NICK CORDES | DIRECTOR OF XC & TRACK

Nick Cordes is entering his eighth year with the Lubbock Christian athletic department, having coached the cross-country teams and restarted the school’s track & field program during his tenure.

A well-decorated runner himself, Cordes came to LCU by way of his alma mater, Ashland University, where he served as the head cross-country coach and assistant track & field coach. He came to Lubbock Christian in 2014 to assist with the school’s cross-country team and he was named the head cross-country coach in April of 2015.

Eight Chaparral athletes have earned All-Conference recognition since Cordes began working with the program. LCU had a program-best second place finish at the 2018 Heartland Conference Championships and then placed second again in their first year in the Lone Star Conference (2019), placing three runners in the top 10, including LSC Freshman of the Year Patrick Chemoimet. Chemoimet also qualified for the NCAA Cross-Country National Championships in 2019, becoming the first male to do so in program history to do so. He finished the 10K race in 114th. In 2020, LCU finished ninth at the LSC Championships.

Cordes has also been the driving force behind the development and upkeep of the LCU Cross Country Course, which is located at the corner of Frankford and 34th street. Formerly a nine-hole golf course, Cordes converted it for cross country use in 2017. It features running thoroughfares which are more than 25 feet wide throughout, a permanent finish line and a starting line that is over 295 feet wide.

The on-campus course was host of the D2 National Invite and the High School Cross Country National Invite in 2020, and Lubbock Christian has been selected as the host of the 2023 NCAA South Central Regional as well.

Lubbock Christian has also seen the reinstatement and expansion of the track & field program during the tenure of Cordes.

The track & field program was restarted by Cordes for the 2017 season, with LCU competing mainly in distance events with their cross-country athletes. With the Heartland Conference not sponsoring track & field, the Chaps and Lady Chaps competed as affiliate members in the Lone Star Conference from 2017-19.

Middle-distance events were added into the fold as well and were where Lubbock Christian had its first qualifier for the NCAA National Championships. Jaylen Tryon accomplished the feat, qualifying for both the Indoor and Outdoor National Championships in 2019 in the 800-meter. Tryon then qualified for the Indoor National Championships in 2020, but was unable to compete at the event or qualify for the outdoor meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020-21, a new era began for the track & field program, as the LCU Soccer and Track Complex was completed and the team expanded to include all track & field events. During indoor season, the Lady Chaps got a third place finish at the conference meet from the 4X400 team and the Chaps had a sprinter – Keitron Boyd – qualify for the National Championship in the 200-meter. During outdoor season Samuel Wing claimed the LSC Title in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.30.

Prior to his time at LCU, Cordes served at his alma mater, Ashland University, where he was the head cross-country and assistant track coach for five years. During that time at Ashland University, the overwhelming majority of athletes made big improvements and several qualified for the national championships. In the 2008 season, Nick’s men’s cross-country squad placed fourth at the NCAA Div. II Midwest regional meet and later went on to place 12th at nationals that season. While with Ashland University men’s track coaching staff, Nick coached runners to national performance list marks in the 800, 1500, 3000 Steeplechase, 5000, 10000 and the Distance Medley Relay events. His 2008 men’s cross country team ranked as high as 21st in the nation.

A distance runner himself since 1995, Cordes saw plenty of success in his own competitive career. He was a 7-time NCAA All-American, including in 2002 when he was the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship Individual Runner-Up and Cross Country Co-Runner of the Year. As a professional Cordes compete for the Hanson/Brooks Professional Running Team from 2003-05, was sponsored by Brooks and PowerBar from 2003-13 and competed at the Olympic Marathon Trials in both 2004 and 2008.

Cordes completed a degree in Business Management, Economics and Marketing while at Ashland and earned his Master’s in Exercise Sport Science – Sport Management from Texas Tech in 2015.

Nick is married to former Texas Tech All-American runner and LCU Head Women’s Cross-Country and Track coach Leigh Daniel. Their marriage made national headlines, as the 2009 marriage was part of the 10th Annual “Today Throws a Wedding,” on NBC’s Today Show. They have three children (daughters: Carsyn and Masyn, son: Drew).