Men & Women's Coaching Staff

Cale Korbelik
Head Track & Field Coach (sprints, hurdles, relays, recruiting coordinator)

After continuing and building on the Marauders successes at both the conference and national levels as both an assistant and interim head coach, Cale Korbelik was named the University of Mary Head Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Coach in July 2022.

Korbelik joined the University of Mary as the Marauders Assistant Track & Field coach in 2020 with a primary focus on Sprints, Hurdles, Javelin, High jump, and Relays while also serving as the program’s recruiting coordinator. In his first season he helped coach the Women’s team to the 2021 NSIC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

In August 2021 Korbelik was elevated to Interim Head Track and Field Coach. “The legacy of this program is success on the conference and national level. Keeping that standard of excellence is what this staff is all about. We will work tirelessly to stay on top and excel to new heights on the national stage.” After serving as the interim coach for the 2021-2022 season, Coach Korbelik was named the permanent head track & field coach on July 1, 2022.

In the 2022 Indoor Track and Field Season Korbelik coached the Women’s team to a runner-up finish at the NSIC Championships with the men claiming 4th place. The women’s team was highlighted by conference champions in the 600m, 800m and Triple Jump and the team totaled six All-Conference performers. The NCAA Indoor National Championships was highlighted by D’Andra Morris winning her first national title in the triple jump and earning USTFCCCA Indoor Scholar Field Athlete of the Year honors. Overall UMary finished 21st in the nation. The men’s team indoor finish was the program’s best since 2019 and was highlighted by a conference championship in the 200m by Brendon Hoyte, who also finished as the runner-up in the 60m Dash.

In the 2022 Outdoor Track and Field season Korbelik coached the women’s team to a 3rd place finish in the NSIC and 6th place for the men’s team. The women were highlighted by D’Andra Morris winning the NSIC Triple Jump title for the 6th time in her career and claiming five All-Conference honors in the 800m, 400m hurdles, 4x100m Relay, Long Jump and Triple Jump. Morris went on to win her 2nd National Title in the Triple Jump along with being named the Outdoor National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year. As a team UMary finished 16th at the NCAA championships. The men’s team was highlighted by the conference long jump champion Astley Davis and strong finishes in the 400m & Relay events. Davis went on to compete at the NCAA championships.

In the 2021 Indoor track and field season Korbelik coached Ava Grimm to an All-Conference Performance with a 2nd place finish in the 600m. In the 100-meter hurdles Tereza Bolibruch placed 2nd in the NSIC to earn All-Conference honors as she punched her ticket to the NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field National Championship. At nationals she missed first team All-American honors by one place as she finished 9th.

In the 2021 Outdoor track and field season Korbelik coached three Conference Champions. Isaac Huntington won the 400m (48.11). Faith Dockter claimed the Javelin title (142 feet) and ranked 25th nationally. Chriss-Ann Thomas took the 400m (54.75) crown and ranked 5th nationally to punch her ticket to the national meet. Thomas finished 12th nationally to earn 2nd-team All-American honors. All-Conference performers included  Tereza Bolibruch, who placed 2nd in the 100-meter hurdles and qualifying for nationals, and Nicole Kramchynsky, the runner-up in the Javelin (139 feet).

Going into the 2022-2023 season Korbelik is looking to keep the Marauders on top. In the last five years the Women’s track & field team has won seven conference titles in ten attempts. In the last 15 seasons the Women’s team has won 19 conference titles, most recently the 2021 Outdoor championship.

Korbelik coached the 2019-20 season at Buena Vista University. His coaching career started at Whitworth University, where he helped the Pirates win the 2018 Northwest cross country conference championship and finish ninth at the 2019 NCAA Division III women’s outdoor championships.

While an assistant coach at Buena Vista for the cross country and track & field teams during the 2019-20 season, Korbelik was responsible for coaching the pole vault, horizontal and vertical jumps and multi-event athletes while also handling strength and conditioning and recruiting. He coached the ARC conference pole vault runner-up.

Korbelik began his professional coaching career at Whitworth, where he was a graduate assistant coach for two seasons (2017-19). His responsibilities with the Pirates included the sprints, relays, strength & conditioning and recruiting coordinator.

