Hill College recruiting student athletes for new cross country program

  Jessyca Brown
  Thursday, September 2, 2021 8:06 AM
  Athletics

Hillsboro, TX

Hill College has started a cross country program for the first time in its history and is actively recruiting student athletes.

The new athletic program provides additional opportunities for local student athletes to compete at the collegiate level. Students can attend a school close to home with less expenses and still participate in a sport they love. Scholarships for tuition, room and board are available, and interested students should contact Hill College Athletic Director, Paul Brown, at pdbrown@hillcollege.edu.

The program was approved by the college’s board of directors late in the spring, and the program’s coach, Greg Lautenslager, was hired over the summer.

Lautenslager, a Texas native, was hired from a 20-year stint in New Zealand where he coached runners to 305 national medals and 12 national team titles in cross country and road relay. His runners set four national records, and a 1,500m runner, Julian Matthews, competed in the 2016 Olympic Games. Lautenslager was named Sports Coach of the Year in Nelson, New Zealand five times and served as a New Zealand National Coach. Lautenslager’s coaching career began in 1998 at the University of North Texas, where he led his teams to seven Big West and Sun Belt Conference titles in track and cross country.

Lautenslager will hold his team’s first practice this Friday, and students will compete in events this fall and spring. For more information about Lautenslager and the program, visit https://www.hillcollege.edu/Athletics/.