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Western Michigan University Athletics

Kevin Cataldo 2023 Headshot

Kevin Cataldo

Kevin Cataldo was introduced as the program's head coach on May 10, 2023. 

Cataldo guided the Broncos to a sixth-place finish at the MAC Cross Country Championships, while claiming another All-MAC/All-Region performer in Lillian Zelasko. He followed that up with an indoor season that saw four more top-10 marks in school history. 

During the outdoor season, the third-year head coach guided the Brown and Gold to a sixth-place finish at the MAC Championships. The Broncos had four All-MAC performers, including individual champions in Sandra Ferrari and Mabinty Kebe. Following that, Cataldo sent three athletes to the NCAA East Preliminaries (Ferrari, Kebe, Bri'Yanna Robinson) and another to USATF U20 Nationals (Ava Kurczewski). 

During his second season at the helm, Cataldo elevated the program to heights it hasn't seen in years. In cross country season, he produced two more All-MAC performers in Danielle Rinn (First Team) and Kayla Schiera (Second Team). The team placed 16th that the Great Lakes Regional meet after entering unranked. 

In the indoor track and field season, the Broncos had a MAC Champion for the second straight season, as Sandra Ferrari took the top spot in the 60-meter hurdles. Mabinty Kebe and Kayla Schiera were able to finish the meet with Second Team All-MAC honors. As the year progressed to the outdoor season, Cataldo had the the team rise all the way to fifth in the standings at the league meet. It was the teams highest finish since 2014 and the program's highest point total since 2012. Kebe and Schiera won individual conference titles, while Ferrari nabbed Second Team All-Conference honors. His distance group collected 24 points for the team. 

Ferrari, Kebe, Bri'Yanna Robinson and Scheira all advanced to the NCAA East Preliminaries, with Schiera going on to make the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. Schiera finished her season by claiming 15th in the nation in the 3K Steeplechase, which gave her Second Team All-American honors. 

In his first season as head coach, the cross country team finished fifth at the MAC Championships. It was the first time in program history that the program had two first team all-MAC performers. Makayla Perez finished fifth and Kayla Schiera placed seventh at the conference meet. The program also tied the second highest finish in program history at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Meet (13th). Additionally it was the first time the squad had an All-Region athlete (Makayla Perez) since Hanne Christensen in 2017.

During indoor track season, Perez broke the school record in the 5K and also won the MAC Title setting a meet record by 24 seconds in the process. She went on to get second in the 3K during that same meet. During the outdoor season she broke the school record in the 10K by 1:04. The program also had Maggie Raab get fifth in the 800 and Brooke Soper finished 8th in the 10K to score for the first time in their career. 

Cataldo joined the Broncos as an assistant coach in March 2022, after serving in the same position at Southern Illinois for six seasons. With the Salukis he helped coach three conference title winners and two runners-up, three NCAA Regional qualifiers, and saw three of his student-athletes earn First Team All-Conference honors. He also coached Kayla Schiera, who broke two program records in the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter runs and was named the MVC Outdoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year.
 
Cataldo also had coaching stops at Delaware, Butler and Michigan State.
 
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Oakland University and a Masters of Arts with a Certificate in Sports Coaching and Leadership from Michigan State. Cataldo also holds a USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning certification.
 
