APR. 21 — Miller Resigns From Coaching Position
Leader of men's and women's programs steps down after successful tenure

Lyle Miller

Goshen, IN — The Goshen College athletic department announced Wednesday that head cross country coach Lyle Miller has resigned from his coaching position, ending a coaching tenure that spanned 18 years.

“I appreciate the dedication which Lyle has shown to our student-athletes, the cross country program and the institution,” said Ken Pletcher, Goshen College athletics director. “Lyle has demonstrated a strong commitment to our athletic program and has helped us in many ways in addition to his cross country coaching role. His knowledge and leadership will be missed in our athletic program.”

Miller resigns after serving as the head coach of both the men’s and women’s programs for the past two years, but also coached the sport from 1986 to 1993 at Goshen College. The director of Goshen’s printing and mailing services cited logistical reasons for stepping down.

“I've enjoyed the distinct hats that I've been able to wear on campus the past two years as director of printing and mailing services and coach of two cross country teams,” Miller said. “Each task brings its joys and challenges, but the "part-time" roles as they are currently contracted haven't dovetailed very realistically into a single full-time position. With some changes on campus over the past two years, the grind of doing these roles in their current arrangement was taking a toll on my physical, emotional and spiritual health. I regularly remind those around me, whether our student-athletes or my children, that life is about making wise choices, and at this point, the wisest choice for me is to step into a role that allows me to focus my energies on fewer activities.”

Miller was instrumental in beginning the Goshen College women's program, serving as its first full-season coach in 1986. He added men's responsibilities the following year, taking over as head coach in both sports in 1988. During an eight-year tenure that concluded in 1993, he coached seven NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes, seven NAIA national championship qualifiers, 16 All-NAIA District 21 performers, including two individual champions, and 18 all-conference selections, including three individual champions. Miller was chosen Mid-Central College Conference women's coach of the year after the Maple Leafs won the 1992 team championship. His top men's finish was in 1988, when the team missed winning the conference crown by three points.

In the past two seasons, Miller was able to take the program to an even higher level of success, leading the women’s team to its first national ranking (reaching as high as 16th in 2002) while narrowly missing out on a first-ever team qualification for NAIA national competition that same year. Miller also coached three NAIA national qualifiers, seven NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes, four All-Region VIII performers and six All-MCC picks in the last two years.

“This has been a difficult decision to come to, particularly because of my love for our student-athletes and the role athletics can play in their lives,” Miller said. “I am also thankful for our current cross country student-athletes, for their acceptance of me and for their willingness to pursue individual and team goals. I believe the kind of excellence they have demonstrated helps the college achieve its mission, and that is what I measure my success or failure against.”

Miller graduated from Goshen College in 1989 with a major in sports management and completed graduate studies at the University of Iowa. He, his wife, Bonnie, and their two children attend Waterford Mennonite Church, where he is active as a member of the Ministry Leadership Council and serves as assistant church treasurer. Miller will continue his position as director of printing and mailing services at Goshen.

“I feel like I inherited a program with many positives and will be able to hand it off to my successor in even better shape,” he said. “I look forward to supporting the team in the future in whatever way I can.”

Check back to this website for the most up-to-date team information and coaching news.

NOV. 8 — Leafs Conclude Season At NAIA Regionals
Seven of eight runners notch personal bests in final event

Senior Andrew Histand

Grand Rapids, MI — Goshen turned out its greatest team performance of the season Saturday, with seven of its eight runners notching personal bests at the NAIA Region VIII Championships at Riverview Park in Grand Rapids, Mich. Saturday. Despite this effort, however, Goshen was only able to notch an 11th place finish out of a 13 team field, garnering 251 team points and concluding its season.

“I was very pleased with our performances today,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “As a team, I was impressed with the way these guys competed despite entering the season with a total of three college cross country seasons under their belts. They never gave up on me, themselves and each other.”

Ironically, it was junior and team-leader Justin Gillette that was the only Leaf not to run a personal best of any kind, finishing 18th in a time of 26:22. And while Gillette only ran faster on two occasions this season, his 18th place finish left him out of NAIA Nationals qualification.

“Justin was the only one who didn’t drop his time, and he was disappointed with his finish, but his leadership over the past few weeks played a huge factor in the other guys dropping their times,” Miller said. “I’m disappointed that he didn’t make it to nationals, but I’m very proud of the way he’s matured over the past two seasons.”

