Saint Louis University Men's Track

Jon Bell, who has been at the helm of the Billikens' cross country and track and field programs for more than a decade, has built the Saint Louis program into one that is succeeding at the regional, conference and national levels. Bell was named head coach of both the cross country and track and field programs in 2008. The track and field program was formed just a year prior to his arrival, and he continues to guide the program to high levels of success.  In recent years, Bell has guided the program to new heights with the program’s first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship qualifiers. Toby Gillen qualified for the 2023 NCAA final in the men’s 1,500 meters, while Samantha Kunza qualified for the finals in the hammer throw at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Both earned All-America status, firsts in program history. Bell has coached some of the most decorated Billiken student-athletes in school history during his time at SLU, including three student-athletes who were recently inducted into the Billiken of Fame. Brittney Cloudy won a program-record eight gold medals during her career as a jumper at SLU. She was named A-10 Field Performer of the Year during the 2012 indoor and outdoor track and field campaigns. Margo Richardson won four gold medals on the track and was a four-time All-Conference selection in cross country during her illustrious career from 2010-13. Dahmar Smiles was a two-time gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles in 2010 and 2011. In all, the Billikens have won 14 conference titles in men’s track and field during Bell’s tenure. On the women’s side, SLU has claimed 21 conference titles under Bell’s guidance. Saint Louis has a long history of Billikens qualifying for the first rounds of the NCAA Championships under Bell’s tutelage. SLU has qualified in 39 events total, with at least one student-athlete advancing to the NCAA Championships 14 times in 19 seasons in program history.  In cross country, 2019 graduate Manuel de Backer became the first Billiken to capture an Atlantic 10 Conference individual cross country title when he finished first at the 2017 A-10 Championships. He also earned nine conference medals during his track and field career.  In addition to recognition on the track and course, Bell also stresses achievement in the classroom. The Saint Louis University men’s and women’s track and field squads are regular Track and Field NCAA Division I Academic Team Award winners. Bell was named interim head coach of the Billikens in August of 2007 and was officially named head coach the following summer in 2008. Bell joined the Billikens as a volunteer assistant coach prior to the 2007 track and field seasons after spending one year as an assistant track and field coach at Utah Valley State. At UVSU, he was a recruiting coordinator for the NCAA Division I institution and assisted in all facets of the program. Bell worked with four student-athletes who broke school records, and one who claimed an NCAA Independent championship. Bell was a graduate assistant coach at Emporia State (Kan.) University from 2003 to 2005. He coached two NCAA Division II All-American long jumpers and sent 10 student-athletes to the NCAA Division II National Championships. Bell began his coaching career at his alma mater, St. Mary's (Minn.) University, in 2002. He also served as head girls' track and field coach at Winona High School in 2003. After graduating from St. Mary's with a bachelor's degree in 2002, he went on to earn a master's in health, physical education and recreation from Emporia State in 2005. Bell is a noted endurance cyclist. In the summer of 2021, he completed the Trans Am Bike Race (TABR), a 4,200-mile, self-supported bike race following the TransAmerican Bicycle Trail from Astoria, Oregon, to Yorktown, Virginia.

Bradley has helped guide the Billikens to individual and team success.  He has coached the most successful men's distance runner in school history, .  As a freshman, Holdmeyer qualified for the 10,000-meter run at the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championship, finishing sixth. He went on to break numerous school records including the 8K and 10K, along with the indoor one mile, 3000 meters and 5000 meters, plus the outdoor 1500 meters and 5000 meters.  Under the guidance of Bradley, Holdmeyer earned three A-10 All Conference medals in 2011 and earned another in 2012. Bradley also coached  and , two of the most decorated athletes in school history.  Orf was a three-time All-Conference honoree and became the first female SLU student-athlete to represent her country in international competition when she competed for Team USA at the 2012 NACAC Cross Country Championships in Trinidad and Tobago.  was a four-time All-Conference honoree and a three time A-10 champion in the indoor mile and outdoor 1500 meters.  Richardson currently holds school records in the mile, 1500 meters and the indoor and outdoor 5,000 meters. In addition, Bradley has had a hand in the team success as he helped the women's and mens cross country team finish a program best fourth and seventh at the 2013 A-10 championships along with a Top 10 finish at the Midwest Regional in 2012. All together through cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, Bradley has guided seven different athletes to 29 All-Conference performances, including three A-10 Conference championship performances.  Bradley has also helped four athletes qualify for the NCAA preliminary rounds.     Bradley began his collegiate career at Murray State, where he ran from 2001 to 2003. He earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors in cross country in 2002. After completing his academic requirements at MSU, Bradley began graduate school at Western Illinois where he claimed All-Mid Continent Conference (now the Summit League) cross country honors in addition to All-Conference accolades in the 5K (indoor) and 10K (outdoor) in 2006. A 2005 graduate of Murray State with a degree in exercise science, Bradley is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Additionally, Bradley earned a master's degree in exercise physiology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Bradley is also a successful runner and coach on the St. Louis running scene. A former runner for the Big River Elite racing team, he has participated on several Club Cross Country National Championship teams.  As a private coach through Big River Personal Coaching he has coached 14 different runners to Boston Marathon qualifying times.  Coach Bradleys training advice has also been featured in Runners World Magazine, Mens Health, Competitor.com and locally in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

Halsey served stints as a volunteer assistant for the Bison womens track and field squad from 2008-10, then again in 2013-14. North Dakota State has won seven consecutive outdoor womens track and field Summit League titles. In 2014, Halsey helped coach 13 student-athletes named to the All-League team. Eleven Bison women qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds, and five advanced the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. At the end of Halseys athletic career in 2008, she ranked second in school history in the 800 meters, 1,500 meters and steeplechase. Additionally, she ran on NDSUs record-setting 4x800-meter and distance medley relays. During her prep career, she won multiple state titles at Harlowton High School in Montana. Halsey also excelled in the classroom at North Dakota State. She was named a CoSIDA second-team Academic All-American in 2008 and was a four-time Summit League All-Academic team honoree.