Derrick McKenzie is entering his 4
th year as the Director of Cross Country / Track and Field at Nebraska Wesleyan. His third season at the helm during the 2025-2026 season produced many national and conference accolades.
At the NCAA National level, his athletes had 14 NCAA qualifying performances. This included 4 first team NCAA All-Americans. Sam Clements earned two first team honors in the shot put (indoors-6
th/outdoors-3
rd), Colin Wojtkiewicz (hammer-5
th), and Eli Etherton (110H-4
th). During the outdoor national championship, the men finished top 15 nationally finishing 14
th.
Additionally at the national meet, McKenzie’s athletes earned five 2
nd team All-American honors. Eli Etherton (60H-indoors), Reed Emsick (indoors/outdoors-800), Chloe Mooberry (LJ), and Emmilly Berglund (Shot-outdoors).
Throughout all three seasons of cross country, indoor, and outdoor, the Prairie Wolves accounted for 27 all A-R-C performances including 4 Conference Champions. Eight times during the 2026 season his athletes earn A-R-C athlete of the week accolades. During the 2026 season, his athletes racked up 9 school records and an incredible 40 All-Midwest Region Honors.
Off the track, Avery Decker became the A-R-C Scholar Athlete of the Year for her efforts during the 2025 season and was a top 30 finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year. At the end of the 2026 season, 25 athletes earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. During the cross country season, the women’s team had the highest GPA in the nation with a 3.92.
Since his time of leading the Prairie Wolf cross country / track and field program, McKenzie’s athletes have accounted for:
- 64 All-Conference performances, including 14 Conference Champions
- 40 NCAA DIII National Championship qualifying performances
- 12 NCAA first team All-American performances, including 2 National Runner Ups, and 1 National Champion
- 12 NCAA second team All-American Performances
- 69 All-Region Honorees
- 20 school records
- 4 NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship recipients
- 2 Academic All-American award winners
- 3 A-R-C Scholar Athlete of the Year winners
- 3 NCAA Woman of the Year top 30 finalists
- 2 top 15 team finishes at the NCAA National Championship
In his eight years as an assistant while coaching the sprinters and relays, coach McKenzie led the Prairie Wolf sprinters to 39 NCAA All-American honors including 10 NCAA National Titles. Within that time frame, his athletes accounted for 75 All-Conference honors with 22 of those being conference champions. Many of those athletes accounted for 134 all-time top 10 performances in school history and 34 different school record performances. In 2019, McKenzie was named the Central Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
McKenzie, a 2012 graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan, had spent three years as an assistant coach at Omaha North High School. ONHS had four Top-Finishes finishes in both the Boys and Girls Track and Field State Championship.
As a track & field athlete for the Prairie Wolves, McKenzie was a four-year letterwinner at NWU. He was a seven-time All-GPAC performer in track & field and a two-time NCAA National Qualifier in the 400 hurdles.
A native of Fremont, Nebraska, McKenzie earned his master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2020.
McKenzie and his wife Jackie (‘11), are the parents of two sons and one daughter, Christian (6), Marcus (4), and Willa (1).
