2011-12 Cross Country & Track Coaches

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Mike Collins, Ph.D.

Head Coach, 15th Season

Boise State '93, Utah '96, Idaho '99

mcollins@lcsc.edu

 

When Mike Collins started coaching at Lewis-Clark State he thought it would be a short-term engagement. Little did he know that he would fall in love with coaching and the athletes. Now entering his 15th season with the Warriors he has taken this short-term project and helped to turn it into one of the premier running programs in the country.

In the past 12 years Collins’ teams have produced 61 All-Americans, seven conference Runner-of-the-Year winners, one Region I Runner-of-the-Year and champion, and numerous all-conference and all-region selections. Additionally, the Education Division’s Student of the Year has been a cross country runner four times (2001, 2003, 2008 and 2010) and in 2009 the President’s award that goes to the outstanding graduate was awarded to a cross country runner (Rosa Bautista). Additionally, his teams are always amongst the best in team GPA and academic accomplishments. Coach Collins earned Frontier Conference Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year honors for the third consecutive year in 2009 and added the Men's Coach of the Year honor again in 2010.

For the past 10 years the women’s cross country team has placed in the top-25 at nationals each year, finishing (chronologically) 15th, 9th, 19th, 17th, 19th, 21st, 19th, 14th,15th and 18th. A full men’s team qualified for nationals for the first time in 2003 and finished 23rd. The men’s squad has also competed at nationals in each of the past fiveyears, finishing 21st, 18th, 22nd, 22nd, and 19th.

Collins works hard to stay on top of the current research, science and methods in regards to coaching his runners. He has a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in Sport Science from the University of Idaho. All of his research at both schools dealt with improving the performances of endurance athletes. He is also a USATF Certified Level II coach with a specialization in endurance and is working towards his Level III. Although Collins works hard to stay on top of the latest in the sport, he is a big believer in the heart and work ethic of his athletes. No matter what they may or may not have been “gifted” with, if they are willing to work hard, they will get faster.

He is also a part of the leadership within the sport of running, serving as President for the NAIA Cross Country Coaches Association and has been a national rater for the past eight years as well as a member of many coaching committees. This leadership also extends into his other campus work where he is a member of the Lewis-Clark State College Faculty Senate, a committee member on the athletic advisory board and other campus groups.

In his spare time Collins enjoys fly fishing, running, doing triathlons and spending time with his family. His wife Tracy is the head athletic trainer at Lewis-Clark State and assists with the team. His two daughters (Kassie – 10 and Emily – 7) provide a great deal of fun and have already indicated that they want to run for daddy some day and be a “country kid.”

From an athletic standpoint, Collins has qualified for the USA Triathlon National Championships five times and completed his first Ironman Triathlon (2.4m swim, 112m bike, 26.2m run) in 2005 finishing in 11:06.24 after cramping up 13 miles into the run. He raced his second Ironman in 2009 with results not as good, but still finishing and with a renewed mindset to do another and qualify for the world championships in Hawaii.

Collins also believes that he should be willing to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. In addition to the triathlons, he runs on a daily basis and pushes himself to stay fit. Although he doesn’t run at the same level of his athletes, he works to be a good example of what it means to be committed to your sport, to work and train hard to be better.

 

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Assistant Coach Tracy Collins

Boise State '93
tcollins@lcsc.edu

 

Tracy has served as an assistant coach since the beginning of the program and was instrumental in convincing her husband to come in and coach the team. As the athletic department’s head athletic trainer, she evaluates and treats the injuries of all athletes at the college, including those of the Warrior runners. She plays a major role in the development of the cross country scholarship program, where individuals and businesses contribute money to the team to be used by the student-athletes to help offset the costs of going to school. She also does many of the other administrative duties that help to keep the program moving in the right direction.

Tracy is a certified athletic trainer and has served as the ATC at Lewis-Clark State College for more than a decade. She also is a member of the NATA and the Idaho Athletic Trainers Association. She is also a board member of the Idaho State Board of Medicine for Athletic Trainers and is currently serving as its chair.

Tracy is a native of Lewiston and attended Lewiston High School, where she established several school records as a sprinter. Throughout her high school track career she finished first in several relays and in the 100 and 200 her junior year at the Idaho State Meet. When she graduated in 1988, Tracy held six individual and relay records in track and several of those still stand today, including an 11.93 time in the 100 meters and a 24.97 clocking in the 200.

Tracy ran track at Boise State University, competing in the 100, 200 and 400 meters as well as on relay teams. She graduated from BSU in 1993 with a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training. She is currently working on her Master’s degree.

Now Tracy spends a lot of her time running after her daughters Kassie and Emily, and loves being a mom. When she has time, she enjoys reading, photography, scrapbooking, and staying at the family’s cabin on the Selway River.