Concordia University Chicago Women's Cross Country

Risch has been an assistant coach with the Concordia-Chicago track team for the past eight seasons after serving as head coach for 10 years. Risch, who is in his 20th season as head coach for the Cougars' cross-country team with five championships and four Coach of the Year honors to his credit, works primarily (and fittingly) with the track team's distance runners. Risch, a 1987 graduate of Concordia, earned his B.A. in elementary education. He taught junior high at Bethel Lutheran in Chicago for 10 years where he was Director of Athletics, coach of numerous sports, and Chairman of the Lutheran School League of Chicago for eight years. In addition, he was one of four finalists for the Good News Award for excellence in teaching in 1996. Risch was a four-year letterman at his hometown Seymour (Ind.) High School where he received the Senior Athlete of the Year Award in 1983. He was a four-year letterman in Concordia's track and cross-country programs, the team captain in Concordia's first-ever conference championship, and all-conference for four seasons in both sports. In addition, Risch received NIIC All-Scholastic honors twice and as a senior received Concordia's Terry-Schubert Award for Christian Service. Coach Risch has received his USATF Level One Coaching Certification. He is currently an active member of the United States Track Coaches Association, United States of America Track and Field, American Running Association, Illinois Track and Cross-Country Coaches Association, International Amateur Athletics Federation, National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Bell-Lap Ministries.

Wier is entering his ninth season as a cross-country assistant coach. A 2013 inductee to the Cougar Athletic Hall of Fame, Wier graduated Concordia in 2005 as one of the Cougars top all-time runners. He was a three-time winner of the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference Male Runner of the Year honor (2002-04) and helped lead the Cougar men to four consecutive conference titles in his career. Currently, he holds three of the top 11 times in the mens 8k, including a best of 26:15 (fifth place all-time) set in 2004. An outstanding student as well, Wier was named to the first-team NIIC All-Scholastic three times, nominated multiple times for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, and named an ESPN The Magazine third-team national Academic All-American athlete in June of 2005. He was also honored as the recipient of Concordias Terry-Schubert Memorial Christian Service Award in 2005. Wier received his degree in secondary education with a specialization in computer science. He currently serves in CougarNet at Concordia as a network manager. Tim Wier Assistant Cross-Country Coach Tim Wier is entering his ninth season as a cross-country assistant coach. A 2013 inductee to the Cougar Athletic Hall of Fame, Wier graduated Concordia in 2005 as one of the Cougars top all-time runners. He was a three-time winner of the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference Male Runner of the Year honor (2002-04) and helped lead the Cougar men to four consecutive conference titles in his career. Currently, he holds three of the top 11 times in the mens 8k, including a best of 26:15 (fifth place all-time) set in 2004. An outstanding student as well, Wier was named to the first-team NIIC All-Scholastic three times, nominated multiple times for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, and named an ESPN The Magazine third-team national Academic All-American athlete in June of 2005. He was also honored as the recipient of Concordias Terry-Schubert Memorial Christian Service Award in 2005. Wier received his degree in secondary education with a specialization in computer science. He currently serves in CougarNet at Concordia as a network manager.