Janelle Harrison enters her first season as the Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and
Track & Field Coach at Westminster College, bringing more than 15 years of coaching
experience and a lifelong connection to the sport.
Harrison began her coaching career with the University of Missouri-Columbia Running Club,
serving as president and coach from 2010-2012. In 2010, the women’s team finished second at
the NIRCA Midwest Regional Championships and ninth at the NIRCA National Championships
.
From 2011-2022, Harrison served as an assistant cross country and track & field coach at
Fulton High School, working with sprint and distance athletes. During her tenure, the boys cross
country program made back-to-back state championship appearances, including a podium
finish. On the track, Harrison helped develop All-State athletes in the boys 800-meter and
3200-meter and girls 1600-meter, along with conference champions, numerous All-Conference
performers, and a school record in the boys 3200-meter.
Harrison has also coached post-collegiate runners to Boston and New York City Marathon
qualifications. Her professional coaching experience has included fitness, nutrition, running
performance, performance mindset, and personal development, shaping an approach that
considers the whole athlete.
Her coaching philosophy begins with the individual. Harrison believes athletes are individuals
first, students second, and competitors third, and that investing in the individual creates the
foundation for the athlete to thrive. She strives to build a program in which athletes know they
are supported through successful performances and difficult ones alike while being challenged
to discover what they are capable of.
A Fulton High School graduate, Harrison competed in cross country and track & field before
beginning her collegiate career at William Woods University. At William Woods, she earned an
individual All-Conference cross country finish and was a member of the first-place
All-Conference team. After transferring to the University of Missouri-Columbia, Harrison
continued competing with the Mizzou Running Club, becoming a two-time top-10 NIRCA
Midwest Regional finisher and top-50 NIRCA National Championships finisher.
Harrison remains an active runner and competes in road and trail races, with a post-collegiate
career that includes qualification for the New York City Marathon and top-three half-marathon
finishes across the country.
Harrison earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from the University
of Missouri-Columbia with a minor in Business.
At Westminster, Harrison’s vision is to build top-tier NCAA Division III cross country and track &
field programs recognized among the best in the region and nation. Just as importantly, she is
committed to creating a culture and student-athlete experience that Blue Jays will be proud to
have been part of long after their final competition
