Matt Koelling is in his sixth season as the Southeast Missouri State jumps coach. In the previous five seasons, Koelling has transformed the Redhawks’ jumpers into an elite squad in the Ohio Valley Conference.
During this time, Koelling has coached 22 OVC Champions and 25 OVC Runner-Up finishes. His athletes have also broken eight school records and he has coached 19 Southeast Top-Ten Performances in the sprinting and jumping events. On the national level, Koelling has coached 23 West Region qualifiers and has led the Redhawks to nine Division I National Championship berths, with five athletes earning All-American honors.
Last season the Redhawk jumpers continued their success. They earned six individual OVC championships and seven OVC runner-up finishes between indoors and outdoors. Senior Blake Smith led the charge, breaking school records in the 60m dash, 100m dash, and long jump. Smith qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships, placing 10th in the 60m dash. He also qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships placing 15th in the long jump. Triple jumper Chris Martin also qualified for the Outdoor Championships finishing 21st.
The 2014 season was a very successful one for the jumps squad. The squad walked away with six gold medals at the OVC indoor and outdoor championships. Chris Martin earned OVC Freshman of the Year honors during the indoor and outdoor seasons. Blake Smith and Reggie Miller each competed at the NCAA Championships; Smith placed 14th in the long jump at the Indoor Championships, while Miller took 17th in the triple jump at the Outdoor Championships.
In 2013, Blake Carter broke the school’s indoor long jump record with a jump of 25-6. Koelling also coached Carter to a 13th Place finish in the long jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships, garnering 2nd-Team All-America honors.
During the 2013 outdoor season, the Redhawks made another national appearance in the jumps. Carter placed 10th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a school-record long jump of 25-6 1/4, earning 2nd-Team All-American honors. Miller took 17th in the high jump, earning him All-America Honorable Mention.
In 2012, Koelling mentored four OVC champions, three of whom were freshmen. Jacob Kent, the OVC Co-Freshman of the Year indoors, claimed the men’s indoor high jump while fellow freshman Jessica Brown claimed the women’s indoor long jump. Outdoors, freshman Miller took the men’s high jump while Shemeika Brewer claimed the women’s triple jump in her final collegiate season. The group also combined for five runner-up finishes at the OVC indoor and outdoor meets. Miller (men’s high jump), Brewer (women’s long jump and triple jump) and Carter (men’s long jump) extended their seasons further, qualifying for the NCAA West Region preliminary meet.
In his first season, Koelling led Southeast to an impressive showing in such events at the Ohio Valley Outdoor Championships in 2011. Southeast had two athletes win gold. Tyler Terry won the men’s long jump and Brewer was victorious in the women’s triple jump with a school record jump of 41’6”. Koelling produced four All-OVC selections during the outdoor campaign and coached two NCAA West Preliminary qualifiers in Brewer (women’s triple jump) and Terry (men’s long jump).
During the indoor season, Koelling led two Redhawks to all-conference honors. Junior Shemeika Brewer broke the indoor school record in the women’s triple jump at Indiana University with a mark of 40’5”
Before arriving at Southeast Missouri, Koelling was a standout jumper at Emporia State University. While at ESU, he finished 12th in the triple jump at the 2008 NCAA D2 Outdoor National Meet and ninth in the triple jump at the 2010 NCAA D2 Indoor National Meet.
Koelling earned his Master’s degree in Coaching from the University of Northern Colorado in 2015. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He is also a Registered Coach through USA Track and Field and holds a USATF Level 1 Certification.