Senior Andrew Histand achieved the greatest improvement in time for Goshen on Saturday, dropping his personal best by more than a minute to finish 37th in a time of 27:15. Freshman Dom Fultz dropped his best clip by 29 seconds (67th place, 28:48) while classmate Alex Bouwman lowered his time by 12 seconds (84th place, 29:42). Junior Matt Troyer and sophomore Daniel Constantine each lowered their times by 1:38 and sophomore Michael Amos dropped his best clip by 33 seconds (93rd place, 31:48). Sophomore Lucas Vachon continued to show great improvements late in the year, running his second consecutive sub-40 minute race with a new personal-best 37:08.

Aquinas College took the team qualifier to NAIA Nationals, winning the regional event with 36 team points. Other team scores were: Indiana Wesleyan 99, Huntington 143, Siena Heights (Mich.) 145, Grace 146, Cornerstone (Mich.) 160, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 173, Taylor 181, Bethel 216, Tri-State 230, Marian 269, St. Francis incomplete. Herbert Rotich of Spring Arbor took individual medalist honors, completing the race in a time of 25:12.

Check back to this website for the most up to date information on Goshen College cross country team news, recruiting and post-season award announcements.

Goshen Individual Results
Justin Gillette (18th) — 26:22
Andrew Histand (37th) — 27:15
Dom Fultz (67th) — 28:48
Alex Bouwman (84th) — 29:42
Michael Amos (93rd) — 31:48
Daniel Constantine (97th) — 33:06
Matt Troyer (98th) — 33:12
Lucas Vachon (100th) — 37:08

OCT. 25 — Goshen Drops Time At MCC Championships
Team notches better performance despite Fultz injury

In front: Junior Justin Gillette (second from left) hangs with the leading pack during Saturday’s MCC Championships at Goshen. Gillette finished in fifth place, just 26 seconds off the winning pace.

Jungle: Senior Andrew Histand manages some of the tough terrain on the Goshen course Saturday. Histand finished in 32nd place overall and was the second finisher for the Leafs, running in 28:56.

Goshen, IN — Despite wet and cold conditions on its home course, the Goshen men’s cross country team improved on its collective time from three weeks ago at Saturday’s Mid-Central Conference Championships. The Leafs, who were without injured freshman Dom Fultz, took seventh place in the event with 153 team points.

“All seven guys ran quicker than they did several weeks ago when we ran this same course (at the Goshen Invitational),” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “We were missing Dom Fultz, who rolled his ankle in practice on Wednesday night, and that probably cost us a team place, but I was pleased with a number of our performances.”

Even without Fultz — who has been Goshen’s third-best runner at every meet but two this season — the Leafs were competitive. Junior All-American Justin Gillette finished in fifth place in a time of 26:50, and was just 26 seconds off the lead pace. Senior Andrew Histand was next in line, taking 32nd place in a time of 28:58. Freshman Alex Bouwman finished 28th in a time of 29:54, while sophomore Michael Amos took 49th place with a 32:21 clip. Sophomore Lucas Vachon also set a personal best of the season, getting under the 40 minute mark for the first time this year.

“Justin ran tough in a very balanced field,” Miller said. “I was pleased that Alex was able to get under 30 minutes. He’s had a couple of races where bad luck kept him from doing it, but he finally got that hurdle out of the way. Michael Amos also dropped his time, which was good to see.”

Marian’s Michael Kuria took individual medalist honors from the meet in a time of 26:24. Huntington won the team event with 50 points. Other team finishes were: Indiana Wesleyan 57, Grace 64, Bethel 108, Taylor 125, Marian 144, Goshen 153, St. Francis incomplete.

Goshen will have two weeks to prepare for the NAIA Region VIII Championships, which will take place in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Nov. 8.

Goshen Individual Results
Justin Gillette (5th) — 26:50
Andrew Histand (32nd) — 28:56
Alex Bouwman (38th) — 29:54
Michael Amos (49th) — 32:21
Matt Troyer (54th) — 34:44
Daniel Constantine (55th) — 34:56
Lucas Vachon (57th) — 39:57

OCT. 18 — Several Runners Improve At Parkside
Goshen performs well on tough course against tough competition

Freshman Alex Bouwman

Kenosha, WI — Running against several NCAA Div. I schools and all levels between, the Goshen men’s cross country gave a solid effort at the Wisconsin-Parkside Invitational Saturday. The Leafs finished 14th out of 20 schools competing at the massive event, with junior Justin Gillette taking home 13th place (26:37) out of over 220 runners.

