(Updated July 5, 2023) After dominating the Great Lakes Valley Conference and being a major player on the NCAA Division II national stage for the better part of two decades, University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field Head Coach
Mike Hillyard is lead his Screaming Eagles into a new era in a year ago as USI maked the jump to NCAA Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference.
It did not take long for the transition to be a successful one as Hillyard led USI Women's Cross Country to a second-place finish at the OVC Championships in 2022, while the men raced to a third-place finish. Individually, the Eagles had the 2022 OVC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year in Lauren Greiwe '23 and both the OVC Male and Female Athlete of the Championship as Greiwe and Noah Hufnagel '23 won individual titles at the OVC Cross Country Championships.
On the track, Hillyard helped lead Hufnagel to three indoor and outdoor OVC titles, the OVC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year award and the OVC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Championships honor. Greiwe and senior Kara Martin '23 also combined for three indoor and outdoor OVC titles, bringing USI's grand total of OVC championships to eight for the 2022-23 academic year.
Hillyard enters his 27th season at the helm of USI Cross Country/Track & Field after taking over the women’s program in 1997 and the men’s program in 1998.
Hillyard in the GLVC
Under Hillyard’s direction, the Eagles have thrived at both conference and national level, where his teams have won a combined 30 conference team championships on the cross country course and nine individual national titles in track & field.
The 29-time GLVC Coach of the Year has led USI Men’s Cross Country to 16 GLVC titles, including a GLVC-record 15 consecutive league titles from 2005-19, and 16 appearances at the NCAA II National Championships.
Under Hillyard, the Eagles have posted five top-10 finishes at the NCAA II Cross Country Championships, including a sixth-place showing in 2009 and seventh-place efforts in 2011 and 2014. The Eagles also finished seventh at the 2015 NCAA II Indoor Track & Field Championships and ninth at the 2015 NCAA II Outdoor Championships.
USI Men’s Cross Country/Men’s Track & Field also made five appearances in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Program of the Year standings, including top-10 finishes from 2014-17. The Eagles were third in the nation following the 2013-14 season and fourth in 2014-15.
Hillyard has mentored his men’s runners to a total of 21 All-America honors on the cross country course and 57 All-Americans in track & field. Additionally, Johnnie Guy (2014 Outdoor 10,000m), Tyler Pence (2015 Indoor 5,000m and Outdoor 10,000m), Bastian Grau (2017 Indoor Mile) and Titus Winders (2022 Indoor 3,000m & 5,000m) have won a combined six national championships on the track under Hillyard’s tutelage.
At the conference level, Hillyard saw 47 men’s student-athletes win a combined 88 GLVC individual titles (11 cross country, 69 individual track & field, eight relay). He directed 27 men’s competitors to the NCAA II Indoor and Outdoor Championships and was named the NCAA II Midwest Region Coach of the Year for outdoor track & field by the USTFCCCA in 2015.
The
NCAA II Cross Country Coaches’ Association Newsletter also recognized Hillyard as the Great Lakes Region Women’s Coach of the Year in 1999 after he led his squad to the NCAA II Great Lakes Region Championship.
USI Women’s Cross Country won 14 GLVC titles under Hillyard’s direction, including seven straight from 2011-17 and most recently in 2021. Combined with the men’s squad, USI has accounted for 11 of the 13 times in GLVC history that the same school has captured both the men’s and women’s cross country championships in the same season.
Hillyard also directed the women’s program to top-10 finishes at the NCAA II National Championships in 1998, 1999, 2015 and 2016.
In 2016, Hillyard directed his women’s squad to the highest finish (5th) in program history at the NCAA II National Championships. Led by the top-10 finishes of Emily Roberts (5th) and Jessica Reeves (9th), the Eagles finished with 209 points at the national meet after finishing third in the nation’s strongest regional two weeks earlier.
Under Hillyard, the women’s squad qualified for 12 NCAA II Championship appearances and had 10 student-athletes earn 13 All-Americans on the cross country course.
USI Women’s Cross Country produced seven GLVC individual titles and three NCAA regional championships under Hillyard’s guidance.
