Monday, August 11, 2008

Don Keeton Named Track & Field Coach

Courtesy of Drury Sports Information:

"Drury University has named Don Keeton as its new men's and women's track and field coach beginning with the 2008-09 school year, the athletic department announced on Thursday.

Keeton, who spent 31 years as the highly successful track and field coach and 24 seasons guiding the cross country programs at Springfield's Parkview High School, will work with current DU men's and women's cross country coach Jon Van Arkel as Drury continues to gradually increase an emphasis on its two newest sports, bringing the total to 17 offered by the university on the NCAA Division II level. Drury is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, which offers competition and crowns league champions in both indoor and outdoor track and field for men and women.

Under Van Arkel's guidance, the Panthers sent several men's and women's distance runners from the cross country squads to NCAA-member meets last spring, the first steps toward the addition of the track and field programs. According to Drury athletic director Pat Atwell, the Panthers will do the same during the 2009 spring season, with Keeton also recruiting on campus for past track and field runners in non-distance events to participate before a more intensified effort to fill the rosters and empty events through the recruitment off-campus begins for the 2009-10 school year."

Coach Keeton will be predominantly involved in recruiting and coaching athletes in the numerous track & field events other than distance running. Coach Van Arkel will continue to be responsible for the cross country program in the fall and coaching distance runners throughout the year.

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