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HEAD COACH AARON RUSSELL
(Lock Haven University 1996) (fourth
season)
arussell@lhup.edu
Aaron
Russell begins season number four
as the head coach of the Lock
Haven
University
men’s and women’s
cross country teams, coming off his
most successful campaign in 2004. He
also serves as an assistant coach for the men’s and
women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams.
2004 was a banner year for the men's cross country
squad, as they took both the NCAA Division II East
Region and PSAC titles, as well as earned their top NCAA
finish in school history at ninth. Russell guided two
All-Americans in earning the PSAC and USCCCA East Region
Men's Coach of the Year trophies. In addition, the women's
squad showed great improvement throughout the season,
including a 13th-place finish at regionals. Russell has
now brought home both NCAA regional and PSAC titles as
well as the pair of coach honors for the past two
seasons.
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In
all, Russell has coached three All-Americans,
eight all-region
and 13 All-PSAC runners.
His women’s team has earned All-Academic Team
status in two of the three seasons, and the men garnered the same academic
honors in 2003 and 2005. From 1998-2001 as an assistant cross
country coach at LHU, he
helped guide 10 runners to All-PSAC status, including
seven All-Region harriers, two All-Americans, and three PSAC
Rookie of the Year runners. In addition to his coaching duties, Russell has
administrative responsibilities, currently serving as the
National Membership Director and Treasurer for the NCAA
Division II United States Track and Cross
Country Coaches Association.
He had previously served as the NCAA Division II
USTCA East Region Cross Country representative from 2001
through 2003.
A 1996
Lock
Haven
University
graduate with a
bachelor’s
in Journalism and
Mass Communication, Russell was a
two-year captain of the Bald Eagle cross country team and
was a multiple Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
Scholar-Athlete and Eastern College Athletic Conference
championship qualifier.
Prior to returning to his alma mater, Russell spent three
months in 1997 interning at the United States Olympic
Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. He then obtained
his masters in
sports administration from
Eastern
Kentucky
University
in 1998 while serving as an
assistant with the cross country and track and field
programs. There,
he helped coach three cross country teams to Ohio Valley
Conference titles, seven OVC Athletes of the Year, three
All-Americans and numerous GTE Academic All-Americans.
Russell, a native of
Lincoln,
Maine, and
is a Level-I certified
coach by USA Track and Field. He currently resides in Lock
Haven,
Pa.
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