MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State’s cross country and track & field head coach Scott Lorek announced Thursday he is retiring this summer.

Lorek has served as the women’s head cross country and track & field coach for 14 years and been in charge of the men’s programs since the 2008-2009 season.

“We wish Coach Scott Lorek and his family the best of luck in this next chapter of their lives,” said Interim Director of Athletics Andy Peterson. “The entirety of his service here was tremendous…he has positively impacted so many people’s and student-athlete’s lives here and made student-athlete experience special. He invested so much into these programs and his passion for track and field and cross country is second-to-none. We will miss him and his love for athletics, but we know he will be great in whatever he chooses to do next.”

Highlights of Lorek’s tenure include an NCAA Championship appearance for the men’s cross country team in 2016. That group earned a third place finish at the NCAA Regionals to secure their championship appearance in Florida, as well as a second place finish in the MIAA championships that fall. Also, a third place finish this spring with the women’s indoor track and field team highlight his track legacy.

Lorek has coached the top nine individual times for the women’s cross country 6,000 Meter event and 13 of 15 overall as well as eight of the top 15 times at the 5,000 Meter distance. In 2012, Ryan Darling broke his father’s 1978 10,000 Meter Cross Country school record by running 30:54.6 under Lorek’s tutelage. Lorek also guided Wick Cunningham to an individual appearance in the 2014 NCAA Championships and Angela Adams to become the first woman for the Bearcats to capture an MIAA Individual Championship in 2011.

Coach Lorek developed 13 track & field All-Americans in his time at Northwest who combined for 25 All-America honors. His athletes broke 21 different Northwest indoor track & field records and 18 Bearcat outdoor track & field records, including having all Top 10 marks in the women’s indoor pentathlon and 9 of the top 10 scores in the outdoor heptathlon.

A search for the new head cross country and track & field coach will begin immediately.

— Northwest Athletics —