Now entering his eighth season as the head coach of Missouri's cross country team, Jared Wilmes, partnered with wife and assistant coach, Rebecca, have combined to produce one of the strongest cross country programs in the nation. Since taking the helm in 2000, Wilmes, whose concentration lies in Missouri's men's program, has coached five teams to NCAA Cross Country Championship appearances, two teams to NCAA Midwest Regional titles and two women to All-America honors. Serving also as Mizzou's middle distance coach during the track and field seasons, Wilmes has guided an additional nine runners to All-America accolades, including 2004 Olympian Derrick Peterson. Wilmes' success since taking over the Tiger program has been undeniable. The 2006 season was highlighted by senior Tim Ross's NCAA Cross County Championship appearance. Ross finished in the top half among the nation's best cross country runners. As a team, the Tiger men finished sixth in the Big 12 Championships and fourth in the NCAA Regional Championships. Several Tigers had successful seasons and many young runners gained valuable experience that they can carry into the 2007-08 school year. The women's team also gained valuable competitive experience in 2006. The Tigers finished seventh at the Big 12 Championships with Kate Greer and Amanda Bales earning All-Midwest Region honors for their top-25 showing at the NCAA Regional Championships. Wilmes' commitment to excellence is not limited to the athletic arena. The academic success of the Missouri Cross Country program is equally remarkable. Posting a collective 3.54 and 3.36 grade-point average in the 2006-07 school year, the women's and men's cross country teams, respectively, had the highest GPA for women's and men's teams at the University of Missouri. For their work in the classroom, 19 members of the men's and women's cross country teams were named First Team Academic All-Big 12 honorees, with one individual named to the second team. The Tigers also had three Academic All-Americans, while two women, Amanda Bales and Maddie Schueler earned a 4.0 GPA. The women's team reached new heights in the Winter of 2005 after tallying a 3.72 GPA, breaking the previous MU Athletic Department all-time GPA of 3.68, also set by the women's cross country team in Fall 2003. Over the last two years, six of the student-athletes that Wilmes has coached were awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. In addition, the last two Director of Athletics Leadership Awards were given to former Tiger cross country runners Neville Miller and Amanda Bales. In addition to coaching distance runners during his time at Missouri, Wilmes has guided several middle distance student-athletes including former Tiger, Peterson. Running a personal-best time of 1:45.08 in the 800-meter race at the 2004 United States Track and Field (USATF) Olympic Trials, in Sacramento, Calif., Peterson finished third and qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Wilmes, a Hopkins, Mo., native, is no stranger to Missouri athletics. Involved at the University of Missouri for over 15 years as a student-athlete, coach and staff member, Wilmes competed at MU from 1990-95 and developed into one of the best middle distance athletes in the program's distinguished history. In addition to earning four All-America titles, the three-time team captain was a Big Eight champion in the 800-meter run and claimed multiple wins at the prestigious Drake, Kansas and Florida Relays. Wilmes was the winner of several Academic All-America awards and graduated magna cum laude in 1994, earning a dual degree in agriculture economics and business. Wilmes was the recipient of two postgraduate scholarships, (Big Eight and NCAA). Between 1995 and 1998, Wilmes served as a graduate assistant coach with both the Missouri Track and Cross Country teams. During his time, Wilmes was involved in all aspects of the program, including a heavy focus on recruiting. Wilmes stayed with the department of athletics for the next two years (1999-2000) as an economic analyst in the Missouri business office before being named the cross country head coach in 2000. Wilmes, 35, is married to the former Rebecca Davis, a two-time track All-American at Missouri and assistant head cross country coach. Together, the two have a son, Garrett, who will turn four Nov. 10. | |||||||||||||
