Pittsburg State University Men's Cross Country

Rutledge begins his fifth year as a full-time assistant coach in the Pittsburg State University track & field program after coaching at Missouri S&T in Rolla, Mo. Rutledge is in charge of coaching the high jump, pole vault and multi events for the Gorillas. In four years at Pitt State, Rutledge has coached 17 All-America performances, a pair of national champions, two national runners-up as well as multiple All-MIAA performances. Those athletes have also broken 9 school records.   He helped guide the Pitt State women to the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championship the first team title in school history as well as back-to-back MIAA Outdoor Championships in 2015 and 2016.  He was named the NCAA Division II Central Region Womens Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2 nd time in 2016 (2015 Indoor).   Rutledge also has helped lead the Pitt State men to three straight MIAA Outdoor Championships between 2013 and 2015 as well as a pair of MIAA Indoor Championships in 2014 and 2015.  In all he has helped coach Gorilla teams to seven team titles during his tenure. In his three years at Missouri S&T, Coach Rutledge coached 12 NCAA DII All-Americans, and he had athletes achieve GLVC Indoor Athlete of the year, GLVC Indoor Freshman of the year, GLVC Outdoor Track Athlete of the year and NCAA DII Regional Athlete of the year.  In addition, his athletes broke 23 school records. Before Missouri S&T, Coach Rutledge spent one season with Johnson County Community College where he had three NJCAA All-Americans.   Rutledge also spent two seasons coaching at his alma mater Missouri Southern State University.  While there he coached the pole vault, high jump, sprints and multi events.  In two seasons his athletes compiled 10 NCAA Division II All-Americans, three NCAA Division II National Runner-Ups and multiple MIAA Champions. In Rutledges nine years as a coach, he has recorded two National Champions, 37 NCAA Division II All-Americans, five NCAA Division II National Runner-ups, 50+ NCAA Division II National Qualifiers, 30+ Conference Champions and 32 school records. During Rutledges time as part of the Missouri Southern track & field team, he qualified for both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Division II Championships in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 in the pole vault, earning All-America honors in 2003, 2005 and 2006. He placed second at the 2006 NCAA-II Indoor Championship and third at the 2005 NCAA-II Outdoor Championship. Rutledge has his USATF Level I Coaches Certification, USTFCCA Multi-Event Specialist Certification and USTFCCA Jumps Specialist Certification. Rutledge is married to the former Natalie Noe and the couple have a daughter, Emery, 4, and twins, Cash and Quinn, who turn three on December 12.

Ben Barrows enters his ninth year of coaching at Pitt State, focusing on leading the cross country and distance programs. Barrows served as a part-time assistant coach from 2017-21 and was promoted to full-time status following the retirement of the Gorillas long-time mentor Russ Jewett on June 4, 2021.  In January 2025, his position was updated to head men’s and women’s cross country coach. Since arriving on campus in the fall of 2017, Pitt State cross country/track & field has won 33 team MIAA championships, 15 from the men and 18 from the women. Women’s cross country has won six MIAA championships and men’s cross country has won two championships since then.  The fall of 2021 marked the first MIAA cross country championship in men’s program history.  The women have also won the MIAA triple crown (cross country/indoor track/outdoor track in the same academic year) on four occasions (2017-18, 2018-19, 2023-24, 2024-25) and the men have won the MIAA triple crown on two occasions (2021-22, 2023-24).  The 2023-24 academic year marked the first time any program in the MIAA has won both triple crowns since the 1987-88 academic year.   Also since 2017, the program has seen many successes at the national level. Women’s cross country earned a bid to the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on six occasions (2017-19, 2022-24) with a highest finish of 13th as a team in 2018. Men’s cross country has qualified to the NCAA Division II Championships on four occasions (2021-24) with a highest placement of 7th in 2024 which was the program’s highest finish ever in Division II. Men's track & field has earned eight national team championships (2018 indoor, 2022 outdoor, 2023 indoor/outdoor, 2024 indoor/outdoor, 2025 indoor/outdoor) in addition to two other top-4 podium finishes.  Women’s track & field won the outdoor national championship in 2024 as well as the indoor national championship in 2025 and two other top-4 podium finishes.   