WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- For Carol Feezell, the women's and men's cross country coach at Whitman College, the drive for athletic excellence has always been a strong one.
As a senior in high school, she qualified for the Colorado state track championships in both the 400 and 800 meters. Rather than run the risk of spreading her energies too thin, she competed in the 800 meters only and came away with a state title.
Now, a decade later, after earning NCAA All-American honors in cross country and completing her undergraduate degree in kinesiology at the University of Colorado, Feezell still projects the same energy and enthusiasm that drove her to athletic excellence as a teenager.
Feezell joined the Whitman College cross country program as an assistant coach in the fall of 1996, bringing with her a coaching philosophy based on consistent, honest effort. "Always try your best," she says. "Finish every race and practice unless you're hurt. Never give up."
In her first season as a Whitman cross country assistant, Feezell ran with the women's team two days a week. She did most of her coaching in workouts, although she traveled with the team at times and even ran in a few meets as an unattached competitor.
Feezell says she enjoys the role that comes with being a veteran runner with advice to pass along to younger athletes. She still appreciates the chance to run in team workouts.
"I love running with them," she says. "I almost feel like I'm part of the team."
Following the retirement of long-time coach Keith Jensen, Feezell ascended to Whitman's head coaching spot in July, 1997. "I've always wanted to be a coach," she said at the time. "For me, this really is a dream come true."
It didn't take long for Feezell to produce her first Northwest Conference championship team. Her women's team claimed the onference title in the fall of 1999, and Feezell was named Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
Feezell began her own running career at Green Mountain High School in Lakewood, Colorado, where she graduated in 1985. She attended the University of Colorado on a cross country and track scholarship, and in 1986 she placed 23rd at the 1986 NCAA Division I cross country championships to earn All-American honors. She also was invited that year to the junior elite distance runners camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
After lettering four years in both sports at the University of Colorado, Feezell graduated in 1990 with a degree in kinesiology. In 1992, she began a master's degree in education at Wayland Baptist University, where she also served as an assistant coach in the school's nationally-recognized women's track and cross country programs.
She added to her coaching experience in 1994-95, working as an assistant coach at DePaul University in Chicago.
Feezell also serves as an assistant coach in track & field during the spring semester, and she is a lecturer in Whitman's Department of Sport Studies, Recreation and Athletics. She is married to Travis Feezell, the athletic director and baseball coach at Whitman. They are parents of two young children, son Jackson and daughter Delaney.