Macalester College Women's Track

Gehring is in her second year as head coach of the Macalester College Men's and Women's Track and Field programs after being named to the position at the start of the 2014-2015 school year. In her first year at Macalester she successfully coached both teams to MIAC Top 10 finishes for the indoor and outdoor seasons with All-Conference honors awarded to six athletes. Six school records were either tied or broken under Gehring's leadership and she led Logan Hovie to All-America finishes both indoors and outdoors in the high jump.   Gehring brings 20 years of successful coaching and higher education experience at the Division III level to her new position with the Scots after heading women's cross country and track and field programs at both Ohio Wesleyan University and the College of Saint Benedict a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) member institution. During that time, Gehring coached a total of 13 All-Americans and led 23 individuals to the NCAA National Championships.   During her six years at the helm of the Ohio Wesleyan programs, Gehring led the track and field team to four North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship titles and coached 34 individual NCAC champions, nine All-Americans and 14 national meet participants. She was named the NCAC Coach of the Year on three occasions. In addition to her coaching role, Gehring taught physical education courses, served one year as the interim Associate Athletic Director and worked on seven University committees.   Prior to her time at Ohio Wesleyan, Gehring led the Saint Benedict cross country and track and field teams for three seasons. Under her leadership, the Blazer track and field team turned in three fourth-place team finishes at the MIAC Championships and had 32 All-MIAC performers. Gehring also coached the Blazer cross country team to a second-place finish at the MIAC Championships in 1992.   Not only does Gehring bring a wealth of coaching experience to Macalester, but she has directed meets at the highest level of competition including intercollegiate conference and national meets and has  served on several executive committees.  From 1997-1998, Gehring served as president of the NCAA Division III Cross Country Coaches Association after a four year term as vice president. She was also an executive board member for the United States Track Coaches Association for three years.   Gehring earned her doctorate in sport and physical education from Ohio State University in 2002 where her dissertation work focused on the career longevity of Division III track and field coaches. She has been a published researcher in multiple international journals and has presented at national coaches meetings, as well as physical and health education conventions. Additionally, Gehring served as a visiting adjunct faculty at Pacific Lutheran University and the University of the West Indies.   Prior to her doctoral work, Gehring completed a master's degree in sport and exercise studies at Smith College. While at Smith, Gehring assisted with the women's cross country and track and field programs for two seasons. She earned her bachelor's in exercise science from the University at Buffalo.  Margaret Gehring Head Men's and Women's Track & Field Coach Margaret Gehring is in her second year as head coach of the Macalester College Men's and Women's Track and Field programs after being named to the position at the start of the 2014-2015 school year. In her first year at Macalester she successfully coached both teams to MIAC Top 10 finishes for the indoor and outdoor seasons with All-Conference honors awarded to six athletes. Six school records were either tied or broken under Gehring's leadership and she led Logan Hovie to All-America finishes both indoors and outdoors in the high jump.   Gehring brings 20 years of successful coaching and higher education experience at the Division III level to her new position with the Scots after heading women's cross country and track and field programs at both Ohio Wesleyan University and the College of Saint Benedict a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) member institution. During that time, Gehring coached a total of 13 All-Americans and led 23 individuals to the NCAA National Championships.   During her six years at the helm of the Ohio Wesleyan programs, Gehring led the track and field team to four North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship titles and coached 34 individual NCAC champions, nine All-Americans and 14 national meet participants. She was named the NCAC Coach of the Year on three occasions. In addition to her coaching role, Gehring taught physical education courses, served one year as the interim Associate Athletic Director and worked on seven University committees.   Prior to her time at Ohio Wesleyan, Gehring led the Saint Benedict cross country and track and field teams for three seasons. Under her leadership, the Blazer track and field team turned in three fourth-place team finishes at the MIAC Championships and had 32 All-MIAC performers. Gehring also coached the Blazer cross country team to a second-place finish at the MIAC Championships in 1992.   Not only does Gehring bring a wealth of coaching experience to Macalester, but she has directed meets at the highest level of competition including intercollegiate conference and national meets and has  served on several executive committees.  From 1997-1998, Gehring served as president of the NCAA Division III Cross Country Coaches Association after a four year term as vice president. She was also an executive board member for the United States Track Coaches Association for three years.   Gehring earned her doctorate in sport and physical education from Ohio State University in 2002 where her dissertation work focused on the career longevity of Division III track and field coaches. She has been a published researcher in multiple international journals and has presented at national coaches meetings, as well as physical and health education conventions. Additionally, Gehring served as a visiting adjunct faculty at Pacific Lutheran University and the University of the West Indies.   Prior to her doctoral work, Gehring completed a master's degree in sport and exercise studies at Smith College. While at Smith, Gehring assisted with the women's cross country and track and field programs for two seasons. She earned her bachelor's in exercise science from the University at Buffalo. 

