COACH YODER CONTINUES TO LEAD JIM RYUN RUNNING CAMP
LINDSBORG, KAN. – Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Aaron Yoder continues his summer tradition of being the head coach at the Jim Ryun Running Camps.
Yoder has been a part of the Jim Ryun Running Camp for 23 years, as he attended the camp while he was in high school. The first camp Yoder attended was in Baldwin City, Kan. in 2001. In 2006, Yoder became a counselor for the camp.
"It has been a joy to be a part of this camp as a camper and counselor," said Yoder.
Currently, Yoder in working on his 19th summer as a counselor at the Jim Ryun Camp and for the past 10 years, he has been the head coach of the running camps. Recently, the camp has partnered with Emily Hannenberg to be a head coach and oversee the women's side of the camp while Yoder continues to be the head coach for the men's side.
In addition to Coach Yoder's part in the camp, Eli Gruenbacher and Jackson Wallace, both student-athletes attending Bethany College, have worked as camp counselors for the past two summers.
In the last 19 years, Coach Yoder has worked 40 of the camps in various locations all over the United States. Most camps have been held in Colorado, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and California.
The Jim Ryun Running Camps are Christian running camps where campers have a chance to grow spiritually, mentally, and physically. While attending the camps, campers get to meet Jim Ryun as he attends camps himself to speak to the campers. Jim Ryun has been doing so for the last 49 years.
Jim Ryun is a Kansas native and was the first high school runner to break 4 minutes in the mile back in 1964. Ryun continued his success as he became a three-time Olympian and silver medalist in the 1500m in the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City, Mexico. After his running days, Ryun served in Congress in the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007 representing Kansas's second congressional district.
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