Combined with track & field, USI’s women posted one appearance in the USTFCCCA Division II Program of the Year standings—they tied for 10th with their efforts in 2009-10.
On the track, Hillyard’s Eagles have excelled both individually and as a team. He has directed the women’s program to three top-10 finishes at the NCAA II Outdoor Championships and three top-15 finishes at the NCAA II Indoor Championships.
Under Hillyard’s direction, 30 women have qualified or competed at the NCAA II Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He has seen 25 student-athletes earn a total of 56 All-America awards, including Heather Cooksey’s national championship in the 3,000 meters at the 2004 Outdoor Championships, the first by any female in any sport at USI; Candace Perry’s national championship in the long jump at the 2005 Outdoor Championships; and Mary Ballinger’s national championship in the steeplechase at the 2009 Outdoor Championships.
At the conference level, Hillyard has directed 29 student-athletes to a total of 75 GLVC individual championships (seven cross country, 65 individual track & field, three relay).
A native of Norris City, Illinois, and a 1994 USI graduate, Hillyard resides in Evansville with his wife, Jessica, daughter, Madison, and two step-daughters, Alix Macdonald and Brady Minton. Hillyard was a member of the USI cross country team and ran the steeplechase in track in 1992, earning All-America honors with a fifth-place performance at nationals. He placed 34th in the 1991 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.
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Hillyard's Year-by-Year Profile
|
|
Men's Cross Country/Track & Field Finishes |
Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Finishes |
|
GLVC |
Region |
National |
GLVC |
Region |
National |
| Year |
XC |
ID
T&F |
OD T&F |
XC |
XC |
ID
T&F |
OD
T&F |
XC |
ID
T&F |
OD
T&F |
XC |
XC |
ID
T&F |
OD
T&F |
| 1997-98 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
2nd |
n/a |
6th |
4th |
12th |
--- |
--- |
| 1998-99 |
2nd |
n/a |
6th |
12th |
--- |
18th |
t-15th |
1st |
n/a |
5th |
2nd |
8th |
--- |
--- |
| 1999-00 |
2nd |
5th |
6th |
4th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
1st |
6th |
6th |
1st |
9th |
--- |
--- |
| 2000-01 |
3rd |
6th |
7th |
7th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
2nd |
5th |
4th |
7th |
--- |
--- |
t-57th |
| 2001-02 |
2nd |
5th |
5th |
4th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
7th |
6th |
6th |
17th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 2002-03 |
3rd |
6th |
6th |
5th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
2nd |
5th |
6th |
5th |
14th |
t-30th |
9th |
| 2003-04 |
1st |
6th |
5th |
4th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
1st |
4th |
6th |
3rd |
12th |
15th |
7th |
| 2004-05 |
2nd |
5th |
5th |
8th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
