Kennesaw State University Women's Track

Jaymes Talkington joined the Kennesaw State track and field program as associate head coach in February 2019. Since taking over the jumping events in 2019, Talkington’s group has produced: Two second-team All-Americans Two All-America honorable mentions Four NCAA National Championship qualifiers 28 NCAA East Preliminary qualifiers One USA Olympic Trials qualifier One USA Championships qualifier Three U20 Championships qualifiers 33 ASUN Conference champions Five CUSA Conference champions Talkington’s group saw eight qualifiers for the East Regional meet: Kaelen Mitchell, who finished 16th and set a PR/outdoor school record in the long jump at 7.90m (25-11); Rachel Swain in the long jump, who also finished 16th with a PR of 6.14m (20-1.75); Justin Campbell in the triple jump, who finished 13th with a leap of 15.79m (51-9.75); LJ Hill in the triple jump, who finished the year with a best of 15.61m (51-2.75); freshman Kenyatta Bennett in the high jump, who finished 13th with a mark of 2.15m (7-0.5); Simon Seid in the pole vault, who had a season best of 5.25m (17-2.75); Kaylee Brown in the high jump, who ended the season with a PR of 1.75m (5-8.75); and Jeremiah Sims in the long jump, who had a PR of 7.64m (25-0.75). The group produced five CUSA champions between the indoor and outdoor seasons. Talkington’s jumpers collected seven ASUN event championships at the indoor and outdoor conference meets, highlighted by sweeping the podiums in the men’s and women’s pole vault and the men’s long jump. Seid broke both the indoor and outdoor school records in the men’s pole vault with a personal best of 5.36m (17-7). The group saw three qualifiers for the East Regional meet: Mitchell in the long jump, Seid in the pole vault, and Campbell in the triple jump. Freshman Zane Gibson qualified for the USA U20 Championship in the pole vault with a season best of 5.00m (16-4). The Owls won both the indoor and outdoor men’s and women’s team titles in the ASUN for the 2024 season. The 2023 indoor and outdoor seasons were highlighted by Kelvin Campbell, who qualified for the outdoor national championship in the triple jump with a leap of 16.06m (52-8). He also broke the ASUN outdoor conference record in the triple jump and qualified for the USA Championships, where he finished 13th. Talkington also coached freshman Seid to the indoor and outdoor ASUN conference championships in the pole vault, where he set a personal best of 5.18m (17-0). Seid also qualified for the USA U20 Championships, finishing fourth. Talkington’s group produced seven individual ASUN conference champions, highlighted by the men’s group winning the long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault at the outdoor conference championship. The group qualified seven athletes for the NCAA East Preliminary meet: AJ Johnson in the pole vault with a PR of 5.25m (17-2); Seid in the pole vault with a PR of 5.18m (17-0); Kelvin Campbell in the triple jump with a PR of 16.06m (52-8); Mitchell in the long jump with a PR of 7.59m (24-11); Tayla Moreland in the triple jump with a PR of 12.62m (41-5); Sultan Simms in the high jump with a PR of 2.15m (7-0.5); and Juan Cavazos in the high jump with a PR of 2.15m (7-0.5). In the 2022 indoor and outdoor season, Talkington coached Jasmine Akins to become the first women’s long jumper in KSU history to make finals at the NCAA Indoor National Championships with a jump of 6.37m (20-10.75). She finished ninth with second-team All-America honors. Jada Smith broke the indoor school and ASUN indoor conference records in the pole vault at 3.97m (13-0.25). Kennesaw State now holds both the indoor and outdoor men’s and women’s ASUN conference records in the pole vault. Akins and Smith won their events at the ASUN Indoor Championship. Freshman AJ Johnson won both the indoor and outdoor ASUN championships in the men’s pole vault, finishing with a season best of 5.15m (16-10.75) and qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary meet. Two others qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary meet: Simms in the high jump and Akins in the long jump. Akins advanced to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships, where she earned honorable mention. She was the first Owl in KSU history to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in the women’s long jump. At the conclusion of the 2021 indoor and outdoor seasons, Talkington’s jumpers claimed eight ASUN event championships and 11 All-ASUN finishes. Five athletes qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary meet in