Janelle Branch brings over a decade of experience in coaching, athletic performance, and leadership to her role as Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Westminster University.
Most recently, she served as an Assistant Coach at the University of Utah, where she led the development of mid-distance runners and supported sprints, hurdles, and jumps. During her time at Utah, her athletes achieved 17 school records, 36 top-10 program marks, and qualified for NCAA Division I Nationals, international competitions, and even the Olympics. She prioritized holistic athlete development on and off the track, highlighted by Utah’s 2025 team earning the highest GPA in the nation (3.813) and producing 15 individual USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees.
Prior to Utah, Janelle led cross country and distance programs at Clarke University and Westminster Schools of Augusta, coaching athletes to school records, national qualifying performances, and All-American honors across both cross country and track & field.
In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Janelle serves in national leadership with USA Track & Field as Secretary of the Athletes’ Advisory Committee. In this role, she advocates for elite athlete needs, helps shape national team policies, and works to improve athlete support and resource access in preparation for the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
Janelle is a two-time U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, a 10-time USATF national qualifier, and was the 2024 U.S. Indoor National Runner-Up. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Science in International Business from Cornerstone University, where she was a 7-time NAIA All-American. She is USATF Level II certified in both Endurance and Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays.
Before coaching full-time, Janelle served in the U.S. Navy, where she led emergency
response teams aboard the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and trained thousands in shipboard safety and crisis readiness.
