McKenna To Guide Men's Track & Field Program
UW-Oshkosh announced Friday (June 15) that alumnus Eamon McKenna has been selected as the new head coach for both its men's cross country and men's track and field programs.
McKenna's appointment follows a national search that began nearly three months ago. He replaces Paul Brown, who served as the interim head men's track and field coach for the past two years and the interim head men's cross country coach in 2011.
"I'm thrilled to have Eamon join our coaching staff and take over the reins of our men's cross country and men's track and field programs," said UW-Oshkosh Director of Athletics Darryl Sims. "I welcome Eamon back to his alma mater and I look forward to watching him recruit quality student-athletes and foster their growth. He is a perfect fit for us."
McKenna returns to UW-Oshkosh after spending the 2011-12 school year as an assistant coach in both cross country and track and field at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He also possesses coaching experience from two years (2009-10) as an assistant coach at Mount Mary College and four years (2005-08) as an assistant coach at Oconomowoc High School. McKenna began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the UW-Oshkosh men's cross country team in 2003.
"I'm honored and thrilled at the opportunity to return to my alma mater and contribute to the cross country and track and field programs that have been so successful and that have meant so much in my own development as a person and a leader," said McKenna. "I look forward to helping maintain programs that produce well-rounded student-athletes, that reflect positively on our University and our community, and that honor the alumni that have carried these programs through hard work, generosity, and support for decades. It will be a great pleasure to carry on the legacy of former coach John Zupanc and more recently of my fellow alum Paul Brown."
McKenna competed for the UW-Oshkosh men's cross country team from 1999 to 2002. The Titans captured conference, regional and national championships in 2002 while also winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) title in 2000.
McKenna's finest cross country season came in 2002 when he earned All-America honors with his 25th-place finish at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship in Northfield, Minn. He placed seventh at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional in 2002 and 12th in 2001.
McKenna was a participant on the UW-Oshkosh men's track and field team from 2000-04. He competed indoors from 2000-02 and again in 2004 and outdoors from 2000-03. UW-Oshkosh won the WIAC indoor title in 2001 while also placing second at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship in both 2001 and 2003. The Titans finished third at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship in 2003.
On the outdoor track, McKenna gained All-America citations by placing sixth in the 10,000-meter run and eighth in the 5,000-meter run at the 2003 NCAA Division III Championship in Canton, N.Y. He also earned All-America status with his eighth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run at the 2002 NCAA Division III Indoor Championship in Ada, Ohio. The Oconomowoc native won the 5,000-meter run at the 2003 WIAC Outdoor Championship.
McKenna acquired numerous academic awards while attending UW-Oshkosh. In 2002 and 2003, the College Sports Information Directors of America voted McKenna to its Men's Cross Country/Men's Track and Field Academic All-America team. He was named the winner of the WIAC Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Award in 2002 and the UW-Oshkosh John Taylor Senior Scholar-Athlete Award in 2003.
"I have long had the goal of being a leader, teacher, and coach, and I look forward to bringing my strengths to UW-Oshkosh," said McKenna. "The experiences I had while a student-athlete at UW-Oshkosh were memorable and very beneficial in my development as a hard-working, well-rounded individual and as a leader. The impact of my coaching mentors, my friends and support group, and especially my parents and family has been invaluable in my ability to be in the position to contribute to the future of UW-Oshkosh Athletics. I look forward to being a part of Darryl Sims' vision as UW-Oshkosh athletics moves toward its future goals."
McKenna received his bachelor's degree from UW-Oshkosh in 2004. The 339th-place finisher in the 2012 Boston Marathon then earned a master's degree from UW-Milwaukee in 2008. For the past eight years, McKenna has taught middle school and high school Spanish classes in the Milwaukee area.
UW-Oshkosh is the owner of four NCAA Division III men's cross country titles. The Titans, who won national championships in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 2002, finished fifth at the 2011 NCAA Division III Championship held in Winneconne. UW-Oshkosh is the defending WIAC men's cross country champion.
UW-Oshkosh also holds a pair of NCAA Division III men's track and field titles. The Titans swept the indoor and outdoor championships in 2009. This past spring, UW-Oshkosh placed third at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship in Grinnell, Iowa, and fourth at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship in Claremont, Calif.