Paulsen, Teubel elevated in track and field/cross country roles
10/20/2022 9:00:00 AM | Cross Country, Track and Field
Paulsen to serve as director of track and field/cross country. Teubel named head cross county coach.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI Athletics announced on Thursday that head cross country/track and field coach Dave Paulsen has been elevated to the role of director of track and field/cross country effective immediately. Assistant coach Alex Teubel has also been promoted to the role of head cross country coach.
Paulsen, who was named the head coach of both UNI programs in 2015, will continue to oversee operations of the cross country/track and field teams. Teubel will assume the day-to-day management of both men's and women's cross country programs.
"Dave and Alex have done an outstanding job working together to elevate the UNI track and field and cross country programs," said director of athletics David Harris. "Dave will continue to provide overall leadership, but this gives Alex a great opportunity to step forward and provide more guidance and instruction on a daily basis. Our programs have had amazing success over the past several years and I have no doubt that we will continue to see our student-athletes excel. Dave and Alex work hard, love this institution and represent the very best of what the Panther family has to offer."Â
"I want to thank David Harris and the entire athletics administration for their confidence in our program to take this next step with how our staff is structured," said Coach Paulsen. "This supports one of our main goals of providing student athletes with the best possible experience while at UNI. Alex has done an excellent job for this program and I am excited for her to thrive in her new role as head cross country coach."
A former All-American distance runner and two-time UNI graduate, Paulsen has earned Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year recognition six times during his career, including five times as the top men's track and field coach in the league in both indoor and outdoor competition. The Panthers have won two men's indoor and three outdoor MVC team championships under Paulsen, most recently in 2021. UNI also won the 2016 MVC team title in women's cross country, the program's first since the 2000 season.
As a member of the UNI coaching staff, Paulsen has helped coach athletes that have earned 46 MVC event titles, qualified for the NCAA Championships 20 times, earned seven NCAA All-American honors and broken five MVC records.Â
Paulsen previously served as head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Central College from 2006-08. He earned All-American honors in 2002 at UNI as a member of its NCAA qualifying distance medley relay team. The Waverly, Iowa native received his bachelor's degree from UNI in political science in 2004 and earned his master's degree in exercise science from UNI in 2006. He and his wife, Dee have a son, Caleb and daughters, Chloe and Kadee.Â
"I couldn't be happier to officially be named the head coach of the UNI cross country program," said Coach Teubel. "I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a great group of student-athletes and alongside our passionate staff at UNI. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish!"
A former standout distance runner for the Panthers, Teubel compiled a stellar career at UNI in both cross country and track from 2012-15. During her junior season, she set the current UNI women's cross country record in the 5K race at 17:07. On the track, Teubel was part of multiple school records in both indoor and outdoor competition, including the mile run, 3,000-meters and steeplechase. A two-time NCAA West Region qualifier, Teubel took home 3 MVC event titles during her senior year, including the indoor mile, as well as the outdoor 800 and 1500-meter runs. She graduated from UNI in 2015 as a double major in criminology and sociology.Â
Teubel joined the Panther staff following graduation and immediately helped garner success. She was on hand during UNI's 2016 MVC women's cross country championship season that saw four runners finish in the top-10, including MVC Freshman of the Year Hannah Truniger. Teubel continued her running career professionally following her time at UNI, qualifying for the U.S Championship Finals in 2017, 2018 and 2019 in the steeplechase. She also competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon in 2016 and was a finalist in 2021.