In her sixth year as the Broncos’ full-time assistant, Becki Bishop has already revitalized WMU’s distance program. As the distance coach, she handles the cross country squad and the distance events on the track.
The 2007 season saw WMU capture the George Dales Invitational, while also finishing in the top three at the Valparaiso Invitational to open the season and at the Central Collegiate Championships.
Seven Broncos competed at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional with freshman Samantha Draney leading the way for WMU with a time of 23:05.53 in the 6K race.
In cross country, WMU won three races in 2006 for the first time since 2002 when they took the Bronco Invitational, Michigan Intercollegiates and George Dales Invitational in back-to-back-to-back competitions. Sophomore Jill Odom won the George Dales Invitational to become the first meet winner since 2004.
During the 2005 cross country season, Bishop coached freshman Jill Odom to Second Team All-MAC honors, while freshman Jennifer Roberts was one-place short of also earning All-MAC accolades.
Bishop coached Meryl Marsh and Rachael Lowe to Top-10 finishes and All-MAC honors at the 2004 MAC Championships ? the first such school honors since 1994. Bishop also helped school-record holder Rachael Lowe qualify for the 2005 NCAA Regional in the 3,000m steeplechase.
In 2006, Bishop worked with Odom as she won a MAC championship in the 1,500 meters, the first victory for the Broncos in that event since 1981 and qualified for the NCAA Regional Championship.
Three years ago, Bishop worked with a pair of strong 800 meter runners in Victoria Bassett and Janaule Bennett, both of whom qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional in Baton Rouge, La. In 2003, Bishop helped guide sophomore Sarah Hinkley to the 10,000 meter championship at the prestigious Drake Relays, accomplishing in just one year what no Bronco women’s distance coach had ever done before ?? coach a Drake Relays Champion.
During the 2003 cross country campaign, she led the Broncos to their first top-10 ranking in the Great Lakes Regional of the toughest regions in the country. Bishop also coached the Bronco harriers to their best finish at the MAC Championships since 1995.
Bishop came to WMU after serving as the head coach at Bangor High School in Bangor, Mich. She guided both the the cross country and the track and field teams to a Red Arrow Conference Championship. For her efforts, she was named Coach of the Year during the spring. Prior to that, Bishop was the head cross country/track and field coach at St. Monica Elementary School in Kalamazoo working primarily with the seventh and eighth grade students. She produced a pair of state qualifiers in cross country and one more state qualifier in track.
A 1998 graduate of Ball State University, Bishop lettered in both cross country and track for the Cardinals, and was part of two record-setting relays at BSU (distance medley relay, 4x800m).
Bishop earned her master’s degree in pedagogy with an emphasis on physical education from Western Michigan in 2001, finishing with a 3.96 overall GPA.
She and husband Chris have one son, Carter.
