Track and Field
- Title:
- Assistant Coach - Long Sprints/Mid-Distance/Distance
- Email:
- alexinaw@uni.edu
- Phone:
- (319) 273-4737
Alex Wilson is in her fourth year as a full-time assistant coach for the UNI track and field and cross country programs. She works primarily with the middle distance, distance runners and long sprinters on the track.
In the 2018 cross country season, Whal Khat finished eighth and McKayla Cole finished 11th at the MVC championship to earn All-Conference honors.
During the 2018 Outdoor season, Ben Ahlrichs placed third in the steeplechase at the Drake Relays with the eighth-best time in UNI history. McKayla Cole finished third in the 10K to earn All-Conference honors. The UNI men won the outdoor championship. Alex Jackson earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
In the 2018 Indoor season, McKayla Cole finished fifth in the 5k and sixth in the 3k. She ran the seventh-best 5K time in UNI history.
During the 2017 cross country season, the Panthers placed second at the MVC meet and finished seventh at the NCAA Midwest Regional, the highest finish in school history. McKayla Cole was named the MVC Freshman of the Year.
She worked with Hannah Truniger and McKayla Cole in the 5k at the US Junior Championships. The duo finished second and third in the event Truniger qualified to represent the US team at the Pan Am Games.
During the 2017 outdoor season, Freshman CJ May was the conference champion in the steeplechase and Truniger earned runner-up honors in the 10 and All-Conference honors in the 5k.
In the 2017 Indoor season, Wilson mentored all-conference performer and Freshman, Truniger to a 3rd place finish in the 3,000 meters and 6th place finish in the 5k. Hannah ran the 3rd best 5k time in school history that season 16:56
Wilson was on hand during the 2016 cross country season, helping the UNI women to the 2016 MVC Cross Country Championships where they placed first overall to claim the team title. She coached the Panthers to four top-10 finishes at the meet, including Hannah Truniger who earned MVC Freshman of the Year. Under her direction, Wilson coached the Panthers to a ninth place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional to finish the year, the highest team finish at the NCAA Regional meet in school history.
On the track in 2015-16, Wilson helped the UNI distance and middle distance runners to a breakout season. She saw Amber Clock run the second-fastest time in UNI history in the indoor 800 meters, going on to win the event at the MVC Indoor Championships with Brette Correy scoring a second place finish. She also saw Correy run the No. 3 time in school history in the mile and Kelsey Kirchoff run the fourth-fastest time in the indoor 3,000 meters and break the school record in the 5,000 meters.
During the outdoor season, Wilson coached Correy and Clock to personal-bests in the 800 meters, landing at No. 2 and No. 3 all-time at UNI, respectively. Correy went on to run a personal-best in the 1,500 meters as well, ranking her No. 3 all-time as a Panther to qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary Round. She saw Clock claim her second MVC title of the season in the outdoor 800 meters to earn a spot at the NCAA West Preliminary Round with Correy earning all-conference in the 1,500 meters.
Wilson has not turned the page on her own athletic career. she has competed professionally in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, qualifying for the US Championship Final in the 2017 and 2018 season. It was an unknown event for the former Panther superstar before joining the pro ranks, but she soon showed her chops. Throughout the summer of 2016, the hard work paid off for Wilson when she was invited to the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.
Wilson was a standout student-athlete at the University of Northern Iowa, breaking school records in cross country and track. She is a two-time NCAA West Region qualifier and a five-time All-Conference selection in track and field.
The Lisbon, Iowa native wrapped up her collegiate career with a shining senior campaign, winning both the 1,500 and 800 meters at the 2015 MVC Outdoor Championships. It was just the fifth time in conference history that someone has accomplished the feat. She also picked up the indoor mile title at the Indoor Championships.
Wilson has had a hand in seven different UNI records between her indoor and outdoor career. She is ranked No. 1 in the outdoor 1,500 meters (4:18.27) and the indoor 1,000 (2:50.35), mile (4:44.32) and 3,000 meters (9:29.52).
During her senior cross country season, Wilson broke the school record in the 5K with a time of 17:07.82, finishing second overall at the MVC Cross Country Championships. Her personal-best time earned All-Conference and Scholar-Athlete honors.
Wilson graduated from UNI in 2015 with a double major in criminology and sociology.
