Track & Field Coaching Staff
Head Coach
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Coach Kindler has served as the Wildcat's head men's and women's cross country and track and field coach since 2007.
The Esbon, Kan., native comes to Baldwin City after serving three years (2004-2007) at Kansas Wesleyan University in the same position. Previous to Kansas Wesleyan, Kindler served as an assistant coach at Fort Hays State University (NCAA Division II). As a student-athlete he achieved All-American status four times and Academic All-American status twice while bringing home a national title in the javelin for the Tigers. Kindler graduated with an undergraduate degree in sports management in 2001 and a master's degree in sports administration in 2003.
Kindler's coaching accolades include two KCAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year Awards, 2004 and 2006; KCAC Women's Cross Country Champions, 2004 and 2006; KCAC Women's Cross Country Individual Champion, 2004 and 2006; Region IV Women's Cross Country Individual Champion, 2006; NAIA National Scholar Team, Women's Cross Country, 2006; NAIA National Scholar Team, Men's Cross Country, 2006.
Kindler was named the NAIA Region IV Women's Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2005. He has also coached 84 KCAC All-Conference marks, 14 NAIA national qualifiers and nine NAIA All-American Scholar-Athletes, among them was Kansas Wesleyan's first Women's Cross Country All-American.
During his time at Baker, coach Kindler has been named Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year five times and won the 2011 HAAC Championship in men's track and field. The men and women have combined for 12 top three finishes and 15 NAIA All-Americans.
Kindler, his wife Sara, daughter Taylor and sons Taylor and Carter live in Gardner, Kan.
Assistant Coach This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Darrin Prince comes to Baker University from Plainview, Texas. The Oklahoma City native has more than 14 years of coaching experience and has spent most of his coaching career at the high school and club level and as a personal coach, specializing in speed and strength/conditioning development for football, basketball and baseball athletes. Prince's last coaching position was as a volunteer assistant track coach at West Texas A&M University, where he coached sprints and hurdles for both women and men. Previous to WTAMU, Prince was an assistant head coach over the girls' and boys' sprints and hurdles at Ayala High School in Chino Hills, Calif. Previous to Ayala High School, Prince was an assistant coach at Steilacoom High School in Tacoma, Wash., and the head coach of the Tacoma Titans Track Club. As a student-athlete Prince earned All-American status in junior college in the 400-meter dash and 4 x 400-meter relay in 1989 and in the NAIA in the 400-meter dash in 1990.
Prince is the founder and director of Titan Sports Inc. and Unity of the Faith Word Ministries. Prince graduated with an undergraduate degree in business marketing in 1994 from the University of Central Oklahoma and is working on a master's degree in sports science, divinity and youth counseling. Prince spent 17 years in the United States Army. He and his wife Chante have four children, Kerese, Lukemah, Breaun and Josiah.
Prince's coaching accomplishments include: 2 CIF Finals Qualifiers, 400m Dash Girls, 2007,1 CIF Finals Qualifier, 4x400m Relay Girls, 2007, 1 CIF Prelims Qualifier, 4x100m Relay Girls, 2007, 1 State Champion, 400m Dash Class 2A Girls, 2006, 1 State Runner-up, 200m Dash Class 2A Girls, 2006, 4 State Qualifiers 100m Dash Class 2A Girls, 2005, 2006, 4 State Qualifiers 200m Dash Class 2A Girls, 2005, 2006, 2 State Qualifiers 110m Hurdles Class 2A Girls, 2005, 2006, 1 National Elite Youth All-American, 400m Dash, 2005, USATF West Regional Club track and field Champions (Tacoma Titans women team), 2002, 1 State Champion 100m Dash Class 2A Girls, 2002, 2003, 1 State Champion 200m Dash Class 2A Girls, 2002, National Champion, Long Jump, Bantam Girls(age group) USATF JR Olympic National Championships, 2001(Ft. Lewis Elite), 57 National Qualifiers USATF JR Olympic National Championships, 1997-2007, Won USAG VIII Army team championship(women's team), 1996
Assistant coach This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Coach Mackie Valentin enters his ninth season as an assistant coach for the Wildcat track program. Valentin has coached multiple all-HAAC and NAIA All-American performers. Coach Velentin has helped rewrite and set new performance records for the Baker track and field program.
Some of coach Valentin’s most notable achievements include: NAIA All-Americans in the men’s high hurdles, long jump, triple jump, and multi events for both the men and women. Valentin has also coached numerous NAIA relay national qualifiers while claiming multiple individual HAAC Champions.
Valentin attended Shawnee Mission West High School followed by three semesters at Fort Scott Community College. He then transferred to Baker to participate in track and field and football. Valentin was a part of the 2000 Baker football team that won the KWTO bowl with a decade best 9-2 overall record. He was recognized as a unanimous all-HAAC receiver, offensive MVP, and was voted to the NAIA All-America team.
Coach Valentin has a beautiful three-year-old daughter, Jovee Leigh and currently resides in Overland Park, Kan.
Assistant coach Zach Atzeni
Graduate Assistant
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Graduated from Purdue University with a bachelors of arts in psychology with a minor in American Sign Language teaching December 2010.
Four-year letter winner at Purdue University as track and field athlete.
Three-year national qualifier in the 110m hurdles.
Two-year national qualifier in the 60m hurdles (indoor) personal best time of 7.79 sec.
Ranked as the No. five all-time 400m hurdler at Purdue with a time of 52.67 sec.
Part of two NCAA division I regional qualifying relay teams 4x400 and 4x100m.
Two Big Ten bronze medals in the 110m hurdlers.
Qualified for the 2008 Olympic trials by hitting the Olympic B standard in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.59sec. This same mark stands in making me the stadium record holder in the 110m hurdles at Purdue University.
After college, Keith served as an assistant sprints and hurdles coach at Thornwood High School, his alma-mater, where the team finished the 2010-2011 seasons with one state champion in the 400m dash, and third place finish in the 4x400m relay at state as well.
Coached a first year high school hurdler to breaking a 30 year old school record in the 300m intermediate hurdles.
Born in Chicago, Ill., Keith is the son of Bridgette Hopkins. He has three brothers, Dante, Sean and Quinn and two sisters Katelyn and Dominique.
Graduate Assistant Ian Hankins
Washington D.C., native Ian Hankins comes to Baker University after serving as an assistant coach of cross country and track and field at St. Johns College. While at St. Johns his women’s cross country team placed third in the WCAC and placed eighth at the DC/MD/VA Private School State Meet.
Coach Hankins brings extensive knowledge within the running industry. Currently, Hankins serves as part owner of the Track and Cross Country Journal. His main focus is editing and social media market research within the company.
Hankins attended college at Muskingum University (Ohio) where he served as a two-year captain and was a three-time NCAA Regional Qualifier in Cross Country. Hankins holds the No. 2 fastest 10,000-meter time in school history on the track.
Post Collegiately, Hankins placed 10th overall in the Parks Half Marathon and 65th in the Marin Corps Marathon, good enough for a qualifying time in the Boston Marathon. Coach Hankins will work primarily with the Wildcat distance runners.
