Eamon McKenna
Eamon McKenna
  • Title:
    Head Coach
  • Phone:
    (920) 424-7140
  • Email:
    mckennae@uwosh.edu
  • Office:
    113 Kolf Sports Center
  • Season:
    Eighth
  • College:
    UW-Oshkosh (2004), UW-Milwaukee (2008)

Bio

Eamon McKenna enters his eighth season as head coach of the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team in 2023. McKenna also begins his 11th year as the school's head coach for men’s cross country.

On the women's side, McKenna was named the 2015 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year during his rookie season as UW-Oshkosh secured its 16th league title and first since winning 15 straight championships from 1986-2000.

McKenna has coached three All-Americans, six top-10 finishers at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional and 12 top-10 finishers at the WIAC Championship, including 2016 and 2017 league champion Cheyenne Moore, and 2021 individual winner Hannah Lohrenz.

In 2022, the Titans placed third at the WIAC Championship and eighth at the Division III North Regional.

During the 2021 season, The Titans placed third at the WIAC Championship before finishing fifth at the NCAA Division III North Regional. Lohrenz's individual conference title was the 19th program history. Lohrenz was tabbed WIAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year and went on to garner All-Region accolades alongside teammate Alexandria Demco and All-America honors with a 31st-place result at the national meet.

The 2020 campaigns for both women's and men's cross country were canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In 2019, UW-Oshkosh finished third at the WIAC Championship and seventh at the Division III Midwest Regional. Titan Ashton Keene turned in an All-American performance at the Division III Championship with her 39th-place effort.

In 2018, McKenna's Titans placed third at the conference meet and 10th at the Division III Midwest Regional.

During the 2017 season McKenna led UW-Oshkosh to a seventh-place finish at the WIAC Championship and a 12th-place listing at the Division III Midwest Regional.

In 2016, UW-Oshkosh finished second at the conference meet, fourth at the Division III Midwest Regional and 16th at the Division III Championship. Three of McKenna's runners each earned All-Midwest Region accolades.

UW-Oshkosh placed second at the Division III Midwest Regional and 15th at the national meet in 2015.

On the men's side, McKenna has coached three All-Americans, four top-10 runners at the Division III Midwest Regional and 11 top-10 runners at the WIAC Championship.

In 2022, UW-Oshkosh placed fifth at the WIAC Championship and eighth at the NCAA Division III North Regional.

During the 2021 season, UW-Oshkosh placed third at both the WIAC Championship and the NCAA Division III North Regional before going on to finish 20th at the Division III Championship. The Titans qualified as a team for the national meet for the first time since 2015.

UW-Oshkosh finished fourth at the WIAC Championship and seventh at the Division III Midwest Regional in 2019. Titan Cody Chadwick earned All-America honors after finishing 21st at the 2019 Division III Championship.

In 2018, UW-Oshkosh placed fifth at the conference meet and eighth at the Division III Midwest Regional. The previous UW-Oshkosh finished 10th at the Division III Midwest Regional and seventh at the WIAC Championship.

UW-Oshkosh placed fourth at the WIAC Championship and seventh at the Division III Midwest Regional in 2016 as three Titans earned All-Midwest Region accolades.

In 2015, UW-Oshkosh placed 13th at the national meet after finishing fourth at the Midwest Regional and third at the WIAC Championship. Titan Jordan Carpenter earned his second Elite 90 Award, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average at each of the NCAA's 90 championships. Carpenter also won the award at the 2014 Division III Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship.

In 2014, McKenna's squad placed fourth at the WIAC Championship and seventh at the Division III Midwest Regional. During the 2013 season, McKenna led UW-Oshkosh to a 12th-place finish at the Division III Championship and third-place showings at both the WIAC Championship and the Division III Midwest Regional.

McKenna helped the Titans finish sixth at the conference meet and 11th at the Division III Midwest Regional in 2012. UW-Oshkosh's John Dewitt earned his second consecutive Elite 90 Award at the 2012 Division III Cross Country Championship.

McKenna returned to the Titans after spending the 2011-12 school year as an assistant cross country and track & field coach at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He also possesses coaching experience from two years (2009-10) as an assistant coach at Mount Mary University 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.

McKenna, who currently serves as an assistant coach for the UW-Oshkosh men's and women's track & field programs, was the school's head men's track & field coach from 2013-15.

McKenna coached track & field athletes to four Division III individual titles (two indoors, two outdoors), All-America awards in 47 events (24 indoors, 23 outdoors) and WIAC individual championships in 22 events (seven indoors, 15 outdoors). He also helped athletes to one Division III Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and one Division III Indoor Track Athlete of the Year award.

McKenna's indoor track & field team was the Division III runner-up in 2013 before finishing third at the national meet in 2014 and eighth in 2015. His outdoor teams placed third in the country in 2013, fourth in 2014 and 39th in 2015.

At the WIAC Track & Field Championship, McKenna's squads finished second at both the 2013 indoor and outdoor meets as well as at the 2014 outdoor event.

McKenna competed in cross country from 1999-2002 and track & field from 2000-04 at UW-Oshkosh. The Titans captured conference, regional and national cross country championships in 2002 while also winning the league title in 2000.

McKenna’s finest cross country season was in 2002, when he earned All-America honors with his 25th-place finish at the Division III Championship. He placed seventh at the Division III Midwest Regional in 2002 and 12th in 2001.

McKenna earned three All-America track & field citations. He competed indoors from 2000-02 and again in 2004 and outdoors from 2000-03. UW-Oshkosh won the WIAC indoor title in 2001 and placed second at the Division III Indoor Championship in both 2001 and 2003. The Titans finished third at the Division III Outdoor Championship in 2003.

On the outdoor track, McKenna gained All-America awards by placing sixth in the 10,000-meter run and eighth in the 5,000-meter run at the 2003 Division III Championship. He also earned All-America status with his eighth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run at the 2002 Division III Indoor Championship. The Oconomowoc High School graduate 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 selected 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.

McKenna received his bachelor’s degree from UW-Oshkosh in 2004. The 339th-place finisher (2:55.17) in the 2012 Boston Marathon then earned a master’s degree from UW-Milwaukee in 2008. McKenna also has taught middle school and high school Spanish classes in the Milwaukee area.

(8/21/23)