Syverson Named Interim Track & Field Coach

Sept. 11, 2009

Keven Syverson has been named the UW-River Falls interim men’s and women’s track & field coach, according to Falcon Athletic Director Rick Bowen.

Syverson takes over for Martha Brennan who is on a leave of absence.

Syverson remains as the UWRF men’s cross country head coach and women’s cross country co-head coach. He is in his third season as coach. Scott Sekelsky is also co-head coach of the women’s cross country team.

“We are very pleased and fortunate to have someone of Keven’s talents and skills heading the indoor and outdoor track & field teams this year,” said Bowen.

“I am very excited to be able to step in for Martha during the upcoming season,” said Syverson. “The program is in very good shape and the coaching staff hopes to continue the recent success we’ve had. We have a strong nucleus returning on both the men’s and women’s sides; along with some solid recruits and transfers. The teams have some high goals for the upcoming indoor and outdoor seasons.”

Syverson helped coach Becca Jordahl to a 14th place finish in the 2008 NCAA cross country championships and All-American honors. Jordahl placed second in the NCAA Midwest Regional meet and won the WIAC championship. Jordahl set a school record of 20:59 at the Oshkosh Invitational. She is a three-time NCAA All-American. Syverson also coached Falcon Chad Ernst to a men’s school record. Ernst ran a 24:56 at the Oshkosh Invitational.

The cross country programs have also experienced many academic success stories. Ernst earned All-Academic team honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) in 2007 and 2008. The 2007 and 2008 women earned an All-Academic Team award from the USTFCCCA .

An alumnus of UW-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 has helped both men and women to 16 track & field records. His athletes earned championship honors in the men’s distance medley relay at the 2006 indoor WIAC meet, and on the women’s side at the 2007 indoor WIAC 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.

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