The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Floréal adds Haveman to Track & Field/Cross Country staff
07.14.2023 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Haveman joins program with 11 years of experience.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas head track and field/cross country coach Edrick Floréal has brought Sarah Haveman on to serve as the new Assistant Coach of the women's distance/cross country program.
Haveman has 11 years of coaching experience under her belt and most recently served as the Head Cross Country Coach of the University of Illinois for the last three years.
"It's a very exciting time for us to be able to add Sarah Haveman to our coaching staff," Floréal said. "I'm looking forward to seeing the growth of our young women's distance group with the addition of Haveman on our team."
Haveman led NCAA Indoor Mile Champion Olivia Howell in 2023 and helped her break the Albuquerque Convention Center facility record with her time of 4:34.00. Her work with Howell didn't go unnoticed as Howell was named the Illinois Female Athlete of the Year twice, won the Indoor Big Ten Mile three times (2021-23) and was the 1500m Big Ten Champion in 2021.
Howell also had early success during the cross country season, winning the Midwest Regional 6K with her time of 20:02.9 and went on to represent Illinois at the NCAA Championships. In 2021, she led the women's cross country program to a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a 21st-place finish at the NCAA Championships. In 2019, the Fighting Illini women won the NCAA Midwest Regional Title and Haveman was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Coach of the Year.
Haveman has coached one national champion, 14 All-Americans and led 14 Big Ten Individual Champions.
Prior to Illinois, Haveman served as an Assistant Coach of Track and Field / Head Coach of Cross Country from 2014-16 at Dayton before being promoted to the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country for the 2016-17 season. The Women's cross country team were the 2015 Atlantic-10 Runners-Up and coached Chloe Flora to be the A-10 Rookie of the Year. Dayton had seven All-Conference runners, 14 of the top-25 5K marks in school history, 17 of the best 25 6K times and coached six A-10 track and field champions.
Haveman got her start in coaching at her alma mater Purdue, where she was an assistant coach from 2011-13 after her four-year career as a Boilermaker. As an athlete, Haveman broke the school record in the 3000-meter steeplechase on her way to qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
She also adds an USTFCCCA All-Academic honor and was Purdue's Distinguished Scholar-Athlete in 2010.