Joann Miller (nee Joann Howard) was a standout four-time All-American in women’s cross country and track & field from 1982-1987. Howard was a pioneer for CPP Athletics in both sports, still holding multiple school records to this day and leading the cross country team to their first national appearance.
In cross country, Howard was the first All-American in program history, being named a USTFCCCA All-American in both 1985 and 1986. She was also named a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1986 for her excellence in the classroom. Howard holds the school record for best average pace per mile (5:30) at the UCR Invitational in 1986, while also holding the fastest 5K time in program history in the same race at 17:06.4. During CPP’s first National Championships appearance in 1985, Howard was the top finisher for the Broncos with a 19
th place finish at 18:44.7. In 1986, she placed ninth as an individual at the National Championships, which remains the highest finish of a CPP runner on the national stage in program history.
Her dominance was no different during the track & field season, as Howard still holds the school record in the 3,000 meters (9:30.54) and 5,000 meters (16:38.80). She also ranks sixth all-time in the 10,000 meters and second in the 1,500 meters. In 1985, Howard was an All-American in the 3,000 meters and in 1986, was an All-American in the 1,500 meters. She is the only student-athlete in school history to earn All-America honors in both women’s cross country and women’s track & field.
“I was very surprised and honored to hear that I was inducted into the Cal Poly Pomona Athletic Hall of Fame,” said Miller. “I am so grateful to hear that I was chosen for this honor. My years at Cal Poly as a student-athlete were challenging and rewarding. I am grateful to have been given such life-impacting opportunities and I encourage all high school athletes to progress to the college level, if given the chance. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that they will cherish forever.”
Following her graduation from CPP in 1987, Miller began her studies at Loma Linda University, School of Dentistry, graduating in 1991. Later that year, she married her husband, Mike Miller, who is also a Cal Poly Pomona alumnus. Together they have two children, Christiane and Jeffrey. Miller has also been practicing dentistry for more than thirty years.
Miller continues to run and compete in road races, and has been competing in triathlons for the last 15 years. She has completed three 140.6 Ironman events and seven 70.3 Ironman events, in addition to numerous shorter triathlons. Miller believes that staying active is key to good health.
