Indiana State University Athletics

Indiana State alum Kyle Walsh is in his third season as the associate head coach for cross country and sixth overall after serving the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach and serving as the head women’s cross country coach/assistant track coach since 2015-16.

Walsh has had success in both cross country and track and field. On the cross country side, he has nine All-MVC honorees. In track he has coached 19 MVC champions, 43 All-MVC honorees, sent four athletes to the NCAA championships and his athletes own 10 school records.

During the 2018-19 season, Walsh saw perhaps one of the greatest moments at the MVC Indoor Championships in ISU history, as his athletes completed the All-MVC sweep in the mile run. Brooke Moore, Jocelyn Quiles and Jessi Conley went 1-2-3 in the event. Moore continued to impress during the outdoor season, claiming the 1500-meter run title. 

On the men's side, Akis Medrano became the first Sycamore to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships since John Mascari in 2015. Medrano earned All-Valley honors in cross country, placing third, and then earning All-Region honors with a 14th place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. During the outdoor track season, Medrano earned All-MVC honors with a runner-up finish in the 10K and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the event as well. 

The 2017-18 season saw many successes for Walsh and his athletes. At the 2017 MVC Cross Country Championships, the men tied for first with Bradley, but ended up finishing in second as the Braves owned the tiebreaker over the Sycamores. Seth Cousins, Quentin Pierce, Blake Kramer and Akis Medrano all earned All-MVC honors following top-10 finishes. The women earned a fourth place finish with Taylor Austin also earning All-MVC honors with a runner-up finish. During the 2018 track season Taylor Austin captured the women’s 3K title and placed second in the 5K. Austin (3000 steeple) and Akis Medrano (10K) both won their respective events at the MVC Outdoor Championships and both Austin and Medrano advanced to the NCAA East Region Preliminary round. Taylor Austin left Indiana State owning school records in the indoor 3K (9:23.58), indoor 5K (16:31.84), 3000-meter steeplechase (9:54.01), outdoor 5K (16:26.50), outdoor DMR (11:18.03), and 4X1600-meter relay (19:29.17).  

Improving upon the 2015 cross country season, the women’s cross country team finished fourth in the MVC and had one All-MVC honoree in Brooke Moore (third) in 2016. During the 2017 track season, Alethia Marrero claimed the MVC Indoor championship in the 800-meter run, and David Timlin (1500), Brooke Moore (1500) and Taylor Austin (3000 steeple) all won their events at the MVC Outdoor championships. Five athletes advanced to the NCAA East Preliminary round including David Timlin (1500), Akis Medrano (10,000), Alethia Marrero (800), Taylor Austin (3000 steeple) and Brooke Moore (1500). Austin, Marrero and Timlin moved on to compete at the NCAA finals where Austin and Marrero earned Honorable Mention All-American honors, with Timlin finishing 14th and earning Second-Team All-American honors. At the NCAA East Regional, Brooke Moore broke the ISU school-record in the 1500 with a time of 4:18.64 and Taylor Austin broke the school-record in the 3000-meter steeplechase at 10:02.89 at the same event.

During the 2015 cross country season, Walsh led the team to a fifth-place finish in the MVC and saw Brooke Moore (ninth) and Taylor Austin (10th) earn All-MVC honors. The success of the cross country season overflowed into the 2016 track season, where David Timlin won the MVC Indoor championships in the mile and 3000-meter run, and the distance medley relay team of Brittany Neeley, Ahmanah Woods, Aleksey Green, and Jessi Conley won the Indoor championship as well. At the MVC Outdoor championships, David Timlin won the 1500-meters and Taylor Austin won the 3000-meter steeplechase. Timlin qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary round, where he finished 12th, earning him a trip to the NCAA finals. At the championships, Timlin earned Second-Team All-American honors with a 14th-place finish in the 1500.

He saw success in his first season as an assistant coach, helping freshman Taylor Austin a new school record shattering performance in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (10:29.80). Freshman Jessie Conley also cracked the top 10 all time in the 1,500 meter when she ran a 4:33.43 at the Gibson Invitational. In addition, freshman Dani Muse ran to a fifth place finish and the highest freshman finish in the league in the 1,500 meter at the Missouri Valley Conference outdoor championships.

The Kokomo, Ind. native took over the reins for the women’s program after a highly successful tenure as the boys’ cross country and track and field coach at South Vigo High School in Terre Haute. Under his watch from 2011-14, Walsh produced five Division I athletes including Indiana State’s Logan Hambrock and Riley Stohler.

South Vigo ran to three-straight cross country sectional championships during Walsh’s time and posted the highest ever finish in the MIC (Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference) meet with a runner up appearance. He also led the Braves to a fifth place finish at the IHSAA cross country championships. 

Walsh also mentored athletes to break records in the 800, 1600, 3200 and 4x800 during his time, and also helped Jackson Bertoli to the school 5K record in cross country. Bertoli won the IHSAA cross country championship in 2013 and was a national qualifier for the Foot Locker Championships.

During his stint with the Braves, Walsh was also the program coordinator for Indiana State athletics. He worked in a full-time capacity in conjunction with Sycamore cross country and track and field alum Angie Lansing, who serves as the department’s Senior Woman Administrator.

He began a standout running career at Indiana State (2006-09) where he earned seven All-MVC honors in track. He was also a 2009 NCAA Regional Qualifier, part of the 2006 MVC Outdoor Track Championship Team and 2004-06 MVC Cross Country Championship Teams. Walsh was an All-State performer three times in cross country and track and field and a three-year letter winner in basketball at Western High School in Russiaville, Ind. He was runner up in the 1600 meter run at the IHSAA State Championships posting a time of 4:15.95. 

Walsh earned bachelor degrees in Health Education and Physical Education from Indiana State in 2009 and completed his master’s degree at Indiana State in Coaching in 2011.

He resides in Terre Haute, Ind.