ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Central Washington University Director of Athletics Dennis Francois announced today that Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Kevin Adkisson will not be retained after the current academic year.

Adkisson, a 1991 graduate of Willamette University, has been a fixture within Wildcat Athletics since he arrived in Ellensburg in the fall of 1991 as a graduate student and a volunteer coach.  He earned his master' degree in exercise science in 1993 and was hired as an assistant coach in the fall of 1993.  Adkisson took over the program in 1994 upon the departure of long-time head coach Spike Arlt.

Under Adkisson's tenure Central Washington's Cross Country and Track and Field teams saw much success. Adkisson coached Krissy Tandle to her shotput national championship in 2009. Adkisson also oversaw 19 women's outdoor, 13 women's indoor, 23 men's outdoor, and seven men's indoor All-Americans as the Track and Field coach.

Adkisson led the women's indoor team to a 16^th place finish in the nation in 2009 and a 20^th place finish in the nation in 2019. The women's indoor team also won the GNAC Championship in 2018.

The men's indoor track team won the GNAC Championship in 2007 and finished 29^th in the nation in 2018, while the men's outdoor track team won the GNAC Championship in 2006 and 2007 with their highest finish coming in 2005 at 25^th in the nation.

The men's cross-country team had two All-Americans while the women's cross-country team had six All-Americans under Adkisson's guidance. The women's cross-country team has finished in the top-25 in the nation three times, including the highest-ranking being 7^th in 2000, and a 10^th place finish in 1999. The women's cross-country team won the GNAC Championship twice in 2000 and 2004, with the 2000 squad going on to win the West Regional Championship.

"I want to thank Kevin for his 30-plus years of service to CWU.  He has definitely left an indelible mark on Wildcat Athletics, and we wish him the very best in the future," said Director of Athletics Dennis Francois. 

Francois stated that a national search will be launched immediately to find Adkisson's replacement.  With the construction of a $9M new track & field complex in 2018 and the much-anticipated completion of the $60M Nicholson Pavilion renovation this September, Francois is confident that the position will attract a broad and diverse pool of qualified candidates.