a total of six events. Jack Rhea advanced to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships, finishing with second-team All-America honors after placing 10th in the pole vault. Rhea also broke the indoor and outdoor school and conference records in the pole vault with a personal-best jump of 5.35m. Qwazon Al-Khaliq, who was also the ASUN outdoor champion, qualified for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials in the triple jump with a season best of 15.78m. During the 2019-20 indoor season, Brenton Rosa broke the school record in the men’s pole vault with a jump of 5.06m. Talkington coached three ASUN indoor champions and five All-ASUN finishers, including a sweep of the podium in the men’s triple jump. In his first year at KSU, he coached Erica Sergeant to break the women’s outdoor pole vault record three times and her own ASUN conference record with a final jump of 4.15m. He also coached the women’s indoor and men’s outdoor ASUN champions in the triple jump. In total, he coached nine All-ASUN performers and two NCAA regional qualifiers in the pole vault. Talkington came to KSU after two years as an assistant coach at Western Carolina working with jumps and multi-event athletes. While at WCU, he coached nine Southern Conference champions, four NCAA regional qualifiers and five Southern Conference championship teams. Off the track, he oversaw recruiting and served as a liaison to multiple groups across campus. He spent 2014-16 at Marshall University while completing his master’s degree in sport administration. In his first year, he served as a graduate assistant coach working with jump, multi and sprint events. He helped develop two All-Conference USA multi-event athletes and one second-team All-America triple jumper who still holds the school record at 13.56m (44-6). In his final season, he became director of operations, managing the day-to-day operations of the Marshall track and field program. Talkington holds a USA Track & Field Level 1 coaching certificate, a USTFCCCA jumps specialist certification and a USTFCCCA strength and conditioning certification. He graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in history and was a jumper for the Cowboys track and field team.

Campbell is also the recruiting coordinator at Kennesaw State and has proven to be a very effective recruiter signing international athletes, state champs and national qualifiers. He also is the KSU camp coordinator.   A nationally certified coach, holding a USATF Level 1 certification; Campbell has helped spearhead one of the most successful runs on the track at KSU. In his two years as an assistant coach, he helped guide the men's team to the 2013, 2014, and 2015 Indoor and Outdoor Atlantic Sun Championships while helping the women improve year after year to bring them closer to winning an A-Sun Championship.   Prior to KSU, Campbell served as a Student Assistant Track & Field Coach at Chicago State University. Campbells responsibilities with the Cougars included leading and monitoring workouts including technical training along with coordinating the weight-training sessions.   No stranger to the NCAA Division I competition level, Campbell competed collegiately at Chicago State where he is a four-time letter winner and two-time team captain along with being a school record holder in the 4x100m relay.   A native of Cartersville, Ga., Campbell graduated from CSU with a Bachelors degree in Physical Education.

Rachael Coelho is in her fourth season as an assistant track and field coach at Kennesaw State. She coaches the multi events and hurdles at KSU. In her first three seasons, Coelho has accumulated nine ASUN Conference Champions, three school records, an indoor All-American and a U.S Olympic Trials qualifier. At the 2022 ASUN Indoor Championship, Olivia Brown secured her third consecutive 60m hurdle title with a school record time of 8.34. This win secured Brown as Kennesaw’s first three-time winner in the event and tied for the fourth-fastest time ever run at the championship meet. Another All-Conference finish came from freshman Jordan Fick, who finished third in the heptathlon with a personal best score of 4,975 points. Outdoor, several athletes continued to have breakout seasons including Brown who won the 100m hurdles at the ASUN Outdoor Championship for the second year in a row with a personal best time of 13.43 seconds. Corbin McLean scored in all four of her events which included the 100m hurdles (third), 100m (fourth), 4x100m Relay (fourth) & 400m hurdles (eighth). McLean spent most of the season as the conference