Zach Richardson was promoted to head coach for the men's and women's cross country/track and field programs on June 1, 2022. He was named the interim head coach on November 1, 2021, replacing Natalie Bach-Prather. The 2023-24 season will mark his fourth year at ETBU and second as the head coach. Prior to ETBU, he spent three years coaching at APEC.
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2023 Track & Field Season
Both the men's and women's track and field teams had seasons that will be remembered. The men's team collected the program's best finish, ever, as the ASC runners-up (2nd place) with 164 points. There were five individual ASC Championships and two relay championships as Brandon Powell was named the ASC Most Outstanding Track Athlete. Powell won the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, high jump and was a member of both the 4x400 meter and 4x100 meter relay teams. Landry Pedroza won the javelin and Rangel Miller repeated as the champion in the 400-meter dash. Powell (100-meter, 200-meter, high jump)Â and Detaveon Lewis (100-meter)Â qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet as both made their second appearance on the national stage. Powell became the first ETBU student-athlete to compete in three events at the national meet.
The women's team also produced a program best third-place finish with 73 points. Neelie Schiel was named the ASC Most Outstanding Field Athlete which is a first for the program. Shiel, Graycee Mosley, and Payton Clark all won ASC individual championships. Shiel won the program's first-ever javelin championship followed by the first-ever discus championship by Mosley. Clark then won the 400-meter dash. Shiel went on to become ETBU's first-ever female field student-athlete and third ever participant at the NCAA Division III National Meet in the javelin where she came in 11th place.
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2022 Cross Country Season
It was a strong season for the women's cross country team as they finished third at the American Southwest Conference championships for a program best. Both Scarlett Perez (11th) and Phoebe Dunham (14th) were named All-ASC second team for their finishes. The women's team then qualified to run at the NCAA Regional Meet for only the second time in the program. Running in Spokane, Wash., they came in 22nd place as Dunham was the top runner in 109th place.Â
The men's team came in fifth place at the ASC Championship meet as Noah Mink was the top runner in 24th place. Daniel Zepeda was voted the ASC Newcomer of the Year as he came in 31st place. Mink then ran at the NCAA Regional Meet in Washington fininishing in 147th place while Elijah Baker was 150th.Â
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2022 Track & Field Season
Richardson led ETBU to a strong spring season with six combined American Southwest Conference individual championships. On the men's side, ETBUÂ broke the ASC record winning both the 4x100 meter (40.29) and 4x400 meter relay (3:15.80). Rangel Miller claimed the 400-meter dash title (47.24) and Brandon Powell won the high jump (6'7"). Chisom Bright-Osigwe garnered two ASC Championships for the women winning both the 100-meter (11.91)Â and 200-meter dash (24.54).
For the first time in program history, ETBU participated in six events at the NCAA Division III National Championship Meet. Bright-Osigwe qualified in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. She finished 12th overall just missing the 100-meter finals by less than half a second. On the men's side, ETBU ran in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter dash along with the 4x100 meter relay. Powell became the first ETBU student-athlete to participate in three events in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4x100 meter relay. Detaveon Lewis ran in the 100-meter dash and 4x100 meter relay while Miller was in the 400-meter dash. Malik Cooper and Caster Brandon also participated on the 4x100 meter relay.
Miller become ETBU's first-ever NCAA All-American finishing eighth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.86.
Powell (4x100m, 100m dash, 200m dash, high jump), Brandon (4x100m), Cooper (4x100m), Lewis (100m dash, 4x100m), and Miller (400m dash) were all named USTFCCCA All-Region for the outdoor season for the most selections in a year for the program. The indoor season brought awards to Lewis (60m dash) and Miller (400m dash). Bright-Osigwe gained two outdoor all-region awards for the 100-meter and 200-meter dash and was also indoor all-region in the 60-meter and 200-meter dash.
