Laura Harmon begins her third season as a member of the UMD coaching staff, having overseen the Bulldogs women's track and field program the past two years and debuting as the head women's cross country coach last fall.
UMD, led by All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honoree Mackenzie Hall, placed fifth at the 2019 NSIC Cross Country Championships and had four individuals -- senior Elizabeth Schlafke, juniors Melissa Drenckhahn and Morgan Radel and sophomore Haleigh Reindl -- go on to earn United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division II All-Academic Team citations.
This past winter, Reindl qualified for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Champ (which were subsequently canceled) in the 800-meter run. She prevailed in that event at the NSIC indoors en route to attaining USTFCCCA All-Region honors.
During her debut season with the track Bulldogs, Harmon saw one of her pupils, senior hurdler Danielle Kohlwey, become the program's fourth NCAA Division II indoor national champion while attaining All-American status three times overall (indoor 60-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash and outdoor 100-meter hurdles).
Harmon, whose coaching resume included nine previous seasons of service at the collegiate level, had most recently served as the head women's cross country and track and field coach at Sierra College, a two-year institution in Rocklin, Calif. She helped resurrect those two programs in 2016 after a seven-year hiatus and since that time directed the Wolverines to a pair of berths in the California State Junior College Championships. Prior to joining the Sierra College staff, Harmon was employed at a trio of NCAA Division I schools -- Sacramento State University (head men's and women's cross country and assistant track and field coach; 2015-16), Texas Christian University (head men's and women's cross country and assistant track and field coach; 2014-15) and Oregon State University (assistant women's cross country and track and field coach; 2011-2014). Sacramento State claimed an Big Sky Indoor Track and Field championship during her tenure.
Harmon, a native of Vancouver, Wash., enjoyed a rewarding four-year running career at the University of Oregon. As a senior in 2004, she qualified for her second NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship and attained All-American status. Harmon, who was a two-year Duck team captain, also took part in a pair of NCAA I national track and field meets in the 5,000-meter run and was a four-time NCAA I regional qualifier in the 1,500- and 5,000-meter runs.
After graduating from Oregon in 2005 with a B.S. degree in psychology, Harmon returned to her alma mater -- Jesuit High School in Beaverton, Ore. -- to enter the coaching arena. As the assistant girl's cross country and track and field coach from August 2005 to June 2009, she was part of four Oregon State 6A cross country title-winning teams. Harmon also coached three Crusaders to Oregon 6A individual state track and field crowns.
Harmon, who received a Master's Degree in kinesiology from Fresno Pacific University in 2018, and her husband, Taylor, have one daughter (Quinn) and reside in Duluth.
