Langley (TWU/Langley Mustangs) – Trinity Western’s track & field and cross country program is proud to announce the hiring of Andrew Lenton, who will be serving as the lead distance coach for the Spartans, effective immediately. Jen Kits, who started as an assistant coach this past fall, will continue in her role alongside Lenton.
Lenton comes to TWU via the Langley Mustangs, where he took over as head coach of one of B.C.’s most prestigious running clubs in the fall of 2018.
“I am so excited for the opportunity to join the TWU coaching fraternity as lead coach with the cross country and distance team,” Lenton said. “I am looking forward to continuing upon the legacy of excellence here at TWU, while continuing to build a high-performance program and supporting student-athletes in becoming Complete Champions.”
Shane Wiebe, who is the Director and Head Coach of the Spartans track and field and cross country teams will look to Lenton to take the Spartans distance program to new heights, with his focus on both coaching current athletes and recruiting new student-athletes.
““In previous years our program has had the good fortune of having some very strong leadership overseeing our distance teams,” Wiebe said. “ This is why we’re very excited to have Andrew join our coaching staff,” Wiebe said. “His wealth of knowledge and experience really gives our distance program the ingredients it needs to rebuild and become extremely competitive on the trails and the track. His commitment to our Complete Champion Approach™ also continues our strong tradition of encouraging growth in the whole person.”
Before committing to a coaching career, Lenton stood out as a prominent runner himself, winning the BC High School cross country title and USA high school indoor championship at 3000m. He went on to represent Canada on the National Junior team, ending up as the No. 9 ranked 1500m runner in the world. Lenton went on to set BC Junior records in the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m. He was an All-American at Simon Fraser University and attended the University of Tennessee on scholarship.
Lenton is a graduate of the National Coaching Institute and is an NCCP Level 4 coach, who is also actively serving as a Master Course Conductor for the National Run-Jump-Throw program. He has been involved in coaching at many different levels prior to joining TWU’s staff, from local track and sports clubs to BC Summer Games Zone Coach, BC Team Coach for both the National Youth and National Junior Championships. He has also served as Head Clinician for Athletics Canada National Youth Camp. Lenton has been awarded the Sport BC Community Sport Hero Award for coaching excellence & program development.
Lenton currently holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree and Teaching Certificate from Simon Fraser University and a Masters of Science from the University of Oregon.
