Kathy Strecker is the Rockhurst University Head Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Coach, Associate Director of Athletics, Senior Woman Administrator, and assistant track coach. She established the women’s cross country program in 2013 and the men’s cross country program in 2019.
Strecker has guided the Rockhurst cross country programs to continued improvement. In 2019, the Rockhurst women placed fourth in the GLVC Championships and competed in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championships. The 2019 women’s team was honored as a NCAA Division II All-Academic Team and two runners made the All-Academic team.
In the past 13 years, Strecker has built the cross country teams to 50 runners. In 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, the men’s and women’s teams competed in the Midwest Regional Championships, and both teams were named NCAA Division II All-Academic teams. The 2025 women’s cross country team also finished strong with a 3.8 GPA.
Strecker serves as the advisor for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Rockhurst won the GLVC SAAC Challenge in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The SAAC Challenge is based on Service, Academics and Sportsmanship.
Strecker serves on the Student Success Network, the Gender Equity Committee, Chi Alpha Sigma Advisor, and previously served on the GLVC Awards Committee.
Prior to Rockhurst, Strecker spent 23 years as the head girls' cross country coach at Hayden Catholic High School in Topeka, Kansas. Under her leadership, the Wildcats won six state championships and three state runner-up finishes. She was named the Class 4A Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year by the Kansas Track and Cross Country Coaches Association in 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2009 and 2012. Strecker was named the Kansas Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1994.
Strecker also served as the head boys' cross country coach at Hayden from 1996-2012 and was the head coach for the boys' and girls' track teams at Hayden from 1998-2013. The Wildcats won two state championships in girls' track when she was the assistant coach from 1986-1998. Strecker ran collegiately at Kansas State University and graduated with a B.S. in Secondary Education.
Strecker has four children.
