From Washington University Athletics
Washington University in St. Louis Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced Tuesday that Kelli Blake has been named a full-time assistant coach for the track & field teams, as well as sports performance coach. Blake will officially begin her duties August 1.
"We had an amazing applicant pool and it is a privilege to be able to hire Kelli," said head track & field coach Jeff Stiles. "It is really special for me, since she is a product of our program, and to know that she wanted to come back means more to me than I can express."
Blake, a 2011 graduate of WashU and member of both the track & field and cross country teams, returns to her alma mater after coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels upon her graduation.
Since graduating from WashU, Blake served as the head cross country coach at Sacred Heart High School in Los Angeles (2012-13), assistant coach for both cross country and track & field at Occidental College in Los Angeles (2011-13), and has spent the last two years as the head coach for cross country and track & field at Fontbonne University.
Under the watch of Blake, Sacred Heart won both the cross country and track & field championships in 2012, and then repeated as track & field champions in 2013. During her three years at Sacred Heart, Blake also served as the assistant cross country and track & field coach at Occidental College, a Division III program that is a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). While at Occidental, Blake worked primarily with middle-distance runners and coached Cole Williams to an All-American performance in the 800m in 2012.
Her most recent coaching experience comes at Fontbonne, where she expanded the program to include more sprints, hurdles and field events from what was previously a distance-heavy program. While at the helm, Blake saw her team break or establish seven school records and put 11 marks in the top-five all-time for the program during the 2014 Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field seasons.
In 2014, Blake and Fontbonne co-hosted the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) cross country championships with Webster University.
"It has been a true joy to watch Kelli grow as a coach and now it is even more special to be able to work side by side. I know that she will not only make our program and our athletes better, but she will also make me a better coach," Stiles added.
As part of the Bears' staff, Blake will mainly be coaching the sprinters, but with her diverse skill set, she will be utilized in other events as well.
"I really look forward to working with Jeff (Stiles) and Lane Lohr to further the great tradition of track & field at WashU. They have been two of my greatest coaching mentors, so I'm especially grateful for the chance to work with them on a daily basis," Blake said.
In addition to her coaching duties, Blake will also serve as a sports performance coach, joining the staff of the head sports performance coach, Terry O'Neill. Blake will be designated certain sports upon her arrival to assist with strength and conditioning for those specific programs.
"In joining Terry O'Neill's staff, one of my goals is to help him build a tradition of excellence in the sports performance program," Blake said. "I love that the program directly benefits every WashU athlete, and that it taps into the collective identity of what it means to be a WashU Bear."
Blake graduated from WashU with a degree in biology and is currently working towards her Master's in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine.
A member of both the cross country and track & field teams at WashU, Blake served as a team captain for both sports. In 2008, she was an All-American in the distance medley relay during the indoor season, and in 2009 was part of the 3,200 relay University Athletic Association (UAA) Champion. She was also a two-time UAA Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete, earning the award in 2009 and 2010.