via Heidelberg.edu:Director of Athletics Matt Palm has announced the appointment of Keith Roberts (far left) as interim head cross country and track and field coach of both the men’s and women’s programs at Heidelberg College. Roberts will begin his second season at the Berg, having served as an assistant coach last season.
Roberts replaces Kevin Lucas, who resigned after four years at the helm to take the head track and field coaching position at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md.
“We are confident that Keith will continue to build on the success of our cross country and track and field programs at Heidelberg,” stated Palm. “He played an integral part in the overall success of the program a year ago, and has the determination to continue to keep Heidelberg among the leaders in the OAC as well as the nation.”
Roberts looks forward to the opportunity to continue to build on the winning tradition at Heidelberg. “I would like to thank Matt Palm and the entire athletic administration for allowing me the opportunity to coach a program that has such a high commitment to excellence both in competition and in the classroom. Coach Lucas built a strong program and I plan to continue to take Heidelberg to the next level.”
A season ago, Roberts worked primarily with the sprinters and hurdlers on both the men’s and women’s teams. Between the indoor and outdoor track, Roberts helped to bring home 12 individual Ohio Athletic Conference honors, as well as seven relay All-OAC accolades. Sprinter Judy Bataille won the indoor 55-meter National Championship and All-American honors, while the men’s indoor 4x400-meter relay team just missed All-American honors at the national championships.
Prior to arriving at Heidelberg, Roberts was head coach for the Logan County Elite Track Club in Bellefontaine, Ohio. He also was an assistant coach for Bellefontaine High School and the Summit Academy in Herman, Pa. for the 2006 season and from 2005-2006 assisted at the University of Pittsburgh.
Roberts attended Kent State University and was a member of the track and field team. He won the Mid-American Conference Championship in the indoor 60-meter hurdles, and currently holds the indoor 55-meter hurdles record. Roberts also placed 11th in the nation in Division I in the indoor 60-meter hurdles in 2003, and was named a Freshman Verizon All-American in the outdoor 110-meter hurdles.
A native of Bellefontaine, Ohio, Roberts attended Bellefontaine High School, and graduated in the fall of 2005 from Kent with a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication, and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in education.
Roberts has stressed that building on a winning tradition takes a lot of hard work and dedication, all of which he is ready to do. “We have a good core of returners from the cross country teams to the track and field athletes. As a coach I stress the importance that all distance runners, sprinters, throwers and hurdlers all merge together to form one cohesive team that will welcome a strong recruiting class to strive for a conference championship this season."
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