Robert Spies - Blue Dragon Track & Field

Bio

Robert Spies became only the fifth head coach of the Blue Dragon men’s track and field team and only the third of the women’s team on July 1, 2019.

Through the first seven seasons under Spies, the Blue Dragon men’s team has produced 35 outdoor and 37 indoor All-Americans with seven individual national championships. The Blue Dragon women have amassed 35 outdoor and 21 indoor All-Americans. Overall, Spies has mentored 13 individual or relay national championships.

While the 2020 outdoor season never materialized with the Blue Dragons because of the Coronavirus pandemic, Hutchinson’s indoor season produced some impressive performances.

Andrew Kibet won a pair of NJCAA indoor national titles in the Mile run and 1,000 meters. Kibet broke five school records himself, while All-American Sylvestre Kibarar broke the 5,000-meter mark twice and Gabby Collins broke the women’s 1,000-meter record. The Blue Dragon men finished 12th at the indoor nationals.

The 2021 Blue Dragon women’s and men’s track teams accumulated 11 NJCAA All-Americans between in the indoor and outdoor seasons. Men’s distance runner Teagan Flanagan was an NJCAA national runner-up in the indoor 5,000 meters and outdoor 10,000 meters. He was sixth in the indoor 3,000 meters and fifth in the outdoor 5,000 meters. Flanagan set school records in the indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meters.

Also earning NJCAA All-America honors in 2021 were Erick Johnson (indoor triple jump), Zack Biel (indoor and outdoor high jump), Wyatt Thiel (outdoor high jump), Kiana Brown (women’s outdoor pole vault), Violet Martinez (women’s outdoor pole vault) and Patrisha Doll (women’s javelin).

In 2022, Violet Martinez and Louise Cocking were two-time All-Americans – Martinez in the indoor and outdoor pole vault and Cocking in the indoor 3,000 meters and outdoor 10,000 meters. Kiana Brown (indoor pole vault), Simon Steinert (outdoor pole vault), Antonio Cooper (indoor shot put) and Dimetre Brown (indoor long jump) were also All-Americans.

The 2023 indoor season produced one national championship as the Blue Dragon women’s 4x800 relay team of Gracie Lambert, Taylor Hoskinson, Ellie Van Zelfden and Serenity Larson won the indoor national crown as Washburn University in Topeka. The Blue Dragon women’s distance medley relay (Lambert, Keneah Romney, Van Zelfden and Hoskinson) placed eighth to earn honorable mention All-America honors. Madelyn Hernandez was honorable mention after tying for eighth. The Blue Dragon men had three indoor All-Americans (second-team Caleb Manning (4th in triple jump), third-team Dimetre Browne (6th in long jump) and honorable mention Christopher Brown (7th in weight throw). The Blue Dragon women earned two outdoor All-Americans in 2023 – Lushous Davis was a second-team All-American (4th in hammer throw) and Martinez (tied for seventh in the pole vault) for an honorable mention nod.

The 2024 season was the best overall season for the Blue Dragons under Spies. Chris Johnson won the 2024 outdoor pole vault national championship and David Thid claimed the 400-meter hurdle national title, making that the first time the Dragons captured two individual championships in the same season since 2011. Brooke Hawkins was the national runner-up in the women’s outdoor triple jump with the final of what was eight school records to be broken in the 2024 women’s outdoor season. Both the men’s and women’s team finished 10th in the 2024 outdoor championships. In addition to Hawkins in the triple jump, Jenna Kuepker was a second-team All-American (fourth in the javelin), Serenity Larson was a third-team All-American (sixth in 10,000 meters), Kaylee James was honorable mention (seventh in 100 hurdles), Hawkins was also honorable mention (seventh in long jump) and the 4x800 relay (Ellie Van Zelfden, Larson, Abigail Grantham and Taylor Hoskinson) were also honorable mention with an eighth-place finish. The Blue Dragon women earned four indoor All-America honorable mentions – Hawkins (seventh in high jump, eighth in triple jump), James (eighth in 60-meter hurdles) and the Distance Medley Relay (Van Zelfden, Kemeisha Williams-Dominique, Grantham and Hoskinson), eighth place. The Blue Dragon men had three other outdoor honorable mention performances – Christopher Brown (seventh place in both the hammer throw and discus) and Jack Losew (seventh in the javelin). The Blue Dragon men produced two indoor All-Americans with Johnson placing sixth in the pole vault and Leo LeGrand as a national runner-up in the 1,000 meters.

