Nov. 8, 2006

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Rick Wemple, head cross country/assistant track and field coach at Lewis University since 2005, has resigned to become head track and field/cross country coach at Loyola University Chicago.

Wemple will remain at Lewis until after the Nov. 18 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.

Wemple guided the 2006 Lewis men's cross country team to a second consecutive Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship runner-up finish. Flyer athletes collected four All-GLVC awards during his tenure, and Andy Tremble won consecutive GLVC titles and made the 2005 All-America team.

The Lewis women's cross country team made steady progress this season. Two Flyers enjoyed a top-20 finish at this year's conference meet, and Terran Wertz made the 2005 All-GLVC team. Wertz and Tremble were selected GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women's and men's cross country, respectively, last year.

On the track last season, Wemple coached the indoor distance medley relay team that earned All-America accolades and shattered the school record by almost 11 seconds, as well as NCAA outdoor 800 meters qualifier Adrian Myers.

"Coaching at Lewis has been a very positive experience for me," Wemple said. "I've enjoyed working with the men and women in this program, and it's been awesome to see the improvement in them in just a little more than a year.

"Lewis is a great place for distance runners, with all the soft-surface running terrain on campus, the I&M Canal path just two miles away and a 200-meter indoor track. Those features have helped us attract quality athletes.

"I've fallen in love with Chicago since moving there in July, and Loyola offers me the opportunity to work closer to where I live," Wemple continued. "Going back to the Division I level and being the head coach of an entire program definitely were factors in my decision, too.

"I want to thank several people at Lewis for making my time here such a positive experience. (Head track and field coach) Dana Schwarting has been more than fair in scholarship allocation and has supported my ideas for improving the competitive experience for our team members. (Grounds superintendent) Dwight DeVries and his crew have been so accommodating in helping develop the trails I envisioned for this campus, and I thank (Executive Vice President) Wayne Draudt for approving the building of those trails.

"I appreciate our president, Brother James Gaffney, for his attendance at so many of our meets and for his great enthusiasm. Those are things you don't see from many college presidents. Finally, (Director of Athletics) Dan Schumacher has made the Lewis athletics department an exciting place to be and has a plan to make Lewis an even more visible and successful institution in Chicagoland. His plans will benefit the entire University, not just the athletics department."

"Rick is a bright, talented coach who has demonstrated a very high degree of dedication to the student athletes in our cross country and track programs," Schumacher said. "While we regret his departure, we congratulate him and wish him the best in his new position."