2011-12 men’s Cross Country / Track & Field In addition to six years of coaching experience, Kerr boasts a 13 year highly-decorated career as an international runner. An accomplished athlete, Kerr concluded his career with his third consecutive, and fourth overall, 3000m Steeplechase title at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in 2007.
M att K err
Director Men’s Cross Country/ Track and Field Fourth Season
Between 1994 and 2005, the four-time national champion represented Team Canada on seven occasions at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships. Kerr attended the IAAF World Cross Country Championships five times (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2005) and the IAAF World Track and Field Championships twice (2003 and 2005). In 2000, Kerr graduated Cum Laude from the University of Arkansas as a double-major in International Economics and Marketing Management. He was a member of the Dean’s List and an Academic All-American throughout his undergraduate career.
Matt Kerr begins his fourth year as the Director of Men’s Cross Country and Track and Field at Boston College. Kerr was named to his current role in 2008 after serving as the assistant coach for the men’s and women’s programs at Wake Forest University for four years.
At the University of Arkansas from 1995 to 1999, Kerr garnered six AllAmerican and four All-SEC honors as a member of 10 NCAA Championship and 12 Southeastern Conference Championship teams. As a Razorback, he claimed back-to-back NCAA individual titles in 3000m Steeplechase in 1998 and 1999 and four SEC Individual Championships, including three straight 3000m Steeplechase titles.
In the first three years under Kerr’s guidance, Boston College has garnered 79 All-ACC Academic Honor Roll distinctions, seven All-ACC Academic Team members, been recognized as the ACC Performer of the Week on three occasions and made one appearance on the ACC All-Conference team.
After graduating from Arkansas, he earned a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wollongong, receiving the postgraduate degree with distinction honors.
BC took great strides throughout the 2010-11 campaign, exhibiting its competitive nature with a continuous series of PRs and school record marks. In cross country, Louis Serafini submitted one of the fastest times run at Franklin Park in Eagles history. At the historic Penn Relays, the Eagles broke a 22-year old school record in the 4xMile. Kerr also guided Jordan Hamm (steeplechase), Jack Hennessy (400m), Ian Thomas (1,000m) and the 4x400meter relay into the track record book. At the New England Championship, Anthony Bellitti knocked 16 seconds off his PR in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to qualify for USA Junior Nationals, before BC capped the year with a thrilling victory in the 4x800-meter relay to capture the school’s first regional title in three years.
While at Wollongong, Kerr was a five-time Australian University Games Champion.
In his first season at the helm of the BC program, Kerr’s impact was felt immediately. During the 2008 outdoor track season, he led Dave Emerson to a New England Championship in the 10,000m and coached Jeff Smith to a school record in the 100m dash.
Kerr’s Timeline:
2008-Present – Director of Boston College Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field Programs 2004-2007 – Asst. coach of Wake Forest Men’s and Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field Programs 1994-2007 – Canadian national team member 2001-2002 – University of Wollongong (athlete) 1996-2000 – University of Arkansas Razorbacks (athlete)
In the fall of 2008, with Kerr’s tutelage, standout Timothy Ritchie earned a pair of ACC Cross Country Performer of the Week honors and sophomore Theodore Doyle added one of his own. Kerr led Ritchie to a second place finish at ACCs - BC’s all-time best individual performance - with the Eagles taking sixth place for their highest team finish since joining the conference in 2005.
HIGHLIGHTS
Kerr also coached Ritchie to a New England Cross Country Championship that year. The BC star took seventh place at the NCAA Northeast Regional and went on to make his first appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championship, finishing No. 62.
4-Time Canadian Steeplechase Champion (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007) 2-Time NCAA Champion - 3000m Steeplechase (1999, 2000 - University of Arkansas)
During the 2009 indoor track season, Kerr brought continued recognition to Boston College. At the 2009 ACC Indoor Championship, Ritchie placed sixth in the 5000m. The senior took third in the same event at the conference championship, the highest-ever individual placing by an Eagle at the meet. Earlier in the season, BC’s captain busted out two NCAA Regional qualifying times in the 5000m, one of which was a 14:02.59 performance at the ICAAAA meet.
Represented Canada at 5 IAAF World XC Championships (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2005) Represented Canada at 2 IAAF World Track & Field Championships (2003, 2005)
After making the transition outside, Kerr guided Ritchie to qualify for the NCAA preliminary round in the 5000m by posting a time of 14:03.21. With Kerr at the helm, the Eagles earned their first podium finish in several decades at the New England Track and Field Championships, having grabbed third place behind Matt Adetula’s championship in the triple jump.
8th at the 2006 Commonwealth Games - 3000m Steeplechase (Canada) Member of 10 NCAA Championship Winning Teams (University of Arkansas 1995-99)
Following a rebuilding year on the cross country course, the 2010 track seasons were also quite successful for Boston College. Mark Domaracki highlighted the indoor campaign by breaking the school record in the 500m with a time of 1:03.54 at the BU Valentine Invitational and Ritchie, then a grad student, recorded the sixth fastest mile time in school history at 4:05.47.
Member of 12 SEC Championship Teams (University of Arkansas 1995-99)
PERSONAL RECORDS
Event Time Date Place 1500m 3:41.76 01 May 99 Queen City Invitational - Springfield, MO Mile 4:00.41 05 Mar 05 Alex Wilson Invite - South Bend, IN 3000m 7:53.89 14 Mar 98 NCAA Championships – Indianapolis, IN 3000m SC 8:20.12 23 Jul 05 KBC, Heusden-Zolder – BEL 5000m 13:32.53 11 Jun 03 Victoria International – CAN
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DIRE C TOR
Kerr is married to the former Jill Snyder, who herself was a five-time All-American track athlete at Wake Forest University and is currently an assistant coach for BC the cross country and track and field programs. They are blessed with two children, Madeline Louise and James Randall and reside in Newton, Mass.