A dual sport collegiate athlete at Northwest Missouri State University, Korbelik was a sprinter for the Bearcats and ran on the school’s record-setting Distance Medley Relay team. He also played football on the 2013 Bearcats NCAA Division II championship team.

Named the PE/ Health Major of the Year award in 2015, Korbelik graduated from NWMSU in 2017 with a degree in Physical Education and minors in Sports Psychology and Coaching. He completed his Master’s degree in Administrative and Nonprofit Leadership at Whitworth University in 2019.

Chris Lessard
Head Cross Country Coach / Asst. Track & Field Coach

Chris Lessard was named the University of Mary head men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track & field coach on June 17, 2022, and arrives at UMary following an impressive coaching progression over the last four seasons.

Serving as the NCAA Division I New Jersey Institute of Technology Cross Country/Distance Coach for the 2021-22 season, his men’s and women’s cross country scholar-athletes all posted personal records by the end of the season while over 15 school records were set during the indoor track season in the middle-distance and distance events.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to lead the University of Mary cross country team and the mid-distance and distance student-athletes on the track,” said Lessard. “UMary has an incredibly rich history of success, and I am fortunate to be able to lead them alongside Coach Korbelik. I am looking forward to getting to know all of the student-athletes and getting started over the next few weeks. I would like to thank Coach Korbelik, Dan Huntley, Jerome Richter and Monsignor Shea for the opportunity to work, grow, and spread our Greatness Through Virtue plan!”

During the 2020-21 season, Lessard was the assistant cross country and track coach plus recruiting coordinator at West Texas A&M. He helped coach 23 national qualifiers for a powerful Buffs program that placed third at both the men’s and women’s 2021 NCAA Division II indoor championships. He co-managed all aspects of the men's and women's programs, including training design, scheduling, travel, recruiting, scholarships, budgeting and ordering for WTAMU.

In his lone season at Southwest Baptist University in 2019-20 as the assistant cross country and indoor track coach and recruiting coordinator, the women’s team finished 20th in the NCAA Division II cross country championships with two Bearcats earning All-American honors as Lessard strategized the team’s race execution. In the program’s 1st season racing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, the women’s team placed second indoors, and the men captured 3rd.

Lessard started his collegiate coaching career at Chabot College in 2018-19, where he helped facilitate the annual San Francisco Distance Carnival Meet and coached several scholar-athletes to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state championships in distance events (800, 3k, 5k, 10K, Steeplechase).

A 2018 graduate of California State University, East Bay with a bachelor of philosophy degree, Lessard ran cross country and track for the Pioneers and was an intern in the CSUEB athletics compliance department. He also ran collegiately for Central Arizona College. Lessard is currently completing a master’s degree from WTAMU in exercise science and sports management.

Lessard inherits a UMary women’s cross country program that finished 10th at the 2021 NCAA Division II championships last fall. The Marauders men’s team placed 2nd at the 2021 NSIC championships, a program-best finish.

Overall, the Marauders men’s and women’s cross country and track & field programs have claimed 56 conference team championships over the last 29 years.

Travis Herrera
Asst. Track & Field Coach (Multi / Javelin / Long Hurdles / Pole Vault)

Coach Herrera is returning to the Track and Field program at the University of Mary as an Assistant Coach for his second year after completing his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science—Business Concentration from Whitworth University in 2021.

While attending school, Herrera participated in track and field where he competed in the pole vault, 400 meter hurdles, 4x400 meter relay, and decathlon.

With experience in a multitude of events, Herrera will assist in coaching the decathlon/heptathlon, high jump, pole vault, 400mH, and javelin. Herrera is passionate about the technical side of the sport and strives to learn as much as possible about coaching to help the Marauders excel both on and off the track.

Aaron Teigen
Asst. Track & Field Coach (Long / Triple Jump)

Aaron Teigen is entering his 3rd year coaching long and triple jump at the University of Mary.