WMU Distance Stats
  • One All-American
    • Kayla Schiera - 2024 3K Steeplechase
  • Two USATF U20 Qualifiers
    • Lilly Zelasko (2024)
    • Ava Kurczewski (2025)
  • Two MAC Champions
    • Makayla Perez - 2023 Indoor 5K *Meet Record*
    • Kayla Schiera - 2024 3K Steeplechase
  • Four School Record Holders
    • Makayla Perez - 5,000m
    • Makayla Perez - 10,000m
    • Kayla Schiera - 1,500m
    • Kayla Schiera - 3K Steeplechase
  • Two NCAA XC All-Great Lakes Region
    • Makayla Perez (2022)
    • Lilly Zelasko (2024)
  • Five All-MAC XC Honorees
    • Makayla Perez - First Team (2022)
    • Kayla Schiera - First Team (2022)
    • Danielle Rinn - First Team (2023)
    • Kayla Schiera - Second Team (2023)
    • Lilly Zelasko - Second Team (2024)
  • Four All-MAC TF Honorees
    • Makayla Perez - First Team (Indoor 2023)
    • Kayla Schiera - First Team (Outdoor 2024)
    • Kayla Schiera - Second Team (Indoor 2024)
    • Lily Overton - Second Team (Outdoor 2025)
  • 51 Academic All-MAC Selections
  • Eight CSC Academic All-District Selections
  • 12 Indoor Track & Field All-Time Top 10 Performances
  • 14 Outdoor Track & Field All-Time Top 10 Performance
WMU Overall Stats
  • One All-American
    • Kayla Schiera - 2024 3K Steeplechase
  • Two USATF U20 Qualifiers
    • Lilly Zelasko (2024)
    • Ava Kurczewski (2025)
  • Six MAC Champions
    • Makayla Perez - 2023 Indoor 5K *Meet Record*
    • Kayla Schiera - 2024 3K Steeplechase
    • Mabinty Kebe - 2024 400m Hurdles
    • Sandra Ferrari - 2024 Indoor 60m Hurdles
    • Sandra Ferrari - 2025 Outdoor Long Jump
    • Mabinty Kebe - 2025 Outdoor 400m Hurdles
  • 10 School Records
    • Sandra Ferrari - Indoor Long Jump
    • Sandra Ferrari - 100m Hurdles
    • Sandra Ferrari - Outdoor Long Jump
    • Grace Johnson - 60m Hurdles 
    • Makayla Perez - 5,000m
    • Makayla Perez - 10,000m
    • Bri'Yanna Robinson - Indoor Shot Put
    • Bri'Yanna Robinson - Outdoor Shot Put
    • Kayla Schiera - 1,500m
    • Kayla Schiera - 3K Steeplechase
  • 17 All-MAC Selections
    • Makayla Perez - First Team XC (2022)
    • Kayla Schiera - First Team XC (2022)
    • Danielle Rinn - First Team XC (2023)
    • Kayla Schiera - Second Team XC (2023)
    • Makayla Perez - Indoor TF First Team (2023)
    • Grace Johnson - Indoor TF Second Team (2023)
    • Sandra Ferrari - Indoor TF First Team (2024)
    • Mabinty Kebe - Indoor TF Second Team (2024)
    • Kayla Schiera - Indoor TF Second Team (2024)
    • Mabinty Kebe - Outdoor TF First Team (2024)
    • Kayla Schiera - Outdoor TF First Team (2024)
    • Sandra Ferrari - Outdoor TF Second Team (2024)
    • Lilly Zelasko - Second Team XC (2024)
    • Sandra Ferrari - Outdoor First Team (2025)
    • Mabinty Kebe - Outdoor First Team (2025)
    • Lily Overton - Outdoor Second Team (2025)
    • Bri'Yanna Robinson - Outdoor Second Team (2025)
  • 70 Academic All-MAC Members
  • 13 CSC Academic All-District Honors
  • 26 Indoor Track & Field All-Time Top 10 Performances
  • 33 Outdoor Track & Field All-Time Top 10 Performance
  • Seven NCAA East Regional Qualifiers
    • Sandra Ferrari (2024)
    • Mabinty Kebe (2024)
    • Bri'Yanna Robinson (2024)
    • Kayla Schiera (2024)
    • Sandra Ferrari (2025)
    • Mabinty Kebe (2025)
    • Bri'Yanna Robinson (2025)
Career by the Numbers (Distance)
  • 63 All-Time Top 10 Marks (SIU/Delaware/WMU)
  • 51 Academic All-MAC Members
  • 20 MVC Track & Field Scholar Athlete Team Members
  • 17 Cross Country Scholar Athlete Team Members (SIU/Delaware)
  • 15 MVC Track & Field All-Conference Performers
  • 10 School Records (SIU/Delaware/WMU)
  • 8 ECAC Qualifiers
  • 7 Cross Country First Team All-Conference Performers
  • 6 Cross Country All-Conference Honorable Mention Performers
  • 7 NCAA Regional Qualifiers
  • 5 MVC Individual Runner-up Performances
  • 5 MVC Individual Conference Champions (Cross Country/Track)
  • 3 Elite 18 Award Winners
  • 3 NCAA All-Region Cross Country Performers
  • 2 Cross Country Second Team All-Conference Performers
  • 2 MAC Individual Conference Champions
  • 2 MAC Individual Runner-up Performances
  • 2 NCAA Track & Field All-American Selections (1-2nd team, 1-honorable mention)
  • 1 CoSIDA Academic All-American
  • MAC Indoor 5K Meet Record Holder (Makayla Perez)
  • MVC Outdoor 5K Meet Record Holder (Josh Maier)
  • MVC 3K Steeplechase Meet Record Holder (Kayla Schiera)
  • NCAA Division I Highest Men’s Cross Country Team GPA (2018)
  • 7th Highest NCAA Division I Combined (Men’s & Women’s) Team GPA (2018)
Career by the Numbers (Overall)
  • 95 All-Time Top 10 Marks (SIU/Delaware/WMU)
  • 70 Academic All-MAC Members
  • 20 MVC Track & Field Scholar Athlete Team Members
  • 17 Cross Country Scholar Athlete Team Members (SIU/Delaware)
  • 16 School Records (SIU/Delaware/WMU)
  • 15 MVC Track & Field All-Conference Performers
  • 13 NCAA Regional Qualifiers
  • 8 ECAC Qualifiers
  • 7 Cross Country First Team All-Conference Performers
  • 6 Cross Country All-Conference Honorable Mention Performers
  • 5 MVC Individual Runner-up Performances
  • 5 MVC Individual Conference Champions (Cross Country/Track)
  • 4 MAC Individual Conference Champion
  • 4 MAC Individual Runner-up Performance
  • 3 Elite 18 Award Winners
  • 2 Track and Field All-American Selections
  • 2 NCAA All-Region Cross Country Performers
  • 2 Cross Country Second Team All-Conference Performers
  • 1 CoSIDA Academic All-American