leader in both hurdles after running 13.45 seconds in the 100m hurdles at the Crimson Tide Invitational and 1:00.65 in the 400m hurdles at the Kennesaw State Invitational. In the heptathlon, Coelho guided Kywana Donahoo and Ansley Floyd Jackson to their highest point scores ever. Donahoo, finished third in the heptathlon with a 265-point personal best score of 4,954 which included event wins in the 100H, high jump, 200m and long jump. She then secured third place again in open long jump with a leap of 5.82m and finished fourth in the 100m hurdles with a personal best performance of 14.22 seconds. Floyd Jackson finished seventh in the heptathlon with a 389-point personal best score of 4,289 and set personal bests in six of her seven events contested. On the men’s side, Isaiah Ellis was conference runner-up in the 400m hurdles with a season- best time of 52.90 seconds, while Quann Shears finished All-Conference with a third-place finish in the decathlon. During the decathlon, Shears had personal best marks in the high jump, 110m hurdles, discus and broke the conference record in the javelin with a throw of 58.32m. Following conference both Brown and McLean qualified for their first appearance at the NCAA Preliminary Meet in the 100m hurdles with times of 13.43 seconds (Brown) and 13.45 seconds (McLean). In her second season, the Owls took the top two spots in the women’s 60m hurdles at the 2021 ASUN Indoor Championship with Brown winning her second consecutive 60m hurdle title and McLean securing a career high runner-up finish. Two other Owls also finished All-Conference with Aweng Mawien jumping a personal best of 1.67m (5’5.75) to finish thing in the women’s high jump and Shears finishing third in the men’s heptathlon with a 354-point personal best of 4,725. At the ASUN Outdoor Championship, five athletes took home conference champion titles. Brown secured her first 100m hurdle title running 13.66 seconds while Paris Williams secured his second 110m hurdle title with a conference record of 13.75 seconds. In the multi-events, KSU claimed both titles with Jessica Watkins winning her first heptathlon title and Ian Jackson also winning his first decathlon title. Watkins finished with a 146-point personal best score of 5,042 and was named the Most Valuable Performer of the meet with a total contribution of 26 points. In the decathlon, Jackson finished with a 325-point personal best score of 6,502 to secure the win, while teammate Quann Shears finished runner-up. In the postseason Williams qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary meet as well as the 2020 U.S Olympic Trials in the 110m hurdles. At the trials, Williams finished 19th with a school record breaking time of 13.69 seconds. In her first season, Coelho led Williams to his first NCAA Indoor National Championship. Williams qualified in the 60m hurdles by breaking the school record at the Clemson Invitational with a time of 7.72 seconds, which ranked him 12th nationally. At the ASUN Indoor Championship, Watkins won her first pentathlon title with a score of 3,721 which was a 237-point personal best performance and ranks her fifth in all-time ASUN history. Freshman teammate Kyarra Newton also finished runner-up with a personal best score of 3,380. There was no outdoor season because of the global health crisis. Coelho arrived from the University of Central Florida where she spent the 2018-19 & 2015-16 season as a volunteer assistant. At UCF, she coached Kayla Pritchett to a fourth-place finish in the heptathlon, which helped secure the teams runner-up finish. She also assisted in the development of the 4x100m relay team that won the AAC Outdoor Title and earned Second Team All-American status after finishing 14th at the 2019 NCAA Track and Field Championships. "Rachael is a talented young coach who comes to us from Central Florida," McDaniel said. "She has the ability to coach a lot of areas and we are all happy to have her on board." In between time at UCF, she spent two years as the Head Coach and Director of Track and Field at Lake Highland Preparatory School. She guided LHPS to three district champions and four regional champions. 29 of her athletes qualified for the FHSAA State Championships. Originally from Niceville, Florida she competed as a multi at the University of South Florida from 2010-15. She ranks third in program history in the pentathlon and in the heptathlon. Coelho graduated from USF with two bachelor’s degrees. One in exercise sciences and one in health sciences. She is a mentor in the USATFCCA Women in Coaching program and a USATF Level 1 Coach.

