Matt and Heidi Manfred of Altoona will enter their first season at the helm of the men's and women's cross country programs in 2007.  The husband and wife tandem replaced former Lion coach Doug Hoover whom they served under as assistant coaches.  Matt has been with the cross country program since 2004 while Heidi came aboard the following season when the Altoona women captured their first ever Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championship. 

The Manfreds have spent the summer actively recruiting as well as organizing the first ever Penn State Altoona Blue White Classic, a home cross country meet to replace the defunct Penn State Altoona Lion Invitational.  The event will be held at the American Legion Park in Hollidaysburg, PA, and should feature anywhere from 15 to 20 men's and women's collegiate teams. 

A 1999 graduate of Hampton High School in Pittsburgh, Matt continued his education at Geneva College, graduating with a BA in history/secondary education in 2003.  Manfred brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Penn State Altoona both as a coach and as an athlete.  Before serving as head cross country coach and head track and field coach at Blackhawk High School (Beaver Falls, PA), he competed all four years of high school and college.  His athletic resume at Geneva College included a foray into the national level with his competition in the NAIA marathon his senior year. Matt continues to train and race in central Pennsylvania. 

Before coaching, Heidi spent four years as a student athlete at Geneva College and Mount Aloysius College.  In the fall of 2002, she became the first and only NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Cross Country All-American at Geneva by placing thirteenth at the national meet.  In spring of 2003, she broke the school record on the track in the Women's 10,000 meters and became the first Geneva woman to qualify for the NAIA National Track & Field meet.  In the fall of 2003 as she was beginning graduate studies at Mount Aloysius College, she used her final season of eligibility to compete for the Mounties in the same conference as Penn State Altoona and won the inaugural Lion Invitational that fall.  She graduated from Mount Aloysius with a Masters in Health and Human Service Administration in 2005.

Heidi is employed by Penn State, working as a Research Technologist for the Penn State University Family Life Project.  Matt serves as an Administrative assistant at St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Altoona.  The two have a young daughter, Edith.     

Contact the Coaches:     Phone:  814-949-5234      Email: htr104@psu.edu