Averett University made a huge announcement this year with the addition of track and field to the school. This addition also means that it brings some new faces to the university.  Averett has added a Director of Track and Field, coach Kameron Blanding. Blanding brings a lot of experience to the Averett track team. 

“I am a Kansas kid, born and raised. I competed in track & field/cross country for close to 15 years and I have been around it my entire life. Since I began coaching, I have coached in Kansas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Maine. I’m looking forward to putting down my roots here in Virginia,” Blanding said. 

Blanding felt welcomed as soon as he got to danville. Making his transition to the school way easier for his family. 

“My experience since coming to Averett has been wonderful. When I visited for my interview, everybody was warm and welcoming and it felt like I was already working here. When I accepted the job, I was welcomed with open arms and it made the transition here seamless. I love everybody that I work with and it makes this job that much more rewarding,” Blanding said. 

When getting here, Blanding knew that he wanted to impact the track and field team on and off of the track. 

“My hope is to build out an amazing cross country and track & field program that is competitive in competition and successful in the classroom. My hope is to create life-changing experiences for all of my student-athletes while preparing them for life after Averett,” Blanding said. 

With these goals in mind, Blanding is excited for the future of the program. Especially with the opportunity to build a program from the ground up. 

“I am most excited about the challenge that building up a program from scratch presents. While it presents a challenge, the program truly gets to have my own footprint while building for the future. I am excited to compete in the ODAC as well as eventually host our own home meets for cross country as well as track meets at our brand-new facility,” Blanding said. 

 The addition of coach has already helped Andrew Olverson, a junior at Averett. 

“Coach Blanding pushes me to be the best that I can be everyday. With his experience, he has helped me become one of the best throwers in the conference,” Andrew said.