Dale Cowper - Cross Country Coach - University of Louisville Athletic

Dale Cowper

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
dale@GoCards.com
Phone:
852-0106

BIRTHDAY: June 25
COACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Head Coach / Throws
EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree (Western Michigan, '01)
YEAR AT LOUISVILLE: 17th
HOMETOWN: Marlette, Mich.
FAMILY: Wife - Constance, Sons - Zachary and Logan

Head Coach
ATHLETIC CAREER
Four-year letterwinner on the track and field team at Western Michigan
Four-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships, posting more than 30 qualifying marks
Earned All-America honors in the weight throw in 2001 and hammer throw in 2002
Owns school records in the weight throw and hammer events
Posted two IAAF top-20 rankings in the weight throw
Four-time team MVP

COACHING CAREER
Louisville
2013 - Present: Head Coach
2011-13: Louisville (associate head coach / throws / recruiting coordinator)
2006-11: Louisville (assistant coach / throws)
2005-06: Cal State Northridge (associate head coach / throws)
2003-05: Cal State Northridge (assistant coach / throws)

Dale Cowper, who recently completed his 10th season at the helm, has helped the Cardinals tally 84 NCAA All-Americans and 63 conference champions as Louisville’s head coach and 27 more as an assistant coach spanning three conferences – the Atlantic Coast Conference (2015 – present), the American Athletic Conference (2014) and the BIG EAST (2013).

COACHING HIGHLIGHTS
2022-23
• The Cardinals capped off the 2022-23 season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships where they earned ten entries to the meet, the most since 2009. Louisville saw four first team, two second team, and four honorable mention All-Americans during the outdoor season.
    • Cowper coached Bryan Hudson to an NCAA berth in the men's shot put, after recording a throw of 19.04m (62-5.75) at the NCAA East Region Preliminaries that stands as the second-best throw in school history.
• The Cardinals also fielded six athletes at the NCAA Indoor Championships, with three athletes earning first team and three earning second team All-American honors.
• At the ACC Outdoor Championships, the men's squad earned their best finish at the meet in program history, tying for third place to finish with 89.5 points, just 2.5 points off the lead.
    • Louisville accounted for 17 All-ACC finishes and eight medalists, including a pair of ACC title from Trey Allen (men's high jump) and Paul Kallenberg (men's decathlon)
• At the ACC Indoor Championships, the men's team also recorded their best finish at the meet in school history, taking fourth place with 68.5 points.
    • The Cardinals also took home 17 All-ACC honors with eight medalists, as Trey Allen (men's high jump) and Cameron Miller (men's 200m) won event crowns.
• Over the course of the season, Louisville athletes set 21 new program records (eight indoor, 13 outdoor) along with 10 new freshman records (seven indoor, three outdoor).

2021-22
• The Cardinals are coming off of an impressive 2021-22 campaign which culminated with Gabriela Leon becoming the first women's outdoor national champion in program history. The Cardinals placed 25th-place in the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the program's best women's outdoor finish. In total, Louisville tallied two first team, three second team and three honorable mention All-Americans in the outdoor campaign.
• In addition to Leon’s All-America status, Trey Allen secured first-team All-American honors in the men's high jump. Jeremiah Willis and Sean Roth earned second-team All-American honors in the men’s long jump and pole vault respectively. Katie Martin was a second-team all-American in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.\
• In the indoor season, Leon and Allen earned USTFCCCA All-America first-team honors in the pole vault and high jump respectively. Warner-Savage was an All-America honorable mention in the 60m.
• The Cardinals qualified a program-record 30 student-athletes for 31 entries to the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds and followed with eight NCAA qualifiers – the most since a school record 12 Cardinals went in 2009.
• In the ACC Outdoor Championships, the Cardinals tallied 17 All-ACC finishes with four event champions and nine medalists. Leon earned her second straight outdoor pole vault title.
    • Synclair Savage secured the women's outdoor long jump title. The Cardinals also swept the high jump with Emily Scott clearing a facility-record mark to win the women's title, while Trey Allen took the men's gold.
    • The Cardinals also amassed 10 All-Indoor ACC accolades with five medalists including Warner-Savage’s title in the men’s 60-meter dash.
• One of Louisville’s most decorated athletes, Leon was named the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Outdoor Southeast Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, ACC Outdoor Women’s Field Performer of the Year, ACC Track & Field Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. She was also one of the ACC nominees for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
• Following the NCAA Championships, six athletes: Leon, Aliyah Welter, Allen, Warner-Savage and Willis were selected to compete in the 2022 Toyota USA Track & Field Outdoor Championship. Ty McPhail also qualified for the U20 Outdoor Championships.
• Leon placed fourth at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships and qualified for entry to the 2022 World Athletics Championships where she advanced to the finals and finished 12^th in the overall standings while competing for USA Track and Field.

