Vicki Mitchell - Director and Head Coach - Cross Country Coaches

Vicki Mitchell

Title:
Director and Head Coach
Email:
vam3@buffalo.edu
Phone:
716-645-6815

Vicki Mitchell enters her 27^th year with the UB program in 2025-2026 and serves as the director and head coach of the men's and women's cross country and track & field programs, a position she's held since 2002-03. Mitchell directs and supervises all components of the cross country and track & field programs while directly coaching and mentoring the women's cross country, middle and distance events.

In 2024-25, the men's and women's programs totaled three individual MAC Championships and 16 medals. The Bulls also had three athletes qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, with Zahra Amos becoming the sixth women in program history to earn an All-America honorable mention and the 14th student-athlete in program history to compete at NCAA Championships. The Bulls continued their success in the classroom, having 19 student-athletes named to both the indoor and outdoor Academic All-MAC lists.

In 2023 – 2024, the men’s and women’s teams combined for six individual MAC Championships during the indoor and outdoor season and four athletes qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds. Both the Men’s and Women’s teams continued to excel in the class room earning All USTFCCCA Academic Team Honors in both Cross Country and Track & Field, while 28 individuals earned All-MAC Academic Honors.

The 2022 – 2023 was highlighted with freshman Vassianna Klock leading the young team. Klock set personal bests and earned Top-10 All-Time marks in the 1000m (2:56.33) and qualifying for the MAC Championships in the 800m running 2:13.78. During the outdoor season, Klock again led the way setting the #4 best time every in the 3k Steeple Chase (10:49.48) and scoring at the MAC Championships. The Women’s Track & Field Team improved their team finishes at the MAC Championships both Indoor (9^th up from 11^th) and outdoor (8^th up from 10^th).

The 2019 – 2020 competition year was a rebound year for the Bulls. In the Cross Country Season, the Men’s team placed 3^rd at the MAC Championships, tying the program’s best finish. Senior Caleb Covell earned First Team All-MAC honors with his 2^nd place finish overall, and Senior Liam Hilbert earned Second Team All-MAC honors. The women’s team, improved from 12^th in 2018 to 9^th in 2019 with four freshman in the top seven Bulls, showing signs for a very bright future for the distance women. At the MAC Championships the women were led by freshman Dana Lynch, placing 33^rd overall, followed by Meghan LaTuso who placed an impressive 36^th (up from 94^th in 2018). Three more freshman rounded out the top give for the women with Maxine Dupuis, Lily Meek, and Alexia Hecico.

During the 2020 Indoor Track & Field Season, the Bulls saw several new school records set. Leading the way was sophomore Shevaughn Allen who smashed the school record in the Triple Jump, won the MAC Championship Title, and earned All-American Honors in the Men’s Triple Jump. Selina Von Jackowski broke her own school record in the 60HH. A total of 9 student-athletes earned All-MAC honors at the Indoor Championships.

Mitchell has led the track & field programs to new heights during her tenure. 21 of UB's 22 All-Americans have been crowned during Mitchell's time as head coach, including UB's first NCAA Division I national champion in any sport, 2015 graduate Jonathan Jones. Jones won the 2015 outdoor men's shot put with a school-record heave of 20.78 meters in Eugene. Only four school records stand that have not been broken or matched under her guidance, including several records in events that are no longer contested.

Mitchell has developed one of the best NCAA Cross Country courses in the Northeast and has earned the bid to host the NCAA Regional Championships in 2011, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The course is run at the Audubon Golf Course in Amherst, NY, and provides an excellent race course for the competitors as well as being designed to be spectator friendly. The Annual UB Stampede Cross Country Invite is held on the home course at Audubon. The home course advantage has helped the UB Bulls to top finishes at the UB Stampede, as well as strong performances at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships. During the outdoor season, Mitchell hosts the annual UB Track & Field Invitational which traditionally brings the NCAA Division I Schools from WNY area and top programs from Ontario, Canada. She has brought in the community to the event with the annual “716 Mile” – a community mile race attracting close to 100 competitors each year.

Mitchell is actively involved in leadership roles and currently serves as the Past President for USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Cross Country, having served 2018 – 2020 as the President. Prior to this position, she severed three years as First Vice President, two years as Second Vice President, and 4 years as the NCAA Northeast Region Women’s Rep. Mitchell is also involved in the USTFCCCA Female Coaching Mentorship Program, mentoring younger women in the coaching field. She is a sough after clinician as well, having presented at numerous track and field clinics around the country including the M-F All-Star Clinic, Ohio State Track & Field Clinic, Kentucky Track & Field Clinic, and Illinois Track & Field Clinic.

Prior to arriving at UB in 1999, Mitchell served as the assistant cross country and track & field coach and taught Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics at William Jewell College in Kansas City, Missouri. Mitchell also spent five years at Holy Angels Academy in Buffalo where she taught physical education and was the head cross country and track & field coach. A native of Western New York, she is a 1987 graduate of Amherst Central High School.

A distinguished athlete and international competitor, Mitchell competed in the 1996 US Olympic Trials in the 10,000 run. She made her marathon debut at the 1999 Hong Kong Marathon, where she qualified for the 2000 US Olympic Marathon Trials. In 2001, she was invited to join the Fila Discovery USA training program, a program designed to develop American distance runners into elite marathon athletes able to compete with the best in the world. She has been a member of five USA national teams, including the 1993 World University Games and 1998 IAAF World Road Race Championship in Manaus, Brazil.

Mitchell has been an instrumental committee member in establishing the Buffalo Chapter of Girls on the Run, a national program for pre-teen girls that focuses on developing self-esteem, self-respect and healthy living through fitness and running.

Mitchell received her B.S.E. in physical education from SUNY Cortland in 1991 and a master's in exercise physiology from North Carolina-Greensboro in 1994. While at Cortland, Mitchell was a seven-time NCAA champion and 10-time All-American in leading the Red Dragons to NCAA Division III national championships in cross country and track & field. In 2003, she was named Cortland's Western New York Alum of the Year, and in 2004 she was inducted to the Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame. In 2011, she was named to the Division III Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame and was a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame class of 2014. In 2018 she was inducted into her Alma Mater Amherst Central High School’s Hall of Fame.