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Now in her sixth year as the Pacific Lutheran University track
& field head coach since 2005, Heather Kreier is eager to
develop her Lute squad to greater successes.
Heather's PLU coaching success was kicked off during the 2005
indoor track and field season when she was selected as NCAA
Regional Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of The Year (West
Region). During the 2005 season, Kreier rallied a freshman
women's weight thrower to a NCAA indoor track &
field All-America berth. She, along with her staff, took four
athletes (three men and one woman) to the 2005 NCAA outdoor track
& field championships in hurdles, hammer and the decathlon.
During her first season as a Lute coach, she helped guide athletes
to the following honors: one indoor All-American, one outdoor
All-American and one track academic All-American. In 2008, Heather
was again selected as NCAA Regional Women's Indoor Track &
Field Coach of The Year (West Region) and her women's weight
thrower was awarded NCAA Regional Women's Indoor Field Athlete of
The Year (West Region). The 2008 outdoor season proved
fruitful again with All-America honors for her women's 400-meter
hurdler. "My foundation philosophy is simple: seek and expect
individual improvement and excellence from student-athletes and the
wins will come."
She has a very impressive high school coaching background in cross
country, swimming, and track & field. Prior to coming to PLU,
her most recent coaching positions were at Decatur High School in
Federal Way, where she was the head coach for boys and girls cross
country, boys and girls track & field, and boys swimming, which
won the 2003 Washington State 4A team championship. Kreier also
brings to her coaching expertise an academic background in exercise
physiology, biomechanics, sports nutrition, and health and fitness.
She specializes with the middle-distance athletes. She is also the
men's and women's cross country head coach at PLU.
Heather earned her B.S. degree in physical education in 1997 from
the University of Puget Sound. She is the owner of a health and
wellness program called "Fit 4 Life." Heather and her husband,
Bret, live in Spanaway with their two children, Porter, 11, and
Amber, 9.
Al Broeckel returns to his alma mater for his seventh season as
an assistant coach since 2004. His primary coaching responsibility
is the pole vault.
Broeckel received his bachelor's and master's degrees in Education
from Pacific Lutheran. He taught and coached football, basketball
and track in the DuPont-Fort Lewis and Clover Park school
districts, and still coaches track at Bethel High School.
Broeckel and his wife June, a retired elementary school teacher
who is also a PLU alum, reside in Fircrest, Wash. They have three
grown children and two grandchildren.
Dan Haakenson is in his sixth season since 2005 as the throwing coach at Pacific Lutheran, from which he graduated and at which he competed as a thrower for four years. As an athlete Haakenson won three conference championships in the discus and hammer and as a senior was recognized as an All-American in the hammer throw.
In the past four seasons he has coached four athletes to seven national championships appearances, and has coached a school record holder and All-American.
Haakenson earned his bachelors degree from PLU in 2005 with a double major in English and Classics.
Martha Mendenhall is in her fourth season as a PLU assistant track and field coach after starting in 2007. Mendenhall will be coaching the high jump for both men and women.
Martha attended and competed for St. Thomas Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich. In 2000 she founded the NEMESIS Track Club in Tacoma.
With more than 20 years of coaching experience, she has primarily coached high jump, sprints and hurdle technique, with high jump being her forte. She was fortunate to have coached at Bellarmine Prep for 12 years.
Martha is currently a member of the USATF Masters Team, competing in the high jump, 100 and 200 meters. In 2005, she was the national gold medalist in all three events followed by a win in the high jump at the Masters World Championships in Spain. In 2009 she competed in the World Championships in Lahti, Finland, bringing home gold again in the high jump and bronze in both long jump and 4x100 relay. She holds All-America status in all three of her events and world ranking in the high jump.
Martha is a real estate agent with Windermere Professional Partners in Tacoma. She and her husband, Patrick, have three daughters, Claire, Grace and Hannah, and a granddaughter, Violet.
Michael Waller is in his sixth season as a PLU assistant track and field coach since 2005. His primary responsibilities are the sprints and relay events.
His coaching background includes six seasons as an assistant coach at Decatur High School (1999-2004) and six years at the Federal Way Track Club (1995-2000) as the head sprint coach. He helped coach the Decatur girls' team to a third-place finish at state and coached the 2004 state champion in the 100 and the state runner-up in the 200. At the Federal Way Track Club, he has coached several national finalists.
Waller is currently the USATF Masters Track National Champion in the 400-meter sprint (M50). He is a national champion in the 200-meter dash (M45) and a nine-year All-American in the 100-meter dash.
Waller is a Pastor at Christ Life Center Church in Tacoma. He and his wife, Vanessa, are the parents of three sons, Michael Jr., Joshua and Caleb.
Chris Wood is in his fourth season as a Pacific Lutheran track & field assistant coach since 2007. He is responsible for long jump, triple jump, javelin and the coordination of decathletes and heptathletes.
Wood wears several hats at Pacific Lutheran. His primary responsibility is serving as the athletic department's strength and conditioning coordinator.
He most recently held coaching positions on the east coast at Temple and LaSalle universities in the area of strength and conditioning, working with track & field and basketball athletes.
Wood earned his undergraduate degree in exercise science from the University of Puget Sound in 2003, and his master's degree in sport and recreation administration from Temple University in 2005.
