Coach Britney Whitehead
Education: BA, Elementary Education, M.Ed., Elementary Education, Eastern Illinois University
Coach Whitehead started out her coaching career at her Alma Matter in Elgin, Illinois upon finishing four years of running collegiately at Eastern Illinois University where she still holds two school records. She is now in her 3rd year of coaching and 5th year of teaching and currently teaches 6th grade reading and social studies at Rhodes Elementary School in River Grove. Running is still a big part of her life and not just through coaching at Fenwick. She started an all girls running club for elementary aged students and also continues to run competitively on a team in Chicago where she lives.
Coach/Br. Joe Trout
Education: MA Theology, Aquinas Institute in St Louis & BS Mathematics Education Purdue University
Br. Trout, commonly mistaken as the team’s mascot, was delighted to join the coaching staff at Fenwick in 2016. Due to some unfortunately timed injuries, he never ran in high school but honed his competitive drive in other activities. After college, he returned to running and briefly coached middle school track before becoming a Dominican Friar. He is consistently the fastest person in a habit, dress, or comparable attire at all of our meets. As a Dominican, he approaches running as both a spiritual and physical activity. The demands of the sport make it a proving ground of character and an opportunity to grow in true knowledge of self.
Coach Kevin Roche
Education: BS, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign & MAT-Math, Dominican University
Being a John Wooden buff, Coach Roche strives to teach life lessons through the sport of distance running. And since he is a distance runner himself, he recognizes the value of the 'trial of miles' that all distance runners face. Helping runners mature into young adults as they struggle with the hurdles that they face with the sport is one of his greatest joys. Coach Roche is also a student of the sport as he continuously reads books, listens to podcast, and networks with other coaches to discuss leading practices. He has volunteered at university camp, s a certified Cross Country Specialist through USATF, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and a Level 1 Track Coach through the USTFCCCA. He also is RPR and Shoe Fit Certified.
Coach Mickey Collins
Education: BS, Movement Science & M.Ed, Instructional Leadership, University of Illinois at Chicago
Because of his undergraduate degree in movement science and his role as the Anatomy and Physiology teacher, Coach Collins' focus is on full body fitness for his runners. His thorough understanding of the interdependent system that is the human body allows him to coach his athletes through successful and healthy seasons. His patience through the training cycle and holistic training approach has brought him a 5th place finish at State in 2011. Through his first six years of cross country and track coaching, his athletes have earned 13 IHSA All-State honors.
Coach Tricia Marks
Education: BBA, Accounting, University of Iowa
Coach Marks has been an active runner for most of her life. She ran for Maine West High School in Des Plaines, IL, and was an All-State runner in XC and Track for all four years, placing 3rd her sophomore year. She also ran XC and track at the University of Iowa from 1985-1989 where she was team captain her junior and senior year. Coach Marks recently retired from the finance industry where she worked at Madison Capital Funding in Chicago. She be seen around the neighborhood running on her own or cheering on her son at his hockey games.