In the 2021 Indoor Season Aaron coached D’Andra Morris to a Conference Championship in the triple jump and Arianna Passeri to an All-Conference performance (3rd). At the DII Indoor Track and Field National Championship Aaron coached D’Andra Morris to a National Runner-up in the long jump. The best finish in that event in program history. Her Jump was a school record of (41’6”).

In the 2021 outdoor season Aaron’s group elevated its performance by claiming two conference titles in the long jump and triple jump for the women’s team. Lexus Lovan won the long jump while D’Andra Morris won the triple jump and placed 3rd in the long jump earning All-Conference performer. D’Andra was later named Women’s Field Athlete of the Meet for NSIC. Also earning All-Conference performer was Cali Modglin who finished 3rd in the triple jump. On the men’s side Astley Davis finished runner-up in the Men’s triple jump earning him All-conference performer. At the DII Outdoor Track and Field National Championship Aaron coached D’Andra Morris to another National Runner-up performance in the triple jump. Her jump was a school record of (43’1”).

Aaron previously attended the University of Mary, earning his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science in 2014 and his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2017.

Aaron competed in long and triple jump at the University of Mary from 2011 to 2015. Aaron placed at several conference meets with his biggest accomplishment being a Conference Championship in the long jump during his 4th season.

Aaron understands the commitment and hard work it takes to be a student-athlete. In high school, he only competed in long jump for three weeks before earning 2nd place at the state meet. When he came to the University of Mary for school, he decided to give long and triple jump a little more effort than he did in high school. With hard work, determination, and great coaching, Aaron was able to become a top jumper in both the long and triple jump throughout the NSIC while also earning honors and academic awards in the classroom during his career at the University of Mary.

Aaron is originally from Rugby, ND.

Jared Pflipsen
Asst. Track & Field Coach (Pole Vault)

Jared Pflipsen is returning as the pole vault coach for the 2022-23 season. As a single-event coach, Pflipsen will be able to focus solely on building up the vaulters.

Being a former student and pole vaulter at U Mary, Pflipsen knows the track and field athlete life well. He has pole vaulted for nine years including the three years it took him to complete his bachelor’s degree at U Mary. While competing at the collegiate level, he placed in all five indoor and outdoor conference meets and earned all-conference honors in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for his 2018 outdoor pole vault performance.

In 2020, Pflipsen earned his degree in exercise science and passed ACSM’s Certified Exercise Physiologist exam. While completing his degree, Pflipsen did research on the effects of myofascial release on strength gains in novice young males as well as research into the effect of protein intake timing on strength and hypertrophy gains. More recently, he obtained his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification through the NSCA in the summer of 2022.

Coaching at U Mary last year, Pflipsen coached athletes Isaac Watson and Dillan Kovash to a 5th and 8th place finish at the indoor conference championships. This was followed up by a 6th place finish by Watson at the outdoor championships. At the outdoor championships, he also assisted in coaching a 5th place finish by multi-event athlete, Malakhi Stevenson. His first year ever vaulting, Malakhi attained a personal record of 11’ 1.75” during the 2021-22 season.

Kyle Cacho
Asst. Track & Field Coach (Horizontal Jumps)

Coach Kyle Cacho is a first-year graduate assistant for the Track and Field program at the University of Mary. Coach Cacho received his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Mary and is pursuing a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy.

While attending the University of Mary Coach Cacho competed in the long Jump, triple Jump, and sprints.

As an alumnus of the Track and Field program at the University, Coach Cacho brings a sense of team culture and dynamic holding the athletes to greatness through virtue. His experience and passion in the jumps will help athletes excel on the track.

Taylor Coleman
Asst. Track & Field Coach (Sprints / Hurdles)

Coach Taylor Coleman is a first year Graduate Assistant for the Track & Field program at University of Mary after joining the Marauders in August 2022.

Coach Taylor started his career at Aurora University where he competed in hurdles, jumps, and sprints. He earned an undergraduate degree in psychology before coaching at the high school level for 5 years including several Michigan state qualifiers and AAU national competitors.

Coach Taylor received a graduate degree in Exercise and Sport Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2021 and worked as a sport psychology consultant at the high school level. He is currently working towards a second graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Mary.