SPORTS RELEASEYvonne Lowe hired as new APSU track coach
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESu-02 BK/bk 8/19/208
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.?Yvonne Lowe, former track standout and assistant coach at her alma mater Southeast
Missouri State, has been named the new head women's track and women and men's cross country coach at Austin
Peay State University.
Lowe replaces Elvis Forde, who resigned recently to become head coach at Illinois State.
"We are excited about the addition of Yvonne to our coaching staff," APSU Athletics Director
Dave Loos said. "We
are really fortunate to have found someone of this quality this late in the game. I really have to compliment (assistant
athletics director) Chuck Kimmel, who was the point person in the search, for the work he did in pulling all this together.
"Yvonne comes very highly recommended by (SEMO coach Joey) Haines and Elvis (Forde). She obviously was a
very talented athlete--an outstanding sprinter in college. She brings a lot of energy and ambition to the position and will
quickly develop a rapport with the kids. I think she is a person who is going to do very,very well in the position."
"There was a lot to think about in such a short period of time," Lowe said. "I had just started a new job in Cape
(moving back from Washington). I had a lot of people supporting me in this, including coach Haines and my supervisors
(in my new job).
"They all knew this is what I wanted to do--that it was a great opportunity for me."
A St. Louis, Mo., native, she competed in the 100-, 200- and 400-meters plus relays during her illustrious career,
including being named team MVP in 1997 and 1998. Lowe was the 1997 OVC indoor and outdoor champ in the 400
meter run.
She was a member of five Ohio Valley Conference championship teams (indoor and outdoor) and left SEMO as the
school record holder in the 200-meters (23.99); fourth all-time in the 400 meters (54.26) and seventh in the 100 meters
(11.91). She also ran legs on SEMO's school record-holding 4 x 100-meter, 4 x 200-meter 4 x 400-meter, sprint medley
and distance medley relays.
She remained at Southeast Missouri as student assistant in 1998-99 and was hired as fulltime assistant to Haines
in 1999. In addition to recruiting, she worked with the program's sprinters and relay teams.
She coached five OVC champions during her SEMO careeer and an NCAA provosional qualifier. She also coached
the school-record 4 x 100-meter relay team. However, it will be the first time she has coached cross country, just as it
was for Forde when he came to APSU in 1989. She won't find a bare cupboard as Sheena Gooding, the Lady Govs all-
America track performer, returns for her final year of cross country competition. Gooding twice has earned all-OVC in
cross country.
"I was told by Chuck (Kimmel) that I would have to hit the ground running and I have. I met with the athletes
(Monday) and they really seem like a good group of young people. I have some seniors who I have told I will be leaning
on, especially this fall as we get started.
"My goal this year to keep what Elvis had going. We are going to keep things as simple as we can for them in this
transition. I am really looking forward to working with them."
