Wilcoxen Announces Resignation
After serving Principia College as a cross-country coach for 16 years and a track and field coach for 10 years, head coach Chuck Wilcoxen has announced his resignation and will be moving on to other endeavors. Wilcoxen will return for the NCAA DIII Cross Country National Championships next fall at Principia in order to be the meet director for that event.
"Chuck is a consummate professional—well respected by colleagues and student athletes alike," says Athletics Director Lee Ellis, "His impact on Principia and intercollegiate running as a coach, sport leader, and character educator has been significant. All of us who have been blessed to keep his company all these years, now have a better understanding of what it means to be truly humble in the pursuit of excellence."
Wilcoxen has an impressive record as a coach, boasting four SLIAC Championship titles, 10 SLIAC Championship runner-up awards, with his cross country teams always placing fifth or above in the conference. Wilcoxen coached five NCAA All-Americans, who collectively earned 10 All-American titles. He was awarded SLIAC Coach of the Year four times during his 16 years at the College. Wilcoxen also served the NCAA for five years as a member of the Track and Field and Cross Country Committee, and he served as chair of the committee for two of those years. Wilcoxen earned the IAAF Level 5 (International) and the USATF Level 3 (National) certifications, both of which are terminal certifications for endurance running.
The new championship cross-country course was conceptualized by Wilcoxen almost 10 years ago, and with the help of the community, he has seen the course come to fruition from start to finish. This course was designed with national caliber meets in mind, and it is no surprise that Principia College was selected as the host site for the 2017 NCAA DIII National Championships.
We will certainly miss Chuck here at Principia, as he has given so much to the College over the years. However, we know that he will continue to bless everyone around him with his enthusiasm, dedication, humor, and grace. "I am very grateful to Principia," Wilcoxen comments. "It's hard to think about leaving, so I'm thinking about what I'm 'going to.' I have felt a strong impulse to share what I have learned here as a student, parent, and coach with others, so I am 'going to' do that. That impulse is just too strong to put off any longer. Obviously, I love the athletes I coach, and my work, but it is time to move on."
STORY COURTES OF PRINCIPIA COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
