Eastern Kentucky University Women's Cross Country

Erdmann assumed the role of assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the EKU cross country and track and field teams.  In addition to coordinating the programs overall recruiting efforts, Erdmann has the primary responsibility of recruiting for the mens and womens distance/cross country programs.  During his time at EKU, the Colonel cross country teams have excelled as the men have captured six consecutive Ohio Valley Conference titles from 2009-14 and the women have captured five of the last six conference crowns (2009-10, 2012-14) Buoyed by his recruiting efforts, the Colonel cross country program has also emerged on the national scene over the last four years. In 2014, the EKU men's cross country team qualified as an at-large team for the Division I NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, marking the fourth consecutive year the EKU men advanced to the national championships. The Colonels placed 23rd in Terre Haute, defeating the likes of Michigan State, Tulsa, Texas, UTEP, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Furman and Florida State. In 2013, the EKU mens cross country team won the NCAA Southeast Region for the first time in school history, defeating schools such as Virginia, North Carolina and North Carolina State to advance to the Division I NCAA Cross Country Championships for the third consecutive year. The Colonels defeated traditional powers such as Stanford, Michigan and Princeton en route to a 15th place finish at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish in program history. Senior Soufiane Bouchikhi led the way for the Colonels, placing 26th out of 254 competitors to earn All-America honors for the second straight year. The EKU mens team was ranked as high as No. 11 in the country during the fall of 2013, but several Colonels Erdmann recruited also achieved individual success stories. Bouchikhi became only the fourth runner ever (joining fellow Colonels Grant Colehour, John Nganga and Jacob Korir) to win four consecutive individual OVC titles, while senior Una Britton was the individual OVC womens champion, winning the 5K race with a time of 17:42.61. EKU also dominated the OVC postseason awards in 2013 Bouchikhi was named the OVC Male Cross Country Runner of the Year (for the fourth consecutive year), junior Ann Eason was named the OVC Female Cross Country Runner of the Year (for the second consecutive year) and freshman Ambrose Maritim was named the OVC Male Freshman of the Year. Colonels have also achieved national success on the track since Erdmann joined the staff, most recently in the form of Ole Hesselbjerg. Hesselbjerg, a native of Denmark, was a three-time first-team All-American in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He took bronze in the event at the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. His EKU personal-best of 8:33.22 is a school record and was the second-fastest time in the country during all of 2015. In addition to his role at EKU, Erdmann is a practicing attorney with the law firm of Erdmann & Stumbo, PLLC.  Erdmann is a 1999 graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.A. in History, and a 2002 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law.  Erdmann and his wife, Faith, reside in Richmond.  

