Chris Creal named Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach

Garden City, KS-With the recent promotion of Emmett Statzer to assistant athletic director, Chris Creal has been named Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach, Director of Athletics, Mike Pilosof announced on Sunday.

"I am very grateful to be put into this position at Garden City Community. College," Creal said. "Since my arrival in 2020, the goal was to work hard and get this program in the right direction. And to be acknowledged and appreciated for said efforts is truly rewarding." 

Creal brings an abundance of coaching experience to this position, having served as the head men's cross country and track coach at Iowa Wesleyan.

"When Coach Creal was at Iowa Wesleyan, he helped relaunch that program," Pilosof said in a statement. "And he has done pretty much the exact same thing here. Through hard work and dedication, he and Coach Statzer have brought the team back into national contention."

Before Iowa Wesleyan, Creal spent time at St. Gregory's University and Dickinson State producing multiple national qualifiers, school records, and academic accolades.

"I want to thank Mike Pilosof, Emmett Statzer, Ryan Ruda, and our Vice Presidents, as well as Garden City Community College as a whole for their support," Creal added. "Garden City is a special place, and I am blessed to be able to be a part of this great institution."

Creal worked with Coach Statzer at Iowa Western from 2013 to 2015, helping elevate the Reivers into a national power.

A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Creal received his Master of Arts in Educational Policy and Administration from Dakota Wesleyan University in 2013. he also received his United States Track and Field Level 1 certification in 2012.  He is a 2011 graduate of Midland University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Administration (Sports and Fitness Management Concentration). Creal was a member of the cross country and track and field teams at Dana College and earned Daktronics-Track and Field Scholar-Athlete in 2010 and Daktronics-NAIA Cross Country Scholar-Athlete in 2009 and 2010.