Jeff Brennan, Head Coach

brennan@bvu.edu

Jeff Brennan begins his second year as the BVU head men's and women's cross country and track and field coach.

A native of Emmetsburg, Iowa and a 2001 graduate of BVU, Brennan was a dual-sport athlete for the Beavers, playing football and running track. Under former football coach Joe Hadachek, he was a two-time First Team All-Iowa Conference defensive back.

While running under the guidance of former BVU head track and field coach Keith Schmidt, Brennan was a stand-out in middle distance races. He was a two-time IIAC Indoor Champion in both the 600 and 1000 meter runs and was a four-time national qualifier in the 800, placing fifth indoors in 2001. He still holds six school records, including both the indoor and outdoor 800 meter marks.

Brennan, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology Education, has spent the 2009-10 school year as a teacher and coach at Storm Lake High School, a position he also held from 2002-06. During that tenure, he helped coach the Tornado boys to four Lakes Conference Track and Field Championships as well as three top-eight team finishes at the State Track Meet (8th in 2003, 5th in 2004, 6th in 2006).  He coached 26 State Medalists, including three individual state championships and four runner-up accolades.  He was also named Northwest Iowa Regional and Lakes Conference Coach of the Year in both 2005 and 2006.

Brennan lives in Alta with his wife Anne and their son, Emmet.

Andrea Masters, Assistant Coach

mastersa@bvu.edu

The fall of 2011 marks the second season for Andrea Masters as assistant men’s and women’s cross country/track and field coach for the Beavers.

Masters was a three-time letterwinner on the South Dakota State University track and field team and served as team captain in 2008.  She’s the school’s record-holder in the indoor high jump (5’ 9 ¼”) and was a 2007 Division I Independent Outdoor Champion in the event.  In 2008, she earned both indoor and outdoor Summit League track and field honors, and also turned in a top-10 Jackrabbit multi-event score.

Following her days of competing, she served as a volunteer assistant coach within the Jackrabbit track and field program, assisting with the development of a pair of Summit League Conference championships and three Division I Regional qualifiers.

She graduated from SDSU with a B.S., in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation as well as a M.S. in Sports Administration.  She has since served as a Sales Consultant with Alltel Wireless in Sioux Falls, S.D and has received the Top Sales Award.

Jim Nichols, Assistant Coach (Sprints, Hurdles)

Jim Nichols is once again serving as an assistant coach within the Buena Vista track and field program.  A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Nichols has had a hand in coaching track and field since 1978 where he has helped coach state champions in eight different events, as well as state record holders in four different events.

Nichols has been involved with collegiate programs at both the Division II and III levels where he has recently been associated with coaching Buena Vista All-Americans Eric Bertelsen (long jump) and Shawn Olorundami (high hurdles).

Throughout his career, he's also presented at the Iowa Coaches Track and Field clinic for developing 110 high and 100 low hurdlers - working actively with LoLo Jones and Kim Carson.  He's also been actively involved in AAU, Hershey, and TAC.

He's currently a teacher at the Storm Lake Community High School, and he and wife, Sally, have two children, Tyler and Jordan.

Keith Schmidt, Assistant Coach (Sprints, Pole Vault)

Coming Soon...

Dr. Lisa Shepherd, Volunteer Coach (Throws)

Dr. Lisa Shepherd begins her second season as a volunteer coach with the Buena Vista track and field teams in 2011-12, working primarily with the team's throwers.

Shepherd was a 1998 graduate from BVU with a triple major in Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics.  She earned multiple All-Conference performances in both the javelin and discus and also earned multiple trips to the NCAA Championships in both events. She became an All-American in the javelin as a senior, while also being named the NCAA all-division Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year.  In addition, she was tabbed an Academic All-American in both the discus and javelin from 1995-1998.

She later took her success into the coaching ranks, volunteering her time with the throwers at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa from 2008-10.  During that time, she helped coach national qualifiers in both the hammer and discus, new school record holders in the discus, hammer, javelin, and indoor weight, and NAIA Conference medalist in the heptathlon, javelin, discus, and hammer.

Following graduation from BVU, she went on to medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Lincoln.  From 2002-2005, she served as a team physician for the UNO women's soccer and men's hockey teams.

A Battle Creek, Neb., native, Shepherd and her husband Jason have recently moved back to Storm Lake where she is employed as a physician with Trimark's Family Health Center.  The couple has three children, Ian, Noah, and Tatum.

Steven Ricke, Assistant (Throws)

Steven Ricke begins his first year as an assistant coach for the Beaver Track & Field team during the 2011-12 track and field season, helping out with the throwing events.  He served as a student assistant coach last season.

Ricke finished his career with the Beavers as an eight-time letter winner from 2007-2010. During that time he earned all-conference honors in the weight throw, hammer throw and the shot put. He put his name in the record books as a senior with a toss of 52' 10" in the weight throw and 166' 7" in the hammer throw. In addition, he was a centimeter way from qualifying for nationals in the shot put with a personal best mark of 50’6”.

Ricke graduated from BVU in the spring of 2011 with a degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Coaching.