Jennifer Michel - Head Cross Country Coach / Distance Coach

Jennifer Michel enters her third year as head coach of the cross country program after an All-American cross country and track and field career at Western State.

Michel took over for longtime coach Duane Vandenbusche, who stepped down from the post following the 2007 Outdoor Track and Field season.

In her first year as head coach of the Mountaineers she led the Western men to a second place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships and the women to a sixth place finish.

With the success of the men's program in her first year, Michel made history by being named the National Men's Coach of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Michel is the first woman to win the National Men’s Coach of the Year honor in any sport at any level of the NCAA.

in 2009, the Men's program finished runner-up for a second year while the women's team got back on the podium with a 3rd place finish.

In Track and Field, Michel has coached numerous All-Americans, highlighted by 2009 NCAA runner-up athletes, Tyler Pennel and Lisa Thomas, in the 5k and Steeplechase, respectively.

As an athlete, Michel earned eight All-American honors in Track and Field and Cross Country. In track and field, Michel won NCAA Division II National Championships in the Steeplechase, 3,000 and Indoor Mile. Post-collegiately, she went on to place fifth at the US Track and Field Championships in the Steeplechase in 2002.

Michel, a prep product out of Wheat Ridge, Colo., is a 2001 graduate of Western State with a degree in History and Secondary Education. In 2007 she went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Sports Management from California University of Pennsylvania.

Chris Bradford - Head Track & Field Coach

Chris Bradford begins his career as the Western State Head Track & Field Coach. He spent the last four years as the assistant track and field and cross country coach at Division II Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Bradford coached eight All-Americans and 26 national qualifiers since joining the Vikings' staff as a graduate assistant in 2003. He coached sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers and multi-event athletes while assisting with Augustana’s cross country program. He served as the Vikings’ recruiting coordinator since 2005.

In his tenure at Augustana, Bradford’s athletes broke 12 program records. He was a part of the staff that coached 12 United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Teams.

Bradford established and coordinated the Augustana Sprint and Jump Camps and was working on the planning for a new track and field facility.

Bradford is USATF Level 1 Certified and a member of the USTFCCCA. He was active in the Sioux Falls Park District as a volunteer.

Bradford is a 2002 graduate of Elmhurst (Ill.) College, where he earned a bachelor of science in business administration. He is completing graduate work in education at Augustana.

Anna Swisher - Assistant Track and Field Coach

Anna Swisher begins her first season with the Western State track and field programs, focusing on coaching throws and strength and conditioning. Swisher worked under two-time Olympian and Buccaneers' throws coach Meg Stone in coaching the men's and women's throwers. She was also the graduate manager of the Sports Performance Enhancement Consortium at East Tennessee State, the only long-term athlete monitoring program in the country. In coordination with SPEC director Dr. Mike Stone, Swisher helped develop strength and conditioning programs based on SPEC performance testing for Buccaneer athletic teams such as track and field and volleyball.

Swisher entered the collegiate coaching ranks at the University of Chicago in 2006 and coached a freshman All-American, a two-time conference shot put champion and conference rookie of the year athlete in her single season. She also handled the strength and conditioning duties for the Maroon throwers.

Swisher also spent time as the assistant women’s track and field coach at Main South High School in Park Ridge, Ill., where she coached an athlete to the school’s shot put record and to conference championships in the event.

A four-year athlete at Williams College, Swisher holds the school record in the discus throw and participated in multiple Division III championships in the shot put and discus. She earned All-New England honors in the discus, shot put and hammer and weight throw and was named to the conference all-academic team each year.

Swisher is a USA Track and Field Level II certified throws coach and a National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She was fortunate to work with Senior International Weightlifting coaches Mike Gattone and Roger Nielsen at WSC Gattone Sports Performance in 2006. Swisher is an avid weightlifter and was the 2006 and 2007 MidAmerican and Illinois Weightlifting Champion in the 75-kilogram weight class.

Scott Dahlberg – Assistant Coach XC/Distance

Coach Dahlberg was five-time All-American in cross country and track after originally coming to Western State College to play basketball. The two-time All-American in cross country led the Men’s team to a second place finish at the 2007 Cross Country Championships. During his track and field campaign, Dahlberg placed seventh in the 2008 Indoor championships in the Mile and was a member of the third place Distance Medley Relay team. He finished fourth in the 2008 Outdoor Championships in the Steeplechase. Dahlberg graduated with a GPA of 3.89 in Secondary Education and Mathematics. He continues to train with the team and currently competes for the Boulder Running Company. Dalhberg also holds the W Mountain Race all-time record at 16:11 (2008).

Paul Michel - Assistant Coach XC/Middle Distance

Michel, a 2006 graduate of Colorado State University, competed in both cross country and track for the Rams. During his career in cross country, he was a member of three NCAA Division I national qualifying teams. In track, Michel advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championship in 2003 running the 1,500-meters and competed in the Indoor national championships in the Distance Medley Relay for his CSU team. He posted best times of 1:50.4 in the 800-meters and 3:45.12 in the 1,500-meters, where he is on the CSU All-Time top 10 lists. Michel moved to Gunnison to work with the Mountaineers in 2008, after living and running for two years in Portland, Oregon. He continues to train with the team and competes for the Boulder Running Company.

Jesse Chettle - Assistant Coach XC/Distance

Chettle competed in both cross country and track for the Mountaineers after transfering from Johnson County Community College in Kansas. In his cross country career, Chettle earned two-top 30 finishes at the Cross Country RMAC Championships. Chettle is entering his second year as an assistant coach after graduating with a double major in Accounting and Business Administration with a GPA of 3.97. Jesse continues to train with the team and compete individually as well as coach the Mountaineers.

Lucas Gerlock - Assistant Coach Strength & Conditioning

Gerlock is entering his second year as an assistant coach. He became a middle-distance runner for the WSC track and field program and member of the cross country team after starting out as a walk-on sprinter. During his athletic career, Gerlock was a multiple academic all-conference selection. He graduated in 2007 with degrees in Mathematics and Economics and a GPA of 3.6. Gerlock was also a key member of the 2009 Western State Intramural Basketball Champions "Bearded Justice", focusing his energies primarily on blocking shots, cleaning the boards and just plain causing havoc on defense.