Waynesville Mail

Cross Country Coach Mike Neisler

Coach Mike Neisler had been Olympia’s boys and girls cross country and track coach up until his retirement this year. Coach Neisler had been a student and athlete favorite as one of Olympia’s health and PE teachers. With a long history in athletics, especially running, Coach Neisler was the right guy for the cross country program at Olympia. At Girard High School, Coach Neisler ran track, played basketball, and played football his senior year and says that, “the best day of the season was the day we ran the mile in pads! I won. Maybe I was in the wrong sport.”

Coach Neisler’s love for cross country really started at Judson University. While at Judson, the intramural organization hosted a one mile “Turkey Trot” that Coach Neisler won. After winning this race and taking home a Thanksgiving dinner turkey, some of the guys on the cross country team got Coach Neisler into running distance. Coach Neisler said, “It was an easy transition. I loved running.” From 1976 to 1978, Coach Neisler ran for the Judson Cross Country team. In his first year, Coach Neisler was voted as the most improved runner. In his second year, Coach Neisler won the Most Valubale award. In his senior year at Judson, Coach Neisler won the “Coaches Award” and was a team captain. 

Coming out of college, Coach Neisler wanted to be a basketball coach. After ten years of basketball, cross country, track and field, and even a soccer coaching job at quite a few different schools, Coach Neisler had an interview at Olympia High School in 1989. The position was for a health teacher and assistant boys track and field coach. Coach Neisler had decided that he was ready to switch from a basketball coach to a track and field coach. In his first year at Olympia, Coach Neisler was the boys track and field assistant and he “loved it.” During his first year, the cross country coaching job became available and Coach Neisler jumped right on it. In 31 years of coaching boys and girls cross country, Coach Neisler has had a great amount of success. His teams have had 26 appearances at state, with 14 girls teams and 12 boys teams, 3 state trophies with a 2nd place finish in 2002, a 3rd place finish in 2003, and a 3rd place finish in 2019. He also won 6 sectional championships, 9 regional championships, 3 conference championships, and 10 top 10 team finishes at state. Coach Neisler’s classroom was filled with trophies. Not only was Coach Neisler a winner, but he made a positive impact on his athletes and his students and Olympia was lucky to have him.