Erdmann continues to lead the Eastern Kentucky University cross country and track and field programs to unprecedented levels of success. Erdmann enters 2015-16 looking to build on a distinguished coaching career that includes 62 OVC Coach of the Year awards, 48 OVC cross country titles and 17 OVC track and field championships since his arrival in 1979.     Under Erdmanns guidance, the Eastern Kentucky women have captured 13 OVC track and field titles and 28 cross country championships, including a string of 19 consecutive cross country banners from 1981-1999 and eight of the last the last nine (2006-10, 2012-14)     The EKU men have also enjoyed success during Erdmanns tenure, winning four OVC indoor track and field championships and 19 cross country titles, including nine straight from 2006-14. Erdmanns teams have dominated on a conference level over the last several years; however, they have also begun to make noise on the national scene. In 2014, the EKU men's cross country team qualified as an at-large team for the Division I NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, marking the fourth consecutive year the EKU men advanced to the national championships. The Colonels placed 23rd in Terre Haute, defeating the likes of Michigan State, Tulsa, Texas, UTEP, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Furman and Florida State. In 2013, the mens cross country team was ranked as high as No. 11 in the country (the highest national ranking in program history) and won the NCAA Southeast Region for the first time in school history, defeating schools such as Virginia, North Carolina and North Carolina State to advance to the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive year. Erdmann was named the NCAA Southeast Region Mens Coach of the Year for the second consecutive fall, while a school-record six EKU runners earned All-Southeast Region honors. The Colonels defeated traditional powers such as Stanford, Michigan and Princeton en route to a 15th place finish at the 2013 NCAA Championships, the highest finish in program history. Senior Soufiane Bouchikhi led the way for the Colonels, placing 26th out of 254 competitors to earn All-America honors for the second straight year. In all, Erdmann has coached six Division I Cross Country All-Americans, the most notable of whom is probably Jacob Korir. Korir ran at the NCAA Championships all four years he was at EKU, finishing seventh overall in 2006 and sixth overall in 2007. In 2011, Lydia Kosgei became the first EKU woman and only sixth OVC woman ever to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. She finished 37th overall at Terre Haute, earning All-America honors. Colonels have also achieved national success on the track under Erdmann, most recently in the form of Ole Hesselbjerg. Hesselbjerg, a native of Denmark, was a three-time first-team All-American in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He took bronze in the event at the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. His EKU personal-best of 8:33.22 is a school record and was the second-fastest time in the country during all of 2015. Freshman Carina Schrempf also advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2015. The freshman ran a personal-best 2:04.75 at the NCAA East Regional to make it to Eugene and then finished 15th overall at Hayward Field to earn second team All-America honors. Hesselbjerg and Schrempf are some of the latest in a long line of All-Americans under Erdmanns guidance. EKUs head coach has produced 31 NCAA Division I All-Americans in track and field and consistently sends student-athletes to the Division I national championship meets.     A native of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, Erdmann competed in track as a sprinter at Ashland (Ohio) College and graduated in 1965 with undergraduate degrees in physical education and biology. He went on to earn his masters degree in physical education from Eastern Kentucky in 1966.     A former football player during his high school days at Ligonier, Erdmann accepted the football and track and field head coaching jobs at Hamden Hall High School in Hamden, Connecticut at the age of 24.     After three years at Hamden (1967-69), Erdmann accepted the head football coaching position at Forbes High School in Kantner, Pennsylvania After working as a football coach at the prep level, Erdmann moved on to Hagerstown (Maryland) Junior College as the head track and field/cross country coach.     Erdmann spent nine years at Hagerstown (1971-79), culminating in his being named the 1978 National Junior College Cross Country Coach of the Year after guiding his team to a second place finish at the National Junior College Championship meet. While coaching several junior college All-Americans and individual national champions at Hagerstown, he put together the third fastest mile relay team in the East in 1978.     Erdmann was one of six people inducted into the Kentucky USA Track and Field/Kentucky Track and Cross Country Association Hall of Fame at the associations second annual banquet on January 9, 2007.     Erdmann and his wife Michele reside in Richmond. The couple has one son, Cory, who is a volunteer assistant coach for the EKU cross country and track and field program.

LaVoie is now in her fifth season as an assistant coach for the EKU cross country and track and field program. She works primarily with distance and mid-distance runners. The native of Newport News, Virginia has played an integral role in the recent success of the EKU cross country and track and field teams. Since she joined the coaching staff in 2011, the EKU men's cross country team has won four consecutive OVC titles and qualified for four consecutive NCAA Championships. The EKU women's cross country team has won three of the last four OVC titles (2010, 2012-14) under Lavoie's tutelage. Lavoie has also helped several Colonels qualify for and compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, including eight in the last three years. She most notably played a key role in the development of freshman sprinter Carina Schrempf in 2015. Schrempf came to EKU as a quarter-miler (and ran 54.01 in that event during the spring), but developed into a half-miler under Lavoie's tutelage. Schrempf ran a personal-best and school-record 2:04.76 in the 800 meters at the NCAA East Regional to qualify for the NCAA Championships. She finished 15th in the event at the national championships in Eugene, Oregon, earning second team All-America honors. She finished the year as the No. 3 freshman in the country in the 800 meters. Academic success has also been at the forefront of the EKU cross country and track and field program since Lavoie joined the staff, illustrated by senior Ann Eason being named a Capital One first team Academic All-American by CoSIDA in 2014-15. Lavoie competed at EKU from 2004-07 and finished eighth in the mile at the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She was also a member of the winning distance medley relay team at the 2006 OVC Indoor Track and Field Championships. She ran a career-best 4:52 in the 1,500 meters during the 2005 season.