LAKEWOOD, CO- The Cross Country and Track & Field Programs are happy to announce the hiring of two new assistant coaches in Landon Miller and Rachel Nichwitz. The pair will assist head coach Jon Poag in coaching the men's and women's teams for both these highly successful sports and help grow the program in the years to come. 

Landon comes to CCU after previously serving as a volunteer assistant coach for one year at Liberty University. Landon competed collegiately at Indiana Wesleyan University. In his time there, Landon was on the runner-up team at Nationals in 2018 for IWU. He was also an individual All-American in cross country and earned five All-American honors in indoor track, including a runner-up finish in the mile in 2021. Upon graduation in 2021, he transferred as a grad student to Liberty University where he competed for one year and made the 2022 East Regional Track Meet in the steeplechase. Landon earned his undergraduate degree in Sport Management with a minor in Coaching from Indiana Wesleyan, and a master's in Sport Management: Athletic Administration in Coaching from Liberty University. 

Rachel begins her first year as the assistant track and cross country coach at CCU with a lot of experience in the sport. She ran collegiately at the University of Arkansas and graduated with a degree in Kinesiology in 2019. While at Arkansas, she was a member of three SEC cross country championship teams, three indoor track and field SEC championship teams, and two outdoor SEC championship teams. Rachel was a 3-time NCAA Division 1 West Regional Qualifier in the 3k Steeplechase with a personal best time of 10:09. During her time as a Razorback, the Women's XC/TF Team won national titles in both indoor and outdoor track and field. Upon graduation from Arkansas, Rachel earned her master's degree in Outdoor and Adventure Leadership from Wheaton College at the HoneyRock Center for Leadership Development. While serving as a graduate assistant for HoneyRock, Rachel oversaw multiple high-school summer camper programs and led various teams of college students within the ministry. She then served as the Group Program Manager at HoneyRock for two years leading all hospitality and retreat ministries in addition to assisting in the facilitation of school year and summer programs. Rachel is originally from Fishers, IN where her parents John, Liz, and younger sister, Rylee still reside.