Alisha Samuel enters her first season as the head cross country and track & field coach in August 2022.
Samuel joins St. Kate's having spent four seasons at the helm of the William Jewell College men's and women's cross country and track & field teams. Samuel was named the head men's and women's coach at NCAA Division II institution, William Jewell in Liberty, Missouri in June of 2018 where she coached the 2022 GLVC Women's Freshman of the Year. In 2019, she guided the program's first GLVC Champion in over two years in the decathlon and helped the same athlete finish as the runner-up in the heptathlon in 2020. She coached four All-GLVC performers and 58 of her student-athletes were named Academic All-GLVC. She was also a member of the university's Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
"First, I would like to thank
Eric Stacey and the hiring committee for this opportunity and for providing such a welcoming atmosphere", said Samuel. "I am very excited to join the staff at St. Catherine University! I am truly looking forward to working alongside an amazing group of people, while also continuing the growth and success of the cross country and track and field programs. Go Wildcats!"
Samuel also brings an impressive NCAA Division III background having spent four seasons at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Her assignment at Oberlin was coaching the men's and women's sprinters where she helped athletes set school records in the 60, 100, and 200-meter dash along with the 4x100 relay. She also coached an All-American (400-meter hurdles), and numerous All-NCAC honorees. The highlight of her time at Oberlin was the opportunity to coach a three-time All-American hurdler/sprinter helping her achieve the 2018 400-meter hurdle national title.
She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northwest Missouri State University, where she was a standout student-athlete as well. While coaching the men's and women's sprinters, Samuel brought home the 2008 MIAA Freshman of the Year along with eight All-Conference honorees.
A native of San Juan, Trinidad, Samuel graduated with a bachelor's in business management and earned her master of science in health and physical education from Northwest Missouri State. During her studies, she was a two-time All-American and qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships six times. In her sophomore season, Samuel was also named the Bearcat Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year. She also had stints working in the high school track & field after graduation from Northwest Missouri.
