MONMOUTH, Ore. --- The Western Oregon Athletic Department announced Tuesday the promotion of Zach Holloway to head coach of the men's and women's cross country programs.
 
Holloway, a WOU grad and former distance runner for the Wolves, enters his sixth season overall as a coach in Monmouth – the last five as the assistant coach for the cross country and track and field programs under head coach Octavious Gillespie-Bennett – who can now concentrate on the other track and field athletes not involved in the cross country program.
 
"I am excited for Zach to have the opportunity to serve in the role of head men's and women's cross country coach at his alma mater," WOU Executive Director of Athletics Randi Lydum said. "Our strong distance program has continued to grow under his leadership and is an important part of our success during the track & field season. This personnel change also allows coach Octavious Gillespie-Bennett the time to focus primarily on fall training for our other event groups, which will help our overall team development.

"I'm looking forward to the future of Wolves Cross Country!"
 
Holloway - who took over coaching the distance events in fall 2020 - helped WOU sweep the 2023 men's and women's GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championship titles (the men's first indoor title since 2012 and the women's first ever indoor championship) and the women to the 2022 GNAC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Title (first in 12 years). He coached the school record holder in the men's indoor 5,000 (Bailey Smith - 14 minutes, 32 seconds) and the women's outdoor 5,000 (Caitlin Heldt - 17:06). He also coached Hunter Hutton to a NCAA Championships men's finalist appearance, the 2023 DMR team to the No. 8 spot in GNAC history (9:46) and overall has coached 21 All-West Region student-athletes.
 
"Western Oregon has been home now for nine of the past 11 years and I am really excited to continue to work with the program and lead the cross country student-athletes," Holloway said. "The GNAC conference is a fantastic conference to be a part of and while it continues to grow on a national stage in Division II, I look forward to the future battles every year throughout all three seasons. I am thankful for Randi Lydum and Coach Gillespie's leadership and support at Western Oregon."
 
As a student-athlete at WOU, Holloway was a four-year member of the Wolves' track & field program and a NCAA provisional qualifier on three occasions. He continues to reside on the school's all-time indoor top-10 performance list in the 3,000 and 5,000 and on the outdoor list in the steeplechase. Holloway was a USATF Junior National Championship qualifier in the steeplechase.
 
The WOU cross country team is set to start the season Sept. 1 at the Linfield Open in McMinnville.