Cross Country & Track Coaches

 

Head Coach Mike Collins
mcollins@lcsc.edu

Coach Collins thought when he started coaching at Lewis-Clark State that he would be here only a year or two as he was finishing up his Ph.D. at the University of Idaho. Little did he know that he would fall in love with coaching and the athletes. That was in 1997 and now Collins is entering his 12^th year at the college and in that time he has taken a program that just battled to field teams – let alone race – into a program that is battling every year with the top teams in the country.

In the past nine years the teams have produced over 40 All-Americans, two 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 three times (2001, 2003, and 2008). Collins was also honored this past season as the Frontier Conference Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year.

 

For the past seven years the women’s cross country team has placed in the top 25 at nationals each year finishing 15^th, 9^th, 19^th, 17^th, 19^th, 21^st, and 19^th. Additionally, 2003 was the first year that a full men’s team qualified for nationals and it finished 23^rd; in 2006 they finished 21^st and this past season they finished 18^th and were ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation.

 

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 First Vice President for the NAIA Cross Country Coaches Association and has been a national rater for the past seven years.

 

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 – 7 and Emily – 4) 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 U.S. 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 is scheduled to race another one in 2009.

 

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
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.

 

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Assistant Coach Calin Hantau