2nd |
4th |
4th |
12th |
--- |
13th |
t-8th |
| 2005-06 |
1st |
5th |
5th |
3rd |
16th |
31st |
--- |
2nd |
4th |
4th |
3rd |
23rd |
NTS |
t-33rd |
| 2006-07 |
1st |
6th |
6th |
5th |
13th |
t-36th |
18th |
2nd |
5th |
7th |
4th |
--- |
t-32nd |
t-24th |
| 2007-08 |
1st |
6th |
7th |
3rd |
8th |
--- |
--- |
2nd |
7th |
4th |
4th |
19th |
14th |
NTS |
| 2008-09 |
1st |
4th |
5th |
t-2nd |
15th |
--- |
--- |
1st |
4th |
5th |
4th |
--- |
t-16th |
t-25th |
| 2009-10 |
1st |
7th |
5th |
3rd |
6th |
--- |
--- |
1st |
6th |
6th |
2nd |
12th |
t-44th |
t-38th |
| 2010-11 |
1st |
5th |
6th |
2nd |
10th |
--- |
t-54th |
2nd |
7th |
6th |
7th |
--- |
--- |
NTS |
| 2011-12 |
1st |
7th |
5th |
2nd |
7th |
--- |
t-31st |
1st |
6th |
8th |
5th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 2012-13 |
1st |
3rd |
3rd |
t-4th |
17th |
t-28th |
t-29th |
1st |
9th |
8th |
4th |
16th |
NTS |
NTS |
| 2013-14 |
1st |
4th |
4th |
2nd |
11th |
13th |
t-12th |
1st |
6th |
t-8th |
8th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 2014-15 |
1st |
4th |
4th |
3rd |
7th |
7th |
9th |
1st |
8th |
8th |
5th |
--- |
t-54th |
t-17th |
| 2015-16 |
1st |
4th |
t-5th |
2nd |
10th |
t-26th |
t-21st |
1st |
6th |
10th |
5th |
10th |
NTS |
t-31st |
| 2016-17 |
1st |
7th |
4th |
2nd |
13th |
t-13th |
t-67th |
1st |
8th |
t-9th |
3rd |
5th |
--- |
NTS |
| 2017-18 |
1st |
6th |
7th |
2nd |
12th |
NTS |
NTS |
1st |
5th |
7th |
5th |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| 2018-19 |
1st |
t-8th |
8th |
4th |
19th |
--- |
NTS |
5th |
10th |
t-7th |
12th |
--- |
--- |
NTS |
| 2019-20 |
1st |
5th |
N/A |
3rd |
21st |
N/A |
N/A |
1st |
6th |
N/A |
6th |
13th |
N/A |
N/A |
| 2020-21 |
2nd |
N/A |
7th |
N/A |
N/A |
NTS |
NTS |
3rd |
N/A |
4th |
N/A |
N/A |
t-23rd |
NTS |
| 2021-22 |
3rd |
4th |
6th |
5th |
26th |
10th |
NTS |
1st |
4th |
6th |
2nd |
15th |
NTS |
t-49th |
|
OVC |
Region |
National |
OVC |
Region |
National |
| Year |
XC |
ID
T&F |
OD T&F |
XC |
XC |
ID
T&F |
OD
T&F |
XC |
ID
T&F |
OD
T&F |
XC |
XC |
ID
T&F |
OD
T&F |
| 2022-23 |
3rd |
6th |
8th |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
2nd |
6th |
8th |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| Individual Accomplishments under Hillyard |
| Men's Accomplishments |
Women's Accomplishments |
| XC All-Americans |
T&F All-Americans |
GLVC Champions |
XC All-Americans |
T&F All-Americans |
GLVC Champions |
Ben Kapsoiya
-1998 (3rd)
Joey Byrne
-2001 (13th)
Paul Jellema
-2006 (24th)
-2007 (21st)
Tim Sirbek
-2007 (17th)
Bryan Phillips
-2008 (39th)
Dustin Emerick
-2009 (28th)
-2010 (28th)
Brendan Devine
-2009 (39th)
-2010 (31st)
Michael Jordan
-2011 (21st)
Johnnie Guy
-2013 (9th)
-2014 (8th)
-2015 (23rd)
Tyler Pence
-2014 (7th)
Tyler Schickel
-2014 (40th)
Chase Broughton
-2016 (27th)
Noah Lutz
-2016 (35th)
Titus Winders
-2018 (30th)
-2019 (13th)
Noah Hufnagel
