GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota head men's and women's track and field and cross country coach
Christine Engel has accepted a position as head women's track and field and cross country coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
"Through the two most challenging seasons of our lifetime navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, Coach Engel elevated our program to new heights," said Associate Athletics Director for External Operations and track and field and cross country sport supervisor
Kyle Doperalski. "Despite the restraints put on recruiting during almost her entire time in Grand Forks, she attracted talented student-athletes who made an immediate impact in The Summit League. We know she will continue to do great things closer to home."
Engel, a Flanders, New Jersey native, recruited and trained
Patrick Kipkemboi to an individual championship at The Summit League Cross Country Championships, making him the first male individual conference cross country champion at North Dakota since 1969.
She also helped mentor freshmen
Nick Oak and
Conny Wohlfahrt who were both named men's and women's Newcomer of the Year, respectively, at the 2020 Summit League Cross Country Championships. All three were part of Engel's first recruiting class. At the same cross country championship, Engel guided the men to their highest team conference meet finish in the Division I era and matched the women's best team finish in the Division I era at a conference championship.
"I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all in the University of North Dakota Community. I have felt a tremendous amount of support," said Engel. "Most of all, I would like to thank the student-athletes of past and present, and out staff. Together we accomplished many great things over the last couple of years. I will always cherish my time at UND."
On the track in Engel's two seasons at the helm, 20 individual and four relay school records were broken. All four relays and seven of the individual records occurred in distance events under her training. Engel was named head coach at North Dakota on May 2, 2019. The search for Engel's successor will begin immediately.
