Cross Country Coaches
Ken Rolek, Cross Country Coach
Coach Rolek is a graduate from Jim Thorpe High School, where he started his running career as a cross country runner. After graduating from Jim Thorpe, where he was entered into the Athletic Hall of Fame, he went onto East Stroudsburg University. At ESU he continued his running career as a nationally ranked runner for the warriors. After graduating coach Rolek went on to have a successful road racing career. Competing in events up and down the east coast winning races at every distance from the mile to the marathon. Coach Rolek joined the Nazareth track team in 1986 as the distance coach. In 1992 he became the head cross country coach. Coach Rolek has coached several successful league, district and state qualifiers over the years. He teaches Physical Education at Lower Nazareth Elementary School. He lives in Wilson Boro with his wife Kathy and has two sons, Kyle and Kory.
Lauren Woodall, Assistant Cross Country Coach
Coach Woodall graduated from Northampton High School; she ran cross country, played soccer and was a member of the swim team while at Northampton. She graduated from Bloomsburg University where she was a member of the running club. Coach Woodall has been teaching Math at Nazareth since 2006. She likes to participate in local races of different distances from 5K to half marathons. Coach Woodall is attending Kutztown University, working towards her Masters Degree in School Counseling. In the summer she works at Southmoore Golf Course.
Rich Ryan, Cross Country/Distance
Coach Ryan is a 2004 graduate of Easton Area High School. While at Easton, he competed in cross country, track and basketball. Rich was a two time district champion (2003 and 2004) in the 1600 meter run. He is presently the district record holder in that event (4:15.35).
Rich is a 2008 graduate of St. Josephs University. He competed in track and cross country while at St. Joe’s. He was selected as a co-captain in his senior year.
Coach Ryan assists both the cross country and Track distance teams. He works as a substitute teacher in the Nazareth and Easton School Districts. He is also the head basketball coach at Palisades Middle School. He hopes to find a full time teaching position and future coaching opportunities.
Jodi Chilson, Middle School Cross Country Coach
Jodi Chilson is a graduate of Williamsport Area High School. It was there that she started her running career. In 1986 and 1987, Coach Chilson was a member of the State Championship teams in Cross-Country. She was a distance runner on the track team as well. She continued her running at Mansfield University. Upon graduating, Coach Chilson moved here to the Lehigh Valley. She received her Master’s Degree from Moravian College and is currently working on her supervisory certificate. Coach Chilson is the Response to Intervention Coordinator at the Middle School. She has been coaching the middle school cross-country team for 11 years. She accomplished a goal of hers October 2, 2006 by running her first marathon in Corning, NY. She resides in Bethlehem with her husband Corey and two daughters, Alli and Cyd.
Track Coaches
Tim Cunningham, Head Track Coach
Coach Cunningham is a graduate of Catasauqua High School. While there was a member of the football and track teams. He graduated from Millersville University, where he also was a member of the football and track teams. He presently teaches at the Nazareth Middle School. Coach Cunningham has been coaching track for nineteen years. He has been the head track coach for eleven years.
Kyle Davis
Kyle Davis is a graduate of Northampton Area High School where he was a multiple varsity letter winner in football, basketball, and track & field. He then went on to Scranton University where he participated in basketball, rugby, and various other intramural sports. Since graduating in 1999, Kyle has taught science and coached at the high school level. He has been an assistant at Northwestern Lehigh, Phillipsburg, and joined the Nazareth Team in 2002 where he specializes in the jumping events. From 2004-2006 he also joined the coaching staff at DeSales University as the jumps coach where he was responsible for all four jump disciplines. During that time he earned his USATF level I coaching certification. Kyle has had the privilege of coaching several district champions and state qualifiers, as well as 3 state medalists. He resides in Bethlehem with his wife Katie and is in the final stages of his M.Ed. sport management program.
Kyle McHugh, Assistant track coach
Coach McHugh is 1999 graduate of Wallkill Valley Regional High School in New Jersey. He ran cross country, indoor and outdoor track and played basketball. He attended DeSales University and competed for their track & field team as a sprinter/ hurdler. After graduation, he was an assistant coach at DeSales, primarily working with the hurdlers. He coached there for three years and earned his USATF Level 1 certification. This his second season at Nazareth where he assists Coach Cunningham with sprints, hurdles, and relays. Kyle also served as Dryland coach for the Blue Eagles swim team this year. He has been employed as a personal trainer at LA Fitness for the last four years.
Andy Herbster, Assistant track coach
Coach Herbster is a 1977 graduate of Chief Logan High School where he was the AA State High Jump Champion in his senior year. He graduated from Lock Haven State College in 1981. He has been an English teacher at Phillipsburg High School for the past 26 years. Coach Herbster has been coaching the pole vault and high jump at Nazareth for 11 years. Coach Herbster resides in Tatamy with his wife Terri. Their sons; Greg of Pittsburgh and Matt, a senior at West Virginia University, are both former Nazareth Track athletes.
Laurie Johnson, Assistant Track Coach
Coach Johnson is a Graduate of Phillipsburg High School, where she participated in Track and Field for three years, she threw the shot put and discus. She was involved in starting the girls track program at Phillipsburg. She Graduated from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. While at James Madison Coach Johnson was a four year track athlete. She threw the shot put, discus, and the hammer. She was a three time East Coast Athletic Conference qualifier in indoor and outdoor track. She was a graduate student at Boston College. While there she served as a coach at Newton South High School in Boston. Coach Johnson began her teaching career at Hackettstown High school in New Jersey, where she was the head coach of the girls track team. Coach Johnson transferred to the Phillipsburg School District where she served as an assistant coach through 2001. In 2002 Coach Johnson transferred to Nazareth. Coach Johnson has been successful at all of her coaching stops. She has coached sectional and district champions and many other successful athletes along the way.