Dan Schofer joined Macalester in July of 2019 as the Director of Track & Field/Cross Country. In this new position, Schofer provides oversight and guidance to the men's and women's track & field and cross country programs at Macalester. He also serves as the head men's and women's cross country coach.  In Schofer's first six years at Macalester, three of the four programs he oversees (men's cross country, women's cross country, and men's track and field) have been in the top four at the MIAC Championships. In 2024, the men's cross country team placed third in the MIAC, the program's best finish since 1971. While at Macalester, Schofer has coached eight NCAA qualifiers, 15 All-Region performers, 11 MIAC individual champions, 60 All-MIAC performances and 88 All-MIAC honorable mention performances. His athletes have broken 59 school records between indoor and outdoor track and field. Schofer brings to Macalester 18 years of coaching experience, including a successful 13-year run at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. At Cornell, he was the head men's and women's cross country coach for 13 years and the head men’s and women’s track & field coach for the past seven years. During his time at Cornell, his teams won three Midwest Conference championships in cross country and registered 11 top-three conference finishes in track & field. His student-athletes garnered 263 all-conference performances, 56 school records, 69 individual titles in track & field, five cross country individual championships and 26 NCAA All-American honors. Cornell has had NCAA cross country national qualifiers in 10 of the last 11 years, and NCAA track & field qualifiers in each of the last six years. One of his student-athletes, Abrah Masterson, won national championships in women’s cross country and in the 10,000 meters on the track. Schofer’s success brought accolades, including three Midwest Conference cross country Coach of the Year awards and the 2017 men’s track & field MWC Coach of the Year award. In 2015, he was chosen the Central Region Coach of the Year for women’s track & field. His men’s cross country team won conference titles in 2017 and 2018, marking the first time the Rams’ harriers won a conference championship since 1961 and the first back-to-back titles since 1947-48. Recruiting played a significant role in Schofer’s success at Cornell, as he built the largest rosters in the programs’ history that included student-athletes from 30 states. Prior to his time at Cornell, Schofer was an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s track & field and cross country teams for four years at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. At Rhodes, his athletes recorded four All-American performances, nine individual conference championships and 40 All-Conference honors. Schofer spent one season as an assistant at Carleton College, his alma mater, and one year at the University of Oregon as an instructor and teaching assistant. He earned a Master’s degree in exercise physiology while at Oregon. A 2000 graduate of Carleton, Schofer was All-Region and qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships as an individual in 1999. He received All-MIAC honorable mention twice in cross country and was All-MIAC on the track three times. Schofer, his wife Marie and their daughters Ellie and Rosie live in St. Paul.  

Emerson has led the womens cross country and distance track and field programs since 2010. During her time the team has become a top-10 program in the Central Region, boasting several All-American awards, All-Region runners, and All-Conference finishers in track and cross country. Under her leadership student-athletes have set new school records and regularly compete at the national level. Emerson also served as the Women's and Men's Co-Head Track and Field Coach for the 2013-14 season. In 2013-14, Emerson coached the cross country team to a fourth-place team finish at the MIAC Championships. This was the best team placing since 1999 when the Scots finished second. Emerson also helped first-year Kimber Meyer to All-America finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and both the Indoor (3,000-meter run) and Outdoor (5,000-meter run) Track and Field Championships. Under Emersons guidance, Meyer also has achieved All-America status in cross country as a sophomore and junior, while winning the MIAC Cross Country title in 2015. Before Mac, Emerson was head womens cross country and womens track and field coach at Luther College in Iowa for 17 years. At Luther, she received Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Coach of the Year honors six times in cross country and three times in track and field. Emerson led the Norse to a third place NCAA Division III finish in cross country in 2000 and a fourth place national finish in outdoor track and field in 1997. Emerson has coached two NCAA Division III cross country individual champions and seven All-Americans. Her track and field athletes have won 50 conference championships and 49 All-America honors.   Betsy Emerson has led the womens cross country and distance track and field programs since 2010. During her time the team has become a top-10 program in the Central Region, boasting several All-American awards, All-Region runners, and All-Conference finishers in track and cross country. Under her leadership student-athletes have set new school records and regularly compete at the national level. Emerson also served as the Women's and Men's Co-Head Track and Field Coach for the 2013-14 season. In 2013-14, Emerson coached the cross country team to a fourth-place team finish at the MIAC Championships. This was the best team placing since 1999 when the Scots finished second. Emerson also helped first-year Kimber Meyer to All-America finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and both the Indoor (3,000-meter run) and Outdoor (5,000-meter run) Track and Field Championships. Under Emersons guidance, Meyer also has achieved All-America status in cross country as a sophomore and junior, while winning the MIAC Cross Country title in 2015. Before Mac, Emerson was head womens cross country and womens track and field coach at Luther College in Iowa for 17 years. At Luther, she received Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Coach of the Year honors six times in cross country and three times in track and field. Emerson led the Norse to a third place NCAA Division III finish in cross country in 2000 and a fourth place national finish in outdoor track and field in 1997. Emerson has coached two NCAA Division III cross country individual champions and seven All-Americans. Her track and field athletes have won 50 conference championships and 49 All-America honors.