Kameron Blanding was named Averett University's director of men’s and women’s track and field/cross country on Jan. 23, 2023.
Blanding leads Averett's men's and women's indoor/outdoor track and field programs, which began their inaugural season of competition as members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in fall 2022 after the additions were announced in December 2021. Blanding also oversees Averett's cross country programs, which have had a history of success — including a conference championship on the women's side.
After taking over the track and field programs midway through the indoor season, Blanding helped develop his team throughout the spring. During the indoor season, the Cougars had 22 personal bests throughout and broke 11 school records. During the outdoor season, Averett used the momentum from indoor season to produce a combined 58 personal bests, and after establishing outdoor school records for the first time, the Cougars broke them on 26 different occasions. In total, Averett track and field had 80 total personal bests and 37 instances of breaking a school record for the year in the program's inaugural season.
Averett track and field broke new ground under Blanding's leadership in 2024. The outdoor track and field season saw a healthy dose of firsts for the Cougars. From the first ever event victory in the women's javelin, to conference championships in both track and field disciplines, and the Cougars' first NCAA Division III Championships qualifier. The season also featured nearly every record in the books being rewritten, as countless performances toppled the previous high water mark for the young program. Youth set the pace for Averett, as Blanding will certainly look to carry and expand upon the wave of momentum lifting the Cougars.
Blanding has a wealth of coaching experience. Blanding came to Averett from NAIA Bethel College in Kansas, where he served as the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach from January 2022 until taking the reins of Averett's programs. Previously he served as head coach for men’s and women’s cross country/track and field at Central Maine Community College, as a graduate assistant for cross country and track and field at NAIA Montreat College in North Carolina and as the head men’s and women’s track and field coach at Holy Family College prior to the school closing in summer 2020. Blanding also gained experience as an assistant cross country and track and field coach at Northwest Kansas Technical College and as an associate head coach for cross country and track and field at Central Christian College in Kansas. Blanding has been a part of two conference championship teams, helped coach the men’s track and field at Central Christian to as high as a No. 3 national ranking and has helped produce more than 100 national qualifying marks, 20 All-Americans and one individual national champion at the junior college level.
Originally from Courtland, Kansas, Blanding earned his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Central Christian, where he ran for the Tigers after previously beginning his collegiate career at Ottawa University. Blanding also completed its master’s degree in management and leadership from Montreat in 2022 and is planning to pursue his Master of Science in coaching and exercise science from Concordia University-Irvine.
Blanding joins the Averett family, along with his fiancée Daniela and son Kristian.
