LeTourneau University -Sports

LeTourneau Track and Field Hires New Coaching Staff

LONGVIEW, Texas – LeTourneau University Director of Athletics Terri Deike has announced the addition of Kathleen Raske as the director of men’s and women’s track and field and cross country along with the hiring of Terry VanLaningham as head coach of men’s and women’s track and field.

The duo will join LETU following a one-year absence from the track and field coaching community and bring a vast wealth of knowledge and experience to LeTourneau.

“We are very excited to welcome Kathleen Raske and Terry VanLaningham to the LeTourneau University Athletic family,” said athletic director Terri Deike. “Their expertise and experience coaching track and field student-athletes will create a seamless transition for the two-year program that has been established.”
“After a national search, we are very fortunate and blessed to have Kathleen and Terry take the lead and keep the momentum of the new program moving forward.” “Their energy and passion for student-athletes and track and field coaching, coupled with their strong Christian faith, will provide a great learning environment for our student-athletes.” “We look forward to the growth and success of the track and field program under Kathleen and Terry’s guidance.”

Most recently at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, Raske spent three years as the Director of Men’s and Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country where she led the Salukis to one top 15 finish and two 25 NCAA team finishes to go along with 13 NCAA All-Americans and 60 Missouri Valley Conference Champions. An alumnus of Southern Illinois, Kathleen would also get her start in college coaching with the Salukis by serving as an assistant women’s track and field coach from 1989-1992.

Before her experience at SIU, Raske spent 12 years as the Director of Men’s and Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country at Sacramento State University in Sacramento, California. That is where she was able to lead the Hornet women to 12 Big Sky Conference titles which included a run of six straight and led the men’s team to five conference championships. During her time at Sacramento State, Kathleen was the only woman in NCAA Division I history to coach a men’s team to multiple conference championships in any sport and helped 128 student-athletes qualify for the NCAA National Meet with 15 student-athletes reaching Al-American status. During her 12-year stint, Raske helped the Hornets set 157 new school records and was Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year on 16 different occasions.

Raske has also coached Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan (head women’s track and field/cross country coach, 1997-2003) and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (assistant track and field/cross country coach 1992-1997). She is a 1990 graduate of Southern Illinois University.

During her athletic career, Kathleen would compete in five USATF National Championships, the 1992 Olympic Trials and was an NCAA Division I Outdoor All-American hurdler. She was inducted into the SIU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997 and is the Gateway Athletic Conference record holder in the 200 meters, 100-meter hurdles, and 55-meter hurdles which led to her being named MVP of the Decade for the conference.

Terry VanLaningham will join the YellowJackets as head coach for men’s and women’s track and field following an illustrious coaching career at various NCAA Division I and NJCAA stops. Most recently, VanLaningham was the associate head coach of men’s and women’s track and field and cross country and served as recruiting coordinator at Southern Illinois University where he assisted in the coaching of three NCAA Championship top 25 team finishes and four NCAA All-American athletes.

Terry has also made stops at Sacramento State University as co-director of men’s and women’s track and field and cross country where he served as the primary coach for the jumps, pole vault, and multi-events while also coordinating all recruiting activities. During his 11-year stay at Sacramento State, VanLaningham helped coach 47 Big Sky individual conference champions, 126 all-conference performers, and three NCAA All-Americans while helping the Hornets win 17 Big Sky Conference Championships.

Other coaching stops for VanLaningham include Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas (Assistant men’s and women’s track and field coach, 2000-2004), Allen County Community College in Iola, Kansas (head track and field/cross country coach, 2000). Also, Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kansas (head track and field/cross country coach, 2000), and Coffeyville Community College (head track and field/cross country coach, 1992-1995).

As a student-athlete at Dodge City Community College, VanLaningham was an NJCAA Region VI champion in the long jump and was runner up in the high jump and decathlon. Terry would then go on to compete at Kansas State University where he finished fourth in the decathlon at the Big Eight Conference meet in both 1989 and 1990 and finished 13th in the pentathlon at the USA Track and Field Indoor National Championship in 1990.