“The men’s course at Parkside is a tough one, so this was a pretty solid effort across the board,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “We had a number of people run close to or better than their previous best, and to do that at this meet is good.”

Freshman Alex Bowman lowered his personal best by nearly a minute Saturday, finishing 175th in 30:35. His previous best time was 31:27. Senior Andrew Histand was second in finishing for the Leafs in 98th place (28:26) while freshman Dom Fultz was next in line with a 29:32 clip (148th place).

Tom Haxton of the University of Chicago took individual medalist honors, finishing in 25:36. Team scores at the meet were: Wisconsin-Whitewater 65, Chicago 70, DePauw 119, IUPU-Indianapolis 156, Bradley (Ill.) 164, Wisconsin-Platteville 171, Wisconsin-Parkside 177, Lansing (Mich.) CC 242, Wheaton (Ill.) 262, IUPU-Fort Wayne 271, Wisconsin-Green Bay 275, Cornerstone (Mich.) 301, Chicago State 354, Goshen 365, Lake Forest (Ill.) 410, Illinois Institute of Technology 451, Valparaiso 465, Illinois-Chicago inc., Loyola-Chicago inc., Robert Morris (Ill.) incomplete.

Goshen will be in action again on Saturday, when the team will host the Mid-Central Conference Championships. Men’s race time is slated for 12:30 p.m.

Goshen Individual Results
Justin Gillette (13th) — 26:37
Andrew Histand (98th) — 28:26
Dom Fultz (148th) — 29:32
Alex Bouwman (175th) — 30:35
Michael Amos (205th) — 33:41
Daniel Constantine (209th) — 34:50
Lucas Vachon (22nd) — 40:14

OCT. 10 — Gillette Pushes Goshen To Eighth Place Finish At Benedictine Invitational
Junior posts time one second slower than career best; others improve clips

Junior Justin Gillette

Lisle, IL — Giving its best performance of the season, the Goshen men’s cross country team took eighth place out of a 22-team field at the Benedictine Invitational Friday, led by junior Justin Gillette’s breakneck pace.

Gillette finished the race in second place with a time of 25:56, just a second off his career best clip. Robert Morris’ (IL) Hillary Rono took medalist honors in 25:34.

“Justin ran with the lead pack throughout the race before the runner from Robert Morris pulled away in the final 1.5 miles,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “We continue to show steady improvement as individuals and as a team, and this was our best effort to date.”

Senior Andrew Histand finished next for the Leafs in 35th place, running at a 28:44 pace. Goshen’s 220 team points were 17 points lower than the ninth place squad.

“Andrew again had a strong performance, moving up from about 50th place early in the race to his 35th,” Miller said. “(Sophomore) Michael Amos (94th place, 32:30) dropped significant time off his race from a week ago, and (junior) Matt Troyer (107th place, 34:40) and (sophomore) Lucas Vachon (130th place, 40:00) also dropped time.”

St. Joseph’s College won the team event with 81 total points. Other team scores included: North Central (Ill.) 88, Harper CC (Ill.) 112, Beloit (Wis.) 113, Illinois Central 143, College of DuPage (Ill.) 155, Chicago State (Ill.) 193, Marian 220, North Park (Ill.) 237, Moraine Valley CC (Ill.) 248, Lake County CC (Ill.) 275, Waubonsee CC (Wis.) 281, Sauk Valley (Wis.) 365, Aurora (Ill.) inc., Benedictine (Ill.) inc., Domican (Ill.) inc., Elgin CC (Ill.) inc., Madison Area Tech (Wis.) inc., Morton CC (Ill.) inc., Robert Morris (Ill.) inc., Transylvania (Ky.) inc.

Goshen will return to the course Saturday, when the team will participate in the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Invitational.

Goshen Individual Results
Justin Gillette (2nd) — 25:56
Andrew Histand (35th) — 28:44
Dom Fultz (53rd) — 29:47
Alex Bouwman (93rd) — 32:28
Michael Amos (94th) — 32:30
Daniel Constantine (106th) — 34:34
Matt Troyer (107th) — 34:40
Lucas Vachon (130th) — 40:00

OCT. 4 — Full Team Competes In Goshen Invite
Gillette takes medalist honors; team can't edge past Bethel

Goshen, IN — On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and with a full squad competing, the Goshen men’s cross country team competed in its first home meet of the season in the two-team Goshen Invitational. And while the Leafs weren’t able to nab the team win from Mid-Central Conference rival Bethel (24 team points to Goshen’s 33), junior Justin Gillette did take individual medalist honors, finishing the race in a time of 26:56.

