Previous Coaches

TYLER KILLPACK

Tyler Killpack graduated from Emery High School, where he played basketball, ran cross country, and track. He was the 3A 800M Champion and is still the 800M record holder at Emery High.

After graduating High School, Tyler ran for Utah State University where he excelled in the 800M, and 400M. He was the Walk-On of the Year for all sports at USU in 2011. He was the Indoor 800M WAC Runner-Up in 2011 & 2012 and the 800M Outdoor WAC Champion in 2013.Tyler was also a first round qualifier for the NCAA in the 800M. He currently holds the 5th fastest 800m Indoor time in USU history.

Tyler started coaching the year after he graduated from USU as an assistant volunteer coach for USU’s Track and Field team. He helped with the Men’s 400/800 sprint group.

Tyler graduated from USU with a B.S. Degree in Entrepreneurship with a minor in Marketing and a Master’s of Business Administration. Tyler also has partial ownership and operates two

business.

Personal Records

400 – 50.00

800 – 1:50.38

1500 – 4:04.35

BECKY SMITH

Personal Bests:

100m hurdles: 14:13

400m hurdles: 59.96

Pole vault: 3.97m (13’ 0.25”)

Becky (Jackson) Smith is from Holladay, Utah and she attended Olympus High School. While in high school she ran the hurdles and sprint events. She was the 1994 state champion in the 300m hurdles and the 4x100m relay. She was a national finalist in the 55m hurdles at the Simplot Indoor games and was the 55m hurdle champion at the BYU Indoor High School Invitational.

Becky graduated from BYU with a B.S. in community health and a minor in coaching. She was awarded an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship for her achievements in the classroom and on the field. She went on to achieve a M.S. degree from BYU in Health Promotion. While earning her M.S. degree, Becky was a graduate assistant coach for BYU’s Women’s Track & Field team where she assisted in coaching the pole vaulters and hurdlers. She coached BYU’s track & field and speed and power camps for several years and also helped BYU’s baseball and gymnastics teams, as well as some NFL players, in developing their running speed. She taught strengthtraining and lifetime fitness at BYU while earning her M.S. degree.

Following college, Becky worked in the corporate wellness field for 13 years and owned a corporate wellness consulting company for 10 years. She sold her company last year in order to spend more time with her husband and 4 children. When she has free time (which is hardly ever), Becky likes to run (yes, the sprinter curse word--“distance”), lift at the gym, hike, exercise, water ski, read, go off-roading with her family and bake desserts.

After high school, Becky went on to compete at BYU as a member of the Women’s Track & Field team where she competed in the 55m hurdles, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay events for her freshman and sophomore years. In 1998, pole vault was first introduced as a scoring event for the women in the NCAA. At that time Becky learned the event and competed in the pole vault as well as the hurdles and sprints for her remaining years of eligibility. She was a teammate of Coach Melanie Steere.

While at BYU, Becky competed in three different conferences—the WAC, expanded 16-team WAC, and the MWC. She was a 2-time Academic All-WAC honoree and was a Cougar Club scholar athlete for 5 years. She was a member of 3 indoor conference championship teams and 4 outdoor conference championship teams.

In 1998, Becky earned All-Conference honors in pole vault at the Indoor WAC Championships and earned All-American honors in the pole vault at the 1998 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. This was the first time the women’s pole vault had ever been competed at an NCAA championship event. She was a member of the BYU women’s team that placed 3rd nationally at 1998 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where she placed 10th in the pole vault. Becky went on to compete in the pole vault at the 1998 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

In 2000, Becky earned All-MWC Conference honors in the 400m hurdles and pole vault. She set conference and school records in the pole vault. She was the MWC champion in the pole vault and scored points in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and 4x400m relay at the MWC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She was a member of the BYU women’s team that placed 4th at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships where she competed in the pole vault. In 2000, Becky qualified for and competed in the Outdoor U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the pole vault. She was Coach Steere’s roommate at the trials—fun random fact!

Coach Erin Worthlin

Erin Wirthlin is a teacher at Oquirrh Hills Middle School and has been teaching there and coaching at Riverton for the last two years. Erin grew up with a great love for sports, including running. He ran cross country and track while in high school and remembers the time very fondly. He believes that running is much more than just competition or sport, but that it is a good foundation for a physically, mentally, and emotionally happy life. He believes that running provides a strong work ethic and even more importantly a strength of character. He loves to run with the athletes and to encourage them to succeed and seek personal improvement, both in running and in life. Although Erin is only 30 he is seen as a type of "dad" to the team (a nickname given to him last year by many of the runners). This fits him well as it directly reflects his love for the team as well as his family. He and his wife Josie live in Kearns and have four very fun children who love interacting with the team, including running/biking with them on occasion.

Coach Melanie Steere

HEAD GIRLS DISTANCE COACH

Melanie Steere is a graduate of Kearns High School in Salt Lake City, UT, where she was StateChampion in the 400m and a member of the State Championship 4x400 m relay.

She received her A.A.S. Degree from Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, and was a member of two NJCAA National Championship cross-country teams there. In outdoor track, she was NJCAA Champion in the women’s 800m as a freshman, and placed 2nd women’s 800m as a sophomore.

After transferring to Brigham Young University, Melanie was a member of the 1999 NCAA National Championship cross-country team. She placed 17thCross-Country Championships, earning All-American honors. Her track accomplishments at BYU include a 6thNCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, with a time of 2:03.40, and a 5thfinish in the women’s 1600m at the 2001 NCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, with a personal best of 4:43.76. She qualified for and competed in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the women’s 800m.

Melanie holds a B.S. Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from BYU, and is a Registered Dietitian. When she’s not running or experimenting with produce concoctions in her awesome new blender, she enjoys gardening, skiing, reading, and spending time with her family.

Personal Records

400 m: 57.22

800 m: 2:03.4

1600 m: 4:43.76

Half Marathon: 1:30:23.7

Marathon: 3:07.02