University of Utah Women's Cross Country

Kepler is in his 12th year as the head coach of the Utah women's cross country and track & field programs. Kepler's organization and attention to detail have allowed him to develop a solid foundation and create a competitive program that has steadily improved each year.   Kepler has coached four athletes to All-America honors at Utah. Amanda Mergaert was a five-time All-American, with her career culminating in first-team honors in 2013 in the indoor mile and the outdoor 1,500 as well as cross country honors in 2012. Langley Iverson (2011, indoor high jump), Brianna LeRoy (2012, outdoor high jump), and Rosalie Waller (2014, outdoor 800) have also earned All-America honors at Utah under Kepler.   Under Kepler, the Utes have had 38 athletes post 82 NCAA Outdoor preliminary qualifying marks, and sent nine athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Mergaert (2011-13, 1,500) and Chelsea Shapard (2007-09, 400 hurdles) were both three-time NCAA attendees. Mergaert finished third in the 1,500 at NCAA's as a senior in 2013. She was the 2011 USTFCCCA Mountain Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year. Kepler increased Utah's NCAA Outdoor Regional Championships attendees from five in 2006 to 10 in 2013. The Utes have also sent two athletes to the NCAA Indoor Championships under Kepler. Mergaert (2012, mile) and Rebekah Winterton (2014, 5,000) have both won Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor track championships. Utah has set 17 outdoor and 15 indoor school records since 2006.   In cross country, the Utes qualified for the NCAA Championships as a team for the first time in their history in 2015. The Utes finished third in the region, their highest regional finish under Kepler, and three earned all-region honors. The Utes were ranked as high as 19th during the season. Kepler has had athletes qualify individually for the NCAA cross country championship five times. Mergaert was a three-time cross country NCAA qualifier. The Utes have had eight runners combine for 12 all-region honors while three runners have earned four All-Pac-12 accolades.   During Utah's six years in the Mountain West Conference under Kepler, the Utes won nine outdoor conference titles and two indoor titles. Shapard was a three-time 400 hurdles outdoor champion. Utah earned 23 outdoor and 20 indoor All-MWC honors.   Kepler's influence on his student-athletes is not just visible on the track, but also in the classroom. His cross country teams have earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors eight years while his track teams have earned honors five times. His athletes have combined for 41 individual honors from the USTFCCCA between track and cross country. Lauren Endersen was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2008 and 2009, while Waller earned honors in 2014. Since Utah joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12, the Utes have earned 40 all-academic cross country and 81 all-academic track accolades, in addition to 74 MPSF all-academic honors.   Kepler is in his 18th year coaching at the NCAA Division I level. Prior to coming to Utah, Kepler served as Northern Iowa's head men's and women's cross country coach and assistant track and field coach for two seasons. He was on staff at UNI for a total of seven years, serving as an assistant cross country coach for five years prior to being named head coach in 2003. Kepler was named the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2003 after leading the Panthers to a MVC title. The Panthers won 12 MVC titles among cross country and indoor and outdoor track during his tenure with the Panthers. He coached nine All-Americans at UNI, and 15 athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships between track and cross country.   At UNI, he served as the meet manager for the 2003 NCAA Cross Country Championships and Pre-Nationals meet. Kepler was also named the meet director of the annual A. D. Dickinson Relays, one of the largest high school indoor meets in the nation.   Kepler competed at Northern Iowa, taking part in both cross country and track and field for the Panthers and serving as a team captain during the 1997-98 school year. As an athlete, Kepler was a member of five MVC championship teams. He earned all-conference honors nine times during his collegiate career, was a two-time all-region cross country selection and a six-time Academic All-MVC honoree.   Kepler holds both master's and bachelor's degrees from Northern Iowa. He earned his master's degree in physical education in 2004 and graduated with a bachelor's in secondary education (geography) in 1998.   Kepler is married to Hannah Vickery and they have an infant daughter, Cora.   E-mail Head Coach Kyle Kepler Kyle Kepler is in his 12th year as the head coach of the Utah women's cross country and track & field programs. Kepler's organization and attention to detail have allowed him to develop a solid foundation and create a competitive program that has steadily improved each year.   Kepler has coached four athletes to All-America honors at Utah. Amanda Mergaert was a five-time All-American, with her career culminating in first-team honors in 2013 in the indoor mile and the outdoor 1,500 as well as cross country honors in 2012. Langley Iverson (2011, indoor high jump), Brianna LeRoy (2012, outdoor high jump), and Rosalie Waller (2014, outdoor 800) have also earned All-America honors at Utah under Kepler.   Under Kepler, the Utes have had 38 athletes post 82 NCAA Outdoor preliminary qualifying marks, and sent nine athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Mergaert (2011-13, 1,500) and Chelsea Shapard (2007-09, 400 hurdles) were both three-time NCAA attendees. Mergaert finished third in the 1,500 at NCAA's as a senior in 2013. She was the 2011 USTFCCCA Mountain Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year. Kepler increased Utah's NCAA Outdoor Regional Championships attendees from five in 2006 to 10 in 2013. The Utes have also sent two athletes to the NCAA Indoor Championships under Kepler. Mergaert (2012, mile) and Rebekah Winterton (2014, 5,000) have both won Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor track championships. Utah has set 17 outdoor and 15 indoor school records since 2006.   In cross country, the Utes qualified for the NCAA Championships as a team for the first time in their history in 2015. The Utes finished third in the region, their highest regional finish under Kepler, and three earned all-region honors. The Utes were ranked as high as 19th during the season. Kepler has had athletes qualify individually for the NCAA cross country championship five times. Mergaert was a three-time cross country NCAA qualifier. The Utes have had eight runners combine for 12 all-region honors while three runners have earned four All-Pac-12 accolades.   During Utah's six years in the Mountain West Conference under Kepler, the Utes won nine outdoor conference titles and two indoor titles. Shapard was a three-time 400 hurdles outdoor champion. Utah earned 23 outdoor and 20 indoor All-MWC honors.   Kepler's influence on his student-athletes is not just visible on the track, but also in the classroom. His cross country teams have earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors eight years while his track teams have earned honors five times. His athletes have combined for 41 individual honors from the USTFCCCA between track and cross country. Lauren Endersen was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2008 and 2009, while Waller earned honors in 2014. Since Utah joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12, the Utes have earned 40 all-academic cross country and 81 all-academic track accolades, in addition to 74 MPSF all-academic honors.   Kepler is in his 18th year coaching at the NCAA Division I level. Prior to coming to Utah, Kepler served as Northern Iowa's head men's and women's cross country coach and assistant track and field coach for two seasons. He was on staff at UNI for a total of seven years, serving as an assistant cross country coach for five years prior to being named head coach in 2003. Kepler was named the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2003 after leading the Panthers to a MVC title. The Panthers won 12 MVC titles among cross country and indoor and outdoor track during his tenure with the Panthers. He coached nine All-Americans at UNI, and 15 athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships between track and cross country.   At UNI, he served as the meet manager for the 2003 NCAA Cross Country Championships and Pre-Nationals meet. Kepler was also named the meet director of the annual A. D. Dickinson Relays, one of the largest high school indoor meets in the nation.   Kepler competed at Northern Iowa, taking part in both cross country and track and field for the Panthers and serving as a team captain during the 1997-98 school year. As an athlete, Kepler was a member of five MVC championship teams. He earned all-conference honors nine times during his collegiate career, was a two-time all-region cross country selection and a six-time Academic All-MVC honoree.   Kepler holds both master's and bachelor's degrees from Northern Iowa. He earned his master's degree in physical education in 2004 and graduated with a bachelor's in secondary education (geography) in 1998.   Kepler is married to Hannah Vickery and they have an infant daughter, Cora.  

