Cal Performances.
She is married to Ken Margerum, who is a member of the Stanford Football Hall of Fame and who went on to play for the Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers. Currently, Ken is the wide receivers coach for Stanford. They reside in Berkeley with their daughters, Sunny and Windy.
