DANVILLE, Va. --- Averett University named Kameron Blanding as its new director of men's and women's track and field/cross country, the school announced Monday.

Blanding comes to Averett from NAIA Bethel College in Kansas, where he has served as the cross country head coach and track and field assistant coach since January 2022.

"I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity to be the director of track and field/cross country at Averett," Blanding said. "I am determined to honor Averett University's tradition in athletics and build upon it with a program full of student-athletes who are winners in competition, in the classroom, in the community and in their personal life. I am also looking forward to competing in a great conference in the ODAC."

Blanding will lead Averett's men's and women's indoor/outdoor track and field programs, which began their inaugural season of competition as members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in fall 2022 after the additions were announced in December 2021. Blanding will also oversee Averett's cross country programs, which have had a history of success — including a conference championship on the women's side.

"We are thrilled to welcome Kameron Blanding to the Averett family as the director of our track and field and cross country programs," said Meg Stevens, vice president, director of athletics and campus operations. "He has a strong vision and plan that will build our young programs and take them to the next level."

The enthusiasm of Averett's inaugural track and field programs also includes the construction of a new track facility, which is currently being completed. Averett partnered with Danville Public Schools in a lease arrangement for joint use and operation of the new track facility housed on the campus of George Washington High School, which is located several blocks away from Averett's Main Campus.

"This is an exciting time at Averett as we enter our inaugural spring season of track and field," Averett President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks said. "Having Coach Blanding's breadth of experience and principled leadership are sure to make him a strong mentor and leader for our student-athletes."

Blanding as a wealth of coaching experience. Previously he served as head coach for men's and women's cross country/track and field at Central Maine Community College, as a graduate assistant for cross country and track and field at NAIA Montreat College in North Carolina and as the head men's and women's track and field coach at Holy Family College prior to the school closing in summer 2020. Blanding also gained experience as an assistant cross country and track and field coach at Northwest Kansas Technical College and as an associate head coach for cross country and track and field at Central Christian College in Kansas. Blanding has been a part of two conference championship teams, helped coach the men's track and field at Central Christian to as high as a No. 3 national ranking and has helped produce more than 100 national qualifying marks, 20 All-Americans and one individual national champion at the junior college level.

"The people and the culture are ultimately what drew me to Averett," Blanding said. "The students, faculty and staff express support and excitement for their growing athletic department. The department's 3-2-1 vision and the motto of 'One Team. One Family. One Averett.' stuck with me the most and was reflected by everyone I met at Averett. I would like to sincerely thank President Dr. Tiffany Franks and Director of Athletics Meg Stevens for this opportunity and the immense trust they have placed in me as well as anyone else involved throughout this process. I'm excited to get to work."

Originally from Courtland, Kansas, Blanding earned his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Central Christian, where he ran for the Tigers after previously beginning his collegiate career at Ottawa University. Blanding also completed its master's degree in management and leadership from Montreat in 2022 and is planning to pursue his Master of Science in coaching and exercise science from Concordia University-Irvine.

Blanding joins the Averett family, along with his fiancée Daniela and son Kristian.