For the individual successes at the local level, Barrows has helped guide Gorillas distance and middle-distance runners to 40 MIAA championships, 167 All-MIAA performances, and 124 All-Region performances. Distance and middle-distance school records have been improved on 58 occasions including a historic season in 2025 where the men and women rewrote 15 of 20 of their school records.  Barrows has coached two Gorillas to a sub-4 mile including Mason Strader who first broke the barrier with his time of 3:58.47 in 2022 and then lowered his mark to 3:58.16 in 2025 along with Dylan Sprecker who ran 3:59.49 in 2025.  Strader’s time in the mile ranks him 5th all-time in DII history and his 1500m mark of 3:39.34 ranks him 7th all-time with both marks being the fastest in MIAA history.  Kate Strader’s school record times of 4:19.24 in the 1500m and 4:43.04 in the mile are the fastest times in MIAA history. Paige Mullen’s school record times of 16:11.62 in the 5000m and 34:22.37 in the 10000m are also the fastest times in MIAA history.   On the national level, Barrows has also coached 22 individuals and five distance medley relay teams to 1st-team All-American status at the Division II Track & Field Championships. The distance medley relay team of Connar Southard, Graham Hudelson, Matt Wilson, and Mason Strader made Pitt State history by winning the event at the 2021 Division II Indoor Championship for the first time in program history with a time of 9:46.68. The 2025 relay team of Dylan Sprecker, Caden Williams, Jordan Kilonzo, and Mason Strader also won the DII championship with a time of 9:32.58 which currently stands as the fastest time ever run in DII.  The 2025 women’s DMR team of Paige Mullen, Kinleigh Hall, Claire Bruening, and Kate Strader placed as national runner-up in the event with their time of 11:19.45 which ranks them as the 5th fastest program of all-time in DII.   Barrows has had student athletes recognized as finalists on five occasions for the Ken. B Jones award which is awarded each year to the top student athlete in the MIAA. Piper Misse was recognized as a finalist and also the winner of the award in the 2019-20 academic year.  Matthew Oglesby was a finalist in the 2022-23 academic year and both Mason Strader and Kate Dawson were finalists in the 2023-24 academic year with Strader winning the award. Strader was also named a finalist for the award during the 2024-25 academic year.   Barrows’ athletes have been recognized with USTFCCCA All-Academic honors in cross country on 64 occasions and track on 45 occasions.  The cross country award requires that the student athlete must finish in the top third of competitors at the regional meet of the top half at the national meet in addition to carrying at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA.  The track award requires that the student athlete must hit a provisional qualifier and carry at least a 3.25 GPA.  His athletes have been recognized with the MIAA Scholar Athlete award on 82 occasions which requires that the athlete earns All-MIAA honors during a season while carrying at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA. Two of Barrows’ athletes have earned the prestigious Elite 90 award which goes to the student athlete with the highest GPA at a national championship. Christina Metzger earned the honor during the 2017 cross country season and Marissa Dick during the 2023 cross country season.  Athletes have been named to the CSC Academic All-American team on nine occasions. A Smithville, Mo. native, Barrows came to Pitt State from his alma mater, the University of Central Missouri, where he coached for two years. In his time coaching at UCM, Barrows guided runners to three All-MIAA performances, three All-Region performances, one conference champion, two school records, and three national qualifiers in track. The men also won the team title at the 2017 MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship.   Barrows competed for UCM as a distance runner from 2010-2015 where he was a part of seven MIAA team championships and two Division II national qualifying cross country teams. He ended his career for the Mules by placing as runner-up in the 5000m at the 2015 MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Barrows earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors on three occasions and garnered the NCAA Elite 89 award at the 2013 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship in Spokane, Wash.   Barrows graduated from UCM with a 4.00 GPA, earning a bachelor's degree in mathematics education with a coaching minor in December 2013.  He completed a master's degree in sport management at UCM in May 2015.  

