Bio

Mary Theisen-Lappen had been associated with UW-Oshkosh’s track & field program as the primary throws coach since the 2015-16 season. Her resignation from coaching at UW-Oshkosh is effective Oct. 1.

Theisen-Lappen was an assistant coach for all but one of her six seasons at UW-Oshkosh, the 2016-17 campaign when she served as the program’s interim head men’s and women’s coach. She has been the Titans’ full-time throws coach since the 2017-18 season.

Theisen-Lappen coached UW-Oshkosh student-athletes in the throwing events to a pair of national titles, 14 All-America performances and five conference championships. She also coached student-athletes to five additional All-America mentions and six conference titles during her lone season as the Titans’ head men’s and women’s coach.

UW-Oshkosh’s Sydney Thompson won NCAA Division III outdoor titles in both the discus and shot put under Theisen-Lappen’s instruction in 2021.

In addition to Thompson, Theisen-Lappen coached three other Titans to All-America performances at the 2021 Division III outdoor championships – Jack Flynn and Morgan Florek in the discus and Jackson Sheckler in the shot put. UW-Oshkosh finished third in the men’s team standings and seventh in the women’s at the national outdoor meet.

Theisen-Lappen also coached Thompson to victories in the discus and shot put and Flynn to a win in the discus at the 2021 WIAC outdoor championships. The Titans placed third in the men’s team standings and fourth in the women’s at the league outdoor meet.

Thompson was named the Field Performer of the Meet at the WIAC and Co-Field Performer of the Meet at the Division III outdoor championships in 2021.

As the UW-Oshkosh track & field program’s interim head coach in 2017, Theisen-Lappen guided the men to an indoor finish of 42nd and an outdoor finish of 51st at the Division III championships while the women placed 56th at the Division III indoor meet.

Theisen-Lappen, an Eau Claire Regis High School graduate, began her collegiate career at Winona State University (Minn.). She totaled five All-America awards for the Warriors, including one with her first-place effort in the discus at the 2011 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championship. Theisen-Lappen was named the 2011 Central Region Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Following two seasons at Winona State University, Theisen-Lappen transferred to Indiana State University. She earned three NCAA Division I All-America citations for the Sycamores during the 2014 season and was named the Most Outstanding Field Athlete at the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championship. Theisen-Lappen concluded her collegiate career by placing ninth in the shot put at the USA Outdoor Championship.

Theisen-Lappen earned a bachelor's degree in Sport Management from Indiana State University in 2014 and a master's degree in Education Counseling Psychology (emphasis in Positive Coaching & Athletic Leadership) from the University of Missouri in 2019.

(8/1/2021)