Northern Kentucky University Women's Cross Country

Kruse enters his 20th season at NKU as the head coach of the cross country and track & field teams. He has seen three men's cross country runners qualify for the NCAA Championships, as well as two track athletes. He has coached twenty-eight All-Conference, six All-Region, and two All-American athletes during his tenure with the Norse. There have been thirty-five student-athletes coached by Kruse that have earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors On campus, Kruse has organized the Brian Rohne Race for the past 19-years as well as the Valentine's Day Race that started over a decade ago. In 2012, he began the Summer Cross Country Series which helps fundraise for the team before the season begins. As a student-athlete, Kruse competed two years for NKU before transferring to University of Cincinnati to finish his career as a cross country/steeplechase specialist for the Bearcats. He graduated from UC with a degree in communication arts and has been active in the tri-states running scene ever since. He has been involved with NKU cross country in one way or another for more than 30 years. He currently resides in Fort Thomas, Ky., with his wife, Kate, and three sons, Wesley, Keegan & Cameron. Kruse attributes his being named mens Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year in 2006 to the unselfishness and dedication of the student-athletes that has become the norm rather than the exception represented by the Norse cross country teams.

Paul Longano enters his 15th season as the associate track & field coach, where he is responsible for coaching the sprints, hurdles, as well as women’s recruiting. Student-athletes Longano has trained & recruited including one Horizon League record holder and 22 Horizon League champions. Longano completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Cincinnati, earning a BA in History. He then entered the coaching scene at the high school level, beginning at Mariemont before moving to Taylor High School in 2003. During his tenure coaching in Ohio high schools, Longano's athletes won 73 conference, 44 district, and four regional championships; including one athlete that finished runner-up at the State Championships. The teams he coached won 11 conference, seven district, four regional, and one state titles. In 2005, he was named CHL Cross Country Coach of the Year and City of Cincinnati Boy's Division II Coach of the Year.   Longano then moved on to coach at Xavier University, where he also completed a Master's degree in Sports Administration. At Xavier, he coached student-athletes that established 25 new school records. Following Xavier, Longano was afforded the opportunity coach at Mount Saint Joseph as the head cross country and track & field coach. At MSJ, the program broke 46 school records, claimed 17 individual conference titles, saw two student-athletes named field-event athletes of the year and two national qualifiers.   Born in Cincinnati, Longano currently lives in North Bend, Ohio with his wife Bernadette and his four children; Thomas, Anthony, Teresa Marie, and John Paul. Longano’s Horizon League Champions & Honorees 2025 – 400m Cameron Bitterman (HL Outdoor) 2025 – 200m Cameron Bitterman (HL Outdoor) 2025 – Cameron Bitterman, Outstanding Running Performer, (HL Outdoor) 2025 – 800m Olivia Kennedy (HL Indoor) - Championship Record 2024 – 200m Erin Starks (HL Outdoor) 2024 – 4x100 Meredith Goff, Cameron Bitterman, Andrea Armstrong, Erin Starks (HL Outdoor) 2024 – High Jump, Julia Pohl, (HL Indoor) 2024 – 200m Meredith Goff (HL Indoor) 2023 – 800m Olivia Kennedy (HL Outdoor) 2023 – 4x400 Andrea Armstrong, Erika Nageleisen, Megan Sullivan, Jailyn Ross (HL Indoor) 2022 – 4x400 Lynsey Shipley, Andrea Armstrong, Erika Nageleisen, Megan Sullivan (HL Outdoor) 2022 – High Jump, Julia Pohl, (HL Indoor) 2022 – Freshman of the Year, Fielding: Julia Pohl 2022 – 4x400 Lynsey Shipley, Andrea Armstrong, Erika Nageleisen, Megan Sullivan (HL Outdoor) 2022 – 400M Lynsey Shipley (HL Indoor) 2021 – 4x400 Lynsey Shipley, Andrea Armstrong, Erika Nageleleisen, Megan Sullivan (HL Outdoor) 2021 – 400M Lynsey Shipley (HL Outdoor) 2021 – 4x400 Lynsey Shipley, Andrea Armstrong, Jailyn Ross, Megan Sullivan (HL Indoor) 2021 – 200M Lynsey Shipley (HL Indoor) 2021 – 400M Lynsey Shipley (HL Indoor) 2021 – Bobby Fong Award Recipient – Kayla Thompson 2019 – 100H Kayla Thompson (HL Outdoor) 2019 – 400M Lynsey Shipley (HL Outdoor) 2019 – 4x400 Lynsey Shipley, Briauna Keys, Jenna Flairty, Samantha Shaw (HL Outdoor) 2019 – Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor – Briauna Keys 2017 – Triple Jump Demondrea Starnes (HL Outdoor) 2016 – Triple Jump Demondrea Starnes (HL Outdoor)