TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – After serving as the interim director of men's and women's cross country and track & field this season, longtime Indiana State track coach Angela Martin has been named the director of the program, ISU Director of Athletics Sherard Clinkscales announced Wednesday.
 
"Our program has been in good hands for decades, and I am pleased to announce that our program will stay in the good hands of Angie Martin," Clinkscales said. "She embraces the rich tradition of the program, but is also determined to start a new tradition of her own that will take the program to new heights."
 
Martin, who has been an assistant coach since 2002-03 and the women's head coach since 2010-11, took over the program on an interim basis on January 4th following the untimely passing of legendary head coach John McNichols in December. McNichols, the longest tenured coach in school history, was the men's head coach since 1983 and took over the combined program in 1988-89 with the addition of John Gartland to oversee the women's side.
 
"This has been one of the most challenging years of my career as a coach," Martin said. "Coach McNichols was an incredible mentor to me and I was lucky enough to walk beside him and learn from him as an athlete and assistant coach for almost 20 years. Between the leadership that he and Coach Gartland provided me, I feel prepared to take on this role as the director of the program. Our staff and teams have grown through the challenges this year, and I know that there are good things ahead of us."
 
"The cross country and track and field programs have a rich history at Indiana State, and I look forward to building upon it," Martin continued. "I am very grateful that Sherard Clinkscales, Angie Lansing, John Sherman and President Bradley have the confidence in me to lead our programs. I know our staff will work hard to be one of the top teams within the Missouri Valley Conference and continue to strive to compete with the best at the top of the Division I level. I would like to thank my husband, Jeff, our families, and the McNichols family for being an incredible support system."
 
Martin graduated from Indiana State with a bachelor's in art education and a minor in physical education in 2002 following an impressive career with the Sycamores on and off the track from 1997-2001. Then known as Angela Bruecker, Martin was an All-American 800-meter runner indoors, finishing eighth at the 2000 NCAA Indoor Championships running what was then a school and MVC all-time indoor record of 2:06.19 (eventually broken by two of her own pupils, Erica Moore (2009, 2:04.94) and Alethia Marrero (2015, 2:04.73). During her senior season she was awarded the prestigious Hillman Award for being the best senior student-athlete at Indiana State that year. Martin then went on to earn her master's from Indiana State in physical education in 2006 while working as an assistant coach.
 
"Coach Martin was a fierce competitor as a student-athlete, and I've watched her become a well-respected head coach in our conference, as well as at the national level," said senior associate athletic director Angie Lansing. "I am excited to see her take the reins and continue our strong tradition of success in the sports of cross country and track and field while placing her own unique stamp on our program."
 
She was also named as a member of the MVC All-Centennial team in 2007 following four MVC titles in her career – three times in the 400-meter hurdles outdoors and once in the 800 indoors – and three appearances on the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team. Martin was the first in MVC history to win three 400-meter hurdles titles, and only two have done so since – one being her pupil Erica Moore. Martin's exploits helped the Sycamores to three MVC team titles (1998-99 outdoors, 2001 indoors) during her time on the squad.
 
In the all-time record book, Martin still ranks in the top-10 indoors in the 800-meter (third, 2:06.19), 600-meter (third, 1:32.01) and 4x400-meter relay (ninth, 3:47.49), and outdoors in the 800-meter (third, 2:06.05), 400-meter hurdles (fourth, 59.99), shuttle hurdle relay (third, 58.31; fourth, 58.50; sixth, 59.34; eighth, 59.55), sprint medley relay (fifth, 3:57.13; sixth, 3:58.41) and the 4x400-meter relay (ninth, 3:42.80). During her career she set school-records in both the indoor and outdoor 800 as well as the outdoor 400-meter hurdles.
 
Martin began her coaching career at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis in 2002, where she coached multiple state qualifiers in the 4x400 meter relay and the high jump while also coaching state runners-up in the 400-meters and the 4x800-meter relay.
 
The following fall in 2002, Martin joined the staff under McNichols and Gartland. During her time as an assistant coach from the 2003 season until her final year in 2010 before being named the women's head coach, Martin coached two First-Team All-Americans, eight NCAA national qualifiers, 31 MVC Champions and 99 All-MVC honorees.
 
Martin replaced Gartland as the women's head coach for the track team in the fall of 2010, and during her tenure the Sycamores continued the culture of excellence Gartland and McNichols began. Over those six seasons, Martin's Sycamores won two NCAA titles (both from Olympian Felisha Johnson in the weight throw), earned 26 All-American awards, sent 31 to the NCAA National Championships, won three MVC team titles (2013 Outdoor, 2014 Indoor, 2015 Indoor), won 67 MVC individual titles and earned 192 All-MVC honors.
 