Eggerth will devote her time to the sprinters, mid-distance, and relay teams again this season. She will also assist with the hurdlers, jumpers and multi-event athletes as she is a USTFCCCA certified sprints hurdles and relay specialist  holds a USATF Level I certification . During her time at Kennesaw State, Eggerths sprinters have collected 23 individual conference championships and 15 conference championships in the relays. She has helped lead the men's team to four consecutive indoor conference championships and four outdoor championships.  In 2015, the The women's 4x100 team returned to the NCAA Championships for the second straight season and finished the season with All-American honors. At the 2014 Outdoor A-Sun Championships, Eggerth coached the 100m Champion, 200m Champion and the 4x400 team that placed first. Before coming to Kennesaw State, Eggerth spent two years, from 2008-2010 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for Kansas State designing and implementing training regimens for mens and womens golf and womens equestrian. She dedicated much of her time to creating individual workouts for injured athletes and training them through solo conditioning. Eggerth also spent a two-year tenure in 2005-2006 at the University of Alabama Birmingham as an assistant track and field coach.  During her residence, she implemented training and exercise prescriptions for sprinters and horizontal jumpers, while also performing the teams administrative duties. During her illustrious athletic career, Agne was named a two-time member of the Lithuanian Olympic team. She has competed as a sprinter in the European Championships in addition to four World Championships, earning places on the Olympic teams that participated in Sydney and Athens. She is a 27-time Lithuanian National Champion and currently holds her country's records in the 50, 55, 60 and 200-meters. During her career, Eggerth reached as high a No. 13 in the World, and has been able to translate her running career into a burgeoning coaching career.  Eggerth is a graduate of McKendree University (Illinois), with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. While at McKendree University, she was an NAIA National Champion 13 times and the NAIA Athlete of the Year twice. She is still the NAIA national record holder in the 55-meter dash. Eggerth originally hails from Kaunas, Lithuania and currently resides in Acworth with her husband, Andy Eggerth, the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at KSU.

After being hired on November 8, 2018, Cale McDaniel enters his sixth season as Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Kennesaw State University in 2023-24. Since McDaniel took over in 2018, the program has met remarkable milestones. Daniel Haugh became KSU's first national champion in the Division I era in 2019 and finished 11th in the hammer throw at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Haugh won the hammer throw at the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships and finished sixth in the World Championships in 2023.  Isaiah Rogers won the National Championship in the weight throw in 2023. The women's program won the 2021 ASUN Conference Indoor Championship and the 2022 ASUN Conference Outdoor Championship with McDaniel taking home Coach of the Year honors. KSU has produced 19 All-Americans in the nine NCAA Track and Field Championships that have been contested since 2019. Academics have also strengthened under McDaniel's leadership. Sarah Hendrick garnered CSC First Team All-Academic honors in 2023. Katie Meyer took home ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for outdoor track in 2022. Lindsay Billings was named ASUN Indoor and Outdoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2021. Since 2019, the Owls have landed on the ASUN Cross Country and Track and Field All-Academic teams a total of 41 times. His teams have earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors nine times and USTFCCCA Track and Field All-Academic individual honors 28 times. All four of the cross country and track and field programs have recorded their best semesters in the classroom in the McDaniel era.   The Owls reached the podium at the ASUN Championships 362 times with 113 earning gold medals. McDaniel's Owls have set 60 school records and 16 ASUN Championship records since the beginning of the 2019 indoor season. In addition, the KSU men's track and field team was awarded the ASUN Beam Award in 2020 and Isaiah Rogers collected it in 2023. McDaniel came to KSU from Western Carolina where he was the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.  McDaniel took over a Kennesaw State program that has enjoyed tremendous success in recent years. The men's team track and field team program had captured seven straight ASUN Conference indoor championships and eight straight outdoor titles. Meanwhile, the women's team has also enjoyed significant success, winning back-to-back indoor championships and an outdoor title in 2017.   McDaniel, who served primarily as the throws coach for six seasons at WCU prior to being named head coach of the Catamounts, produced six women's Most Outstanding Field Performers of the Year, three men's indoor Most Outstanding Field Performers of the Year, two women's outdoor Most Outstanding Athletes, and one women's Freshman of the Year. He has also led 30 student-athletes to Southern Conference individual championships and has had 104 student-athletes earn all-conference honors.   McDaniel is a five-time Southern Conference Coach of the Year and has been a member of the NCAA Executive committee since 2017. Under his tutelage, 11 Catamounts went on to qualify for the NCAA East preliminary round with three student-athletes achieving qualifying marks for Junior Nationals.   As both a student-athlete and coach, McDaniel has helped bring 19 Southern Conference titles back to Cullowhee, including three during the 2017-18 season with the men's indoor championship, and the women's and men's sweep of the outdoor championships.   He also helped WCU's women's team earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team honors every season.   McDaniel received his U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Throws Specialist Certification in 2012 and his USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification in 2016.   As a student-athlete, McDaniel was a six-time All-Southern Conference performer, while capturing two outdoor team titles in 2007 and 2010 and one indoor championship in 2008.   McDaniel is a 2010 graduate of Western Carolina University. He holds his bachelor of science degree in physical education and earned his Master's in Education while focusing on physical education and health in 2013. A licensed health and physical education teacher in the state of North Carolina, McDaniel served as an adjunct professor in the health education department at WCU since 2013.   "My family and I are thankful for all the experiences at Western Carolina, and we look forward to the new challenges ahead," McDaniel said. "I would like to thank Mr. Overton and Mr. (Travis) Glasgow for taking the time and providing my family and me with such a wonderful opportunity."   McDaniel is married to former WCU women's soccer standout, Erin McDaniel. The couple has four children, Braxton, Georgia Grace, Max and Brock.  

