Cross Country/Track Coach Willy Wood Resigns

BradleyBraves.com Men's Track and Field 6/22/2015 2:30:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- After guiding the Bradley women's cross country team to its first outright Missouri Valley Conference title and one of the most successful seasons on record for both the Bradley men's and women's cross country/track and field squads, head coach Willy Wood has been named the head coach at Miami (Ohio) announced Monday.

“The past five seasons have seen unprecedented growth in our cross country/track programs and we have been fortunate to have had great coaches leading our athletes,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director for Finance & Administration Craig Dahlquist. “We are confident that the next coach will be just as successful in sustaining this level of success.”

An Ohio native, Wood led the women's cross country team to a dominating performance at the MVC Cross Country Championship last fall in Carbondale, Ill. Caitlin Busch (Waterloo, Ill./Freeburg) was named the MVC Athlete of the Year after winning the individual crown at the MVC Championship as the Braves had three of the top five finishers and four of the top 11. The team title was the first for Bradley since winning a share of the 1998 championship and the team's 39 points was the best score at the MVC Championship since 2006.

On the men's side, the Braves matched their best MVC Championship with a third-place showing in Wood's only season on The Hilltop. Eric Delvo (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) took fifth individually to become just the fourth two-time All-MVC cross country runner in school history and Bradley had the MVC Freshman of the Year on the men's side for the second straight season.

Wood, who was the 2014 MVC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year, guided the Bradley men's cross country team to its best NCAA Midwest Regional finish (9th) since 1983, in addition to the Bradley women taking third for the best showing in program history. Caitlin Busch and Emily Delvo both earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors after finishing 12th and 22nd, respectively, at the NCAA Regional.

In track, Caitlin Busch won the 5,000 meter title at the MVC Indoor Championship and the Braves went on to finish seventh with the highest point total in school history. The men's track team competed at the indoor conference championship for the first time since 1992 and the squad's 24 points were the most since the 1982 MVC Indoor Championship.

The outdoor season was highlighted by five individuals advancing to the NCAA West Preliminary in Austin, Texas. Kristen Busch (Waterloo, Ill./Freeburg) defended her MVC Outdoor 10,000 meter title and also claimed top honors in the 5,000 meters at the MVC Outdoor Championship in Normal, Ill. The Bradley women were sixth at the MVC Outdoor Championship to tie for the best finish in school history (1986) as the Braves tallied a school record 61 points. Kristen Busch was one of four Bradley women to qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary.

Despite 2014 MVC Cross Country Freshman of the Year, Michael Ward (Cardiff, South Wales/Llanishen) sidelined for the MVC Outdoor Championship due to injury, the Bradley men finished just two points short of its best conference performance since 1986. Ward ran in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA West Prelim and was forced to withdraw from the 5,000 meters two days later due to injury.

Bradley has launched a national search for its next men's and women's cross country and track head coach and will also conduct a search for an assistant after five-year assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Matt Esche was named associate head cross country and track and field coach at UAB earlier this month.

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