Sacramento State’s search for a new track and field/cross country coach ended on Aug. 15 with the hiring of Central Michigan University’s Kathleen Raske.Given the title of director, Raske will oversee all aspects of the program and will coach the men’s and women’s teams. She replaces Joe Neff, who retired in April after coaching for 23 seasons.

“Kathleen is very experienced and brings a high level of expertise to the program,” Sacramento State Athletic Director Terry Wanless said. “Her passion for the sport is evident, as well as her knowledge of recruiting top athletes.”

Raske coached CMU’s women’s track and field and cross country programs for the past six seasons. Competing in the Mid-American Conference, her squads won an indoor track championship in 2002 and a cross country title in 2000. She coached 15 conference champions and three All-Americans.

“She took over a program that wasn’t having too much success and with her combination of teaching and coaching, we won championships,” Herb Deromedi, CMU’s athletic director said. “It got to the point that if a team won a conference championship, they would have to go through us.”

Prior to her stint at CMU, Raske was an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) and Southern Illinois University, and was on the coaching staff of the 1999 junior Pan-American team that won the gold medal.

There were 101 applicants for Sac State’s coaching position. Wanless felt that was a result of Sac State hosting the NCAA Div. I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June.

After the hiring was announced Wanless received an e-mail from the father of one of Raske’s former athletes at CMU. The e-mail said his daughter was sad Raske was leaving. Although with the knowledge she received from her former coach, she knew her improvement would continue.

“That’s the highest compliment a coach can get,” Wanless said.