Jason McCullough
Head Coach

Jason McCullough is in his third season as the head cross country coach at Fort Hays State University. He helped lead the Tiger squads to top ten region performances during the 2006 cross country season. The men's squad finished fourth while the women were seventh at the 22-team South Central Regional.

McCullough returned to the cross country and track & field squads after a successful running career with the Tiger program from 1996-99. McCullough was an NCAA II All-American and five-time Academic All-American while competing for the Tigers during that span. The four-time national qualifier also earned five all-conference awards while competing in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, known for its national-caliber distance running reputation. He led the Tiger cross country squad to a 10th-place finish at the NCAA II meet in 1997, its highest finish since joining NCAA Division II.

McCullough spent two seasons at Hays’ Thomas More Prep-Marian High School as the head cross country/assistant track & field coach from 1999-2001. He served as a volunteer assistant with the FHSU track & field squad during the 2001-02 seasons.

The 1999 FHSU graduate has also been active in the area’s running community, serving as both a race director and running club coordinator since graduating from FHSU.

McCullough also works in the Health and Human Performance department as an instructor. He earned a bachelor’s degree from FHSU in English in 1999 and completed a master’s degree in Sports Administration in 2001. He completed a second bachelor’s degree in Spanish in May of 2005. He had also spent the past six years in the FHSU Sports Information Department, where he worked as the head Sports Information Director for three years.

McCullough is just the fourth cross country coach in the 56-year history of the program. McCullough resides in Hays with his wife, the former Karen Kreutzer, and their son, Elijah.

Amber Stephens
Graduate Assistant

Amber Stephens recently completed her first season as graduate assistant coach of the Fort Hays State men's and women's cross country and track and field programs. A native of Colby, Kan., Stephens ran cross country at Oklahoma State University in the fall of 2001. Prior to that, she was a member of both the cross country and track and field teams at Colby Community College from 1999-2001.

Stephens was the NJCAA National Cross Country Champion in 2000 and was an NJCAA All-American in cross country in 1999 and 2000. She was also an NJCAA Track and Field All-American in 2000 and 2001.

Stephens completed a bachelor's degree in Medical Diagnostic Imaging from Fort Hays State in 2005 and served as a student assistant coach of the Fort Hays State track and field team in the spring of 2006. She is currently working towards a master's degree in sport/movement studies.

Tyler Lauterbach
Student Manager

Tyler Lauterbach completed his third season as the Tigers' team manager. The Attica native has been an important part of the FHSU Cross Country program during that span. Lauterbach has been responsible for a variety of duties within the program during his three years with the squad. The junior graphic arts major plans to graduate from the university during the fall of 2007.