Ihmels Announces First Assistant Coaches

AMES, Iowa ? Iowa State head track coach Corey Ihmels has hit the ground running. The former ISU All-American has set his sights high, building the Cyclone program from the ground up. He made his first moves this this week, naming his first two assistant coaches, one from Iowa State the other from UC-Riverside. Blake Boldon, a former volunteer assistant in the Cyclone program is ISU's new recruiting coordinator and assistant coach for track and cross country. Melissa Stoll joins the Iowa State staff as an assistant coach for track and field and cross country.

"I am really excited about adding Blake and Melissa to our track and field and cross country staff," Ihmels said. "Both of them add a tremendous amount of energy and excitement."

Boldon is an Osceola native who has been on the ISU staff since July of 2005. He is coming off a sterling indoor track season, in which he became only the third Iowa native to break four minutes in the mile indoors. Bolden finished fourth in the 3,000-meters at the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 24 in Boston, Mass. The following weekend at the ISU Qualifier meet in Ames, Boldon raced to a 3:59.18 mark in the mile. The effort made him just the third native Iowan to ever break four minutes in the mile indoors.

"I'm excited to be a part of Cyclone track and field for a lot of reasons," Boldon said. "Growing up 80 miles from Ames, I know how much talent we have in (the state of Iowa). I'm looking forward to helping put together one of the country's best track teams with our local talent. I'm lucky to have the opportunity to work for Corey (Ihmels). The energy that he brings to work everyday makes it fun to be a Cyclone. He's in the process of putting together a fantastic staff and we're going to set our sights on some special things. Every morning when I wake up I'm anxious to get to work because right now every day serves as an opportunity for us to improve."

As a collegiate competitor Bolden was a five-time Missouri Valley Conference champion at Missouri State. He was a Drake Relays, Kansas Relays and Sea Ray Relays champion and earned academic All-America honors as a senior. Bolden was an Iowa prep 1,600-meter champion at Clarke Community High School. He was previously a volunteer assistant at Florida State and Missouri State before coming to Ames.

"Blake's experience with our program as a volunteer over the last two years will help ease the transition for our student-athletes and our new coaching staff. He has an incredible amount of enthusiasm for track and field and cross country in the state of Iowa and I feel very fortunate to have him working for us here at Iowa State."

Stoll is a native of La Puente, Calif. who was a member of UCR's nationally ranked 4 x 800 and distance medley teams. She is the school record-holder indoors in the mile. As a prep, she reached the CIF finals in the 800-meters and the 2,000-meters. She earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from UCR in 2005 and a master's degree in teaching from National University.

"I am very excited to join the ISU staff and am looking forward to contributing my experience as an athlete and coach in Division I as our programs establish and maintain their status as a major force among teams in the Big 12 and nationally."

While at UC-Riverside, Stoll earned the respect of Highlander director of track and field and cross country Irv Ray.

"Melissa has been an outstanding athlete and assistant coach," Ray said. "She has been instrumental in our women's teams' fast rise to the top of the Big West Conference and in the NCAA West Region. We will miss her. I know Melissa will make outstanding contributions to Iowa State track and field and cross country."

Riverside's track and field program made a recent move to NCAA Division I.

"Melissa comes to us from a program that has been resurrected from the ground up," Ihmels said. "She is excited and motivated to take Cyclone track and field and cross country to the next level. She will be an integral part of both our men's and women's cross country programs and is poised to be one of the bright young distance coaches in the country."

Ihmels has ISU track and field on the move. His previous track record sets the pace for an optimistic future for Iowa State's track and field program.

Iowa State University Athletics

Ihmels Announces First Assistant Coaches

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