CONCORDIA – Following one of the most successful seasons in Cloud County Community College women's track and field history, Cloud County head women's track and field coach Ted Schmitz has announced his retirement to conclude a 40-year career with the T-Birds.
Coaching the CCCC women to both the 2021 NJCAA Region VI Indoor and Outdoor Team Titles this past season, Schmitz concludes a career that saw the Baileyville native named NJCAA National Coach of the Year three times (1989, 19999, and 2003) as well as Region VI Coach of the Year nine times (1986, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2018, and 2020). A member of the Cloud County Community College Athletic Hall of Fame and 2021 inductee into the NJCAA Track and Field Coach's Association Hall of Fame, Schmitz would coach the T-Bird women to a third-place finish at the 2021 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and sixth-place finish at the 2021 NJCAA Outdoor Track National Championships.
"Coach Schmitz has been a model coach, mentor, educator, husband and father for four decades at Cloud County Community College" said Cloud County Athletic Director Matt Bechard. "His tremendous faith drives all facets of his life and his approach to developing young track and field athletes is unrivaled. Regardless if it was a local Kansas 'up-and-comer' or an elite athlete, that young lady always received his time, focus and attention to ensure improvement."
In total, Cloud County would earn top-three finishes at the NJCAA Region VI Championships on 25 different occasions under Schmitz while earning seven top-five finishes and 31 top-10 finishes at National Championship meets. Coaching over 275 NJCAA All-Americans, Schmitz would also emphasize academics for all of his student-athletes which would lead to over 200 NJCAA Academic All-Americans.
Before taking lead of the women's track program, Schmitz began his coaching career as the head men's soccer coach at Cloud County in 1981. With the program, the Thunderbirds collected three NJCAA Region VI Championship titles, four runner-up finishes, and seven NJCAA All-American honors. An alumnus of Cloud County, Schmitz received his associate's degree in 1979 before continuing his academic career at Kansas State University while earning his bachelor's degree in education in 1981.
In addition to his coaching duties at CCCC, Schmitz served as the NJCAA Track and Field Coaches Association Parliamentarian from 2010-2013, treasurer from 2013-15, and president from 2015-19. Schmitz also served as sponsor of the Cloud County chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and is a member of the Kansas State FCA Hall of Fame.
With the departure of coach Schmitz, Bechard has announced that current Cloud County head men's and women's cross country coach and assistant track and field coach Drew Mahin will be elevated to head women's track and field coach while retaining his duties as the head coach of the T-Bird cross country teams.
Mahin recently concluded his eighth season with Cloud County and has played a huge role in the development of Cloud athletes on and off the track. Under the guidance of Mahin, the Cloud County cross country teams have seen the T-Bird men win the 2019 National Championship while the CCCC women finished as the 2020 NJCAA Division I Women's Cross Country National Runners-Up by a single-point. Included in the 2020 National Runner-Up finish by the T-Bird women would be the first NJCAA Region VI and Kansas Jayhawk Community College West Division Titles in program history as Cloud County would sweep both the women's and men's titles while the 2019 National Title by the Cloud County men would lead to NJCAA National Coach of the Year honors for Mahin.
"Over the past several years Drew has demonstrated his ability to not only recruit, train, and retain exceptional student-athletes but also manage budgets, academic progress, and lead fundraising initiatives" said Bechard. "Coach Schmitz is one-of-a-kind and will be dearly missed but we are excited for Drew and the future of the T-Bird women's track and field program."
Mahin received his USTAF Level 1 Certification in July 2013 and earned his USTFCCCA Track and Field Technical Certification in 2015. In 2018 he earned the USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Certification.
Prior to coaching at Cloud County, Mahin started his year teaching and coaching career at Phillipsburg HS in 2012-13. During that time the boys track team won 3A Regionals and had a runner-up finish at the state track meet while both the boys and girls teams won the MCL Title for the first time in 44 years.
Mahin attended Pike Valley High School in Scandia. He was a multi-sport athlete and was a part of the 2004 PVHS team that claimed the 1A state title in track and field & runner-up team in same year for 1A Cross County. He went on to Fort Hays State University where he specialized in the 400 hurdles.
A native of Courtland, Mahin earned a bachelor's degree in history and secondary education from Fort Hays State University in 2011. He is married to the former Corinna Hood, of Concordia, and the couple have two daughters, Everly Mahin and Andie Mahin.