MidAmerica Nazarene University Women's Track

Wiens Head Coach Cell:  Nate Wiens joins MNU as Cross Country and Track & Field coach as the programs reboot starting in 2015. During the 2013-2014 season, University of California, Riversides athletes achieved new heights at the NCAA Division I level on the track in the hurdles, jumps and multi events. Wiens coached eighteen top ten performances, seven school records, three conference champions, four first round NCAA qualifiers and one All-America honoree. Highlighting the personal performances for the men was Ted Hooper with a school record leap of 2510.25 (7.88m) in the long jump during the season and went on to be the Big West Champion and was awarded second team All-American honors. At the Big West Championships, Littleton placed second in the Pentathlon (5,045), and first place in the Long Jump (203.25/6.18m) and first in the 100m Hurdles (13.51). All three performances were school records. Additional athletes that qualified for NCAA first round were Phoenisha Schumeier who set a new personal best in the long jump with an effort of 201.25 (6.13) and Michael Koger who ran at time of 51.37 in the 400m hurdles. Other noteworthy performances include Tayler Fleming (100m Hurdles/13.97, Tiffany Stone (LJ/187/TJ-399.75), Jacquelyn Dubois (TJ-3911.25) and Mike Harris (TJ-486.75). From 2009-2013 Iowa State sprinters and hurdlers saw a strong increase in performance. Overall, 15 performances ranked on the top three all-time lists with 9 new school records being set. Over 40 student-athletes achieved regional and national qualifying marks with 6 earning All-America status and 3 athletes competed at the Olympic Trials in 2012. On the mens side, Wiens coached Ian Warner who gained multiple Big 12 accolades. His personal bests included 10.13w/10.20 in the 100m and 21.11 in the 200m. Ian was also a regional qualifier on the mens 4X100m, a NCAA second team All-American. In 2012, Ian took second place in the 100m at the Canadian Olympic Trials and was member of the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team. Nick Efkamp won the 400m at the Big 12 Indoor conference Championships and went on to be a second team indoor All-American posting a personal best of 46.25 in the 400m. Ryan Sander also was an all-conference performer in the 60m and 110m hurdles and ranked in the top 25 in the nation with a 7.83 in the indoor 60m hurdles. On the womens side, Wiens coached Kianna Elahi who was a first team All-American performer for the Cyclones in 2011 and 2012. Kianna ran a personal best time of 56.41 in the 400m hurdles, was a school record holder in the indoor 300m, 400m, 600yrd, indoor and outdoor 4X400m and DMR relays. Elahi won the Drake Relays in the 400m hurdles and qualified for the US Olympic Trials in 2012. Ese Okoro, a native of Great Britian, ran a personal best of 57.41 in the 400m hurdles, winning Drake relays in 2013, gaining second team All-American honors in 2012 and 2013 and competed in the United Kingdom Olympic Trials in 2012. She also broke the indoor 400m school record and was a part of the school record setting teams both indoor and outdoor in the 4X400m. Alongside Elahi and Okoro, Donnise Powell (59.07) and Krista Shoeman (59.88) helped Iowa State be the only University to send four athletes to the first round of nationals in the 400m hurdles while assisting in setting numerous 4X400m records indoor and outdoor. In 2013, Kendra White transferred from LSU and added depth to the sprints squad breaking the indoor 400m school record and posting personal bests of 24.42 in the 200m and 53.83 in the 400m while assisting an all-time outdoor personal best for the squad in the 4X400m of 3:36.22. Other athletes of note were Jenna Caffrey (60m hurdles/8.36, 100m hurdles/13.54) and Lashawn Wright (100m/11.65, 200m/23.68). The 4X100m relay qualified for nationals in 2010 and the 4X400m relay qualified for the nationals every year from 2010-2013. Previously, Wiens was the sprints and hurdles coach at California-Riverside.  During his two years at UCR, the school's men's and women's 4x400 teams set school records with the women's team winning the 4X400 at the Big West Championships. The men's and women's 4x100 teams also set the second-fastest times in school history. UCR earned its highest finishes in conference competition since moving up to NCAA Division I. The Highlanders broke a combined eight indoor and outdoor school-relay records while producing six individual school record holders in the sprints and hurdles. Wiens also served as the meet director for UCR's cross country and open meets as well as their first inaugural Inland Empire Coaching Clinic. Before UCR, Wiens was at Nebraska-Kearney as sprints, hurdles, relays, and multi-events coach. In his two seasons there, Wiens athletes earned 66 all-conference honors including 18 conference champions. Wiens athletes set 24 school records. Six RMAC Athletes of the Year and nine All-Americans competed under Wiens and in the 2004 and 2005 Division II NCAA power rankings, the Loper men's and women's teams placed in the top 15 seven times with three placing in the top four or higher. Wiens also served as the Loper Track and Field Summer Camp coordinator and taught the annual indoor track and field coaching clinic while teaching courses in the health and physical education department. During the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Wiens coached at Missouri-Kansas City and served as the multi-events and throws coach as well as assisting with sprints and jumps. The Kangaroos had nine all-conference athletes in the multi-events and throws, two conference champions, one regional qualifier and broke four school records during Wiens' two seasons there. He also completed his master's degree in higher education administration with an emphasis in Sports Management while teaching courses in the HPER department. Wiens is a 2000 graduate of Mid-America Nazarene College (now MNU) with a major in physical education and health with a minor in business. Nate earned all-conference honors in the pentathlon, high jump, triple jump, and javelin. He was a NAIA indoor national qualifier in the pentathlon and high jump and an outdoor national qualifier in the decathlon, high jump and javelin. Nate won the NCCAA national championship in the decathlon and gained All-American honors in the high jump, javelin, and triple jump in the NCCAA. Coach Wiens resides in Olathe, KS with his wife Katy and his daughter Nya (5) and son Judah (3). Certifications Level II USATF Certification, Sprints/Hurdles Level II USATF Certification, Jumps Level II USATF Certification, Multi-Events USATF ITC (Instructor Training Course) Certified to direct/instruct/teach Level I USATF Schools USWF (United States Weightlifting Federation) Certified Club Coach

