University of Mount Olive

Matt van Lierop took over as head coach of the University of Mount Olive men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams midway through the spring of 2009. Within two full seasons, van Lierop had guided Mount Olive to conference championships in men’s and women’s track and field, and conference runner-up finishes in men’s and women’s cross country.

In 2014-15, for the second year in a row, Mount Olive came within one sport of sweeping all of the Conference Carolinas Cross Country and Track and Field Championships. The Trojans won the Conference Carolinas Men's Cross Country Championship for the third straight year and swept the Conference Carolinas Men's and Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the second year in a row.

Mount Olive spent three weeks at No. 10 in the USTFCCCA Division II Men's Cross Country National Top 25 Rankings during the 2014 season for the Trojans' highest-ever national ranking.

Mount Olive has qualified for the NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country National Championship in each of the last the last four years. The Trojans finished 19th at the 2014 Championship and Akiharu Kitagawa came within one spot of becoming the Trojans' first-ever Men's Cross Country All-America.

The Trojans have been represented in the NCAA Division II Men's Outdoor Track and Field National Championship in each of the last three years. Mount Olive was also represented in the NCAA Division II Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship in 2014, with Trojans earning All-America honors in two events.

In 2013-14, the USTFCCA (United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) ranked Mount Olive No. 12 in its rankings of the top Division II Men's Cross Country and Track and Field programs.

During his tenure at Mount Olive, van Lierop has amassed a combined 12 Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year Awards in men's cross country, men's indoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field and women's outdoor track and field. He has also twice been named USTFCCCA Division II Men's Outdoor Track and Field Southeast Region Coach of the Year (2014 and 2015) and was named USTFCCCA Division II Women's Outdoor Track and Field Southeast Region Coach of the Year in 2011.

In 2012, van Lierop led Mount Olive to its first Conference Carolinas Men's Cross Country Championship since 2001. A school record seven Trojan runners earned All-Conference Carolinas honors, a feat that the Trojans have matched in each of the last two years.

Under van Lierop, Mount Olive has consistently been ranked in the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Top 10 in men's cross country, women's cross country, men's indoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field and women's outdoor track and field. The Trojans have earned numerous No. 1 regional rankings.

Since van Lierop took over at Mount Olive, Trojan men's and women's track and field student-athletes have won a combined 12 Conference Carolinas Athlete of the Year awards. Alaytra Carswell was named Women's Track and Field (Track Events) Athlete of the Year in 2011 and 2012, becoming the first Trojan student-athlete in any sport to earn Conference Player of the Year honors in both their freshman and sophomore years.

Van Lierop came to Mount Olive from Keystone College, where he was a five-time conference coach of the year winner, three times for men’s cross country and twice for women’s country. He guided Keystone to three men’s cross country conference championships and two women’s cross country titles.

Van Lierop is a graduate of Lehigh University, where he earned All-Patriot League honors in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field.

Favorite Quote: “I would rather try…and fail…than to have never tried at all”

All-Time Coaching Record

Indoor

Outdoor

Updated 6-14-15