-2022 (17th) |
Ben Kapsoiya
-1999 (ID mile)
-1999 (OD 1500m)
-1999 (OD 5000m)
Jesse Davis
-2006 (ID 800m)
Paul Jellema
-2007 (ID 5000m)
-2007 (OD 5000m)
-2007 (OD 10k)
Tim Sirbek
-2007 (OD Steeple)
Dustin Emerick
-2011 (OD 10k)
-2012 (OD 10k)
Michael Jordan
-2012 (OD Steeple)
-2013 (ID 3000m)
-2013 (ID 3000m)
-2013 (OD Steeple)
Johnnie Guy
-2013 (OD 5000m)
-2013 (OD 10k)
-2014 (ID 5,000m)
-2014 (OD 5000m)
-2014 (OD 10k)
-2015 (ID 3000m)
-2015 (ID 5000m)
-2015 (OD 5000m)
-2015 (OD 10k)
-2016 (ID 3000m)
-2016 (ID 5000m)
-2016 (OD 5000m)
-2016 (OD 10k)
Tyler Pence
-2014 (ID 3,000m)
-2014 (ID 5000m)
-2015 (ID 3000m)
-2015 (ID 5,000m)
-2015 (OD 5000m)
-2015 (OD 10k)
-2016 (OD 5000m)
-2016 (OD 10k)
Tyler Schickel
-2014 (ID mile)
-2014 (OD 1500m)
Josh Guy
-2015 (OD 10k)
-2016 (OD 10k)
Hunter Motz
-2015 (OD Steeple)
Chase Broughton
-2016 (OD Steeple)
-2017 (ID 3000m)
-2017 (ID DMR)
-2017 (OD Steeple)
Bastian Grau
-2017 (ID DMR)
-2017 (ID Mile)
-2017 (OD 1500m)
-2018 (OD 5000m)
Javan Winders
-2017 (ID DMR)
Tyler Kruse
-2017 (ID DMR)
Zach Barton
-2020 (ID 60m)
Titus Winders
-2020 (ID 3000m)
-2020 (ID 5000m)
-2022 (ID 3000m)
-2022 (ID 5000m)
-2022 (OD 10k)
Austin Nolan
-2022 (OD 10k) |
Jason Heile
-1999 (OD Steeple)
Ben Kapsoiya
-1999 (OD 1,500m)
Joey Byrne
-2001 Cross Country
-2002 (OD Steeple)
-2002 Cross Country
-2003 (ID 5000m)
Doug Schwartz
-2004 (OD 5000m)
-2005 (ID DMR)
Jesse Davis
-2004 (OD Steeple)
-2005 (ID DMR)
-2006 (ID 800m)
-2006 (ID 3000m)
Jake England
-2005 (ID DMR)
Tom Cunningham
-2009 (OD 200m)
Tim Bill
-2005 (ID DMR)
Brandon Jones
-2007 (ID DMR)
David Tyler
-2006 (OD 10000m)
Paul Jellema
-2007 (ID DMR)
-2007 (ID 3000m)
-2007 (OD 5000m)
-2007 (OD 10000m)
-2007 Cross Country
Tim Sirbek
-2007 (ID DMR)
-2007 (OD Steeple)
Jake Stahl
-2007 (ID DMR)
Tristan Mannix
-2008 (ID 3000m)
David Goodman
-2008 (ID 5000m)
Brandon Campbell
-2009 (OD Steeple)
Dustin Emerick
-2009 (ID 5000m)
-2009 (OD 10000m)
-2011 (ID DMR)
-2011 (OD 5000m)
-2012 (ID 3000m)
-2012 (ID 5000m)
-2012 (OD 5000m)
Matt Zielske
-2009 (ID Mile)
Michael Jordan
-2010 (OD Steeple)
-2011 (ID DMR)
-2011 (OD Steeple)
-2012 Cross Country
-2013 (ID 3000m)
-2013 (OD Steeple)
Andrew Dixon
-2010 (OD 10000m)
Michael Callison
-2011 (ID DMR)
-2011 (ID Mile)
-2012 (OD Steeple)
-2014 (OD Steeple)
Bryan Suarez
-2011 (ID DMR)
Brendan Devine
-2011 Cross Country
Zach Ballenger
-2012 (OD Javelin)
Tyler Schickel
-2013 (ID Mile)
-2014 (ID Mile)
-2014 (ID DMR)
-2015 (ID Mile)
-2015 (ID DMR)
Johnnie Guy
-2013 (OD 5000m)
-2013 Cross Country
-2014 (ID 5000m)
-2014 (OD 1500m)
-2014 (OD 5000m)
-2014 Cross Country
-2015 (ID 3000m)
-2015 (ID 5000m)
-2015 (OD 5000m)
-2015 Cross Country
-2016 (ID 3000m)
-2016 (ID DMR)
-2016 (OD 5000m)
Tyler Pence
-2013 (OD 10000m)
-2014 (ID 3000m)
-2015 (ID DMR)
Solomon Bennett
-2014 (ID DMR)
Trent Martinez
-2014 (ID DMR)
Cain Parker
-2014 (ID DMR)
Zach Watson
-2014 (OD H.J.)