“This was the first meet in which we had our entire team, as (sophomores) Dan Constantine and Mike Amos competed for the first time this season,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “The course was pretty slow with the rain we’ve had this week, but we had some individuals step up and run well.”

Aside from Gillette’s top performance, Goshen received strong runs from freshman Dom Fultz and senior Andrew Histand. Fultz dropped his time by 50 seconds from two weeks ago to finish in seventh place at a 29:19 clip, while Histand made a strong push to finish in third place (29:01).

“Dom took another nice step forward, dropping his time considerably on a course that was pretty slow,” Miller said. “Andrew also competed well, working his way up throughout the meet to erase a 50-yard deficit on third.”

Goshen will next take part in the Benedictine Invitational in Lisle, Ill. on Friday.

Goshen Individual Results
Justin Gillette (1st) — 26:56
Andrew Histand (4th) — 29:01
Dom Fultz (7th) — 29:19
Alex Bouwman (9th) — 31:27
Daniel Constantine (12th) — 36:28
Matt Troyer (13th) — 36:28
Michael Amos (14th) — 36:49
Lucas Vachon (15th) — 41:41

SEPT. 26 — Gillette Leads Leafs At Bethel Invitational
Junior takes third place in final meet before Saturday's Goshen Invite

Junior Justin Gillette

South Bend, IN — In final preparation for its first home meet of the season, the Goshen men’s cross country team competed in the Bethel Invitational at St. Patrick’s Park in South Bend Friday afternoon. In a cold rain that forced a delay of the meet, the Goshen team took home a fifth place finish, garnering 147 team points.

“Rain delayed the meet and it was nearing dark when the race was ending,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “It wasn’t the best conditions to be running in.”

Regardless of the weather, junior Justin Gillette turned in another strong performance for the Leafs, taking third place in a time of 26:42. The weather was a factor for several other Goshen athletes, however — freshmen Dom Fultz and Alex Bouwman each veered off the course near the end of the race, adding extra distance to the already damp environment.

“Dom and Alex were running very well and may have set personal bests but took a wrong turn after the four-mile point and added about a mile to the course,” Miller said.

Fultz and Bouwman finished the race in 60th and 61st place, respectively.

Manchester took the team event trophy with a 41 point output. Hillary Rose of Robert Morris College (IL) won individual medalist honors, finishing in a time of 25:31. Other team scores were: Bethel 43, Concordia (IL) 69, DuPage (IL) 88, Benedictine (IL) 172, Trinity Christian (IL) 178, Robert Morris incomplete.

Goshen will host the Goshen Invitational Saturday. Men’s start time is slated for 1 p.m.

Goshen Individual Results
Justin Gillette (3rd) — 26:42
Andrew Histand (28th) — 29:06
Matt Troyer (59th) — 36:23
Dom Fultz (60th) — 36:25
Alex Bouwman (61st) — 36:27
Lucas Vachon (66th) — 41:02

SEPT. 19 — Individuals Continue To Improve
Several runners improve at Indiana Intercollegiates on Friday

Freshman Dom Fultz

Terre Haute, IN — Goshen traveled to Terre Haute Friday to participate in the massive Indiana Intercollegiate meet, taking 15th place out of a 19-team field. And while the team finish might not have been in the top half, head coach Lyle Miller was still pleased with his athletes’ respective performances.

“We continue to progress as individuals, though we’ll have difficulty competing well as a team due to our youth and inexperience,” Miller said.

Goshen was led by junior Justin Gillette, who took 13th place overall with a time of 26:27. His clip tied him for the 27th fastest pace in school history. Goshen’s next quickest participant was Andrew Histand, who took 87th place with a time of 29:24.

“Justin went out a little strong, but would have finished in the middle of the pack among the (NCAA) Division I teams,” Miller said. “(Freshman) Dom (Fultz) knocked off about 10 seconds from a week ago (106th place, 30:09) and (freshman) Alex (Bouwman) was within about 10 seconds of last week’s time on what was probably a tougher course. They will each continue to progress as they get more college experience.”

