Maurica And Andy Powell To Lead Huskies Through 2029
June 27, 2022 | Cross Country, Track & Field
SEATTLE – Washington's upward ascent in the conference and national ranks under coaches Maurica and Andy Powell is poised to continue for years to come, as the pair each had their contracts extended through the 2029 season, announced Director of Athletics Jennifer Cohen.
Maurica Powell, the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, and Andy Powell, the Head Coach, just completed their fourth year at Washington. Out of the six NCAA Championship meets in 2021-22 (men's/women's cross country, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field) the Huskies had Top-25 finishes in five of the six.
"We couldn't be more excited to extend Maurica and Andy," said Cohen. "They are elite coaches who have made an incredible impact on our cross country and track & field programs. They have established a culture of excellence that has UW competing at the highest levels nationally and we can't wait to see them continue to build on that success on Montlake."
Earlier this month, the men's program had its best NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships finish since 1979, tying for 12th highlighted by the NCAA title won by Joe Waskom in the 1,500-meters. Added to Top-25 NCAA finishes this year in indoor track and in cross country, the Husky men finished No. 7 in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year Rankings. Andy Powell was named 2022 West Region Men's Coach of the Year.
The women's program tied for 25th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this spring, finishing in the Top-25 for the third season in a row, which matches the longest streak in program history. Maurica Powell's women's program was 9th in the 2020-21 Program of the Year Rankings, and 11th in 2018-19. Five different Husky women have had top-five finishes over the last three NCAA Outdoor meets, including NCAA heptathlon runner-up Ida Eikeng this season.
"We're honored and humbled by the extraordinary opportunity to continue building this program here at the University of Washington, and are truly grateful for the leadership of Jen Cohen, Erin O'Connell, and Jamaal Walton as we move forward," said Maurica and Andy Powell. "We are beyond excited for the years to come."
At the Pac-12 Track Championships, the Husky men placed second this year to tie the best finish in program history. That built on the success of 2021, where the men and women both finished third, the first time in UW history that both squads finished top-three at Pac-12s. Washington did not have an individual Pac-12 Champion in the season before the Powells arrived. Their first year, in 2019, the Huskies won three titles. After 2020 was canceled, UW came back with four Pac-12 titles in 2021, and then upped that to five this season.
Under the Powells, Washington has remained a consistent force in cross country. Both the men's and women's teams have qualified for the 31-team NCAA Championships in all four years. The women have finished 13th or better every season under Maurica Powell, with a best of ninth in 2018. The men had a sixth-place finish in 2018 under Andy Powell, the team's best result since 1989, and most recently placed 13th in 2021. Haley Herberg won the women's Pac-12 individual title in 2020-21, and Andrew Jordan and Kieran Lumb have won the past two men's NCAA West Regional titles, the first two champions in that event in UW history.
Maurica and Andy Powell came to Washington prior to the 2018-19 season following a decade-plus of championship success at the University of Oregon where they coached multiple Olympians, NCAA Champion teams and individuals, and hundreds of combined All-Americans.
Maurica Powell, the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, and Andy Powell, the Head Coach, just completed their fourth year at Washington. Out of the six NCAA Championship meets in 2021-22 (men's/women's cross country, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field) the Huskies had Top-25 finishes in five of the six.
"We couldn't be more excited to extend Maurica and Andy," said Cohen. "They are elite coaches who have made an incredible impact on our cross country and track & field programs. They have established a culture of excellence that has UW competing at the highest levels nationally and we can't wait to see them continue to build on that success on Montlake."
Earlier this month, the men's program had its best NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships finish since 1979, tying for 12th highlighted by the NCAA title won by Joe Waskom in the 1,500-meters. Added to Top-25 NCAA finishes this year in indoor track and in cross country, the Husky men finished No. 7 in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year Rankings. Andy Powell was named 2022 West Region Men's Coach of the Year.
The women's program tied for 25th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this spring, finishing in the Top-25 for the third season in a row, which matches the longest streak in program history. Maurica Powell's women's program was 9th in the 2020-21 Program of the Year Rankings, and 11th in 2018-19. Five different Husky women have had top-five finishes over the last three NCAA Outdoor meets, including NCAA heptathlon runner-up Ida Eikeng this season.
"We're honored and humbled by the extraordinary opportunity to continue building this program here at the University of Washington, and are truly grateful for the leadership of Jen Cohen, Erin O'Connell, and Jamaal Walton as we move forward," said Maurica and Andy Powell. "We are beyond excited for the years to come."
At the Pac-12 Track Championships, the Husky men placed second this year to tie the best finish in program history. That built on the success of 2021, where the men and women both finished third, the first time in UW history that both squads finished top-three at Pac-12s. Washington did not have an individual Pac-12 Champion in the season before the Powells arrived. Their first year, in 2019, the Huskies won three titles. After 2020 was canceled, UW came back with four Pac-12 titles in 2021, and then upped that to five this season.
Under the Powells, Washington has remained a consistent force in cross country. Both the men's and women's teams have qualified for the 31-team NCAA Championships in all four years. The women have finished 13th or better every season under Maurica Powell, with a best of ninth in 2018. The men had a sixth-place finish in 2018 under Andy Powell, the team's best result since 1989, and most recently placed 13th in 2021. Haley Herberg won the women's Pac-12 individual title in 2020-21, and Andrew Jordan and Kieran Lumb have won the past two men's NCAA West Regional titles, the first two champions in that event in UW history.
Maurica and Andy Powell came to Washington prior to the 2018-19 season following a decade-plus of championship success at the University of Oregon where they coached multiple Olympians, NCAA Champion teams and individuals, and hundreds of combined All-Americans.
Players Mentioned
Multis
/ Track & Field
/ Cross Country
Dist
/ Track & Field
/ Cross Country
Dist
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