LUDTKE NAMED NEW USF WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK COACH
For Immediate Release
August 19, 2005

"Another perfect fit."

That is how University of St. Francis director of athletics Dave Laketa describes his latest coaching acquisition in Drew Ludtke, who was named as the university’s head women’s cross country/track coach on Friday, Aug. 19.

"Our string of good luck continues with Drew’s hiring," said Laketa, who has introduced three new coaches in the past year and nine over the past three seasons. "The caliber of coaches that we have been able to attract in the past three years has been phenomenal and only means great things for our student-athletes and programs.

"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 29-year-old took over programs that had 30 participants in 2002 and built them up to 74 student-athletes this past spring. At the same time, he developed 15 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) all-conference athletes, and 49 school records have been 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 North Texas State University 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 State, 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 last year, 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 North Texas State University.

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 State, where he earned his fourth letter in the sport and was a part of the Mean Green 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."


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