Herber will oversee the sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, pole vault, and multi-event athletes. Herber comes to Utah from the University of South Florida, where he spent the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach. He helped lead Courtney Anderson (high jump) and Matthew O'Neal (triple jump) to All-America honors during outdoor last season. Both athletes also won American Athletic Conference titles. Herber had five total athletes make the NCAA preliminary round. Shane Lewis (triple jump) was also an All-American during indoor. Prior to USF, Herber coached Iowa State University and Coe College after a successful athletic career at Northern Iowa. During his six years as an assistant coach at Iowa State University, Herber coached the Cyclonesâ jumpers and multi-event athletes. Herber had 35 Big 12 Conference scorers, seven NCAA Regional qualifiers, three NCAA qualifiers, one U.S. Championships qualifier and six U.S. Junior Championships qualifiers during his time at Iowa State. Hannah Willms was an All-American in 2011, finishing 11th in the high jump in indoor. Herber was head coach at Coe College from 2005-07 after serving as an assistant at the program during two different stints (1996-98, 2001-05,). In his tenure at Coe, 10 athletes provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships. He also coached at the high school level in Colorado. Herber was a four-time all-Missouri Valley Conference performer at Northern Iowa, leading the Panthers to the MVC championship as a senior. He was a three-time provisional qualifier in the high jump. He earned a bachelor of arts in general studies at Northern Iowa and received his masterâs degree in sports science at the United States Sports Academy in 2004. Herber and his wife, Dawn, have a daughter, Ellie, and a son, Tate.

Wartenberger helped the Utes qualify for the NCAA Championships as a team for the first time in their history. Utah finished third in the region and three earned all-region honors. Hannah McInturff finished 10th at the Pac-12 Championships to earn second-team All-Pac-12 honors. The Utes were ranked as high as 19th during the season.   During the track season, the Utes sent three runners to the NCAA West Preliminary Championships: Andrea Chavez, Sarah Feeny and Ali Eisenbeiss. Utah also won the distance medley relay at the Drake Relays with a school-record time. In indoor, Feeny set a school record in the 3,000.   Wartenberger comes to Utah from Radford University, where she has spent the past two seasons as the head cross country coach and track assistant distance coach. In 2014 the women's cross country team finished third in the Big South Conference, their best finish since 1990, and had two all-conference performers. The men finished fourth for their best finish since 2007. In track, she helped Radford win six conference titles in women's distance races.   Wartenberger spent four seasons at UNC Charlotte (2009-13) as an assistant distance coach. Between the men's and women's distance squads, she coached three NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifiers, nine NCAA regional qualifiers, three USATF Championships qualifiers, and two Atlantic 10 Conference champions. Charlotte won 12 team conference titles in indoor and outdoor track.   Wartenberger (formerly Pierce) competed in track and cross country at California from 2005-09. She was the 2009 MPSF Champion in the 800. Wartenberger was a member of the 4x400-meter relay team that that finished 18th at the 2007 NCAA Championships, and is part of the group that holds the school record in the event. In 2007 she advanced to the semifinals in the 800 at the USA Championships and was a two-time regional qualifier in the event. Wartenberger's career-best 800 time of 2:04.78 currently ranks sixth all-time at Cal.   Warternberger, who is originally from North Carolina, earned a bachelor of arts degree from California in peace and conflict studies in 2009. She is married to husband Marc. © 2016 University of Utah Athletics |