Morris was elevated to Assistant Head Coach of the men's and women's teams in 2014.    Morris has been a vital part in the vast improvement and success KSU has had recently in track & field. Morris has been a part of winning eight Atlantic Sun Championships.   As a nationally recognized throws coach, holding a level-2 certification from USA Track & Field, Duane has helped re-write the entire record book in the Kennesaw State throws department. He also led KSUs first NCAA Division I one throws qualifier when Josh McNair advanced to the 2011 NCAA National Championships earning All-American Honorable Mention in his 20th place finish in the shot put. In 2014, his throwers continued to raise the bar as they took the top three spots in the men's hammer throw with Martynas Sedys setting a new conference record. Sedys, the lithaunian national champion, qualified for the NCAA East Regional in his sophomore campaign.    Since arriving at KSU, his throwers have amassed 56 Atlantic Sun All-Conference awards and 21 individual conference championships. A few athletes like Suzee Mills, Robert Harvey, Shermaine Pinkard and Martynas Sedys have thrived from working with Morris. Mills had two javelin titles, two weight throw titles and a hammer title, Harvey won two gold medals in the shot put and one gold medal in the discus, Pinkard received Indoor Freshman of the Year honors after her great first season and Sedys set the conference record in the hammer throw as a true freshman and then broke the record again his sophomore campaign, along with winning the Lithuanian National Championship twice.    Prior to coaching at Kennesaw State, Morris worked as the Assistant Track & Field Coach (Throws) at Eastern Kentucky University for four years. While at EKU Morris found unparalleled throwing success in coaching 10 all-Ohio Valley Conference athletes, one ESPN CoSIDA Academic All-American, three ESPN CoSIDA Academic All-District, and an NCAA National first round qualifier. His athletes, including the 2006 OVC shot put champion, helped lead EKU to win six OVC team championships.   A native of Burlington Township, New Jersey, Morris attended Morehead State University, earning a degree in Social work, and competed in the shot put and discus for four years. Morris earned his masters degree in physical education with an emphasis in sports administration.   Morris currently resides in Kennesaw, Ga. with his wife, LaRaissa, and daughter, Madison. He is a USATF Certified Official.

