Wildcat
Coaches
Wildcat Head Coach
Mike Mapes
Wildcat Coaches
Gary Peterson, Roger Swanson,
Scott Rollinson, Carol
Wilson, Shawn Bradley, Ruth Negron,Nonie Broski, John Kunde, Jennifer Black,
Karen Liddell, Justin & Theresa Schroder, Terri Watson, Larry Swanson,
Jessica Langford
Wildcat alumni Assistant Coaches
This
group are Wildcats who have gone on to High School and College and in their off
seasons when they are allowed to run with the
Wildcats or when they are home from college they drop in to run with and help
out. We thank them for their past and ongoing assistance.
Kassandra
Swanson, Sierra Goldberg, Shawn Ferguson, Megan Bradley, Emily Wonder, Dennis
Baliga, Tommy Pilcher,
Kelsey Mapes, Kristen Peterson,
Stephanie Baliga, Aaron Winter, Courtney Forman, Andrea Rediger, Corey Wilson.
Mike Mapes
Mike did not begin running until 1980. Since then he has logged over 50,000 miles. He has two children that have run with the team. He served as race director for the State Street Mile for four years and has been active in the past at many local running events. Mike began volunteering as one of our running parents in 1997 and served as an assistant coach for three years before becoming head coach in 2001. He has taken over the role of head coach from Jessica Sweeney who stepped down in order to spend more time with her young children. Jessica continues as an assistant coach.
* USA Track and Field Level One Certified Coach
* Completed the Lake County Marathon, Milwaukee LakeFront
Marathon, Grandma's Marathon
Coaches
John Kunde
John began running with the Wildcats in September of 2001. A Rockford Road Runner who answered our call to the running community to help promote and teach the sport of running to children. He as run hundreds of miles over the past three years helping our Wildcats become better runners. He was chosen as Rockford Road Runner of the Year in 2004. We ask for a resume from our coaches so you can get to know them. The following is John's response to our request. It shows his sense of humor and dedication to the sport of running and to the Wildcats. This will be Johns seventh year as an assistant coach with the Wildcats.
" Ugh. Writing a running
resume. I could probably embellish without much chance of fact checking,
liking saying I won the Sauk City Cow Chip Classic 5K run in 1985. The funny
thing is I really did run in that race and finished it in around 17:50, but I
didn't even place in my age group. I was bummed, because they gave
trophies with little cow chips on them. Ah, well, here is the mixed bag
of running I've done. Never won a race, but always finished. In 4th grade
ran around the school enough times during lunch break to run 60
miles. (Still have the trophy) Ran high school track and cross country in
High School at McFarland, Wisconsin. Lettered three times.
Graduated in 1983.
Started running road races in summers of 1985 to get back in shape. Dry
heaved my way to many good times and lots of t-shirts. Ran on and off for
many years, but with little conviction. On a lark, in March of 2000, a
friend from high school who ran cross country with me asked about
running a marathon. Started training, ran road races in Rockford
area and finished my first marathon, the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon on
October 8th, 2000 in 3:46:31. Ran four more marathons since, including
the Berlin, Germany marathon in 2004. Compete in Rockford Road Runners
Circuit races and have won my age group 3 of
the last 4 years and finished 2nd once. Started with Wildcats on
September 24, 2001 as a volunteer. (I checked my
running log for this one, my memory's not THAT good.)
Running with children and watching them progress, no matter what their level,
is more rewarding than finishing a marathon will ever be. Completing a
marathon means I got one person across the finish line. Helping train 50
children means I contributed to getting 50 bodies across the finish
line. And on to bigger things."
Gary Peterson
Gary began running with the Wildcats as a parent volunteer. His daughter who now runs for Boylan High School brought him to the Wildcats in 2001 and he has stayed becoming an assistant coach. We are still researching his running history and hope to have it soon. His daughter is now off to college but Gary continues to run with and coach the Wildcats, he is now in his seventh year assisting with the Wildcats.
Roger Swanson
Roger has been one
of our volunteer running parents since the team started in 1997. He has
also been active in supporting the team in a number of other ways in the teams
first three years. He has two children, one that runs with the team.
Roger also has been a volunteer coach in a number of other sports as you can
see below. When he finds time he also teaches karate and has earned a black
belt. This is his eleventh year working with the Wildcats and his tenth
year as an assistant Wildcat Coach.
* Coaching or Assistant Coach
Boys / Girls Club Basketball - 2 years
Boys / Girls Club Baseball - 3 years
Greater Rockford Little League - 4 years
* Ran both Cross-Country and Track(Mile,800,400,200) - 5 Years
Rockford Karate Club - 17 years
Carol Wilson
Carol began running to stay in shape almost thirty years
ago. She is a competitive age group runner and has completed a number of
marathons. In High School Carol played volleyball, basketball and
softball. College sports included volleyball, fencing, synchronized
swimming and softball. She also spent five years bike racing placing second in
the North Carolina state meet, while she was in graduate school. Carol
teaches Physical Education at Belvidere High School and has been active in
sports for over thirty years in a wide variety of places and at many
levels. She has assisted as a volunteer and running parent since the team
started in 1997. Carol has two children who have run with the Wildcats.
This will be her tenth year as an assistant Wildcat Coach. In her spare
time when she is not helping us she plays soccer, takes karate classes,
referees soccer games and sings in her church's choir.
* Cub Scout den leader - 2 years
* Girl Scout leader - 6 years
* WSI instructor/trainer for Red Cross
* College Coaching - Volleyball
* High School Coaching - Basketball, Softball, Soccer
Volleyball, Jr. High Track
* Marathons - Milwaukee Lakefront, Grandma's
and the 100th Boston Marathon
Karen Liddell
Karen has two children who run with the Wildcats. She is a teacher at Maria Montessori grade school. She has been a parent volunteer for several years. In 2004 she decided to take up running and has successfully completed a number of local races since then. Along with taking up running she became an assistant coach working with Coach Nonie and our youngest group. This is her fourth year as an assistant coach with the Wildcats.
Shawn Bradely
Shawn Bradley became an assistant coach in 2006 after several years a parent helper.
Nonie Broski
Nonie is married
and the mother of four children. She has been running for 25 years, during that
time she has completed six half marathons and one marathon (Chicago). She
has competed in and helped out at many area races. She started out as a
parent volunteer when her daughter Suzanne joined the club 6 years ago.
She has now heads up our youngest group the "Cheetahs" comprised of
children age 8 and younger. She is both a coach and a mom while running
with this young group all the while making it fun and adventurous as she
introduces theses young runners to the sport. 2007 will be Nonie's ninth
year of being a parent helper and coach.
Ruth Negron
Ruth has two children who have run with the Wildcats for several years. Ruth became an assistant coach in 2006 after being a parent helper. She has taken on the large task of running with our smallest runners. After being a helper to Nonie and Karen she has stepped up and fills in their shoes while they are off watching their Wildcats run at High School.
Jennifer Black
Jennifer is the mother of two children and took up running in 2000. She has coached Track at Stephen Mack Middle School in Rockton as a volunteer for two years and was brought on as a staff member this past season for both Cross Country and Track. She has completed many races including the Chicago Marathon in 2005, San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon in 2006, Milwaukee Marathon in 2006 and the Phoenix Arizona Rock and Roll Marathon in 2007. This is her first year as a Wildcat coach and is heading up the Rockton/Roscoe Wildcat north group along with Scott.
Scott Rollinson
Justin &
Thresa Schroder
Terri Watson
Larry Swanson
Jessica Langford
* 7 time Winnebago High School
state qualifier in track and cross-country