Kayla Kregel will enter her second season as the head coach of the Lindenwood cross country and track and field teams in 2025-26
In Kregel’s first year at the helm of the cross country and track and field programs, the Lions saw much improvement from a season ago. With the track squads, she guided the team to a third-place finish at the Indoor Championships and sixth during outdoor. Kregel coached the OVC Female Track Athlete of the Year who finished first in the 200 meter and second in the 400 meter at the Championships. Her squad broke multiple personal and program bests during the season.
Kregel comes to Lindenwood after spending the last three seasons at Maryville University as the head cross country and track and field coach. In three years, Kregel's teams broke 70 program records. Kregel guided GLVC All-Conference and All-Region Cross Country performer Caleb Pyle in 2021, GLVC Cross Country Freshman of the Year Lyric Ford in 2023. In addition, Kregel's program garnered individuals on the USTFCCCA All-Academic Men & Women Teams from 2021-2024.
"I am honored to be the next Head Men's Cross Country and Women's Cross Country and Track Coach at Lindenwood University", said Kregel. "I am very excited to hit the ground running with a hungry group of athletes who want to carry on the past successes of the program and strive to excel at a high level in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and eventually the NCAA. I want to thank the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Jason Coomer, and Associate Athletic Director, Anna Girdwood for the opportunity."
Prior to Maryville, Kregel was at Keiser University, as the head cross country coach and the assistant coach for the track and field program. She coached the women's cross-country program's second ever national qualifier and helped 90 percent of the men's team post lifetime bests. Kregel helped Isaiah Boyd earn the Sun Conference Champion of Character award. With the track squads, she helped guide Philip Stromne to the national championship in the heptathlon, as well as Shyann Jackson earn All-America honors. Kregel coached eight qualifiers for the 2021 NAIA Outdoor Track Nationals. Kregel assisted Chris Grinley garner 2020 NAIA All-American honors for the second straight season in the 60-meter hurdles. Additionally, she helped four individuals qualify for the NAIA National Championships and one indoor track All-American. Keiser saw three women and two men's individuals earn Sun Conference All-Academic honors.
Before Keiser, Kregel spent two seasons as the head coach of the Cross Country and Track and Field programs at Waldorf University. During her tenure in Forest City, Iowa, she coached NAIA All-Americans in cross country and javelin and trained 18 National qualifiers. Kregel coached the North Star Athletic Conference's women's cross country record holder. Moreover, the USTFCCCA awarded All-Academic Awards to the cross country and track and field teams. Kregel also coached two Academic All-Americans.
Kregel started her coaching career as an assistant coach at Penn State-Behrend. In her two years, she helped the Lions men's and women's cross country teams win two conference championships. She was named the 2016 USTFCCCA, NCAA Division III, and Mideast Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Kregel was also instrumental in the Lions capturing two CSAC outdoor track and field championships. She coached six All-Americans, 12 national qualifiers, and three Academic All-American honorees. In addition, both the cross country and track and field teams earned All-Academic recognition.
As a collegiate standout at Wartburg College, Kregel led the Knights to three straight NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field National Championships from 2012-14. She was a three-time outdoor All-American and two-time indoor All-American. Kregel helped Wartburg win four indoor and outdoor track and field Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships.
Kregel claimed five IIAC indoor individual titles and four IIAC indoor championships. Kregel graduated from Wartburg in 2015 with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Fitness Management. She earned her Master's in Business Administration from Penn State Behrend in 2017.