"I was delighted to hear that Sherard has made the decision to elevate Angie to the position of director of track and field and cross country," Gartland said. "John and I wanted this to happen eventually once we saw her coaching abilities in 2002 when she joined our staff. We saw greatness in her right from the beginning. I'm sorry the tragic passing of John sped up this process. I recruited Angie to come to ISU twenty years ago, and she has never really left. She has gone from All-American athlete to assistant coach to head women's coach taking my place and now to director of track and field and cross country. During her time here, she has been excellent in every role she has taken on. Perhaps her finest work has occurred during the past five months since John's passing. As interim director, she has held the team and the staff together well during a very difficult time. Her tough, yet caring, leadership has allowed us to continue at a high competitive level – exactly what John would have wanted. I hope to continue to help her in any way that I can."
 
This current season, Martin's team has secured four qualifying spots to the NCAA Outdoor Championship via Taylor Austin (3,000-meter steeplechase), Alethia Marrero (800-Meter), Marcus Neely (110-Meter Hurdles) and David Timlin (1500-Meter). Indiana State sent nine to the NCAA East Region Prelims last week under her watch, and this season alone won eight MVC titles and earned 36 All-MVC honors.
 
Martin is also currently a member of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Executive Committee.
 
Martin hails from Seymour, Wis., where she was a state champion in the 100-meter hurdles and two-time state champion in the 300-meter hurdles for Seymour High School, and held the state record in the 300-meter hurdles for 15 years from 1997-2013.
 
Martin and her husband, fellow ISU coach and former Sycamore great Jeff Martin, live in Terre Haute with their children, Emma and Blake.
 
Angela Martin – By the Numbers:
Interim Program Coordinator, Men's and Women's Track/Cross Country, 2017
Head Women's Coach, 2011-16
Assistant Coach, 2003-2010
- 1 Olympian – Felisha Johnson, Team USA, shot put, Rio 2016
- 2 NCAA Champions – Felisha Johnson, indoor weight throw, 2011 and 2013
- 28 All-Americans – 14 First-Team honorees (11 indoor, 15 outdoor)
- 43 NCAA National Qualifiers – 14 indoor, 31 outdoor
- 3 MVC Team Titles – 2013 Outdoor, 2014 Indoor, 2015 Indoor
- 106 MVC Champions
- 327 All-MVC
 
Martin as Women's Head Coach (2011-16):
- 2 NCAA Champions – Felisha Johnson, indoor weight throw, 2011 and 2013
- 26 All-Americans – 12 First-Team Honorees (10 indoor, 14 outdoor)
- 31 NCAA National Qualifiers – 9 indoor, 22 outdoor
- 3 MVC Team Titles - 2013 Outdoor, 2014 Indoor, 2015 Indoor
- 67 MVC Champions
- 192 All-MVC
 
Martin as an Assistant Coach (2003-2010):
- 2 All-Americans – Erica Moore in 2010, indoor 800m (9th) outdoor 400mH (6th)
- 8 NCAA National Qualifiers (5 indoor, 3 outdoor)
- 31 MVC Champions
- 99 All-MVC
 
Martin as a Student-Athlete (1997-2001):
- 2007 MVC All-Centennial Team
- First-Team All-American – 2000 NCAA Indoor (800m, 8th Place)
- Two-time NCAA qualifier
- 2001 USATF Indoor qualifier (finished 4th in the 800m)
- Five-time MVC Champion (three 400mH outdoors, one indoor 4x400m relay, one 800m indoors)
- Three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete
- First three-time MVC 400-meter hurdles champion in Valley history
- Was part of three MVC title teams (1998-99 outdoors, 2001 indoors)
- 2002 Hillman Award recipient
- Set school-records in indoor 800m (2:06.19), outdoor 800m (2:06.05) and 400m hurdles (59.99)
- Set all-time MVC Indoor record in 800m at 2:06.19
- Still ranks in school top-10 indoors in the 800-meter (third, 2:06.19), 600-meter (third, 1:32.01), 4x400-meter relay (ninth, 3:47.49)
- Still ranks in school top-10 outdoors in the 800-meter (third, 2:06.05), 400-meter hurdles (fourth, 59.99), shuttle hurdle relay (third, 58.31; fourth, 58.50; sixth, 59.34; eighth, 59.55), sprint medley relay (fifth, 3:57.13; sixth, 3:58.41) and the 4x400-meter relay (ninth, 3:42.80)
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Track and Field team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.