2011 Coaching Staff

Brian Batliner
Long Jump / Triple Jump
Brian Batliner is in his third year as a member of the JCCC cross-country and track and field staff . Coach Batliner directs the jumps program at Johnson County and in his first three seasons has guided several athletes to NJCAA All-America honors. Coach Batliner competed as a distance runner for JCCC before moving on to compete for Western State College and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is a USATF Level 1 Certified Track Coach.

Eric Thomas
High Jump
Eric has coached High School Track and Field athletes at Mill Valley and Desoto High Schools for several years, coaching one State Champion high jumper in 2009. In addition, he has coached numerous State qualifiers, placers and coached the 5A runner up girls track team in 2008. Eric also has coached high school football and wrestling over the past 10 years

Olivia Louderback
Sprints
Olivia will be working with the sprinters again this year, assisting in coaching the 100m, and 200m races as well as the 4x100m relay. She has been with the Comets since 2006 and she is very excited to be working with the kids again. She was also an assistant coach for the Brocaw Blazers cross country team in the fall. After living in the Caribbean for 5 years, Olivia settled in Wichita, KS. There she attended Andover schools and ran track, cross country and played basketball. Olivia went on to graduate from Kansas State University in 2004 where she played intramurals with her sorority in flag football, basketball and most of all, track. Olivia is currently an Industrial Engineer for The Kansas City Southern Railway.

Rob Koch
Distance
Rob started with the Comets in 2008. He is dedicated to coaching values that ensure a rewarding youth athletics experience: an enjoyable, positive, yet progressively challenging training environment, and a patient commitment to a long-term plan of development. Rob is a USATF Level One licensed track coach, and has coached middle distance and distance runners in club, high school, and the US Army, and conducted speed and agility training as a soccer club director. As a coach, Rob has qualified runners for national Jr. Olympics Track and XC meets, coached 2 national tournament qualifiers in youth soccer, and won a national championship in professional soccer. As an athlete, Rob won Maryland high school state championships in track and soccer, played Division I soccer at the University of Maryland, and now enjoys running marathons, recently winning the Waddell and Reed KC Marathon Master's division. Rob is also an attorney with a title insurance company.

Melanie Mellinger
Throwing
Melanie has been with the Comets Club since 2008. She specializes in Shot Put, Discus and Javelin. She is an alum of Shawnee Mission North and MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) where she competed in the Shot Put, Discus, Javelin and Hammer. She was a NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Athletic and Academic All American and a NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) All American. After college, Melanie was the assistant throws coach at MNU for two years before relocating to Tennessee to take the position of Recreation Superintendent with Madison County Parks and Recreation. In 2001, she moved back to the Shawnee Mission area. She is currently competing in the Scottish Highland Games and is ranked nationally. The Scottish Highland Games have been a great way for Melanie to continue with her love of throwing. She competes in the Braemer Stone Throw, Open Stone Throw, Sheaf, Heavy Weight for Distance, Light Weight for Distance, Light Hammer, Heavy Hammer and Caber. During her first year of competition in 2005, Melanie was named Athlete of the Year at the St. Louis Scottish Highland Games. In 2006, she competed in the Women's World Championship in Mesa, AZ and placed 8th. She is an insurance account manager for Creative Planning Risk Services in Leawood, KS.

Matt O'Neill
Throwing
Matt has been with the Comets since 2008. He graduated from Blue Valley Northwest High School in the spring of 2008. There he participated in Football, Wrestling and, of course, Track. He was a Varsity Defensive tackle in football, and a heavyweight wrestler. On the track team he threw shot put and discus as well as being the anchor leg for the throwers 4x100 meter relay. Matt is currently attending the University of Kansas where he is studying education. He hopes to one day become a high school English teacher as well as a football and track coach.

Lisa Schnick
Vice President, Hurdles, Sprints, and 400M Coach, Team Physician
Lisa has been the Comets VP and hurdle and sprinting coach since 2009. She has been the team physician since 2007. Lisa trained formally with Olympic sprinter and coach Pat Petkovich as a junior and senior in high school. She declined offers to run track in college to pursue a career in medicine. Lisa will be working with the primary age group mostly in sprints and focus on form and technique and all of the hurdlers from beginners to advanced as well as 400M runners.

Lindsey Warren
Distance
Lindsey ran track 4 years at Mill Valley High School, qualifying for State all 4 years as part of the 4x800 relay. She also qualified for State her senior year as part of the 4x400 relay team. Her 4x800 relay team set the Mill Valley High School record at 9:48. She also was a 2-time state qualifier in cross country in high school and later competed on the University of Kansas varsity rowing team. She ran her first marathon in San Francisco in October, 2009 and continues to compete in marathons. Lindsey will graduate form the KU School of Nursing in May, 2010.