-2015 (OD H.J.)
Chase Broughton
-2015 (ID DMR)
-2016 (ID DMR)
-2016 (ID Mile)
-2017 (ID DMR)
-2017 (ID 3000m)
-2017 (OD Steeple)
Marius Ulrich
-2015 (ID DMR)
Hunter Motz
-2015 (OD Steeple)
Jesse Stanley
-2016 (ID DMR)
DeAvion Sullivan
-2016 (ID DMR)
Bastian Grau
-2017 (ID mile)
-2017 (ID DMR)
-2017 (OD 1500m)
-2018 (OD 1500m)
-2018 (OD 5000m)
Tyler Kruse
-2017 (ID DMR)
Javan Winders
-2017 (ID DMR)
Noah Lutz
-2017 (OD 5000m)
Austin Nolan
-2017 (OD 10000m)
-2017 Cross Country
-2018 (ID 3000m)
-2018 (ID 5000m)
-2018 Cross Country
-2020 (ID 3000m)
-2022 (ID 5000m)
-2022 (OD 10000m)
Nathan Hall
-2019 (OD Steeple)
Titus Winders
-2019 Cross Country
-2022 (ID Mile)
-2022 (ID 3000m)
-2022 (ID DMR)
-2022 (OD 5000m)
Wyat Harmon
-2020 (ID 5000m)
Madison King
-2022 (ID DMR)
Rick Pflanz
-2022 (ID DMR)
Silas Winders
-2022 (ID DMR)
—————————
OVC Champions
Noah Hufnagel
-2022 Cross Country
-2023 (ID 3000m)
-2023 (OD 5000m)
-2023 (OD 10000m) |
Nicole Shepler
-1998 (28th)
Heather Cooksey
-2004 (17th)
Allison Shafer
-2006 (15th)
Mary Ballinger
-2007 (17th)
-2008 (10th)
-2009 (5th)
Jackie Henderson
-2010 (40th)
Julia Kohnen
-2014 (11th)
Emily Roberts
-2015 (5th)
-2016 (5th)
Jessica Reeves
-2016 (9th)
Jennifer Comastri
-2019 (23rd)
Cameron Hough
-2021 (33rd) |
Melissa Eddy
-2001 (OD 3000m)
Heather Cooksey
-2003 (OD 3000m)
-2003 (OD 5000m)
-2004 (ID Mile)
-2004 (OD 3000m)
-2004 (OD 5000m)
-2005 (ID 5000m)
-2005 (ID DMR)
-2005 (OD 3000m)
-2005 (OD 5000m)
-2008 (ID 5000m)
Jenny Farmer
-2003 (OD 3000m)
-2003 (OD 5000m)
Abby Boberg
-2003 (ID H.J.)
-2004 (OD H.J.)
Candace Perry
-2004 (ID L.J.)
-2004 (OD L.J.)
-2005 (ID L.J.)
-2005 (OD L.J.)
