University of Mount Union Women's Cross Country

Email: [email protected] Head Coach Kevin Lucas heads into year 17 leading the Mount Union track and field programs.  In that time at Mount Union, Lucas has not only continued but expanded the strong tradition of the Purple Raider cross country and track and field teams. He has been the head women's cross country and track and field coach for 17 seasons and took over control of both men's and women's cross country and track and field programs in December 2010. The highlights of his tenure so far has been leading the Raiders to three NCAA Division III men's track and field championships -- the outdoor title in 2014 along with sweeping both indoor and outdoor titles in 2018. In all three championship meets, Mount Union had to win the last event - the 4x400 meter relay -- to secure those national titles. His national successes have not been limited to just the men's program as the women had their highest finish in program history placing third in the nation in 2012 while adding four top 10 finishes in the 2020's.  On the conference level, he has led Mount Union to 49 Ohio Athletic Conference track titles -- 13 in men's outdoor (2011-present), 11 in women's outdoor (2010-present), 14 in men's indoor (2011-present) and 11 women's indoor (2012-present). Add in five OAC cross country titles (4 men and a women's title) and Lucas has brought Mount Union a combined 53 conference titles. In cross country, he has led the men to a pair of NCAA Championship performances with an All-American in 2013 while the women have a team appearance in 2014 along with three individual qualifiers. Numerous coaching accolades have come his way with three track and field national coach of the year awards, a combined 14 men's and women's regional coach of the year awards along with 18 OAC Coach of the Year honors. Prior to coming to Mount Union, he spent a year as head men’s and women’s track and field coach at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md. In 2009, the Sea Gull men’s outdoor track and field team had three All-Americans, a pair of individual national championships and placed fourth in the nation. Prior to his stint at Salisbury, Lucas spent seven years at fellow OAC member Heidelberg University. From 2001 to 2003, he was an assistant cross country and track and field coach, before taking over as the men’s head coach in 2005. From 2006 to 2008, he was the head men’s and women’s cross country and track and field coach. His men’s teams at Heidelberg earned 10 individual All-American honors and had a two-time indoor long jump national champion. In his first year as women’s head coach, Heidelberg had its best finishes at the OAC indoor and outdoor championships since 2000. He also delivered the program its first indoor national champion and All-American in the 55-meter dash. Lucas spent the 2003-04 season as an assistant coach at his alma mater and OAC member Wilmington College where he was the sprint coach for the men's and women's track and field teams. He helped the Quakers finish 18th in the nation, earn six All-American honors including two national runners-up. The Russellville, Ohio, native earned bachelor's degrees in business administration and communication from Wilmington in 2001. He has been named to the Wilmington Athletics Hall of Fame being a four-year track and field letter winner for the Quakers where he was named the team's Most Valuable Runner twice (1999 and 2000) and was the school’s top male scholar-athlete as he earned OAC’s Clyde Lamb selection in 2001. He set the OAC indoor record in the 400-meter dash and Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference outdoor record in the same event. Lucas was All-American honors in 2001, a nine-time national qualifier and a USTFCCCA All-Academic selection. He also went on to earn a master’s degree in education from Heidelberg. Updated September 26, 2025

Griffin enters his fourth season as an assistant cross country and track and field coach at Mount Union. Griffin returns to Mount Union after competing for the Purple Raiders from 2007-11, earning four letters in both cross country and track and field. He was named Ohio Athletic Conference Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2010 after capturing the OAC individual title and helping the Raiders claim a record 25th conference title. A three-time national qualifier and four-time regional qualifier, Griffin was a two-time All-Great Lakes and four-time All-OAC recipient. On the track, Griffin was a national champion in the 1500 meter run in 2009 and was a three-time national qualifier. He was an OAC Champion eight times as an individual and three times as a member of a relay team while earning All-OAC honors 17 times. In 2010, Griffin was named Outstanding Distance Athlete at the OAC Indoor Track and Field Championships after capturing the 3,000 meter run and one mile conference titles and finishing second in the 1000 meter run. He was also named to the All-Academic Team by United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in 2010. Griffin spent the past year coaching middle school cross country and track and field at his alma mater, Massillon Perry. He coached the Federal League individual girls champion in cross country and the one mile girls champion in track and field. Griffin was also the seventh grade girls basketball coach at Dalton Local Schools, where he served as a technology instructor and tutor. The Massillon, Ohio, native graduated from Mount Union in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in history.