Track & Field Coaches

Head Coach Ned Bishop - Sixth Year Men, 19th Year Women

Ned Bishop has been a member of the Connecticut College track & field coaching staff for the past 27 years.  He first served as the women’s head coach for thirteen years, followed by an eight-year stint as an assistant responsible for men’s and women’s distance events.  Bishop took the reins as head coach of both the men’s and women’s squads in October of 2006.  In the five years since that time, his athletes have broken 21 men’s and 14 women’s school records.  Bishop has also coached the highly successful women's cross country  program since the fall of 1985.

Camel track & field athletes have made regular appearances at recent NCAA Division III Championships, and Alex Samma (triple jump) won the program’s first-ever national title during the 2009 indoor season.  Mike LeDuc became the first freshman in program history to earn All-America honors with his sixth-place finish in the 3000-meter steeplechase last spring.  

Bishop guided the Connecticut College women’s program to the 1989 New England Division III outdoor team title.  His track & field athletes have earned 42 NCAA national qualifying marks, and eight of his cross country runners have advanced to national championship meets.  He has coached 34 NESCAC, New England and ECAC champions and two of his former runners qualified for the 2004 Olympic Trials in the marathon.  Bishop coaches the men and women hurdlers in addition to working with the women distance runners. 

 Bishop graduated from Connecticut College in 1984 after a four-year cross country and track career.  He served as the team captain and was named the Most Valuable Runner of the cross country squad in his senior year.  He ran the first leg on a school-record distance medley relay team and owns a personal best time of 15:47 for 5000 meters.  Bishop recently completed a four-year term as a member of the NCAA Division III Track & Field and Cross Country Committee.

Jim Butler - Assistant Coach

Jim Butler has been the head coach of the men's cross country program  at Connecticut College for the past 25 years.  He has coached several NCAA qualifiers and his 2002 team advanced to the national championship meet.  He earned New England Coach of the Year honors that year and NESCAC Coach of the Year honors in 2004.  Butler works with the men distance runners for the track program, and under his tutelage Keith Drake (mile), Brian Murtagh (steeplechase and 3k) and Shawn Mulcahy (10k) have all won recent New England Division III titles.  Drake and Murtagh also advanced to the NCAA’s, where Murtagh capped his stellar career with an All-America finish in the 2009 steeplechase final.  Last spring Mike LeDuc ‘14 became the program’s first freshman to earn All-America honors, breaking Murtagh’s steeplechase school record by earning a sixth-place finish in a time of 9:03.72.  Butler was a standout cross country and marathon runner at Rutgers University and he has run times of 15:28, 25:48 and 2:36 for 5000 meters, five miles and the marathon respectively. 

Matt Dyer - Assistant Coach

Matt Dyer is in his third year directing the squad’s sprinters, and he added duties as the jumps coach a year ago.  His athletes have had a major impact on the success of the program and have broken several school relay records.  Brian Gooch ’13 was a NESCAC finalist in the 100 meters last spring.  Dyer graduated from Connecticut College in 2008 after serving as a track & field team captain during his senior year.  He ran on three school-record relay teams, including the 4x100m relay and the indoor 4x200m and 4x400m relays. 

Tanner Evak - Assistant Coach

Tanner Evak took over as the program’s javelin coach in the spring of 2010 and had an immediate impact.  Marina Van der Eb earned All-NESCAC and All-New England honors and combined with Keri Ramsey to form one of the strongest javelin duos in the region.   Evak threw 233’8” while completing a stellar career at Penn State University in 2009.

Erik Whiting - Assistant Coach

Erik Whiting joins the coaching staff this year to assist Carl Reichard and Tanner Evak with the throwing events.  Whiting earned All-America honors in the hammer during his senior year at RPI and was a team captain for two years.  His presence has already had a positive influence on the squad’s young group of throwers.

Lori Kessel - Assistant Coach

Lori Kessel Allegra graduated from Connecticut College in 2004 after a standout track & field career. Kessel holds school records in the indoor 200 meters, indoor and outdoor 400 meters, and the outdoor 4x400 meter relay. She joined to the coaching staff in 2009 and assists Matt Dyer with the sprinters. 

Carl Reichard - Assistant Coach

 Carl Reichard is a nationally recognized thrower and brings tremendous coaching experience to his work with the team’s shot put, discus and hammer throwers.  He has coached at local high schools for over 30 years, where his teams have won ten league and five state titles.  He has coached four high school All-Americans and three NCAA Division III All-Americans.  Reichard was a standout football player and a three-time national qualifying thrower at Amherst College.  He owns a personal best of 171’11” in the hammer and has been the top American finisher in that event three times at the Master’s World Championships.     

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 1:32 PM