Distance Coach

Watching my older sister, Lori, at her cross country meets, I knew that I too was going to join the cross country team when I became a 7th grader. When I started attending captains' practices in summer, I very quickly fell in love with the sport. We had a large team, so no matter if I was feeling fast or slow, there was always someone to run with. I found it easy to chat and connect with the other girls. We hung signs on each other's lockers before meets and celebrated each other crossing the finish line. I especially loved that our team had a wide range of fast and slow runners- I found them equally inspiring. Although I never joined a collegiate team, running has played a very important role in my adult life. It is a sport that can be done anytime, anywhere, with a friend or solo. For me it is a way to connect with nature, stretch my muscles and de-stress while getting to know others. I am excited to share my enthusiasm for fitness with the next generation of runners!

Distance Coach

Running has been a hobby of mine for the past 15 years. I've never been on a Cross Country team but I've always enjoyed training for local races with friends. While marathons have always intimidated me, I've run many 5Ks to half marathons and the TC 10 mile is definitely my favorite run of all. Whether I'm trying to beat a personal time or just trying to cross the finish line, training is a great way to stay active and to focus on a goal. Since Covid, I've really been enjoying a few shorter runs per week. It's a great way to de-stress, get outside, and boost my energy levels for the rest of the day. I hope to share my enjoyment of being active with the TCGIS team.

Sprints, Jumps and Hurdles Coach

I began my track and field experience in the 7th grade at Marshall High School in Duluth. Because we were a small school, I was able to compete and train on the varsity team from this early age. I will admit that I joined the team with the promise of making new friends and having fun, more than for any particular interest in running. My team didn’t have a track or field to practice on, so our coaches had to get creative to get us up to speed. We used the neighborhood as our palate, and “mental training” reinforced our physical efforts. I adored my coaches and loved the bonding of training with the team, especially on the long bus rides to meets. I was kind of a jack of all trades, but I would typically run the 4 x 800, the first event of each meet, the 300m hurdles, and the 4 x 400, the last event of the meets. This made for a long, sometimes hungry and stressful day, but equally exciting and rewarding. My senior year, I was one of the track captains, and I took great pride in leading my team through difficult warmups, especially relishing running stairs and doing pushups, which is something I still enjoy leading my students in today.

In college, I joined the track team at Trinity University for one season, mainly to get back into shape. It was a lot different to run sprints on a hot hot track in San Antonio at the hottest time of the day, then it was to do “fun runs” to Dairy Queen the day before track meets back in MN. I was awarded the “Tiger Award” for having the best work ethic and attitude, much to my surprise. At the end of the season, my 400 meter hurdles and my 4 x400 relay team helped our team win the Southern Division 3 Conference meet at Rhodes.

Since college, I have continued to run for fun, exercise and mental health. I have participated in one half marathon, only to reinforce the idea that I’m more of a short distance/sprinter gal. Running is an amazing, accessible life skill that I carry with me every day. Just as my coaches inspired me, I hope to inspire my students to be healthy, active and joyful.

Throws and Sprints Coach

Track has always been about power and teamwork for me. As a middle schooler I found that throwing came naturally and set the record for the shot put and kept going. As a freshman, I qualified for the state track meet, placed eighth in the state, and set the shot put record for my high school.  A basketball player (and later a coach) in the off-season sprints were natural for me and I found I really loved relays. There is nothing quite like the trust, timing, and shared adrenaline of passing a baton at full speed. 

I was accepted as a walk-on for the University of Minnesota track team and seriously considered throwing in college but I had caught the coaching bug and began my coaching “career” as the middle school basketball coach at Sanford in Minneapolis instead.

Since then, I have either been coaching or raising young children, both of whom now attend TCGIS. I am thrilled that they are sports age, which means I get to return to the track in this season of life. I have continued building on what I learned as a thrower and, over the past years, have trained in Olympic and power lifts. In my first competition in my 40th year, I surprised myself with a 300 pound deadlift PR. 

I love helping athletes discover their explosive power in their legs, their core, their technique, and their mindset. I look for each athlete’s unique growing edge and work to build confidence, skill, and trust in their own strength. Whether we are refining a glide in the throwing circle or getting out of the blocks for a sprint, I believe track is about harnessing joy, courage, and supporting one another every step of the way.

Head Coach / Distance Coach

I started running on the cross-country and track team at Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, Maryland. My favorite cross-country course is the Maryland state championship / Bull Run course at Hereford HS, known for generations for its intense hills and "the toughest three miles in cross-country". This was the most exciting course after Hurricane Isabel hit in 2003 and was nothing but a mud slide. As a Panther, I focused on distances of 1-mile, 2-mile and 5K, although I convinced my coach to allow me to run the 300m hurdles in my senior year. I really wish I had had the opportunity to run the steeplechase.

At the University of Maryland, I ran for the intercollegiate club team, Terp Runners. I competed at the very first NIRCA Nationals as a Terrapin . My favorite marathons have been the Berlin Marathon and the Disney Marathon. Since moving to Minnesota in 2017, I have been running for the Mill City Running Race Team and coaching at the TCGIS.

Jumps and Hurdles Coach

I love being active and any adventure! In my younger years I was a 6-year varsity letter winner in track and field mostly focused on 110m high hurdles, 300m intermediate hurdles, triple jump and 4x400m relay. I was fortunate to have a great coach that really understood jumping and hurdling. I learned proper technique and how to constantly make improvements. Several state meet qualifications and one state championship was achieved. 

Fast forward to more recent days, I am part of an active adventuring family seeking biking (commute, mountain, and road), hiking, running and Nordic skiing opportunities whenever and wherever possible.  Getting our family hooked on these activities has revealed another source of enjoyment for me, coaching. I have been coaching youth with the Trail Kids mountain biking and Nordic skiing programming for the last few years. I have also been involved with coaching cycling for both youth and adults.

I am excited to adventure with all the TCGIS athletes this spring!