Crystal Stock
-2005 (ID DMR)
-2005 (OD 3000m)
-2006 (OD 3000m)
Natalie Clark
-2005 (ID DMR)
Missy Burgin
-2005 (ID DMR)
-2007 (OD Steeple)
Allison Shafer
-2007 (ID 5000m)
-2007 (OD 10k)
Mary Ballinger
-2008 (ID 5000m)
-2009 (ID 5000m)
-2009 (ID DMR)
-2009 (OD Steeple)
-2010 (ID Mile)
-2010 (OD Steeple)
Lauren Crick
-2009 (ID DMR)
Christy Dixon
-2009 (ID DMR)
Lacy Williams
-2009 (ID DMR)
Julia Kohnen
-2015 (ID 5000m)
-2015 (OD 5000m)
-2015 (OD 10k)
Skylair Hilton
-2015 (ID 5000m)
-2015 (OD 10k)
Emily Roberts
-2016 (ID 5000m)
-2016 (OD 10k)
Jamie Adkins
-2016 (OD 10k)
Hope Jones
-2019 (OD 10k)
-2020 (ID 5000m)
Jennifer Comastri
-2020 (ID 3000m)
-2020 (ID 5000m)
-2021 (ID 5000m)
-2021 (OD 5000m)
Emma Brown
-2021 (ID DMR)
McKenna
Cavanaugh
-2021 (ID DMR)
-2021 (ID 3000m)
Kaylee Lane
-2021 (ID DMR)
Allison Morphew
-2021 (ID DMR)
Cameron Hough
-2022 (OD 10k)
|
Melissa Eddy
-1999 (OD 3000m)
-2000 (ID 3000m)
Christy Moore
-1999 (OD 5000m)
Jenny Farmer
-2001 (ID Mile)
-2001 (OD 3000m)
-2001 (OD 5000m)
-2002 (ID Mile)
-2002 (OD 1500m)
-2002 (OD 3000m)
-2003 (ID 3000m)
-2003 (ID DMR)
-2003 (OD 1500m)
Casey Schneider
-2002 (OD 5000m)
-2003 (OD 10000m)
Sunny Hipple
-2003 (ID DMR)
Heather Cooksey
-2003 (ID Mile)
-2003 (ID DMR)
-2003 (OD 3000m)
-2004 (ID 800m)
-2004 (ID Mile)
-2004 (OD 3000m)
-2004 Cross Country
-2005 (ID Mile)
-2005 (ID DMR)
-2005 (OD 3000m)
-2005 Cross Country
-2008 (ID DMR)
Abby Boberg
-2003 (ID High Jump)
-2003 (OD H.J.)
-2004 (OD H.J.)
Ashleigh Griechen
-2003 (ID DMR)
Missy Burgin
-2005 (ID DMR)
-2005 (OD Steeple)
-2005 (OD 5000m)
-2006 (Steeple)
-2007 (OD Steeple)
-2007 (OD 5000m)
Candace Perry
-2004 (ID Long Jump)
-2004 (ID Long Jump)
-2005 (OD L.J.)
-2005 (OD L.J.)
Natalie Clark
-2005 (ID DMR)
Crystal Stock
-2005 (ID DMR)
-2006 (OD 1500m)
-2006 (OD 3000m)
Christy Dixon
-2008 (ID DMR)
Molly Gilland
-2006 (OD H.J.)
Brittany Stellhorn
-2006 (OD 10000m)
Allison Shafer
-2006 Cross Country
-2007 (ID 3000m)
-2007 (OD 3000m)
Sarah Baysden
-2007 (OD 10000m)
-2009 (OD 10000m)
Mary Ballinger
-2008 (ID 5000m)
-2008 (ID DMR)
-2008 (OD Steeple)
-2009 (Mile)
-2009 (Steeple)
-2009 (3000m)
-2009 Cross Country
-2010 (ID Mile)
-2010 (3000m)
-2010 (Steeple)
Lauren Crick
-2008 (ID DMR)
Jackie Henderson
-2010 (OD 3000m)
-2011 (ID 3000m)
-2011 (ID 5000m)
-2011 Cross Country
Allison Laird
-2011 (OD 10000m)
Augusta Schrader
-2012 (OD Steeple)
-2014 (OD Steeple)
Erika Wilson
-2013 (OD 5000m)
Julia Kohnen
-2015 (OD 5000m)
Emily Roberts
-2016 Cross Country
Hope Jones
-2017 (ID 5000m)
-2018 (ID 3000m)
-2018 (ID 5000m)
Melina Gryshka
-2018 (ID Mile)
Jennifer Comastri
-2020 (ID 3000m)
-2021 (OD 5000m)
-2021 Cross Country
-2022 (OD 10000m)
Cameron Hough
-2022 (ID 5000m)
-2022 (OD 5000m)
—————————
OVC Champions
Lauren Greiwe
-2022 Cross Country
-2023 (ID 5000m)
-2023 (OD Steeple)
-2023 (OD 10000m) |
