Head Coach: Amy Olsen

Amy Olsen enters her fourth season as head coach of the Meredith College Cross Country team. Olsen coached the team to a fourth place finish in their first USA South Athletic Conference championship. The 2006 team completed a third place finish in the USA South as a non-conference member and won the Division III State Championship in 2005.  Olsen has been with the program since it was established as a varsity sport in 2005.

Olsen came to Meredith from NCAA Division I member Duke University where she served two years as the women’s cross country/track assistant coach. During her time there, they finished as the NCAA cross country national runner-up in 2005. Previously, Olsen served five years as head cross country/ track coach at Charleston Southern University. She also served two years as graduate assistant coach at Northern Arizona University. While she was there, the men’s and women’s teams finished in the top 10 in the Division I NCAA cross country championships.

Olsen competed in cross country and track at Eastern Kentucky University. Her accomplishments included obtaining the school record in 10,000 meters and becoming a  three-time Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country champion. She was also a top ten finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year award in 1995.

Olsen holds a Master of Arts in exercise science from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelor of Arts in physical education from Eastern Kentucky University.

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Assistant Coach: Bill Koester

Bill Koester enters his fourth season as assistant coach of the Meredith College Cross Country team. Koester has been with the program since it was started as a varsity sport in 2005.

Koester has more than 18 years of coaching experience in the sport of cross county and track and field. Koester was the assistant cross country and track coach at Cardinal Newman High School. While there he coached the team to three state championships, two individual state champions, and three girls’ conference team championships. He has also served in other coaching positions at other high schools to help improve the distance programs at Millbrook High School, North Carolina School of Science and Math and Ravenscroft School. He helped coach the 2005 Ravenscroft High School boys track team to its first state team championship. 

Koester, who ran track while attending Saint Leo College in Florida, is a member of the National Scholastic Sport Foundation and the founder and editor of Trackhonors.com.  He is also has a certification as a USATF Level 1 coach.