University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh Men's Cross Country

McKenna enters his fifth year with the UW-Oshkosh track & field programs, including his second straight in an assistant role. McKenna also entered his second year as head coach of the UW-Oshkosh womens cross country team and fifth season as the head coach for men's cross country. McKenna was the Titan men's track & field head coach from 2013-15 and an assistant for the program since 2016 as well assisting the women's track & field team since 2012. As head coach, McKenna guided track & field athletes to four NCAA Division III individual titles (two indoors, two outdoors), All-America awards in 47 events (24 indoors, 23 outdoors) and WIAC individual championships in 22 events (seven indoors, 15 outdoors). He also helped athletes to one NCAA Division III Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and one Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. McKenna's men's indoor track & field team was the NCAA Division III runner-up in 2013 before finishing third at the national meet in 2014 and eighth in 2015. His outdoor teams placed third in the country in 2013, fourth in 2014 and 39th in 2015. At the WIAC Men's Track & Field Championships, McKenna's squads finished second at both the 2013 indoor and outdoor meets as well as at the 2014 outdoor event. During his first season as the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country coach in 2015, McKenna earned WIAC Coach of the Year honors as the Titans secured their 16th league title and first since winning 15 straight from 1986-2000. McKenna has guided one women's runner to a top-10 finish at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional and four runners to top-10 finishes at the WIAC Championship. In 2015, McKenna's UW-Oshkosh women cross country squad placed second at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional and 15th at the national meet. With the men's cross country team, McKenna has coached two All-Americans, six runners to top-10 finishes at the WIAC Championship and four runners to top-10 showings at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional. In 2015, UW-Oshkosh made its second trip to the NCAA Division III Championship in three seasons and its 23rd appearance overall. The Titans placed 13th at the national meet after finishing fourth at the Midwest Regional and third at the WIAC Championship. In 2014, McKenna's squad placed fourth at the WIAC Championship and seventh at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional.  During 2013, McKenna led UW-Oshkosh to a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship and third-place showings at both the WIAC Championship and the Midwest Regional. In 2012, McKenna helped the Titans finish sixth at the league meet and 11th at the Midwest Regional. UW-Oshkosh's John Dewitt earned his second consecutive Division III Men's Cross Country Elite 90 Award, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average at each of the NCAA's 90 championships. McKenna returned to the Titans after spending the 2011-12 school year as an assistant coach in both cross country and track & field at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He also possesses coaching experience from two years (2009-10) as an assistant coach at Mount Mary University and four years (2005-08) as an assistant coach at Oconomowoc High School. McKenna began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the UW-Oshkosh mens cross country team in 2003. McKenna competed for the UW-Oshkosh mens cross country team from 1999-2002 and the Titans track & field squads from 2000-04. The Titans captured conference, regional and national championships in 2002 while also winning the WIAC title in 2000. McKennas finest cross country season came in 2002, when he earned All-America honors with his 25th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship. He placed seventh at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional in 2002 and 12th in 2001. McKenna earned three All-America citations as a participant in track & field from 2000-04. He competed indoors from 2000-02 and again in 2004 and outdoors from 2000-03. UW-Oshkosh won the WIAC indoor title in 2001 and placed second at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship in both 2001 and 2003. The Titans finished third at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship in 2003. On the outdoor track, McKenna gained All-America citations by placing sixth in the 10,000-meter run and eighth in the 5,000-meter run at the 2003 NCAA Division III Championship. He also earned All-America status with his eighth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run at the 2002 NCAA Division III Indoor Championship. The Oconomowoc native won the 5,000-meter run at the 2003 WIAC Outdoor Championship. McKenna acquired numerous academic awards while attending UW-Oshkosh. In 2002 and 2003, the College Sports Information Directors of America voted McKenna to its Mens Cross Country/Mens Track and Field Academic All-America team. He was named the winner of the WIAC Mens Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Award in 2002 and the UW-Oshkosh John Taylor Senior Scholar-Athlete Award in 2003. McKenna received his bachelors degree from UW-Oshkosh in 2004. The 339th-place finisher (2:55.17) in the 2012 Boston Marathon then earned a masters degree from UW-Milwaukee in 2008. McKenna also has taught middle school and high school Spanish classes in the Milwaukee area. (10/6/2016)