“I would love to see us be a team that is consistently at nationals.”
That was the sentiment from Missouri’s newest head coach, Lindsey Anderson, who will lead the men’s and women’s cross country programs in a new era of distance running in Columbia.
Anderson, a former Olympian and cross country head coach at the College of Southern Idaho, replaced Marc Burns, who stepped down after eight years at the helm on Nov. 29.
“When coach [Brett] Halter (Missouri track and field head coach) reached out to me, my first response was, ‘Well, I’m not sure — I don’t know if I’m ready for that,’” Anderson said. “The more I talked to Coach Halter and learned about his vision for what he wanted … my vision for what I’ve always wanted with a cross country team and the distance track kids aligned very well … [I] ultimately decided to go for it.”
Anderson’s reputation in the cross country field speaks for itself.
She competed in the sport at Weber State in Ogden, Utah, finishing her career as a two-time All-American in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the indoor 5K. She also left the Big Sky Conference as a seven-time champion across several distance events. Anderson set school records in three events and even held a previous collegiate record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
After competing in college, she qualified for the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, placing eighth in her heat and 23rd overall.
Anderson served as an assistant coach at Weber State from 2007-14 before stepping into an assistant coaching position at California State University, Bakersfield. While in California, Anderson said she heard about the position at CS.
CSI hired Anderson in 2017, giving her the first head coaching position of her career. The transition, however, was not easy.
The cross country program at CSI had been disbanded for 19 years prior to Anderson’s arrival, forcing her to rebuild it herself. Under Anderson’s direction, CSI flourished, placing in the top 10 at the National Junior College Athletic Association Championships every season of her tenure, including an NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championship in 2021for the women’s team.
“I was there for about six years (with) five different teams,” Anderson said. “We went from basically nothing to our women winning nationals this past fall.”
Anderson’s success led to her recognition as the 2021 NJCAA Division I Coach of the Year.
The prestigious honor and championship victory brought a phone call from Halter, whose vision and aspirations for Missouri’s running programs made for the perfect match.
“I always knew at some point I would want to [coach athletes for more than two years], but it would take a certain situation in the right place and the right people for me to make that change,” Anderson said.
Missouri announced Anderson’s hire Feb. 28, sending her from a position as a junior college powerhouse to a team surrounded by a number of proven SEC programs.
“The SEC [is] a very elite level, and that is something that got me excited and intrigued about this because I love to compete against the best,” Anderson said.
Arkansas, which has won nine consecutive women’s SEC Championships and 10 of the last 12 men’s SEC Championships, stands as the Tigers’ greatest foe. For Anderson, however, the challenge of creating a championship culture is nothing new.
Anderson said she built the CSI dynasty without the help of any assistant coaches, focusing on communication and connections to build trust throughout the program.
“I really want to do what I can to build individual relationships with [athletes] so they feel like they can communicate with me and be open with me,” Anderson said. “Once we get together, especially for cross country camp and some of these other things that we have coming up, I think that relationship will start to build with all of these athletes.”
For a roster of at least 35 distance runners, communication will be a key contributor to the program’s success.
“Mizzou is not new to having success,” Anderson said. “I would love to see us be a team that is consistently at Nationals. [That’s] not an easy thing, and that’s not going to happen overnight either, but I do believe it’s something that can come eventually and with time, and hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Anderson knows there is no better time to make that leap than now.
Columbia will host the 2022 Midwest Regional, marking the first time the college town has hosted an NCAA championship of any kind. The course, Gans Creek Cross Country Course, will also hold the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
“It is exciting because it’s fun to be able to race at home, especially when it’s a big meet like that,” Anderson said. “I think us being able to go and do some workouts on it and really make sure that we’re familiar with it is going to be a positive thing for our teams as we get further into some of these championship-season races.”
The ability to host an event of this magnitude will bring attention toward Missouri’s cross country program and course, which excites Anderson despite the fact she has yet to take the course herself.
“I’m going to go check it out soon and run on it a handful of times,” Anderson said. “I’ve been there, but I haven’t run on it yet.”
As the distance runners venture to campus over the next few weeks, Anderson will have several opportunities to become accustomed to the course of Missouri’s future.
For now, however, excitement for the season resonates throughout the program.
“I think that the fact that everybody seems very excited about what’s coming and that anticipation is something to look forward to and to kind of pay attention to,” Anderson said.
Anticipation aside, Anderson is no stranger to the big stage and looks prepared to make history — while also etching the Missouri Tigers into record books across the sport.
