Dr. Tim Sykes - Cross Country Coach - University of Akron Athletics

Dr. Tim Sykes

Title:
Distance and Cross Country Coach
Phone:
(330) 972-7964

Dr. Tim Sykes joined the Akron track and field staff in August of 2022 and is in his second season as head cross country coach and assistant track and field distance coach at the University of Akron during the 2023-24 campaign. The Zips will reinstate men's cross country starting with the Fall 2023 season.

Sykes came to Akron after a two-year stint as the director of track and field and cross country at Ohio Christian University, and prior to that, one-year as the head cross country and assistant track and field coach at Western Kentucky University.

During his tenure at Ohio Christian, Sykes coached 10 conference individual champions, 25 All-Conference runners, one Indoor NAIA Track All-America honoree, and four NAIA cross country national qualifiers.

A native of Amanda, Ohio, Coach Sykes had a successful collegiate career as a student-athlete in track and field and cross country. Sykes first competed at the University of Rio Grande from 1999-2003 and then at Ohio University where he closed his collegiate career in cross country and indoor track during the 2003-04 seasons for the Bobcats.

Prior to his time at WKU, in 2018-19 Sykes served as an assistant at the University of Oregon in their distance and cross country programs. In his year at Oregon, Sykes helped the Ducks distance runners earn a third-place finish at NCAA DI Cross Country Nationals with three runners collecting First-Team All-America accolades.

Sykes also served as head cross country and assistant track and field coach at Liberty University in 2018 after working as an assistant coach with the program in 2017.

Sykes began his coaching career in 2004, where he served as a graduate assistant for the Ohio University Bobcats. He later returned as a volunteer assistant in 2013 followed by a stint as the women's cross country and distance coach, taking over all coaching duties for the Bobcats' women's distance runners in 2015.

Sykes has earned three degrees, beginning with a bachelor's in multi-age physical education in 2003 from the University of Rio Grande. The following year, he completed a master's in sport sciences and pedagogy: coaching education at Ohio University. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. in education, curriculum, and instruction: sports performance in 2011 from Virginia Tech.

	MEN	WOMEN
2023 CROSS COUNTRY	• MAC Champions (first title in program history) • Timothy Chesondin named MAC Freshman of the Year • Timothy Chesondin (2nd place), Brian Masai (3rd place) and Chase Easterling (5th place) named First-Team All-MAC • Titus Kirui (12th place) named Second-Team All-MAC • Timothy Chesondin earns All-Region honors at NCAA Great Lakes Regional • Timothy Chesondin becomes second Zips to qualify for NCAA Championships	• Placed Fifth at MAC Championships • Mary Munga named MAC Freshman of the Year • Mary Munga (5th place) named First-Team All-MAC
2023 OUTDOOR TRACK	• 2023 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team recipients • Earning USTFCCCA All-Academic honors were Hunter Garretson, William Gross, Jimmy Harkelroad, Oscar Prieto and Milton Wilson • 10 Zips earns Academic All-MAC honors • MAC Champions (9th title in program history) • Brian Masai (5,000m) named Honorable Mention All-America recipient • Brian Masai named MAC Freshman Track Performer of the Year • Brian Masai (5,000m \| 10,000m) named First-Team All-MAC • Six Second-Team All-MAC performances • Set school-record marks (5,000m, 10,000m) as part of seven top-five all-time performances in outdoor program history	• 2023 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team recipients • Nine Zips earns Academic All-MAC honors • Four MAC titles • Makenna Heimlich (800m) named First-Team All-MAC
2023 INDOOR TRACK	• Nine Zips earns Academic All-MAC honors • Brian Masai named Freshman Track Performer of the Year • Set two school-record marks (3,000m \| 5,000m) as part of five top-five all-time performances in indoor program history	• 10 Zips earns Academic All-MAC honors • Posted one top-five all-time performance in indoor program history