Track and Field/Cross Country Sees Coaching Staff Shakeup

EL DORADO, Kan. – The Butler Community College cross country and track and field programs will see some change with the coaching staff ahead of the 2024-25 seasons.

Mark Emerson has been promoted to head coach of the cross country and track and field programs while Keitavious Walter and Hannah Showalter have been hired as assistant coaches.

Mark Emerson – Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach

Emerson has been with the Grizzlies for three seasons as an assistant leading the cross country team and distance runners. The 2024 season will be his fourth in El Dorado and first as head coach.

A Junction City, Kan., native, Emerson has led the Butler cross country programs to impressive heights. In 2023 Emerson's men's cross country squad finished as the Region 6 runners-up and women placed fifth. Two Grizzly men earned all-region recognition with Adem Bouldjadj (second place, 24:05.209) and Soualah Yasser (11th, 26:05.729) picking up the honors. On the women's side Khloi Bird was named all-region for her ninth-place finish (19:06.8). Both squads finished 11th at the NJCAA National Championships with Bouldjadj being named an All-American. Emerson also coached multiple All-American track and field distance runners.

In 2022 Emerson led the Grizzly men's cross-country squad to a KJCCC East championship and third place finish in Region VI. Emerson helped lead Rodgers Rotich to a second-place overall finish at the NJCAA Nationals as he missed being a national champion by just 0.4 seconds.  The Grizzly men finished 10th nationally, with 256 points. They were the third highest Jayhawk Conference team, behind Northwest Tech along with Colby, who were crowned the 2022 Men's National Champions. The women's squad placed 14th nationally.

Prior to Butler, Emerson spent time as an assistant at Fort Scott CC. He helped the Greyhounds to their first national ranking for the men's and women's cross country teams in school history. He coached the first All-American in school history in cross country, the first KJCCC Outdoor Championship for men and women in school history and was part of the first indoor conference championship for women in school history. 

Prior to Fort Scott, Emerson was a Graduate Assistant at Waldorf University and a volunteer assistant at Kansas Wesleyan University. 

He is a graduate of Allen Community College and Kansas Wesleyan University where he participated in track and field and cross country during his collegiate career.

Keitavious Walter – Assistant Track and Field Coach

Emerson added Keitavious Walter as an assistant coach with the track and field program. Walter spent the 2023-24 season as the head track and field coach at Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland, Kan. He coached an All-American in Sibonokuhle Thwala in the 1500m as well as a school record holder in the 110m hurdles in Jerry Philippe (14.06). Other impressive Maverick accolades under Walter's tutelage include Kendrick Jones' national qualifying run in the 100m (10.55) and Jones' 2023 U20 qualifying run in the 100m. Walter also spent the 2022-23 season at NWKTC as the sprints and relays coach as well as assisting with cross country.

Walter was an assistant coach at Coffeyville Community College during the 2021-22 year. The Red Ravens were named the Region 6 indoor coaching staff of the year in 2022 and Walter saw Antonio Evans be named the 200m indoor champion (20.84) as well as the school record holder in the indoor 60m (6.60) and indoor 200m (20.84). Multiple other athletes had school record performances under Walter's watch. Dakari Charlton and Smith were named All-Americans in the men's outdoor 100m and Ireon Brown (20.99) and Charlton (21.06) were named All-Americans in the outdoor 200m.

Walter earned a degree in human environmental science from the University of Alabama in 2020 where he was also a member of the Alabama track and field team as a sprinter. While at Alabama, Walter was named First Team All-SEC for the outdoor 200 meters (2018) and was also a 200-meter All-American during the 2019 indoor season. Prior to Alabama, Walter was an NJCAA student-athlete at Hinds CC, becoming a two-time NJCAA 60-meter champion, 200m indoor national champion in 2017 and a member of Hinds' championship winning outdoor 4x100m relay.

Hannah Showalter – Assistant Cross Country/Track and Field Coach

Rounding out the coaching staff is Andover native Hannah Showalter.

Showalter is fresh off her competition career as she spent five years at Emporia State and one at the University of Saint Mary. At Emporia, Showalter ran four seasons in cross country and three seasons of indoor and outdoor track. She competed at multiple NCAA Regional Championships while at Emporia and qualified for the NAIA Championship Meet at USM.

Showalter spent the summer of 2021 working in a cross country coaching practicum at Andover High School. Her responsibilities included leading warm-ups as well as strength straining workouts. Showalter has also spent time as an electronic timer with Black Squirrel Timing Company and as a physical education teacher at Sacred Heart Catholic School from 2022-23.