Watkins spent the last 2 years as the Mens Head Track and Field Coach and Asst. Cross Country Coach at Fullerton College. At FC his restructuring of the program yielded immediate results as the Fullerton girls cross country program, finished the highest in schools history taking 4th at the State meet and finishing with two Jr. College All-Americans. One of those athletes, Daisy Esparza went on to take 2nd and 3rd respectively at the California Track and Field State Meet in the 5k and 10k. This past season Watkins coached the State Champion in the heptathlon and the #2, 400-hurdler and #3, 400-meter dash runners in the state. Before Fullerton College, Watkins worked for current MNU athletic director Kevin Steele, re-instating the Cal Baptist University Men and Womens Cross Country and Distance Track Programs. Watkins built the program up to 48 athletes, and developed a nationally ranked (22nd) mens cross-country team. Watkins was most proud of his men and womens teams with the highest GPA among all teams on campus for his entire 4 years at CBU. Watkins also had his men's and women's teams honored with the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Five Star Champions of Character Award at the 2011 Outdoor Championships for displaying exemplary character throughout the 2010-11 campaign. Watkins spent eight seasons as the Assistant Coach for Cross-Country and Track and Field at NCAA Division II Cal Poly Pomona. He was a valuable assistant for the Broncos track and field program, working with decathletes, heptahletes, pole-vaulters, jumpers as well as distance runners; He also served as the lead assistant for cross-country. At Cal Poly, Watkins coached 6 different athletes in 5 different events to NCAA All American honors. Prior to his stint at Cal Poly Pomona, Watkins spent 16 years at Los Altos (Calif.) High, spending 10 of those as the head coach of both the Cross Country and Track and Field teams. In his last seven years as head coach, Los Altos was undefeated in cross country and won four league titles in track and field. In the early 1990s, Watkins competed as a nationally ranked duathlete (running and cycling) and mountain biker. He owned a personal training business and served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Top Gun Volleyball Club in Diamond Bar, Calif., developing programs for 12 elite age-group volleyball teams. For 24 years, Watkins worked full-time in the business world, owning and managing the day-to-day operations for Lube Pit Stop (automotive maintenance) in Industry, Calif. He sold the business in order to concentrate on coaching. Watkins graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with his bachelor in kinesiology in 2003 and completed in his masters in sports science from the U.S. Sports Academy in May 2007. Watkins and his wife, Trish, have relocated to Olathe and have lived Southern California most of their lives. They have four children--Jessica, Matt, Sarah and Conor.  

Webb joins the MNU Cross Country and Track & Field coaching staff with 28 years of coaching at the high school level.   As the head Cross Country coach of the Blue Valley West Jaguars he led the team to the State Cross Country meet in 10 of his 11 years, with two State runner up finishes, and one third place finish. While at Blue Valley West he coached 8 individual State champions both in Cross Country and Track, as well as 21 All-State runners. Two of Coach Webb's former runners were 2012 Olympic trials qualifiers in the marathon race. He has been named Coach of the Year five times in his career.    Webb earned a scholarship in Track from Kansas City, Kansas Community College, and then transferred to Southeastern Bible College in Lakeland, Florida to play basketball.   He is a graduate of Mid-America Nazarene College (1990) majoring in Physical Education, with a minor in Science. He received his Masters Degree from Kansas State University in Urban Education. Mike and his wife (Shari) of 31 years have lived in Olathe for 28 years. They have two grown daughters. Ashley, who is married to Bryan and together have their grandson, Jack. And Alison, who is a junior in college.   Webb embraced and instructed the NAIA Champions of Character while as a high school coach and is looking forward to continuing that guidance at MNU.