The University of Southern Indiana won the meet with a team score of 42 points. Other team finishes were: Indianapolis 77, DePauw 97, Indiana Wesleyan 148, Anderson 158, Taylor 226, Wabash 226, Bethel 236, Huntington 256, Manchester 272, Hanover 278, Earlham 362, Tri-State 363, Rose-Hulman 433, Goshen 458, Franklin 482, Oakland City 508, St. Francis incomplete, IU-Southeast incomplete.

Doug Schwartz of Southern Indiana took the individual medalist honors at the meet, winning the race in a clip of 25:08.

Goshen will return to the course Friday, when the team will participate in the Bethel Invitational.

Goshen Individual Results
Justin Gillette (13th) — 26:27
Andrew Histand (87th) — 29:24
Dom Fultz (106th) — 30:09
Alex Bouwman (120th) — 31:37
Matt Troyer (132nd) — 38:41
Lucas Vachon (133rd) — 42:40

SEPT. 12 — Gillette, Histand Lead Goshen At Aquinas
Gillette makes history books while Histand runs personal best Friday

Junior Justin Gillette

Grand Rapids, MI — Goshen may have finished ninth out of the 10 teams at Friday’s Aquinas Invitational, but the team was not without great performances on the day. Junior Justin Gillette and senior Andrew Histand each put forth efforts of note, with Gillette placing his name in the record books again and Histand garnering a personal best.

Gillette’s time of 26:10 on Friday was the 10th fastest time in school history, and fifth fastest pace by a junior. His clip was good enough to finish him in fourth place overall in the large meet. Histand was able to run his career personal best time — 28:32, good for 65th place — by nearly a minute.

Goshen was also paced by sophomore Lucas Vachon (46:23, 112nd place) and freshman Matt Troyer (38:29, 120th), as the duo took part in their first collegiate race.

“We had several good individual performances today,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “Andrew Histand ran his personal best by more than a minute, and (freshman) Dom Fultz ran a much more consistent race than he did two weeks ago at Anderson, resulting in a two minute drop in his time. Matt Troyer and Lucas Vachon were running their first collegiate race, so it was good to get one under their belt.”

Goshen finished with 229 team points on the afternoon. Grand Valley State won the nine-team event with 28 team points. Herbert Rotich of Spring Arbor took individual medalist honors in a time of 25:32.

Goshen will return to competition when the team takes part in the Indiana Intercollegiate meet at Indiana State on Friday.

Goshen Individual Results
Justin Gillette (4th) — 26:10
Andrew Histand (65th) — 28:32
Dom Fultz (95th) — 30:19
Alex Bouwman (106th) — 31:28
Matt Troyer (120th) — 38:29
Lucas Vachon (122nd) — 46:23

AUG. 30 — Leafs Use Anderson Invite As Season Warm Up
Miller pleased with performances as Goshen gears up for 2003 season

Senior Andrew Histand

Anderson, IN — Taking a training mode mentality to Anderson on Saturday, Goshen officially opened up its 2003 cross country season, but official only on paper. Goshen head coach Lyle Miller only ran about half of his total runners in the meet, using the Anderson Invitational as a “scrimmage” of sorts.

“Since we don’t compete again for another two weeks, we approached today as a ‘pre-season’ meet,” Miller said. “Only about half of our athletes competed, so the team scores don’t mean very much. However, it was a good learning experience for us. (Senior) Andrew Histand had a nice steady race in his first competition in a couple years, and I was pleased with how a number of our freshmen ran. This meet helped them as they start to make the transition to college running.”

Goshen was led by junior standout Justin Gillette, who took a fourth place ribbon in a time of 27:45. Histand followed in 11th place with a 29:57 clip, while freshmen Alex Bouwman and Dom Fultz completed the short-handed roster with a 19th and 20th place-finish, respectively. The Leafs did not have enough athletes competing to qualify for a team score, giving the squad an official “incomplete” finish.

Jason Parks of Anderson took medalist honors at the meet, winning the race in 26:30. Team scores were: Anderson 17, Earlham 42, Goshen incomplete, Rose Hulman incomplete.

Goshen will return to action on Sept. 13, when the squad will travel to the Aquinas Invitational.

Goshen Individual Results
Justin Gillette (4th) — 27:45
Andrew Histand (11th) — 29:57
Alex Bouwman (19th) — 32:21
Dom Fultz (20th) — 32:49