Syverson Named Falcon Head Cross Country Coach

Feb. 20, 2007

Keven Syverson has been named men's and women's cross country coach at UW-River Falls according to Athletic Director Rick Bowen.

Syverson replaces Don Glover who resigned in January. Glover had coached the Falcons for the past six seasons.

"I look forward to this opportunity as head cross country coach at UWRF. I ran in this program and have coached track & field for the last five years. I hope to continue building upon what Coach Glover has done the past six years," said Syverson.

"I am very pleased to have Kevin joining us as the head men's and women's cross country coach. He has been the distance coach for the track and field teams the past several years and will continue to do so. It has been my goal for some time to join these two coaching responsibilities," said Bowen.

Syverson competed for the Falcon cross country and track & field teams from 1990-1994. He was a three year captain in both cross country and track & field and was the Most Valuable Runner in 1991 and 1992 with the cross country team. He was the track & field team's Most Valuable Runner in 1992. He was a two-time 4x400 meter Div. III All-American in track & field. Syverson was a five time Wisconsin State University Conference (WSUC) champion in track & field. He was also the first WSUC athlete to win all three indoor sprint distance events during his career at the conference meet (600, 800, & 1000). He also won outdoor titles in the 800 meters and 1600 meter relay. He still holds six Falcon records. Syverson was inducted into the UWRF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. Syverson also competed with a German running club when he was a soldier stationed in Germany in the late 1980's. He also lived in Portland, Ore., and had the opportunity to run with and meet several national caliber master's level runners.

Syverson has coached the men's and women's middle distance and distance runners at UWRF since 2003. His coaching experience also includes coaching the men's and women's distance runners at UWRF in 1995.

He was also an assistant with the 1995 UW-La Crosse men's cross country and 1996 men's indoor track & field teams. Syverson also assisted with the cross country team at Hastings High School in 1994. He is USATF Level I certified.

Syverson's athletes earned championship honors in the distance medley relay at the 2006 indoor WIAC meet also earning a provisional time for the national meet. Syverson's athletes have set two UWRF records for men and have set seven school records on the women's side.

Syverson graduated from UWRF in 1994 with an undergraduate degree in German and received his masters of public health degree from UW-La Crosse in 1997. He is currently the Health Education Coordinator with UWRF Student Health Services. He lives in River Falls with his wife Jennifer and three children, Alaina, Jared and Erin.

Keven Syverson