Poteet as our Cross Country and distance coach," Eggerth said. "He understands career periodization for athletes and brings a wealth of wisdom and experience to the role, coupled with a humility and desire to continue learning.  I believe that David will be able to connect well with our student-athletes and motivate them to fulfill their potential.  Being local, I anticipate we'll have stability for our distance athletes and the recruiting benefit of the many Georgia coaches he knows." Poteet comes to Kennesaw State after spending one year at Kell High School as the assistant cross country and track and field middle distance/distance coach.   "30 years ago, I was the first combined track/cross country coach at what was then Kennesaw College," Poteet said. "To be back here and see the exciting, positive changes that have taken place at Kennesaw State University and the Department of Athletics is more than I could have ever hoped." At Kell, Poteet led several athletes to claim prestigious awards including five gold medals and three silver medals at the GHSA Georgia Olympics and two first-place finishes in the 1600m and 3200m at the GHSA Georgia Olympics in the AAAAA classification. Under the helm of Poteet at Kell, runners saw record-breaking performances as Logan Poteet became t only the sixth  Georgia high school runner to ever break the nine minute mark in the 3200m (8:57.5) He also helped the Kell runners break six school records and two cross country individual championships.   Prior to working at Kell, Poteet was the founder of the Bobby Dickrerson Youth Runners, where he was a coach from 2005-14.  In addition, Poteet was the head coach of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams at Kennesaw College from 1984-86 which is now known as Kennesaw State University. In 1986, he was named NAIA District 25 Male Coach of the Year after leading the men's cross country team to a District 25 Conference Championship, which was the first team championship for any Kennesaw team. Poteet graduated from Berry College with a degree in Speech and English and a journalism minor. He ran for the track team while at Berry where he won two NAIA District 25 Championships in the 400m and one in the 200m. David Poteet has been named head coach of the Kennesaw State cross country program, announced on Tuesday, Aug. 17 by Andy Eggerth - Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. "I'm excited to announce the addition of David Poteet as our Cross Country and distance coach," Eggerth said. "He understands career periodization for athletes and brings a wealth of wisdom and experience to the role, coupled with a humility and desire to continue learning.  I believe that David will be able to connect well with our student-athletes and motivate them to fulfill their potential.  Being local, I anticipate we'll have stability for our distance athletes and the recruiting benefit of the many Georgia coaches he knows." Poteet comes to Kennesaw State after spending one year at Kell High School as the assistant cross country and track and field middle distance/distance coach.   "30 years ago, I was the first combined track/cross country coach at what was then Kennesaw College," Poteet said. "To be back here and see the exciting, positive changes that have taken place at Kennesaw State University and the Department of Athletics is more than I could have ever hoped." At Kell, Poteet led several athletes to claim prestigious awards including five gold medals and three silver medals at the GHSA Georgia Olympics and two first-place finishes in the 1600m and 3200m at the GHSA Georgia Olympics in the AAAAA classification. Under the helm of Poteet at Kell, runners saw record-breaking performances as Logan Poteet became t only the sixth  Georgia high school runner to ever break the nine minute mark in the 3200m (8:57.5) He also helped the Kell runners break six school records and two cross country individual championships.   Prior to working at Kell, Poteet was the founder of the Bobby Dickrerson Youth Runners, where he was a coach from 2005-14.  In addition, Poteet was the head coach of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams at Kennesaw College from 1984-86 which is now known as Kennesaw State University. In 1986, he was named NAIA District 25 Male Coach of the Year after leading the men's cross country team to a District 25 Conference Championship, which was the first team championship for any Kennesaw team. Poteet graduated from Berry College with a degree in Speech and English and a journalism minor. He ran for the track team while at Berry where he won two NAIA District 25 Championships in the 400m and one in the 200m.

After being hired on November 8, 2018, Cale McDaniel enters his sixth season as Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Kennesaw State University in 2023-24. Since McDaniel took over in 2018, the program has met remarkable milestones. Daniel Haugh became KSU's first national champion in the Division I era in 2019 and finished 11th in the hammer throw at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Haugh won the hammer throw at the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships and finished sixth in the World Championships in 2023.  