Mantooth begins his ninth year as a full-time assistant coach in the Pittsburg State University track & field program, after serving as a part-time assistant coach for eight years for his alma mater. Mantooth, who is responsible for coaching throwing events, has been honored as the NCAA Division II Mens Outdoor National Assistant Coach of the Year twice in the last three years. He received the national accolades in 2014 and again in 2016. Mantooth also earned 2009 NCAA Division II South Central Region Mens Assistant Coach of the Year honors (indoor & outdoor).   He helped guide the Pitt State women to the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championship the first team title in school history as well as back-to-back MIAA Outdoor Championships in 2015 and 2016. Mantooth also has helped lead the Pitt State men to four straight MIAA Outdoor Championships between 2012 and 2015 as well as a pair of MIAA Indoor Championships in 2014 and 2015.  In all he has helped coach Gorilla teams to 10 team titles.   During his tenure as a Pitt State assistant, the Gorillas have produced 64 All-America performances between the mens and womens teams as well as 110 NCAA Division II national meet qualifiers.  Additionally, Mantooth has coached five national champion performances, six national runners-up, 206 All-MIAA performances as well as 37 MIAA championship efforts and six MIAA Championships meet records. He also has coached one NCAA Division II all-time record holder (Garrett Appier, who owns each of the top 10 throws in DII history in the mens shot put) and four DII all-time performance list entries (Cassie Caswell, 2nd, indoor shot put; 5th, outdoor shot put; Mike Beeler, 9th, javelin; Larissa Richards, 10th, discus). Mantooth also has coached 38 different record holders at Pitt State as well as five CoSIDA Academic All-America throwers. A native of Caney, Kan., Mantooth was a three-time All-MIAA thrower during his collegiate days at Pittsburg State, capturing MIAA titles in the hammer and the weight throw on the Gorillas 2000 MIAA Championship squad. Mantooth came to Pitt State from Coffeyville Community College, where he established the school record in the hammer and the weight throw for the Ravens. Mantooth earned a bachelors degree in wood technology from Pittsburg State in 2001.  He is married to former All-MIAA thrower and PSU weight throw record holder Megan Snyder.  The couple has a son, Logan Brooks, who turns 10 on Sept. 15, a daughter, Brilee Marie, who turns eight on Dec. 22, and a son, Brett Cannon, who turns three on Oct. 1. Brian Mantooth Assistant Coach Brian Mantooth begins his ninth year as a full-time assistant coach in the Pittsburg State University track & field program, after serving as a part-time assistant coach for eight years for his alma mater. Mantooth, who is responsible for coaching throwing events, has been honored as the NCAA Division II Mens Outdoor National Assistant Coach of the Year twice in the last three years. He received the national accolades in 2014 and again in 2016. Mantooth also earned 2009 NCAA Division II South Central Region Mens Assistant Coach of the Year honors (indoor & outdoor).   He helped guide the Pitt State women to the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championship the first team title in school history as well as back-to-back MIAA Outdoor Championships in 2015 and 2016. Mantooth also has helped lead the Pitt State men to four straight MIAA Outdoor Championships between 2012 and 2015 as well as a pair of MIAA Indoor Championships in 2014 and 2015.  In all he has helped coach Gorilla teams to 10 team titles.   During his tenure as a Pitt State assistant, the Gorillas have produced 64 All-America performances between the mens and womens teams as well as 110 NCAA Division II national meet qualifiers.  Additionally, Mantooth has coached five national champion performances, six national runners-up, 206 All-MIAA performances as well as 37 MIAA championship efforts and six MIAA Championships meet records. He also has coached one NCAA Division II all-time record holder (Garrett Appier, who owns each of the top 10 throws in DII history in the mens shot put) and four DII all-time performance list entries (Cassie Caswell, 2nd, indoor shot put; 5th, outdoor shot put; Mike Beeler, 9th, javelin; Larissa Richards, 10th, discus). Mantooth also has coached 38 different record holders at Pitt State as well as five CoSIDA Academic All-America throwers. A native of Caney, Kan., Mantooth was a three-time All-MIAA thrower during his collegiate days at Pittsburg State, capturing MIAA titles in the hammer and the weight throw on the Gorillas 2000 MIAA Championship squad. Mantooth came to Pitt State from Coffeyville Community College, where he established the school record in the hammer and the weight throw for the Ravens. Mantooth earned a bachelors degree in wood technology from Pittsburg State in 2001.  He is married to former All-MIAA thrower and PSU weight throw record holder Megan Snyder.  The couple has a son, Logan Brooks, who turns 10 on Sept. 15, a daughter, Brilee Marie, who turns eight on Dec. 22, and a son, Brett Cannon, who turns three on Oct. 1.

