Lehman-Winters Named Head Cross Country Coach

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Helen Lehman-Winters has been hired as Illinois head cross country coach and distance events coach under director of track and field and cross country Petros Kyprianou, Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced on Monday. Lehman-Winters’ contract is pending approval by the UI Board of Trustees at its September meeting.

“We want to welcome Helen Lehman-Winters to the Illinois family,” Whitman said. “She brings with her a wealth of experience and success at the highest level. She has a passion for coaching and competition. Helen’s arrival accelerates the upward trajectory of the Fighting Illini cross country and track and field programs that we started with the arrival of our new staff, led by Petros Kyprianou, last summer.  We want to thank Helen and her family for their trust and look forward to many successes for our teams and student-athletes under her leadership.”

Lehman-Winters recently spent four seasons as cross country coach and associate head coach at Oregon from 2018-22, working directly with the UO women’s distance program.

During her tenure, the Ducks cross country team won the 2018 Pac-12 title and advanced to the NCAA Championships three times, led by a third-place finish in 2018. She was named 2018 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) West Region Women’s Coach of the Year.

The Ducks women’s track team, meanwhile, won the 2022 Pac-12 title and was conference runner-up in both 2019 and 2021. The Oregon women finished in the top-20 at all six NCAA meets during Lehman-Winters’ time in Eugene, highlighted by a fifth-place showing at the 2019 Outdoor Championships.

“I am so excited to welcome Helen to our cross country and track and field team,” Kyprianou said. “Not only am I ecstatic about the level of care, coaching, and excitement Helen will provide to our cross and distance groups, but also her intelligence, demeanor and teamwork that will complement our talented staff. From the very first talk we had when I approached her about the opportunity here at Illinois, I knew she was the one. Helen brings a wealth of experience, success and wisdom that can help us continue the momentum of a great recruiting class and in our mission of building a championship team. Her work ethic and recruiting ability is championship level, and that is what I have been…