Wackerly Named Ohio Wesleyan
Cross Country Coach

June 7, 2010

DELAWARE, OHIO -- Matt Wackerly, associate head coach of men's and women’s cross country at Ohio Wesleyan University, has been promoted to head coach of the Battling Bishop men's and women’s cross country teams, it was announced by athletics director Roger Ingles.

“I’m very happy to be at Ohio Wesleyan,” Wackerly said. “It is a great place to call home. There have been some great cross country coaches here in the past, such as Kris Boey and Marv Frye. I have a lot of respect for them personally and professionally, and I'm excited to help build on the tradition that they started.”

Wackerly takes over for Boey, who has been head coach of men's and women's cross country and track & field since 2002. Boey becomes director of track & field and cross country at Ohio Wesleyan, remaining as head coach of the Battling Bishop men's and women's track & field teams, and adding additional administrative duties. Wackerly will continue as an assistant coach for the track & field teams.

During the past 4 seasons, the Bishop cross country teams have made great strides under Boey and Wackerly. In 2009, the men's team finished sixth in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional meet, the Bishops' best finish in a regional meet since 1981, and sent a runner to the NCAA Division III championship meet for the first time since 1983. The Battling Bishop women have had an all-region performer in each of Wackerly's 4 seasons at Ohio Wesleyan, sending a runner to the NCAA Division III championship meet in 2006, and the women's team's second-place finish in the 2008 North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet equaled Ohio Wesleyan's best conference finish ever.

"Matt has done an amazing job for us, and I'm excited about his taking over the cross country program," Ingles said. "He brings experience, knowledge, and an unbelievable work ethic to us, and has rapidly become one of the best coaches in our department. He is always willing to help out and go the extra mile, and we feel those traits will help our cross country program become one of the premier programs in our conference."

Before coming to Ohio Wesleyan, Wackerly was an assistant coach for the men's and women's cross country and track & field teams at Stonehill (Mass.) College. During his 3 years at Stonehill, he helped the Skyhawks win a pair of conference championships, the school's first ever in men's cross country. He coached 5 NCAA Division II All-Americans in cross country and 3 NCAA Division II national qualifiers in track & field.

Wackerly is a 1998 graduate of Ashland University, where he was a 3-time national qualifier in cross country and a 3-time conference champion in track for the Eagles. He majored in English and earned a master's degree in sports management from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2003.

Wackerly is a native of Lexington, Ohio.

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