2020-21 Highlights
• In the 2020-21 campaign, the Cardinals achieved several milestones including a top-20 finish for the women in the indoor season keyed by Makenli Forrest’s NCAA Indoor Weight Throw title. Forrest also won the ACC Indoor Championship and was the ACC Indoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year.
• In addition to Forrest’s success, Halee Hudson, Aliyah Welter and Sterling Warner-Savage also collected USTFCCCA All-American honors while the program produced 12 All-ACC performers.
• During the 2020 indoor season, 14 Cardinals earned All-ACC honors while Forrest and Leon advanced to the NCAA Indoor Championships. Both were named USTFCCCA All-Americans with no distinction being with the season ending prior to competition due to COVID-19.

2019-20 Highlights
• Coached Forrest to runner-up finish in the weight throw at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships.

2018-19 Highlights
• Forrest earned second team All-American honors in the hammer throw at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• Louisville produced five All-Americans (Indoor - Forrest, Dorcas Wasike; Outdoor - Martice Moore, Albert Kosgei, and Forrest) and three ACC Champions (Indoor- Alivia Ash and Dorcas Wasike; Outdoor - Martice Moore) along with 27 All-ACC selections during the 2018-19 season.
• Dorcas Wasike earned her second consecutive All-American honor in cross country at the 2018 NCAA Championships. She was also named ACC Runner of the Year, ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned first team All-ACC honors

2017-18 Highlights
• Program produced seven indoor All-Americans (Emmonnie Henderson, Javen Reeves, Jerin Allen, Joe Delgado, Makenli Forrest , Alexis Gibbons, and Holly Hankenson) and four outdoor All-American (Dorcas Wasike, Joe Delgado, Gabriela Leon, and Damar Robinson) during the 2017-18 season
• Dorcas Wasike was the 2018 NCAA 10,000m Runner-up
• Women's indoor program finished with its highest finish at 18th at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

2016-17 Highlights
• Edwin Kibichiy won the 2017 NCAA Steeplechase title,
• Program produced three outdoor 2017 All-Americans (Emmonnie Henderson, Edwin Kibichiy, and Jerin Allen) while three Cardinals earned honorable mention honors (Holly Hankenson, Martice Moore and Trevor Troutman). Four Cardinals earned indoor All-American honors in 2017 (Holly Hankenson, Emmonnie Hendson, Dolly Nyemah and Damar Robinson).
• Women's program registered the best finish in school history (31st) at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championship and finished runner-up in the 2016 NCAA Southeast Regional.

2015-16 Highlights
• Program produced five indoor All-Americans (Ben Williams, Dolly Nyemah, Damar Robinson, Emmonnie Henderson, Chanel Krause) and three outdoor All-American (Emmonnie Henderson, Ben Williams, Edwin Kibichiy) during the 2015-16 season
• The Cardinals finished with 31 athletes earning All-ACC honors during his third season at the helm; Damar Robinson also earned MVP Field honors during the indoor championship while Emmonnie Henderson earned MVP Field honors during the outdoor championship
• Louisville won the 2015 NCAA Southeast Regional held at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park and finished a program-best seventh in the nation.

2014-15 Highlights
• Produced two indoor All-Americans (Ben Williams, Dolly Nyemah) and five outdoor All-Americans (Emmonnie Henderson 2x, Edwin Kibichiy,Ernest Kibet and Ben Williams) during the 2014-15 season.
• Guided Emmonnie Henderson to a new school record in the discus with a personal best throw of 58.34m (191-5)
• Program finished the first season competition in the ACC with four athletes earning five ACC titles. While Henderson earned the ACC Women's Field MVP award.
•  23 athletes earned All-ACC honors during the 2014-15 season.

2013-14 Highlights
• In his first season at the helm, led the Louisville men to a second place AAC Indoor finish and a fourth place outdoor finish and the women to a fourth place indoor finish and a fifth place outdoor finish
• Program produced two indoor All-Americans (Ben Williams, Guillaume Victorin) and four outdoor All-American (Brittany Owens, Edwin Kibichiy, Calvin Arsenault, and Tyler Byrne) in his first season at the helm.
• Guided the men's cross country team to the AAC Championship, while the women's team earned a runner-up finish at the conference meet

As an assistant coach at Louisville
• Led thrower Sam Bombaugh to his first All-America honor in 2013
• Led thrower Chinwe Okoro to her third career All-America honor in 2012
• Helped guide Louisville’s women’s squad to its fifth-straight BIG EAST outdoor title in 2012, a first in the conference’s history on the women’s side
• Earned fourth BIG EAST Women’s Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year honor, fifth honor overall after collecting the award during the 2011 indoor season
• His women’s throws group captured shot put, discus and hammer throw titles for the fourth time at the 2012 BIG EAST Outdoor Championships
• Amashi-ali Kendall was tabbed the 2012 BIG EAST Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet, signifying the best field athlete at the conference championships; Kendall became Louisville’s fifth-straight student-athlete to win the award
• Named the 2011 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
• Coached D’Ana McCarty to her second straight NCAA indoor weight throw title in 2010; she first won the indoor crown in 2009, becoming Louisville’s first female national champion.
• McCarty won three titles (shot put, discus and hammer throw) at the 2011 BIG EAST Championships to become only the fourth athlete in BIG EAST history to win three field event titles in one meet
• McCarty was named the 2011 BIG EAST Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet after the three-title performance
• Throws group ranked No. 1 nationally in 2009 by Thrower’s Page
• Led Jere’ Summers to her first of three BIG EAST Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet awards (2008-10)
• Men’s throwers played a pivotal role in delivering the 2007 men’s team its first conference title in school history

