St. Edward's University Men's Cross Country

Chandlers recruiting and coaching efforts over the previous nine months paid off as the Hilltoppers made a triumphant debut. The mens team tied for first place, and the womens team took the top spot as well at the Texas Lutheran Inviational. Under Chandlers guidance, the Hilltoppers raced their way to three more top-two finishes with the men grabbing first place at Southwestern and the women coming in second at Our Lady of the Lake and Southwestern. Along the way, Chandler also brought his team to the NCAA National Preview race in Joplin, Missouri, and led a contingency to Bellingham, Washington, to compete in a field of nearly 200 student-athletes. The return of cross country to the hilltop culminated with the women finishing fifth at the Heartland Conference Meet and the men finishing eighth. Senior runner Katy Gillis was named honorable mention All-Heartland Conference and also garnered third-team Academic All-America honors. A representation of Hilltoppers also advanced to compete at the NCAA South Central Regional meet in Canyon, Texas. Prior to arriving on the hilltop, Chandler spent 11 years as the head cross country and assistant track and field coach at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas. During his tenure at McMurry, Chandler coached 79 all-conference performers, 11 all-region honorees, 22 school record breakers, two NCAA DIII national qualifiers, 102 academic honorees, three Academic All-Americans and six Academic All-American teams. Chandler has directed long distance running camps and clinics since 1999 and has presented at several coaches clinics, including the Texas High School Girls Coaching School, Corpus Christi Track Coaches Clinic and the Mississippi High School Track Coaches Association. Chandler is a member of both the USA Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Associations and is a USATF level I coach, and he has been a level II coach in endurance events since 2004. As a student-athlete, Chandler was a four-year letterman in cross country at McMurry. He won the ASC individual cross country championship in 1998 and 2000, led the mens team to an ASC championship in 2000, was the ASC 800-meter champion in 1997, and earned all-conference honors twice in track and field. Chandler graduated from McMurry in 2000 with a BS in Multidisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Secondary History and Physical Education. He received his masters degree in Sports Recreation Management from Hardin-Simmons in 2002. Chandler married the former Janet Bohling in May 2002, and the couple has a son, Michael.