Scott Schochler enters his 10th year as head men's and women's cross country and track and field coach.
The track and field program debuted for the 2020 indoor season, where Allika Pearson quickly qualified with an A standard for the NAIA National Championships in the 5,000 at the program's first-ever meet, held at Missouri Southern State. Earlier that year, Allika Peason and Ben Martin again qualified for a second-consecutive appearance at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships.
At the end of the 2022 season, Allika Pearson became the most decorated student-athlete ever in cross country or track and field program history, racking up four NAIA All-America finishes, including a triple crown in her senior season. In her swan song, Pearson earned All-America status in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. The Siloam Springs product also produced back-to-back Sooner Athletic Championships individual titles.
In October 2018, Schochler's responsibilities grew as he was also named the head coach of the newly-reinstated men's and women's track and field programs, which debuted in 2019-20.
In 2018, two more harriers earned All-Sooner Athletic in Ben Martin and Schochler's first female All-Conference honoree in Allika Pearson. Both represented John Brown at the 2018 NAIA National Championships.
From 2013-2018 seasons, Schochler led the cross country programs to a pair of firsts, including coaching Annie Brown to a spot in the 2015 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in the marathon, while helping Josh Uzelac become a three-time All-Sooner Athletic runner, making appearances in three consecutive NAIA National Championships.
From 2010-13, Schochler served as the head coach at Diboll High School, leading both cross country programs in addition to the girl's track and field team. During his time with the Jacks, Schochler coached three state qualifiers and 38 regional qualifiers while earning one district team championship and guiding 21 individuals to district championships.
Prior to his stop in Texas, Schochler served as the head boy's and girl's track and field coach at Orofino High School, located on the outskirts of Lewiston, Idaho. In almost a decade on the coaching staff of the Maniacs, Schochler coached 15 individual state champions while his athletes set two Idaho state records.
No stranger to the Sooner Athletic Conference, Schochler participated on the Oklahoma Baptist cross country team, in addition to landing a fifth-place finish at the 1991 SAC Tournament Meet as a member of the Bison track and field team. He would later compete at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Stephenville, Texas, landing a No. 29 finish in the marathon. While Schochler's sophomore season was marred with injury, he later transferred to Hardin-Simmons (Texas) for his final two collegiate years where he organized a cross country club, which he coached in addition to serving as a participant.
A USATF Level I certified coach, Schochler graduated in 1994 from Hardin-Simmons University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in physical education.
Schochler and his wife, Dr. Amy Schochler, currently reside in Siloam Springs with their two daughters, Vivian and Leahla.
