Chris Pio to Helm Resurrection of Tiger Track and Field Programs
With the "Grow Forward" campaign in full effect, Tiger Athletics continues to seek out ways to improve. One of those improvements was announced on July 2, 2018. Tiger Athletics announced the return of Track & Field to IW. With the opening season approaching quickly, Tiger Athletics has been on the hunt for a head coach to lead both the Track & Field and Cross Country programs.
After a national search, Iowa Wesleyan has named Chris Pio as the newest addition to Tiger Nation and the new leader of both the Track & Field and Cross Country programs. Coach Pio brings with him 25 years as head coach of college and youth cross country/track & field teams. He has participated as both a coach and an official at the NCAA national championship and has a vast amount of experience in every aspect of both programs.
"Coach Pio is the right individual to lead our men's and women's cross country and track and field programs,'' said Director of Athletics, Derek Zander. "He brings 18 years of head coach experience at similar-sized institutions as Iowa Wesleyan and I am confident that he has the ability to grow our program to a highly competitive one within the St. Louis Intercollegiate Conference."
Pio has coached 22 conference team titles, 21 NCAA All-Americans, 85 NCAA qualifiers, and 96 individual conference champions. As both a coach and participant, Coach Pio brings over 40 years of experience.
"It is a dream come true for me to return to collegiate coaching. I was a Division III student-athlete and then a Division III coach for 20 years, and have always loved the small-college atmosphere where you can interact with students, faculty, staff, and alumni to make a positive impact. Iowa Wesleyan is a perfect fit, both personally and professionally. I want to thank President Christine Plunkett, Director of Athletics Derek Zander, the entire IW coaching staff and the current student-athletes for their trust and confidence in selecting me to lead the cross country and track and field programs. I can't wait to get started, coaching our current team and recruiting the next generation of Tiger athletes. It's an exciting time for Iowa Wesleyan, and it is my goal to make IW a competitive force in cross country and track within the state of Iowa, the SLIAC conference and the Midwest region," stated Coach Pio.
A resident of Galesburg, Illinois, Pio is a 1984 graduate of Monmouth College. He also obtained a Master of Arts in 1988 from SUNY-Binghamton.
Tiger Athletics: Iowa Wesleyan University strives to provide its student-athletes the opportunity to be successful in life and sports. Engaged in the SLIAC and UMAC Conferences, Tiger athletics is a proud member of NCAA Division III.
STORY COURTESY OF IOWA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
