Keven Syverson returns for his second year as head coach of the men's and women's cross country teams.

"We have high expectations for our 2008 cross country season for both men and women," said Syverson. "I expect my athletes to compete and understand that all they can do, is all they can do and that is enough. If they have done that, I am happy."

In 2007, Syverson guided two of his athletes to school records. Becca Jordahl, the 2007 Div. III Midwest Region Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year, set a record time (21:05) and Chad Ernst ran the fastest time in school history (25:11). Jordahl is a two-spot athlete who claimed the 2008 track and field NCAA outdoor title in the 5,000-meter race. She is a five-time All-American and holds seven school records. She has earned NCAA All-American cross country honors in each of the past two seasons.

The cross country program also experienced academic successes. Ernst earned All-Academic team honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The women earned an All-Academic Team award from the USTFCCCA .

An alumnus of River Falls , 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. In 1991 and 1992, he was the Most Valuable Runner 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 also a five-time Wisconsin State University Conference (WSUC) champion in track & field. He was the first WSUC athlete to win all three indoor sprint distance events during his career at a conference meet (600, 800 and 1000) . He also won outdoor titles in the 800 meters and 1600-meter relay. He still holds five school records. With his historic accomplishments, Syverson was inducted into the UWRF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

As a solider stationed in Germany , Syverson competed with a German running club in the late 1980s. He also lived in Portland , Ore. , and had the opportunity to run with, and meet several national caliber master's level runners. Syverson also has visited Ethiopia and had an opportunity to observe a training session with many of Ethiopia's top marathon runners.

Syverson has coached the men's and women's track & field team'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.

In 2008 he coached two All-American track & field athletes; Nick Zeien in the 800 meters and Jason Phillippi in the steeplechase. As an assistant coach on the women's team, he helped it produce the 2008 National Championship Outdoor track & field National Championship.

Syverson has coached his athletes to numerous school records. He had helped both men and women to 16 track & field records. His athletes earned championship honors in the distance medley relay at the 2006 indoor WIAC meet . That team also earned a provisional qualifying time for the national meet.

His coaching expedition previously brought him to UW-La Crosse where he was an assistant with the 1995 men's cross country and 1996 men's indoor track & field teams. Syverson also assisted with the cross country team at Hastings, Minn., High School in 1994. He is USATF Level I certified.

Of his passion for running Syverson says, "I enjoy running it in the most basic sense and I saw how it opened my eyes and gave me confidence to go to college and graduate. The life lessons I have learned in athletics are evident in how I handle situations every day. I am most happy if former athletes continue to stay active and remain or become involved in coaching or helping others."

Syverson graduated from UWRF in 1994 with an undergraduate degree in German and received his master's in public health 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 their four children, Alaina, Jared, Erin and Theo.

Keven Syverson Phone Contact is: 715-425-4280
E-mail contact is: keven.syverson@uwrf.edu

Keven Syverson

The Syverson File

Keven Syverson Phone Contact is: 715-425-4280

E-mail contact is: keven.syverson@uwrf.edu