Hamline University Women's Cross Country

Schmaedeke leads the Pipers as the director of track and field operations at Hamline. His responsibilities include serving as the head men's track and field coach and working with all middle-distance and distance runners on the track. He served as Hamline's head cross country coach until August when Devin Monson took over the program.  The 2016-17 athletic season will be Schmaedeke's 32nd in the Hamline athletic program as an athlete and coach, the last 22 of which as the men's track and field coach. In 22 years as a head coach in CC, Schmaedeke has coached 11 All-Americans. His men's team has won three of the last six MIAC CC championships. Not coincidentally, Schmaedeke was named Coach of the Year in the league in all three of those years. It is an honor he has won 14 times overall in his HU coaching career. In 2006, Schmaedeke was named Central Region Coach of the Year by the USTFCCCA. The Pipers won the Central Regional en route to finishing 18th at the NCAA Championships. In 2005, Schmaedeke led the Pipers to their first MIAC Championship since 1977. The Pipers also finished third in Central Regional and seventh in the NCAA Championships. Schmaedeke was involved in Hamline cross country for more than three decades years as a student-athlete, assistant coach, and head coach.  The 2000 team was his first to compete in the NCAA Championships. He was also named MIAC Indoor Track Coach of the Year in 2002 and again in 2005 and 2014. In 2015, he was named MIAC Outdoor Track Coach of the Year as HU finished second for the fourth time in six years. As an athlete, Schmaedeke was a four-year letter winner in cross country and track at Hamline. He competed on teams that won two MIAC cross country championships (1973, 1975) and four track titles (1974-1977). As a senior, he was co-captain of the Hamline cross country team. Prior to joining the Hamline staff in 1980, Schmaedeke was the head boys' track and field coach at Concordia Academy High School from 1978-79. Schmaedeke is noted for his persistence, patience, and well organized training that prepares his athletes to be competitive and steadily progress to their potential over the course of four years. Schmaedeke also lectures on training theory as a faculty member of the USA Track and Field Level II Coaches Certification School. He has spoke numerous times at the Minnesota High School Coaches Clinic for track and field. In recognition of his accomplishments as a student-athlete and a coach, Schmaedeke was inducted into the Hamline University Athletic Hall of Fame in January 2008. In 2015, he was added to the Row of Fame that adorns the north wall of Klas Field.  Schmaedeke earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Hamline in 1977. He later earned his master's from the University of Arizona in physical education in 1980. Paul Schmaedeke leads the Pipers as the director of track and field operations at Hamline. His responsibilities include serving as the head men's track and field coach and working with all middle-distance and distance runners on the track. He served as Hamline's head cross country coach until August when Devin Monson took over the program. 

