PITTSBURG — Pittsburg State University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jim Johnson announced today (Jan. 6) a pair of title changes within the Gorillas cross country/track & field programs.
 
Head coach Kyle Rutledge will now serve as Director of Cross Country and Track & Field while distance coach Ben Barrows has been promoted to the role of head men's and women's cross country coach.
 
"We are excited to announce this staff position restructuring, including Coach Barrows' promotion to head coach status within the men's and women's cross country programs," Johnson said. "Coach Rutledge continues to lead Pittsburg State's cross country and track & field programs as his new title more fully reflects his leadership leading one of the premiere cross country and track & field programs in the country."
 
Rutledge has cemented himself as one of the most decorated coaches among the NCAA Division II cross country/track & field ranks. Since becoming the head coach of the Pitt State cross country and track & field programs on June 7, 2021, Rutledge has led the Gorillas to six NCAA Division II National Championships and 16 MIAA crowns program-wide.
 
The Pitt State men placed third overall at the 2022 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships, before claiming national titles during the 2022 outdoor season, 2023 indoor season, 2023 outdoor campaign, 2024 indoor season and 2024 outdoor season – a string of five consecutive national championships entering the 2025 campaign.

The Pitt State women enjoyed four top 10 national finishes between the 2022 and 2023 seasons:  fifth place, tie (2022 indoor), ninth place (2022 outdoor), eighth place, tie (2023 indoor), seventh place (2023 outdoor). The Gorillas finished as the national runner-up at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships and Pitt State captured the program's second-ever national title at the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships.

The Gorillas have captured 11 of 12 MIAA titles during the past three years with the Pitt State men sweeping indoor and outdoor crowns all three years and the Pitt State women taking five of six titles (2022 indoor/outdoor, 2023 indoor, 2024 indoor/outdoor).
 
Barrows is in his fourth year as a full-time staff member after working as a part-time assistant coach for the Gorillas from 2017-2021.
 
Since Barrows' arrival on campus, Pitt State cross country/track & field has won 29 team MIAA championships, 13 from the men and 16 from the women. Women's cross country has won six MIAA championships, including the past three team crowns. Men's cross country has claimed two of the past three MIAA championships, the first MIAA titles in program history.
 
The women have also won the MIAA triple crown (cross country/indoor track/outdoor track in the same academic year) on three occasions (2017-18, 2018-19, 2023-24) and the men have won the MIAA triple crown on twice (2021-22, 2023-24).  The 2023-24 academic year marked the first time any program in the MIAA has swept both triple crowns since the 1987-88 academic year.
 
Women's cross country made its sixth trip to the national championships in seven seasons (2017-19, '22-24) – the 2020 campaign was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic – and the Gorillas placed 19^th overall at the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships.
 
Men's cross country made its fourth straight nationals appearance this past fall. The Gorillas have posted the program's best nationals finishes in consecutive years, placing 11^th in 2023 and achieving a new benchmark with a seventh place finish in 2024.

"Coach Barrows has evolved our distance team into one of the top programs in the country," Rutledge said. "His recruiting, development of young talent and his dedication has helped in our success. He is one of the best distance coaches in the country and we are honored to have him as part of our program."