Carroll University Athletics

Shawn Thielitz is in his 23rd season as the men's and women's cross country coach for Carroll University, and 24th with the program. Formerly the Head Track & Field coach for the Pioneers, Thielitz transitioned to an assistant role with that program in 2023, focusing on the distance runners. He is tied with Hall of Fame coach Clifford Juedes for the longest-tenured Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach in Carroll history.
 
Since his appointment as head coach in 2003, Thielitz has earned a total of 10 Midwest Conference Coach of the Year honors (eight for track & field and two for cross country).
 
In cross country Thielitz has coached nine national qualifiers, two All-Americans, two CCIW freshman of the year winners, and seven Midwest Conference individual champions. His track and field student-athletes have won six individual National Championships and five national runner-up honors. Additionally, Thielitz has coached over 40 track and field All-Americans (top eight at National meet) and led the women’s outdoor track and field team to the 2004 Midwest Conference Championship.

In the 2022 Cross Country season, Elizabeth Reddeman became the ninth national qualifier for Coach Thielitz and Spencer Kirsteatter had the highest NCAA Regional finish for the men since 2001.  In his final five years as Carroll's Head Track & Field Coach, Thielitz coached five National Champions, one National Runner Up and 11 All-American athletes.  His Track & Field teams have had their highest CCIW finishes since the 1970’s and his Cross Country teams have strung together their best CCIW team finishes since the 1980’s. 

Prior to 2002, Thielitz was an assistant cross country and track and field coach at Waukesha West High School from 1997-2001. While at West, he coached several athletes to state championships, including the 4 x 800-meter relay championship team in 2000 and the open 800-meter champion in 2001. He became the first coach in WIAA history to qualify three boys in 3200m to the state meet in 2001. In 2000 his boy’s cross countryteam won the Wisconsin state title.
 
Thielitz, a 1998 Carroll graduate, enjoyed a successful four-year career on the Carroll cross country team. He also ran three seasons of indoor track and two seasons of outdoor track for the Pioneers. As a prep, he was a four-year member of the Baraboo High School cross country and track teams.

Coach Thielitz and his wife Elisabeth reside in Brookfield and have two daughters LillyAnne (24) and MariBelle (18) and two sons Samuel (16) and Benjamin (13).