One of the most decorated runners in HU history, Devin Monson was named the head men's and women's cross country coach in 2016 and is in his tenth season during the 2025-26 academic year. In the fall of 2020, Monson added the role of director of track and field operations to his title and will begin his fifth year in this position in the 2025 season. At the helm of the cross country program, Monson has coached two All-Americans in Helen Dolan and Fernando Benitez, who earned the honor in 2019. Dolan was the women’s team’s third All-American and the first in 10 years. Benitez was the men’s program’s 12th All-American and the first since 2011. Monson has also coached individuals to seven All-MIAC awards and seven All-MIAC Honorable Mention performances. Academically, the women’s program earned USTFCCCA All-Academic recognition seven times (2016-2020, 2022-2023), while the men earned the distinction five times (2016-2019, 2022) for maintaining a team GPA of at least 3.10.   On the track, Monson helped four distance runners qualify for the NCAA Championships in the 2020 indoor season and coached two student-athletes who broke school records - Alexandra Maddux set a new 1000-meter record (2:57.04) and Dolan set a new mile record (5:01.05). In Monson’s first year as the director of the track and field program, the Pipers sent four to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2021, with two (Dolan - 5000-meter run and Joe Martin - shot put) putting up All-American performances. Monson was a member of the Pipers' three consecutive men's cross country titles (2009-11), and the Thompson, North Dakota native (who is still the school record holder for the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races) also had his own individual honors. He was a three-time All-American, receiving the honor in the 2010 cross country season as well as earning it in the 5k and 10k races in the 2012 track and field season. In 2011, he bested 330 runners to finish first at the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational held at the University of Minnesota. Monson also has three MIAC titles to his credit. He beat back the field to take the top spot at the 2010 men's cross country meet and in 2012, he won the 5,000 indoor race and 10,000 outdoor race at the MIAC Championships.  After graduation from HU, Monson spent a season as an assistant cross country coach at the U of North Dakota, but running was still in his blood. In 2013, he moved to Austin, Texas to train with the Rogue Athletic Club, an Olympic Development team led by Steve Sisson.  In 2014, Monson showed he still had the long-distance wheels by finishing 12th in the 10,000 Meters at the USA Track & Field Championships.    Although he had an impressive career of his own, Monson says his favorite part of coaching is “seeing my athletes achieve results they didn’t think were possible. I get as much joy out of their success as I did with my own running accomplishments.” Monson, an Exercise Science/Education major at Hamline, also holds a master’s degree in Education from UW-Stout.   Women's Cross Country Results  Year Conference Finish All-Conference Honorable Mention All-Americans 2016 8 of 12  -   -   -  2017 7 of 12  -  -  - 2018 5 of 12 2 1  - 2019 8 of 12 1 1  1 2020* - - - - 2021 9 of 12 1 - - 2022 9 of 12 - 1 - 2023 9 of 12 - - - 2024 9 of 12 - - - Totals  - 4  3  1 Men's Cross Country Results Year Conference Finish All-Conference Honorable Mention All-Americans 2016 6 of 11  -   2  -  2017 6 of 11  1  1  - 2018 9 of 11  -  1  - 2019 5 of 11  2  - 1 2020* - - - - 2021 10 of 11 - - - 2022 11 of 11 - - - 2023 11 of 11 - - - 2024 11 of 11 - - - Totals -  3  4 1   *The 2020 cross country season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Lutz  is starting his eighth season as an assistant CC coach in 2016. Lutz was a member of Hamline's 2005 MIAC championship team. Lutz was a four-year participant for both the Hamline cross country and track and field teams.He was a member of the 2005 CC tream that won the conference championship and went on to finish seventh at the NCAA D-III meet. While a student, Lutz was the president of the Hamline Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for two years and held the same role with the MIAC SAAC group for one year. Originally from Pine City, Minn., Lutz graduated from Hamline University in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. Lutz currently is a mathematics teacher at Ramsey Middle School in St. Paul. He is known by many titles at Ramsey: a Math Teacher, an Educator of Young Minds who have a Passion for the Numbers, The End All Be All when it comes to Math along Summit Avenue, or The Man in Fancy Bowties on Monday. Chris Lutz Assistant Coach, Men's Cross Country Chris Lutz  is starting his eighth season as an assistant CC coach in 2016. Lutz was a member of Hamline's 2005 MIAC championship team. Lutz was a four-year participant for both the Hamline cross country and track and field teams.He was a member of the 2005 CC tream that won the conference championship and went on to finish seventh at the NCAA D-III meet. While a student, Lutz was the president of the Hamline Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for two years and held the same role with the MIAC SAAC group for one year. Originally from Pine City, Minn., Lutz graduated from Hamline University in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. Lutz currently is a mathematics teacher at Ramsey Middle School in St. Paul. He is known by many titles at Ramsey: a Math Teacher, an Educator of Young Minds who have a Passion for the Numbers, The End All Be All when it comes to Math along Summit Avenue, or The Man in Fancy Bowties on Monday.

Jim Scheibel is a (semi) retired Professor of Practice at Hamline University. For 18 years Jim taught nonprofit management, public administration and loved teaching a First Year Seminar each year on the City as University: Hamline University Without Walls. He was a leader and active on the faculty council, engaging students in elections and diversity initiatives. Jim is currently planning a J-term opportunity in Nagasaki, is a member of Hamline Votes, and very pleased to again be supporting the cross country teams. He serves as President of Minnesota AARP, a trustee for Episcopal Homes, on the board of the Congressional Hunger Center, Minnesota Voice and emeritus Twin Cities Jazz Festival board member, and a member of the Word Team at his place of worship. Prior to teaching, Jim was a community organizer, Saint Paul City Councilmember, mayor of the city, director of AmeriCorps VISTA and AmeriCorps Seniors (a sub-cabinet position). Jim’s running career began when he was in high school (at Nazareth Hall, where Northwest University is now located). He has finished over 40 marathons and helped start the Twin Cities Marathon. Jim is a believer in the ”No Days Off” philosophy, missing only a handful of days each year. In 1989 he was featured in the Runner’s World as the fastest mayor in the country.