Isaiah Rogers won the National Championship in the weight throw in 2023. The women's program won the 2021 ASUN Conference Indoor Championship and the 2022 ASUN Conference Outdoor Championship with McDaniel taking home Coach of the Year honors. KSU has produced 19 All-Americans in the nine NCAA Track and Field Championships that have been contested since 2019. Academics have also strengthened under McDaniel's leadership. Sarah Hendrick garnered CSC First Team All-Academic honors in 2023. Katie Meyer took home ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for outdoor track in 2022. Lindsay Billings was named ASUN Indoor and Outdoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2021. Since 2019, the Owls have landed on the ASUN Cross Country and Track and Field All-Academic teams a total of 41 times. His teams have earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors nine times and USTFCCCA Track and Field All-Academic individual honors 28 times. All four of the cross country and track and field programs have recorded their best semesters in the classroom in the McDaniel era.   The Owls reached the podium at the ASUN Championships 362 times with 113 earning gold medals. McDaniel's Owls have set 60 school records and 16 ASUN Championship records since the beginning of the 2019 indoor season. In addition, the KSU men's track and field team was awarded the ASUN Beam Award in 2020 and Isaiah Rogers collected it in 2023. McDaniel came to KSU from Western Carolina where he was the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.  McDaniel took over a Kennesaw State program that has enjoyed tremendous success in recent years. The men's team track and field team program had captured seven straight ASUN Conference indoor championships and eight straight outdoor titles. Meanwhile, the women's team has also enjoyed significant success, winning back-to-back indoor championships and an outdoor title in 2017.   McDaniel, who served primarily as the throws coach for six seasons at WCU prior to being named head coach of the Catamounts, produced six women's Most Outstanding Field Performers of the Year, three men's indoor Most Outstanding Field Performers of the Year, two women's outdoor Most Outstanding Athletes, and one women's Freshman of the Year. He has also led 30 student-athletes to Southern Conference individual championships and has had 104 student-athletes earn all-conference honors.   McDaniel is a five-time Southern Conference Coach of the Year and has been a member of the NCAA Executive committee since 2017. Under his tutelage, 11 Catamounts went on to qualify for the NCAA East preliminary round with three student-athletes achieving qualifying marks for Junior Nationals.   As both a student-athlete and coach, McDaniel has helped bring 19 Southern Conference titles back to Cullowhee, including three during the 2017-18 season with the men's indoor championship, and the women's and men's sweep of the outdoor championships.   He also helped WCU's women's team earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team honors every season.   McDaniel received his U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Throws Specialist Certification in 2012 and his USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification in 2016.   As a student-athlete, McDaniel was a six-time All-Southern Conference performer, while capturing two outdoor team titles in 2007 and 2010 and one indoor championship in 2008.   McDaniel is a 2010 graduate of Western Carolina University. He holds his bachelor of science degree in physical education and earned his Master's in Education while focusing on physical education and health in 2013. A licensed health and physical education teacher in the state of North Carolina, McDaniel served as an adjunct professor in the health education department at WCU since 2013.   "My family and I are thankful for all the experiences at Western Carolina, and we look forward to the new challenges ahead," McDaniel said. "I would like to thank Mr. Overton and Mr. (Travis) Glasgow for taking the time and providing my family and me with such a wonderful opportunity."   McDaniel is married to former WCU women's soccer standout, Erin McDaniel. The couple has four children, Braxton, Georgia Grace, Max and Brock.  

Eggerth has had tremendous success with both the cross country and track and field programs. He has coached 16 All-Americans since coming to KSU, and his teams have won 10 Atlantic Sun Conference Track and Field Championships and one Cross Country title in 2010.   This past season, the men and womens teams rose up again with the men claiming their fifth consecutive Indoor ASUN Championship and winning the outdoor championship for the fourth time in a row. At the A-Sun Outdoor Championship, the men claimed wins in 10 of the 21 events and had 31 student-athletes named to the All-Conference team. Meanwhile, the women finished runner-up with 21 all-conference selections.   Eggerth has the student-athletes under a tough regimen throughout the season, always getting results when its championship time. On the mens side, they have had 120 individual champions, and on the womens side there have been 65 total individual champions. Along with winning championships, his teams have been represented at the NCAA Championships every year he has been at Kennesaw State. When conference records are going down so are school records. With Eggerth coaching the squad, the men have broken 13 of 17 indoor records and 18 of 21 outdoor records. The women have broken all 17 indoor records as well as breaking 19 of 21 outdoor school records. In 2016, Bilal Abdullah and Andre Dorsey shined under Eggerth with both athletes completing their careers at the U.S. Olympic Trials. During this past indoor season, Abdullah was named Most Outstanding Performer for his performance at the ASUN Championship where he collected two first and two second place finishes. He would earn All-American Honors for finishing sixth in the heptathlon and for finishing 15th in the long jump at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships. He won the decathlon at the 2016 ASUN Outdoor Championships scoring a conference championship record of 7286 points. He competed in the NCAA Championship and the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the long jump.  