LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- After 11 successful seasons leading Covenant cross country and six seasons at the helm of the track and field programs, Katie Stanford announced her decision to step down from her position as head coach.

Stanford leaves Covenant to take on the role of Head Girls Cross Country Coach and Head Track and Field Coach at Chattanooga Christian School.

"I have loved my 11 years at Covenant and I have appreciated the athletic department's consistent emphasis on Christ, discipleship on our teams, and care for their staff," said Stanford. "I am proud of the success we had in cross country and I am honored that I was able to start the track and field program and accomplish what we did in such a short time."

Stanford's cross country teams were annually at or near the top of the conference during her tenure with the Scots. Covenant won six conference titles as a team and produced five individual conference champions in Stanford's 11 seasons. She was a three-time conference coach of the year award winner, garnering the award twice on the women's side in the USA South (2015, 2017).

In Covenant's first two years in the USA South, Stanford guided her men's team to conference championships and she had individual champions in both 2014 and 2015 to go along with a women's individual champion in 2013.

Records were broken during Stanford's tenure on the cross country side. All three distances (6k, 5k, two-mile) on the women's side had program records under Stanford. The men's 5k record was set in 2021 and six of the top seven 8k marks on the men's side were run under Stanford.

Under Stanford's guidance, Covenant tallied 89 All-USA South selections in cross country (43 men, 46 women) with five conference runners of the year and five NCAA all-region honorees. Stanford coached Lilly Smith to the program's first NCAA Cross Country Championships qualifier in 2018. 

Stanford was instrumental in getting track and field to Covenant. The track programs officially began in 2017 and in the following six seasons, Stanford's teams accumulated 40 All-USA South honorees and three USTFCCCA all-region selections, including S.K. Lipperd's selection this year.

Academically, Covenant thrived under Stanford. During her tenure, the cross country programs produced 120 USA South All-Academic honorees with 18 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors. Additionally, the Scots had 12 USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees (eight women, four men). In track and field, Stanford had 102 USA South All-Academic selections and 11 USTFCCCA All-Academic team awards.

This season, Ben Mellott became the first male Covenant cross country/track athlete to garner CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. Beth Burgess accomplished the feat twice on the women's side during Stanford's tenure.

"Ending my time at Covenant is bittersweet," added Stanford. "I am thankful to have been the coach of many wonderful athletes and people who have come through this program over the past 11 years."

A search for a new head coach is underway.

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