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Personal
Richardson competed at the University of Texas Tyler where he earned several awards. The 2018 American Southwest Conference Track and Field Athlete of the Year, he was a two-time All-ASC selection and holds seven UTT school records. Claiming ASC Championships in the 4x400 meter relay and the 400-meter dash, he was the former holder of the ASC record for the 400-meter dash (47.88) and qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet. In 2018, he also set a career best in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.87 at the East Texas Invite.
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The Waxahachie, Texas, native graduated from Texas Tyler in 2019 with his undergraduate degree. He and his wife Jordyn attend Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview, Texas.Â
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Student-Athlete Awards for Richardson
ASC Track and Field Athlete of the Year: 2018
All-ASC: 2016, 2018
ASC Champion: 2016 4x400 meter relay (3:18.35)
ASC Champion: 2018 400-meter dash (47.88) - ASC record until 2021
NCAA Division III National Track Championships: 2018 (400-meter dash)
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Awards Under Richardson
NCAA All-American
Rangel Miller - 400-meter dash (2022)
ASC Major Track Awards
Most Outstanding Men's Track Athlete - Brandon Powell (2023)
Most Outstanding Women's Field Athlete - Neelie Schiel (2023)
ASC Major Cross Country Awards
ASC Newcomer of the Year - Daniel Zepeda (2022)
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ASC Champions
Men
Landry Pedroza - Javelin (2023)
Brandon Powell - 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash (2023)
4x100 Meter Relay (Gilbert Dominguez, Brandon Powell, Caster Brandon, Detaveon Lewis)Â - 2023
4x100 Meter Relay (Malik Cooper, Brandon Powell, Caster Brandon, Detaveon Lewis) - 2022 - New ASC Record
4x400 Meter Relay (Carlos Torres-Izquierdo, Brandon Powell, Detaveon Lewis, Rangel Miller) - 2023
4x400 Meter Relay (TraMikal Davis, Brandon Powell, Detaveon Lewis, Rangel Miller) - 2022 - new ASC Record
Rangel Miller - 400-meter dash (2022) (2023)
Brandon Powell - high jump (2022) (2023)
Women
Neelie Schiel - Javelin (2023)
Graycee Mosley - Discus (2023)
Payton Clark - 400-meter dash (2023)
Chisom Bright-Osigwe - 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash (2022)
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NCAA Track & Field Qualifications
Men
Brandon Powell - 100-meter dash (2022, 2023), 200-meter dash (2022, 2023), high jump (2023), 4x100 meter relay (2022)
Detaveon Lewis - 100-meter dash (2002, 2023), 4x100 meter relay (2022)
Rangel Miller - 400-meter dash (2022)
Caster Brandon - 4x100 meter relay (2022)
Malik Cooper - 4x100 meter relay (2022)
Women
Neelie Schiel - Javelin (2023)
Chisom Bright-Osigwe - 100-meter dash (2022), 200-meter dash (2022)
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NCAA Cross Country Regional Qualifiers
Men
Noah Mink (2022)
Elijah Baker (2022)
Women
Phoebe Dunham (2022)
Scarlett Perez (2022)
Rachel Morrison (2022)
Elise Bach (2022)
Allyson Prosperie (2022)
Ache' Anderson (2022)
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All-ASC Track & Field Awards
Men
First Team
Gilbert Dominguez - 2023Â
Detaveon Lewis - 2023Â
Landry Pedroza - 2023Â
Carlos Torres-Izquierdo - 2023
Caster Brandon - 2022, 2023Â
Malik Cooper - 2022Â
Tra'Mikal Davis - 2022
Detaveon Lewis - 2022Â
Rangel Miller - 2022, 2023Â
Brandon Powell - 2022, 2023Â
Second Team
Christian Booker - 2023Â
Detaveon Lewis - 2023
Women
First Team
Payton Clark - 2023Â
Graycee Mosley - 2023Â
Neelie Schiel - 2023Â
Chisom Bright-Osigwe - 2022
Second Team
Payton Clark - 2023
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All-ASC Cross Country Awards
Women
Second Team
Scarlett Perez - 2022
Phoebe Dunham - 2022
