Maryville University Athletics

Maryville University announced that Chris Sandefur will join the Saints staff as an assistant for the track and field and cross country teams beginning with the 2019-20 academic year. The Pacific, Mo., native comes to the University after spending the last two seasons as the head coach of the track and field and cross country programs at Johnson and Wales University in Denver. Sandefur has nine years of experience as a cross county head coach and has been the conference coach of the year on four occasions. He has guided three NAIA cross country national qualifying teams and more than 85 individual national qualifiers.

With the Wildcats, Sandefur had one cross country and indoor national track qualifier, who finished in ninth at the NAIA Championships, as well as coaching the school’s first All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference selection. In addition, he was selected the JWU Department of Athletics Coach of the Year in 2017-18.

Sandefur was the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan for one season where he guided the 2016 men’s cross country team to the NAIA National Championship meet. He also helped the 4X800 men’s relay team and a marathoner earn a spot at the 2017 national championships. Sandefur coached the top two finishers in the mile at the 2017 KCAC Indoor Championship meet.

Sandefur has experience in the St. Louis area as he was the Director of Cross Country and Track and Field programs at Lindenwood-Belleville. In his three seasons guiding the Lynx, Sandefur coached three individual cross country runners to berths to the NAIA National Championships. He coached the both the 2015 and 2016 American Midwest Conference men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship and was named the AMC Coach of the Year both seasons for men's outdoor track. He directed four NAIA All-Americans during his time with the Lynx.

Sandefur also spent time in Missouri as he was the head cross country coach and assistant track coach at Central Methodist University. At CMU, Sandefur coached 16 national qualifiers and in cross country and track and field. He was selected the 2011 and 2012 Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Sandefur guided those two women’s cross country squad to the 2011 and 2012 NAIA National Championship meets. Prior to CMU, Sandefur served as an assistant at NCAA Division I Louisiana-Monroe and helped coach the school’s first NCAA Cross Country Championship qualifier. He helped the team to the highest finish in school history at the Sun Belt Championships, and he coached an All-South Central Regional selection.

Sandefur graduated from Lindenwood University with a degree in physical education and was a ten-time national qualifier in cross country and track and field. In 2007, he served as team captain of the third-place cross country team at the NAIA National Championships and finished third individually at the 2007 NAIA Regional meet. Sandefur won the conference championship in the 10,000 meters at the 2008 HAAC Outdoor Championships and finished 11th in the 10K at the 2008 NAIA Outdoor National Championships.