The 2025 Blue Dragon men’s indoor team achieved a program first with a Region 6 team championship. At the 2025 NJCAA Indoor National Championships, Leo LeGrand was the national champion at 800 meters. Elisha Williams was a second-team All-American in the long jump and Titus Kiprotich was honorable mention at 5,000 meters. The Blue Dragon women had two indoor All-Americans in the shot put, Deisheline Mayer Scott (third team) and Janiel Montaque (honorable mention). The Blue Dragon men also won the 2025 Region 6 outdoor team title. At the outdoor national championships at Gowans Stadium, Ti’rique Roland won a national title in the high jump, while Kebba Makalo and David Thid were national runners-up in the 100 meters and 400-meter hurdles, respectively. Overall, the 2025 Blue Dragon men had seven All-Americans. Deisheline Mayer Scott was honorable mention All-American in the women’s hammer and javelin. Spies was named the USTFCCCA Central District Men’s Coach of the Year.

The 2026 season saw the Blue Dragon men sustain their team success and have that success translate over to the women’s program. Hutchinson’s men once again swept Region 6 indoor and outdoor team titles and Spies was named the USTFCCCA Central District Coach of the Year honors for both seasons. The Blue Dragon women captured their first-ever Region 6 indoor team title and finished as outdoor team runner-up.

Spies saw program records fall in 2026 in 18 women’s events combined in the indoor and outdoor seasons and in nine events. Xylavene Beale was a three-time individual national champion (indoor shot put, outdoor shot put and discus) and a national runner-up in the indoor weight throw. She was named the USTFCCCA Central District Indoor and Outdoor Field athlete of the year and the USFTCCCA National outdoor athlete of the year. Mildred Rono was a four-time first-team indoor All-American. The Blue Dragon women had nine indoor All-Americans and seven outdoor All-Americans. Joshua Sweetnam was the 2026 outdoor shot put national champion. The Blue Dragon men had six indoor All-Americans and six more outdoor All-Americans.

Prior to Hutchinson, Spies was the head coach at McPherson College. Starting at McPherson in 2013, Spies produced 75 NAIA national qualifiers and 33 NAIA All-Americans. He coached one NAIA national champion, 73 conference champions, 92 all-KCAC performers and more than 60 school records fell in his tenure with the Bulldogs.

From 2011 to 2013, Spies was the head coach at Bethany College in Lindsborg. At Bethany, Spies' teams produced eight NAIA national qualifiers, three All-Americans, 13 conference champions, 58 all-conference performers and 10 school records.

Spies isn't a stranger to the Jayhawk Conference. From 2007 to 2010, he was the head coach at Fort Scott Community College. While at Fort Scott, Spies mentored three NJCAA All-Americans, nine NJCAA national qualifiers, 36 all-Jayhawk East performers and 34 school records fell in those four seasons.

Spies started coaching at Pittsburg State University as an assistant in 2006 and 2007. With the Gorillas Spies coached eight NCAA All-Americans, one NCAA national runner-up, 10 national qualifiers, six conference champions and 18 all-conference performers and five school records fell.

Spies was named the KCAC Coach of the Year three times (2016, 2017 and 2018). He was also the McPherson College Coach of the Year in 2018.

While at Pittsburg State, Spies was also the Student Fitness Facility Supervisor. Before that, from 2001 to 2004, Spies was the Strength and Conditioning coach at Virginia Military Institute.

Spies ran collegiately at Fort Hays State University. He was a 4-time NCAA Division II All-American, a 12-time Conference champion in both the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. While at Fort Hays State, Spies was ranked 14th in the world in the 60 meters, clocking a time of 6.57 seconds during his senior year. He has also competed at the USA National Championship level.

Spies completed a Bachelor's degree in childhood development with a minor in recreation from Pittsburg State. He earned a Master's degree in human health performance and recreation with an emphasis in sport and leisure management.

Robert and his wife, Ermelinda, have two children, Davian and Sofia.

Robert Spies Coaching Resume

2019-present        Head coach at Hutchinson Community College
2013-2019            Head coach at McPherson College
2011-2013            Head coach at Bethany College
2007-2010            Head coach at Fort Scott Community College
2006-2007            Assistant coach at Pittsburg State University