Jewett began his tenure as a full-time member of the Pittsburg State University athletic department in 1985. Jewett has served as an assistant athletic director since 1989, assuming the role of Senior Associate Athletic Director in 2011. He assumed the positions of PSU head mens and womens track & field coach in 1987, PSUs head womens cross country coach in 1986 and head mens cross country coach in 1989. In cross country, Jewett has led the PSU women to eight MIAA titles and 10 trips to the NCAA Division II National Championships. While the PSU men have not garnered an MIAA title, the Gorillas have made five NCAA Division II National Championships appearances, including three straight trips from 2007-09. In track & field, Jewett has guided the Gorilla men to 11 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association outdoor titles, including four in a row from 2012-15, and four MIAA indoor crowns.  He has led the Pitt State women to nine MIAA outdoor titles, including back-to-back honors the last two seasons (2015-16), and four MIAA indoor championships. Jewett guided the womens program to the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championship the first national championship in program history. He was named the 2016 NCAA Division II Womens Outdoor National Coach of the Year following the season. Additionally, he garnered NCAA Division II Womens Indoor National Coach of the Year accolades in 1995; and Jewett has been honored as MIAA Coach of the Year 35 times since PSU joined the league in 1989, more than any other conference coach during that span.  Most recently he was named the 2016 MIAA Womens Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year after leading the Gorillas to their second consecutive conference crown last spring. The womens cross country team has captured MIAA titles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010 and 2011. The PSU women own MIAA outdoor titles from 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2015 and 2016.  The Gorilla women also garnered MIAA indoor titles in 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996. His mens track & field squad captured the MIAA outdoor titles in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.  PSU also has won MIAA indoor titles in 1993, 1995, 2014 and 2015. In addition to team success, Gorilla track & field and cross country student-athletes have earned NCAA Division II All-America honors on nearly 300 occasions under Jewett, including 31 individual event national champions in the sports. In mens track & field, the Gorillas have placed among the top 25 teams in NCAA Division II in 20 of 27 outdoor seasons under Jewett (23 times, indoors).  PSU has placed among the top 10 teams eight times during the outdoor season including a fourth-place finish in 1999 and fifth-place finishes in 2014 and 2015. The Gorillas have five top 10 indoor finishes including a third-place finish in 1995 and a sixth-place finish in 2000. In womens track & field, PSU has placed among the top 25 teams in NCAA Division II 19 times in the last 27 outdoor seasons (15 times, indoors). The Gorillas have five top 10 outdoor finishes including a fifth-place finish in 2015 and the 2016 NCAA Division II National Championship. Pitt State has four top 10 indoor finishes including a fourth-place finish in 2016. A native of Olathe, Kan., Jewett graduated cum laude from PSU in 1983 with a bachelors degree in computer science and mathematics. He was a three-time CSIC champion hurdler and an All-American decathlete in 1982, placing second at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships. Jewett served as the chair of the NCAA Track & Field Committee, which oversees all levels of NCAA Track & Field competition (Division I, II, & III), from 2005-06. Russ wife, Janice, is an instructor in the Health, Human Performance and Recreation Department at PSU. The couple has a daughter, Sarah, and a son, Will.

Jason Crow enters his second season as a part-time assistant coach for the Pittsburg State University track & field program at Pittsburg State University. He is responsible for coaching the sprint events.   Crow’s first season the men’s team secured both the indoor and outdoor MIAA Conference Championships.   For the individual successes, in Crow’s first season, the sprinters secured three MIAA championships and 14 All-MIAA performances while braking three school records. Crow also coached seven athletes to All-America performances, including two national runners-up.   Prior to joining as a part-time assistant coach, Crow served as a student assistant for his alma mater during the 2016 track and field season. During this time, the women’s team won the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championship.   Crow was a student-athlete on the Pittsburg State University track & field team from 2012-2015. During his time as an athlete, the men’s team won six MIAA Conference titles, which included four outdoor and two indoor championships. Crow qualified for the Outdoor NCAA Division II Championships in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 in the 4x100 and in 2015 he also qualified for the 100m and 200m events. Crow qualified for the 2015 Indoor NCAA Division II Championships in the 200m dash. Crow completed his time as a student-athlete as a five-time All-American.   After his time at Pittsburg State, Crow continued to compete where he qualified for the 2018 Outdoor USATF Championships in the 200m. He finished in 14th place in the United States that year. Crow also qualified for the 2019 Indoor USATF Championships in the 300m and he finished in 5th place in the United States.   Crow is married to Alyssa Crow, a former student-athlete, school record holder, and All-America sprinter at Pittsburg State.