Thiesfeld Joins Golden Eagles Staff

Spalding University named Nate Thiesfeld head cross country and track & field coach announced Athletic Director Roger Burkman.

Prior to taking the helm at Spalding, Thiesfeld was an assistant at High Point University from 2013-17.
 
During his time at High Point, Thiesfeld worked with student-athletes in the 100-meter through 800-meter dashes. As well as the low and intermediate hurdles. While at HPU mentored a number of conference champions and NCAA Championship qualifiers. Included in that list is 2015-16 Big South 60m indoor and 2014-15 100m outdoor champion, James House. In addition, House advanced to NCAA Preliminary race in the 100m and represented High Point at the USA Track & Field Junior Championships in Eugene, Ore. In addition to House, Thiesfeld coached Paul O'Donoghue to a Big South 800m outdoor crown.

Other Big South champions mentored by Thiesfeld include sprints standout Evan Emery, who won the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Big South Outdoor Championship and was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer in 2013. In 2014, Emory broke the 60m indoor HPU (6.83) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship in the 100m dash.

Thiesfeld was instrumental in the development of two-time Big South 800m champion Eddie Whitlock and mid-distance standout Paul O'Donoghue, who won the Big South 800m outdoor title and was the runner up at Big South Indoors at the event. In 2014, O'Donoghue finished third in the 1500m at the 2014 Big South Outdoor Championships.

In addition, Thiesfeld coached the men's 4x400m relay team to a Big South runner-up finish during the indoor campaign and led the outdoor 4x100m squad to a third-place podium finish at the league meet.
 
Thiesfeld came to HPU from Wichita State, where he served on the Shockers' coaching staff for two seasons while completing his master's degree in sports management. He worked with the WSU sprinters and hurdlers, helping two Shockers, Audacia Moore and Todd McKown to MVC Championships. Thiesfeld also assisted with the cross country program.

During his time in the Sunflower State, Thiesfeld coached more than 20 Missouri Valley Conference individual champions and All-America selections.
 
As a student-athlete at Wichita State, Thiesfeld was a four-time All-MVC sprinter and captured three individual conference championships in sprinting events. He was part of the 2007 indoor DMR relay, as well as the 2010 indoor and outdoor 4x400 relay teams. As a senior in 2010, Thiesfeld won the 400-meter at the indoor championship.
 
Thiesfeld graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a minor in sociology from Wichita State in December 2009. He also earned a master's sport management from Wichita State in December 2011.

He is a USATF Level 1 and 2 certified coach and is USTFCCCA Track and Field Academy Strength and Conditioning certified.

A native of Gardner, Kan., Thiesfeld resides in New Albany, Ind. with his wife Jenna.

STORY COURTESY OF SPALDING UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION