Grant Watley
Grant just completed his 12th year as a cross country/track and field coach, having spent the past four years as the Head Cross Country Coach and Associate Head Track and Field Coach at the University of Sioux Falls. Prior to joining the coaching staff at USF, Grant spent two years with the University of Nebraska and six years coaching at the middle school/high school level. Having been an avid runner since middle school, Grant, along with his brothers, opened 605 Running Co. in July 2014. He is a USA Track and Field Level 1 Certified Coach and has a coaching endorsement from the USTFCCCA. He graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2009 with a B.S. in Health and Fitness Studies and completed his Masters of Sports Science in Sports Coaching from the United States Sports Academy in 2011. Grant stepped down from his position with USF after the 2015-16 academic year in order to spend more time with his growing family and devote more time to 605 Running Co. and developing the running community in the 605 area.
Grant and his wife Angela have been married for 6 years and have three children, Payton, age 4, Carter, age 2, and Jaxson, 6 months. When not coaching or running, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing video games, and watching the Minnesota Twins.
Jacqui Meadors
Jacqui Meadors is a born and raised Sioux Falls Woman who has been running for the past twenty years. She loves running not only for the exercise, challenges, and races, but also for the friendships and bonds that she has created over the past several years. In fact, she has met both of her very best friends through running - - as well as many other special friendships. Currently she is at home with her three children: Claire, Nora, and Lauren, but for ten years she worked as a math teacher in the Sioux Falls Public School system and also spent nine of those years coaching.
Her coaching career began at Axtell Park Middle School, where she instructed cross-country and track for three years. She then moved to Lincoln Senior High School, where she coached cross-country; during that time she was part of both Championship and Runner – Up State “AA” teams. It was certainly a joy and highlight of her life to work with talented, caring, and dedicated young boys and girls. Additionally, she spent three years coaching triathletes from the Des Moines based team, “Z3.” Her area of expertise was the running component.
Jacqui has run several races, amongst them: Boston, Twin Cities, New York, Phoenix, Manitoba & Fargo marathons, numerous half and ten mile races, as well as 10K and 5K’s for tune-ups. At this point in her life, Jacqui is looking forward to helping women in all aspects of their running – whether it be creating general training programs or specifics workouts, such as track, speed, tempo, or hills. As a student of the sport, she strives to help other women maximize their running potential. Running is a part of her life and she loves sharing that with others!