Powells leave U of O replacements named

U of O distance coaches Andy and Maurica Powell are leaving the Ducks program to take over the track and field program at Washington.

The husband and wife team have worked with the UO distance program for most of the past 13 years. Andy was UO associate head coach

and men's distance coach. Maurica was women's distance coach.

At Washington, Maurica will be director of track & field and cross country. Andy will be UW head track & field and cross country coach.

In addition Maurica will coach the Huskies' women distance runners, and Andy will coach UW men's distance runners.

The Powells came to Oregon wihen Vin Lananna became UO track & field coach in 2005. Both ran collegiately for Stanford.

Maurica was the 2016 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Division I cross country coach of the year after guiding the Ducks to the national cross country title.

Oregon announced on Monday that Ben Thomas has been hired as associate head coach for cross country and track and field.

Thomas, who spent the last 17 seasons as the head cross country and distance coach at Virginia Tech, will coach the middle distance and distance program for the Ducks

Along with that

Oregon also hired Helen Lehman-Winters, has been the head track and field and cross country coach at the University of San Francisco for the last 15 seasons.

Lehman-Winters, is an eight-time WCC cross country coach of the year who led the USF lady Dons to a runner-up finish at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships, will join the Ducks as an associate head coach for cross country and track and field.