WICHITA – After twenty-three years of leading the men's and women's cross-country programs at Newman, Head Coach Josh Schepis has announced his retirement. Schepis is the lone coach in the history of the Newman University cross country program.
Schepis was brought on to start the programs in their inaugural season in 2001. He led the men to four conference championships and both teams to a combined 27 top-three finishes over the span of 17 years in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference and the Heartland Conference. A total of 98 Newman student-athletes were named to their respective all-conference team under Schepis. In 2004, Schepis earned the MCAC men's Coach of the Year honor.
Athletic Director Joanna Pryor had nothing but thanks for Coach Schepis and how he built the program.
"Coach Schepis started the cross country program twenty-three years ago and has made it into what it is today" said Pryor. "He has recruited countless student-athletes that were not just talented runners but great people. I want to thank him for everything he has done for Newman and Newman Athletics. I will miss him both professionally and personally. He ran a professional program and will be missed."
The 2023 season was perhaps coach Schepis's most impressive, as Patricia Limo became the first woman in program history to earn a berth in the NCAA Division II National Championships, where she finished 62nd overall. On top of coaching her to that performance, Limo broke multiple records throughout the fall and earned All-MIAA honors.
Schepis, while proud to have built such a strong program, found it difficult to walk away after this past season.
"I am very proud that I have been the only Coach in program history" said Schepis. "I will miss watching this current group very much. They were hard working and very coachable kids. They made this decision very hard. This last season was arguably our best season ever, setting a record or having a first-time accomplishment in every meet."
Not only excelling as runners, Josh's student-athletes thrived in the classroom. Twenty-Two of his teams were named NCAA USTFCCCA Academic All-American Teams and eleven individuals were awarded with the prestigious honor. Both the men's and women's programs were named to the list this season, with the men named to the list following a team GPA of 3.414, while the women were named to the list with a 3.447 GPA.
The 2014 Men's team was also an academic highlight for the Schepis and the program, with the team being named the Academic Team of the Year with the highest team GPA in the nation.
A search for the next Head Coach will begin immediately. Schepis will remain on staff until a replacement has been named.
