SAN FRANCISCO – No one has exhibited the University of San Francisco's Four Pillars of success more than legendary cross country and track and field head coach Helen Lehman-Winters.  The eight-time WCC Coach of the Year who has guided the Dons to six WCC Championships has accepted a position to become the new associate head coach for the University of Oregon.
 
"On behalf of all Dons, we want to thank Helen Lehman-Winters for the tremendous impact she has made at USF," said Director of Athletics Scott Sidwell.  "She took our track and field programs to new heights and will forever be a Don.  We wish her all the best as she moves on to Oregon." 
 
Lehman-Winters departs after building a tremendous legacy at USF.  She has coached 48 All-WCC student-athletes and 11 All-Americans. In 2016 and 2017, the women's track and field team were lauded for their academic excellence, earning the highest GPA of all Division I programs in the country. In 2014, her women's cross country team posted the highest GPA of all Division I programs in the country and in 2012, her team posted the second highest GPAs of all teams. 
 
"Helen is an incredible addition to our coaching staff, and we can't wait for her to get started," said Oregon head coach Robert Johnson. "She is a seasoned, smart, talented and proven coach, and a relentless recruiter. She values the opportunity and responsibility to provide student-athletes with the tools and experiences that prepare them not only to be elite athletes, but also for life after college. I am excited and confident in her ability to take our distance program to new and exciting heights."

With the departure of Lehman-Winters, USF will have a new head coach for the first time in 15 seasons.  Stepping in for the Dons in an interim capacity will be current assistant coach Benji Wetli.
 
"Benji has worked tirelessly at recruiting for and coaching our track and field athletes.  The impact he has made in a just a few years has elevated us to a national championship caliber program," said Sidwell.   "We will work with Benji to enhance our programs even further in the future and continue to win at the highest level.   He will do a tremendous job for us running the program as we finish the end of summer and prepare for another run at the WCC and NCAA championships." 
 
Wetli joined the USF cross country and track and field programs as an assistant coach in the fall of 2014. During that time, he served as the Dons' distance recruiting coordinator as well as assisting in daily operations and coaching of cross country and distance athletes on the track.
 
His time on the Hilltop has seen USF make tremendous strides as a national contender. He has helped the Dons improve both regionally and nationally every season, culminating with a 2017 regional championship and a runner up finish by the women at the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky.
 
On the track and field side, USF saw its first ever female individual champion when Charlotte Taylor was victorious in the 10k at the 2017 NCAA Championships.  A year later, Taylor earned All-American honors again, taking fifth in the same event.  Joining Taylor was her teammate, Weronika Pyzik, with both earning USTFCCCA All-American honors. 

In 2016, Wetli helped guide the USF women's cross country team to its fourth trip to the NCAA Championships in program history. Under Wetli's tutelage, the Dons placed three runners on the All-WCC team, All-West Region squad, and two runners on the All-American team. Weronika Pyzik, Elena Burkard and Charlotte Taylor turned in the highest combined top three performance in USF cross country history at the 2015 NCAA West Regionals. On the men's side, Alex Short turned in another history season for the program, taking home All-WCC honors, All-West Region honors and a trip to the NCAA Championships for the second straight year. He was the WCC Championship individual winner and earned a spot on the All-American team. 

"Helen has been an incredible leader of this program for the last 15 years, and a great mentor to me personally," said Wetli. "We are thrilled for her and her family for this new opportunity at the University of Oregon. I am beyond excited and very motivated to continue to build off of what this program has accomplished recently and am eager to get started with the upcoming cross country season!"
 
USF begins the 2018 season on Saturday, Sept. 1 when the Dons host the 26^th annual USF Cross Country Invitational here at Golden Gate Park.