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"Drew
falls right into that classification.
We are excited that he has accepted our
challenge of rebuilding our women’s
cross country and track programs, ones
that we want to see compete at the conference,
regional and national levels."
Ludtke
knows a little about rebuilding programs,
having done so in both sports on the men’s
and women’s side at Lake Superior
State University in Michigan’s Upper
Peninsula.
There,
the 30-year-old took over programs that
had 30 participants in 2002 and built
them up to 74 student-athletes in the spring of 2005. At the same time, he developed
15 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics
Conference (GLIAC) all-conference athletes,
and 49 school records were established
in the track program under his tutelage.
One of those marks - a time of 14:36 in
the 5,000-meter run - also serves as a
GLIAC record.
Ludtke
has also guided nine athletes onto the
NCAA performance list.
Prior
to his return to Lake Superior State,
where he earned a Bachelor of Science
in Education and Psychology and graduated
cum laude in 1999, Ludtke served as both
an assistant and head cross country coach
and an assistant track coach for the men’s
and women’s programs at University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, from
1999-2002. During that time, he also earned
a Masters of Science in Kinesiology.
Each
of Ludtke’s first two men’s
cross country teams fared well at North
Texas, claiming a Sun Belt Conference
(SBC) Championship in 2000 and a runner-up
finish in 2001. The women’s track
team also placed second in the league
in 2002 with the men’s program earning
the outdoor conference crown later that
year.
Of
those championship teams, nine athletes
went on to capture all-SBC honors.
"As
a coach, Drew is excellent, but what really
set him apart from the other 79 candidates
for the position was his ability to coach
the whole person," continued Laketa.
"He is interested in developing each
of his runners as a full person, not just
as an athlete. That is what is most important."
Ludtke’s
list of accomplishments is evidence of
that philosophy. Just two years ago, he
was chosen by the students at Lake Superior
State to receive the Golden Anchor Service
Award, which is presented to the top staff
member at the school for his/her commitment
to the students. One year earlier, Ludtke’s
track team was named the school’s
most outstanding organization for their
service and involvement both inside and
outside the school community.
Ludtke
also gained praise as a teacher, earning
teaching fellow of the year accolades
twice while at University of North Texas.
A
scholarship basketball player upon his
arrival to Lake Superior State in 1995,
Ludtke joined the track team one year
later and also competed in cross country
for two seasons. On the court, he was
a member of the 1995-96 GLIAC championship
team, while in track he placed as high
as fifth in the league at the 1998 championships.
He also ran for the nationally-ranked
Laker cross-country team in 1998.
Ludtke
closed out his career at Lake Superior
State earning athlete-of-the-year runner-up
honors in 1998-99. That same year, he
was recognized as the top athlete devoted
to campus/athletic development at the
school and was awarded the Bud Cooper
Award for that distinction. Included in
his involvement was serving as the vice
president of the student-athlete advisory
committee.
One
year earlier, he acted as president of
the university’s honors program.
Ludtke
finished his track career at North Texas, where he earned his fourth letter
in the sport and was a part of the Mean
Green's conference championship team in
2000.
"These
are exciting times for the St. Francis
athletic department and Drew is just another
part of that development," concluded
Laketa. "We can’t wait to see
the women’s cross country and track
programs take off under his guidance."
Ludtke,
his wife, Jen, and daughter Deena
make their home in Joliet.
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