Coaching Staff
Kevin Lucas
Head Coach
(419) 448-2011
klucas@heidelberg.edu
Kevin Lucas is in his fourth season at the helm of the men's cross country and track and field teams and his second overseeing the women’s programs. In his short tenure at Heidelberg, Lucas has guided the cross country and track and field programs to one of the top programs in the Ohio Athletic Conference and the nation.
On the cross country course in 2006 the Heidelberg men finished third in the OAC and went on to take home runner-up honors at the Great Lakes Regional, placing second to the eventual National Champion. Heidelberg made just it fourth appearance at nationals in the history of the program, and took home a 20th place finish. Its 20th place finish improved five spots on its ranking heading into nationals and topped all OAC institutions. Lucas and his staff picked up OAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors for their championship efforts.
Heidelberg long jumper Greg Tyson, Jr. became the first All-American under Lucas' tenure and Heidelberg's first national champion. Tyson claimed the 2006 Indoor Long Jump National Championship and returned to successfully defend his title in 2007. Lucas has coached Tyson to three-straight outdoor long jump All-American finishes and hurdler Cory Beebe to two-consecutive All-American honors at the national level. In just three seasons, Lucas has sent eight student-athletes, in seven events, to the national meet, and came home with eight All-American honors. Within the Ohio Athletic Conference, Lucas’ student-athletes have earned all-conference recognition in 46 events, while claiming conference championships on 18 occasions.
In his first year guiding the women’s programs Lucas helped lead Heidelberg to its best finish since 2000 on both the indoor and outdoor tracks. His outdoor 4x400-meter rely team, that consisted of two of his recruits, topped the OAC meet record. For the year, the women’s team gathered 10 all-conference honors, including five championships.
From 2001 to 2003, Lucas attended Heidelberg College to earn his master's degree in education. During his time at the Berg, he served as assistant track and field and cross-country coach. Several outstanding athletes worked with Lucas including All-American decathlete Darren Nelson, who finished in fourth place at the NCAA Championships.
Prior to returning to Heidelberg, Lucas spent the 2003 season as the sprint coach at Wilmington College, helping the Quakers finish 18th in the nation on the outdoor track. While coaching at Wilmington, six Quakers earned All-American honors including two national runners-up.
Lucas earned his bachelor's degrees in business administration and communication from Wilmington in 2001. While competing in track and field, he was selected as the team Most Valuable Runner in the 1999 and 2000 seasons and the Clyde Lamb nominee for the Quakers in 2001. During his four-year career, Lucas set the record for the Ohio Athletic Conference Indoor 400-meter dash and the HCAC Outdoor 400-meter dash. He was also a nine-time national qualifier, nine-time DIII Academic All-American, and a DIII All-American.
A native of Russellville, Ohio, Lucas graduated from Eastern Brown High School. Lucas, wife Susan and son Colin reside in Tiffin, Ohio.
Jason Rose
Assistant Coach
(419) 448-2378
jrose1@heidelberg.edu
Jason Rose returns for his second season as an assistant coach at Heidelberg in the fall of 2007. Prior to coming to Heidelberg, Rose served as the distance coach for track and an assistant cross country coach at Washington High School in Washington Court House, Ohio from 2004-06.
In his first season on the Heidelberg staff, Rose helped to guide the men’s cross country program to a runner-up finish at the Great Lakes Regional and a 20th place finish at nationals. Heidelberg had the highest finish at nationals of any Ohio Athletic Conference institution. Along the way the Heidelberg Coaching Staff received the OAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award for their winning efforts.
On the track, the men’s team earned All-American recognition in one indoor event and three outdoor events, while the women’s team had its best showing at the OAC Championships on both tracks since 2000.
While at Washington, Rose helped to lead the girl’s cross country team to their first regional appearance in the program’s history in 2005. He also coached a two-time regional qualifier in the mile run in 2005 and 2006 as well as a 4x800 girl’s regional qualifying team in 2006.
Rose is no stranger to the Ohio Athletic Conference as he was a member of Wilmington College’s track and field and cross country teams from 1998-2002. While at Wilmington, Rose was a member of the then indoor 4x800 relay school record holding team. On the cross country course, Rose served as a team captain and finished in the top-25 at the All-Ohio Championships.
Rose graduated from Wilmington in May 2002 with a degree in education. He is a native of Tiffin, Ohio and attended Tiffin Columbian High School.
Tyler Hohman
Assistant Coach
(419) 448-2378
Tyler Hohman is in his second season as an assistant coach under Kevin Lucas. Hohman is a graduate of nearby New Riegel High School where he was a member of the track and field team.
Prior to joining the coaching ranks at Heidelberg, Hohman coached one season at New Riegel. He helped with both the junior high and high school programs. In just one year he helped to coach seven Midland Athletic League placers and two All-MAL student-athletes.
When attending New Riegel, Hohman was an All-Midland Athletic League shot putter and was a former record holder in the shot put as well.
Kelly Graher
Assistant Coach
(419) 448-2378
kgraher@heidelberg.edu
Joining the track and field coaching staff this year is Kelly Graher. Before coming to Heidelberg, Graher was head varsity track and field coach for both boys and girls at Russia Local Schools and worked as a Re-Generation Coordinator for the Council on Rural Service Programs.
She graduated from Defiance College in 2004, where she lettered in cross country, track and field, and basketball. As a member of the Jackets track team, Graher helped the team win Heartland Conference Championships in 2002 and 2003.
Graher is a native of Covington, Ohio and a 2000 graduate of Covington High School. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications from Defiance, and completed some master’s coursework there before coming to the Berg to complete her graduate degree in education.
Keith Roberts
Assistant Coach
(419) 448-2378
Keith Roberts joins the coaching staff for the Heidelberg track and field teams for the 2007-08 season. Prior to arriving at Heidelberg, Roberts was head coach for the Logan County Elite Track Club in Bellefontaine, Ohio. He also was an assistant coach for Bellefontaine High School and the Summit Academy in Herman, Pa. for the 2006 season and from 2005-2006 assisted at the University of Pittsburgh.
While at Kent State University he won the Mid-American Conference Championship in the indoor 60-meter hurdles, and currently holds the indoor 55-meter hurdles record at KSU. Roberts also placed 11th in the nation in Division I in the indoor 60-meter hurdles in 2003, and was named a Freshman Verizon All-American in the outdoor 110-meter hurdles.
Originally from Bellefontaine, Ohio, Roberts attended Bellefontaine High School, and graduated in the fall of 2005 from Kent with a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication, and is presently working on his master’s degree in education while at the Berg.
Tia Trent
Assistant Coach
(419) 448-2378
Tia Trent is in her first year as an assistant coach for the Heidelberg track and field teams. Trent joins the Berg coaching staff following a stint as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Mifflin High School in Columbus, Ohio.
She attended Indiana University and was a member of the 2003 NCAA USA Championship team and the 2000 Big Ten Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship team. Also while at Indiana, Trent qualified twice for the Indoor Track and Field NCAA Championships and four times for the Outdoor Track and Field NCAA Championships, reaching the finals twice. In 1999, Trent won the 400-meter dash Big Ten Outdoor Championship.
A native of New Albany, Ohio, Trent attended Westerville North High School. She graduated from Indiana University in 2002 with bachelor’s degrees in culture and communication and African-American history and diaspora, along with a minor in philosophy. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at Heidelberg.