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE
• Throws group earned five NCAA Championships bids, three Big West Conference titles and one All-America distinction
• Led thrower Jere' Summers to the 2006 World Junior Championships in the shot put and discus after second-place finishes in both events at the USA Junior Nationals
• Helped lead the men's and women's teams to two conference titles apiece

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Indoor
Weight Throw: D'Ana McCarty (2009, 2010)
Weight Throw: Makenli Forrest (2021)
Outdoor
Pole Vault: Gabriela Leon (2022)
Steeplechase: Edwin Kibichiy (2017)

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS (86 Total; 59 as Head Coach; 27 as Assistant)
Atlantic Coast Conference
Indoor
High Jump: Trey Allen (2023)
200m: Cameron Miller (2023)
Weight Throw: Makenli Forrest (2018, 2020, 2021)
Weight Throw: Dolly Nyemah (2016, 2017)
Shot Put: Emmonnie Henderson (2016, 2017, 2018)
High Jump: Alivia Ash (2019)
High Jump: Javen Reeves (2018)
High Jump: Damar Robinson (2016, 2017)
Triple Jump: Ben Williams (2016)
60-Meter: Sterling Warner-Savage (2022)
3000-Meter: Dorcas Wasike (2019)
5000-Meter: Dorcas Wasike (2018)
Heptathlon: Joe Delgado (2018)

Outdoor
Shot Put: Emmonnie Henderson (2015, 2016, 2017)
Discus: Emmonnie Henderson (2015)
Pole Vault: Gabriela Leon (2021, 2022)
High Jump: Trey Allen (2022, 2023)
High Jump: Emily Scott (2022)
High Jump: Damar Robinson (2016, 2018)
High Jump: Jerin Allen (2017)
Long Jump: Synclair Savage (2022)
Long Jump: Bre’Yana Wash (2017)
Triple Jump: Ben Williams (2015, 2016)
110-Meter Hurdles: Martice Moore (2019)
10,000-Meter: Dorcas Wasike (2018)
10,000-Meter: Ernest Kibet (2015)
3,000-Meter Steeplechase: Edwin Kibichy (2015, 2016, 2017)
Decathlon: Eric Fox (2018)
Decathlon: Paul Kallenberg (2023)

American Athletic Conference
Indoor
Weight Throw: Sam Bombaugh (2014)
Weight Throw: Patrice Gates (2014)
Triple Jump: Ben Williams (2014)
60-Meter Hurdles: Calvin Arsenault (2014)
800-Meter: Kelsey Cramsey (2014)
3,000-Meter: Tyler Byrne (2014)
5,000-Meter: Ernest Kibet (2014)

Outdoor
5,000-Meter: Tyler Byrne (2014)
10,000-Meter: Ernest Kibet (2014)
400-Meter Hurdles: Calvin Arsemault (2014)
3,000-Meter Steeplechase: Edwin Kibichy (2014)

BIG EAST Conference
Indoor
Shot Put: Khadija Abdullah (2011*, 2012*, 2013)
Shot Put: Sam Bombaugh (2013)
Shot Put: Jere’ Summers (2010)*
Shot Put: Weston Banks (2010)*
Shot Put: ZeNai Savage (2008)*
Shot Put: Steven Hnat (2007)*
Weight Throw: Sam Bombaugh (2013)

Outdoor
Discus: Amashi-Ali Kendall (2013)
Discus Khadija Abdullah (2012)*
Discus: D’Ana McCarty (2011)*
Discus: Jere’ Summers (2008, 2010)*
Discus: Josh Greenwald (2009)*
Discus: Arthur Turland (2007)*
Shot Put: Brad Vivace (2013)
Shot Put: Chinwe Okoro (2012)*
Shot Put: D’Ana McCarty (2011)*
Shot Put: Khadija Abdullah (2010)*
Shot Put: Jere’ Summers (2008, 2009)*
Shot Put: Steven Hnat (2009)*
Shot Put: ZeNai Savage (2007)*
Hammer Throw: Sam Bombaugh (2013)
Hammer Throw: Amashi-Ali Kendall (2012)*
Hammer Throw: D’Ana McCarty (2011)*
Hammer Throw: Jere’ Summers (2009, 2010)*
Hammer Throw: ZeNai Savage (2008)*
Hammer Throw: Emily Turland (2007)*
Hammer Throw: Arthur Turland (2006)*
Javelin Throw: Arthur Turland (2007)*

*-Cowper served as Assistant Coach (Throws)