In spring of 2016, Dorsey returned from an injury that sidelined him a season ago and set all three outdoor school records in the jumping events. He ranked in the top-20 in NCAA for the long jump, high jump, and triple jump. He went on to compete in the 2016 Olympic Trials in the triple jump. The Chalmette, Louisiana native graduated with a degree in exercise science in spring of 2016. Bilal Abdullah shined under Eggerths leadership in 2015 becoming the first Owl to ever score points at the NCAA Indoor Championships. He won the heptathlon at the A-Sun Championships establishing a new A-Sun heptathlon scoring record of 5600 points. Set new A-Sun heptathlon superlatives in the 60m dash (6.89), 60m hurdles (8.04), high jump (2.09m, 6-10.25), and long jump (7.01m, 23-0) which were good for four wins and helped earn his trip to the NCAA Indoor Championship. He collected two wins in the 60m (6.90) and the long jump (7.65m, 25-1.25) and two second place finishes in the 60m hurdles and the high jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships for a new school record 5941 points. Andre Dorsey had one of the best seasons in a Kennesaw State uniform in 2014 being the only athlete in the country to qualify for the long jump, triple jump and high jump at the NCAA Indoor National Championships. At one point during the season, he was the number one triple jumper in the nation. Dorsey was named the Mens Most Valuable Performer at the Atlantic Sun Championship for the third straight year and was named the South Region Athlete of the Year.  He also was the first KSU track and field member to compete at the USA Outdoor Championships in 2013. In 2015, Josh Mulder qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championship finals in the decathlon and Drew Duggans qualified in the 100m. Mulder took home 14th which earned him second team All-American honors. The womens 4x100 team qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the in 2013 and 2014 and finished in 14 place in 2014 earning second team All-American honors.     The Owls have also had a lot of success in the classroom under Eggerth. Since the Atlantic Sun debuted the Academic All-Conference team in 2012, Kennesaw State track and field and cross country have had 45 team members selected, including the 2016 Mens Indoor Co-Scholar of the Year Joseph Yates and the 2012 Womens Indoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, Naomi Mack. In his first six years, he has had 49 athletes become Presidential Scholars after achieving 4.0 GPAs during a semester. The women's cross country team is a national program of Recognition for perfect APR four years in a row.   To go along with these student-athletes commitment in the classroom and the track, they are also committed to helping in the community as each of his student athletes averaged 18.5 hours of community service during the 2015-16 academic year.   Eggerth came to Kennesaw State after spending the previous four years at Kansas State as their assistant coach for both track and field and cross country. At Kansas State, Eggerth worked with sprints and hurdles while also assisting with mid-distance and distance athletes. On top of his coaching duties, Eggerth also served as the assistant recruiting coordinator, assisted with fundraising and alumni relations, managed equipment and apparel, along with a host of other administrative responsibilities.   Prior to his time at Kansas State, Eggerth found great success at University of Alabama- Birmingham.  After spending two years working with the sprinters and jumpers, Eggerth worked with the Blazer hurdlers and combined event athletes as well as recruiting, compliance and travel duties. During his three years there, the athletes under his direction were able to achieve 13 school records and seven freshman records.   Additionally, Eggerth worked for the National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine, Minn. as the Track and Field Director for two years.  During his time there, he managed almost 200 athletes while also organizing meets, planning the budget, hiring assistant coaches and recruiting athletes and coaching the sprinters and hurdlers at the NSC.   Before his appointment at the NSC, Eggerth completed his masters degree in exercise physiology at Syracuse University while serving as a graduate assistant coach for sprinters and hurdlers. During this time, he was also competing in post-collegiate events.   Before his graduate work, Eggerth completed his undergraduate work at Bemidji State (Minn.) University, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in sport management. Eggerths success went beyond the classroom as he broke 16 school records, one conference record and qualified for the NCAA Championship in five events.   Eggerth is an instructor for the USTFCCCA Coaches Academy and has written the physiology curriculum. He has "Elite Coach" certification from the IAAF in sprints and hurdles, USATF level 3 certification in the Jumps, USTFCCCA certification in the combined events and throws, and has been to USATF level 2 certification schools in distance events, combined events, jumps, and throws.  He is certified strength and conditioning and has taken the USTFCCCAs Javelin Master Coach certification.  Eggerth was appointed to the newly created NCAA Track & Field Rules Committee in 2012 that helps to continue advancing NCAA Track & Field, and currently serves on the NCAA Track & Field and Cross Country Sport Committee.   He is married to Agne Eggerth and currently resides Acworth, Ga.