NORTHFIELD, Minn. – After six seasons as the head women's track and field and assistant women's cross country coach at St. Olaf College, Katie Bretscher has accepted the position of head men's and women's track and field coach and assistant men's and women's cross country coach at Colorado College, as announced on Tuesday.

During her six seasons at St. Olaf, the women's track and field program had 15 national qualifiers, eight All-Americans, 50 all-conference performances, 30 all-region accolades, 14 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) champions, three MIAC champion relays, and 20 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honorees. Additionally, St. Olaf student-athletes broke 17 school records under her watch.

"I want to thank Katie for her service to St. Olaf over the past six years,"said St. Olaf Athletic Director Ryan Bowles. "Under her leadership our Ole student-athletes have excelled on the track and in the classroom. We wish Katie the best of luck at Colorado College."
 
In Bretscher's six seasons on the Hill, St. Olaf produced All-Americans in the triple jump, pentathlon, mile, 400 meters, and distance medley relay. This past spring, Paige Woldt '21 became the program's second-ever All-American in the triple jump with a seventh-place finish outdoors and was also named the program's first College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District ® honoree since 2003.
 
Starting with the 2017-18 season, St. Olaf placed in the top three in five of the last seven MIAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships, including a second-place finish indoors in 2020, which was the program's highest finish at the meet since 2013. That year, Mackenzie Schoustra '20 became the third Ole since 2003 to be named the MIAC Outstanding Field Athlete after winning her second-straight conference title in the pentathlon.
 
Bretscher's teams also excelled academically, receiving the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award in each of her six seasons to extend the program's streak to nine years in a row of being recognized. This past spring, St. Olaf posted a 3.54 team grade-point average, which was the highest for the program in at least the last 15 seasons.