VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUVikings.com)- Valley City State University athletic director Jill DeVries announced today that cross country and track and field coach Chris Johnson has resigned to take a position at Tulane University.

DeVries said a search for his replacement at VCSU will begin immediately.

“We want to thank Chris for the job he did as the head coach of Viking cross country and track and field, and we wish him the very best at Tulane,” said DeVries. “The program is in great shape and the future is bright for VCSU track and cross country.”

Johnson had been head coach of VCSU’s cross country and track and field programs for the past three seasons. Under his direction, the rosters for both programs have grown significantly and the teams have become competitive at the conference and national levels. The VCSU women’s program had its first ever national champion during Johnson’s tenure as he coached Seri Geisler to national titles in the women’s javelin in both 2016 and 2017.

VCSU’s cross country and track programs are coming off a record-breaking season that saw 26 new school records and 10 national qualifiers. Respectively, Kyle Odegard and Megan Johnson earned NAIA Outdoor All-American honors in men’s javelin and women’s triple jump – the first time since 1992 that two Vikings earned All-American in the same season. As a team, VCSU’s men and women both placed in the Top 3 at the NSAA Cross Country Championships, NSAA Indoor Championship and NSAA Outdoor Championships.

Johnson has accepted an assistant coaching position with the track and field program at Tulane University, an NCAA Division I school in New Orleans, La.

Valley City State University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and a conference member of the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA). VCSU is currently undertaking a major renovation of the track and field complex at Lokken Stadium, which should be completed later this fall.