SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster Director of Athletics Shay Wyatt announced the hiring of Craig Binkley as the new head coach for the men's and women's cross country teams at the college. Binkley will lead the Griffin cross country program into the sixth season of competition this August.

Binkley comes to Westminster from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he served as the assistant coach for cross country and track since 2008. His main responsibilities included the recruitment of distance runners, sprinters, and jumpers. Binkley also worked with middle distance and distance athletes during training sessions.

“I am excited about the opportunity I have been given here at Westminster College,” Binkley commented. “I am ready to move the program forward and make us more competitive within the Frontier Conference and the NAIA. There is great potential here, and I look forward to building upon the foundation.”

Binkley also served as an assistant coach at Nicholls State in Thibodaux, Louisiana. He was at Nicholls State from September, 2006 to November, 2008, and during his time there he served as head coach of the men's and women's cross country teams. Binkley helped revitalize the cross country program, adding 17 members to a team that had six the previous season.

Prior to Nicholls State, Binkley was the head women's cross country coach at Colorado State University-Pueblo from 2005-06 where he established a startup program. Binkely also had a prior stint at Augustana College and spent time with Emporia State University program.

"We are very pleased to have Craig join the Westminster Athletics program,” said Wyatt. “I believe his experience will enable us to build upon our current men's and women's cross country program. Coach Binkley shares the vision we have for our athletics program and has the drive and commitment to reach the goals we have set forth.”

The Westminster cross country team is coming off a year in which they saw Amanda Theobald become the first Griffin to qualify for the NAIA National Championships. Theobald, Helen Ho, Kathy Ho, and Sarah Martin will return in 2009 to anchor the women's team. David Bonami, Jordan Henderson, and Ben Young will return in 2009 to lead the men's team.

For more information about the Westminster cross country program visit contact Coach Binkley at 801.832.2334 or by email at cbinkley@westminstercollege.edu.